Power, Temperature and Noise
As is often the case, factory overclocked core and memory frequencies result in an increase in power consumption. Though, there isn't a lot in it. PowerColor's modest overclock is such that the system-wide power increase is minimal when compared to a reference card.
We've seen small changes in terms of in-game performance and system-wide power consumption, but it's in the temperature and noise departments that PowerColor's card best sets itself apart. When gaming, we found that the dual-fan cooler was able to keep core temperature at or below 68ºC, which is well within the limits and a noticeable improvement over reference.
On top of that, there's additional cooling available post-shutdown via the optional Turbo Timer accessory. PowerColor's own internal testing shows the GPU core reaching 80ºC during a Furmark stress test - powering down without the Turbo Timer resulted in core temp dropping to 63ºC after a minute, whereas repeating the same process with the Turbo Timer attached saw the temperature fall to 56ºC in the same period.
Better still, the fans are able to maintain those low operating temperatures without kicking up a fuss. The card of course isn't silent, and whether or not you'll notice it will depend on your system configuration and placement, but whichever way you look at it, the R9 270X PCS+ is one of the quieter cards available.
