ASUS Radeon HD 6870 Voltage Tweak graphics card review

Final thoughts and rating

ASUS comes to the Radeon HD 6000-series party with an HD 6870 kitted out with the reference PCB and heatsink. Matching the pricing from other partners but gaining an advantage by shipping with a slightly overclocked core and handy SmartDoctor application, it makes implicit sense for readers who have already decided to go down the Radeon route.

Performance is solid enough and the power credentials remain strong. Sweetening this particular package is robust overclocking potential, topping out at the magical 1,000MHz core with just a hint of extra voltage.

Putting it into perspective, a quality GeForce GTX 460 1,024MB card is a tad cheaper and performs to the same level, the price-comparable GTX 470 is faster, but AMD's new GPUs are about more than just frame-rates. Want a well-rounded card with an expansive feature-set? You'd do well to put the ASUS Radeon HD 6870 1,024MB on your Christmas shortlist.

Bottom line: ASUS brings a little flavour to the insipid Radeon HD 6870 cards. It represents a solid choice at £190.

The Good

Clocked in higher than the reference card...just
Overclocks like a champ
SmartDoctor is an always-handy app

The Bad

Was a better bet at the launch-day's £175
No bundled games

HEXUS Rating

ASUS Radeon HD 6870 1,024MB

HEXUS Awards

ASUS Radeon HD 6870 1,024MB

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