PowerColor HD 7790 Turbo Duo
The PowerColor HD 7790 Turbo Duo looks similar to the Sapphire card on first glance. Both use twin 80mm fans mounted on a card-wide cooler that in turn sits on a black PCB.
Taking a closer look at the PCB reveals that PowerColor may well have plans to bring a 2GB-equipped Turbo Duo to market soon, but with the increased price and ultra-competitive nature of faster cards, that may not make much sense.
PowerColor decides that it's best to locate the six-pin PCIe connector at the side. This arrangement isn't best-suited to smaller chassis as the PSU's plug has to, well, be pushed in from the side. We much prefer the top mounting used on Sapphire's Dual-X OC.
Though not a fully-enclosed cooler as found on models higher up in the range, the Turbo Duo's heatsink has a better chance of pushing expelled air out of the back. Overall construction is solid and, subjectively speaking, the red fan surrounds provide a nice touch.
No prizes for guessing that PowerColor steadfastedly sticks to AMD's recommended choice of outputs, and it's good to see full-size HDMI and DisplayPort plumbed out of the rear.
As referenced earlier, the Turbo Duo's PCB is marginally smaller than Sapphire's, but what's 5mm among friends? The heatsink uses a single snaking heatpipe that punctures a multitude of aluminium fins. The 'pipe is circular in build for the most part, but is flattened in the vital area that touches the Bonaire core, which PowerColor says provides better connection and heat-wicking ability.
Note the two vents/holes in the PCB? The firm goes on to say that these 'aerodynamic kits' optimise airflow and aid heat dissipation. We're not convinced by such lofty claims at the outset, so the proof will be in the benchmarking.
