PowerColor R9 270X PCS+ 2 GB

[W1zzard]

PowerColor's R9 270X PCS+ comes overclocked out of the box and introduces a completely new cooler design. In our testing, the card delivers good temperature and noise levels. With a price of $200, it's also the cheapest R9 270X available at this time.

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[Casecutter]

Wow suprising how well their new "Double Blades fan design" seems to do.

I'll take 72°C with 33dbA as a factory setting, while if needing more of a reduction in noise just adjust it in the Control panel. Nice cooler and backing plate for $200, better deal than P-C gave with the 7870 Devil in terms of noise vs. temps. and that had 3 fans. Although the Devil seem to permit a higher OC, this is a much better card/deal.

"TurboTimer", IDK if you're the kind of person who jumps right out of hard gaming to shutting-down... might have merit but how offen is that the case.

 

[W1zzard]

I'll take 72°C with 33dbA as a factory setting, while if needing more of a reduction in noise just adjust it in the Control panel.

Would you prefer 75°C with 29 dBA ? (educated guess)

 

[manofthem]

Great review, thanks. This looks like a nice card with a great price; you get a lot for the money imo

 

[buildzoid]

Would you prefer 75°C with 29 dBA ? (educated guess)

I find AMD GPUs a rather temperature sensitive and will do slightly higher frequencies on the same voltages with just 5-10C° difference so I personally like cooler over quieter also cooler = less power consumption and longer life time. I'm fine with the noise levels up to the Vapor-X 7970 stock settings or a GTX 590 at 65% so right in that 50dba area and no I'm not def.

 

[Casecutter]

Would you prefer 75°C with 29 dBA ? (educated guess)

I think it's that you weight it more because you're commencing testing from an extremely lofty point. Given you work from room "well below 20dBA ambient" background noise such a level is like "good recording studio" or exceptionally quiet.

In perspective 30dBA would be nice for like a bedroom at night "quite" in most suburbia towns (and no..., or snoring). Consider CPAP machines used for sleep apnea therapy are great if between 24-27dBA, and those most often sit on the nightstand next to your bed. That’s pretty low given most occupied spaces of a house might be like 35-40dBA during the day. Dropping 3dBA is a "whole perceptible level lower", so 29dBA would be boarding "faint" considering it an "open sided" case.

I suppose when you equate it to the MSI GTX 660 Gaming card you tested it feels worse, that had provided 63°C and 31dBA, and that's just plainly extraordinary. When scaling from that I see your opinion, but that’s almost too unique to use as a baseline. However this P-C is better than the EVGA GTX 760 SC w/ ACX Cooler, offering 72°C while 38dBA, which you do point out as "simply too noisy".

With most all having the card in a closed case, cuts noise even more, having the ability to be full-on gaming… I’d consider 72°C while 33dBA still reasonable, that’s all. I judge the "best balance" for cards of this level being more in range like 70-72°C, while 31-33dBA fine.

 

[W1zzard]

Normal noise levels in my work room are higher than 20 dBA. I just turn off everything that could make noise, including fridge, heating, close windows etc., test at quiet time of day, to have proper results.

I recently switched my 670 DC II for a Titan, to play BF4, and I can definitely notice the difference in noise during gaming, even when inside a case.

 

[Casecutter]

I just turn off everything that could make noise, including fridge....

Save the Beer! but then you might not like it frosty.

While yea moving from a what (again extraordinary) 25dBA /76°C now to 38dBA /81°C is huge!

 

[SK-1]

Great review W1zzard So good I just bought one.

 

[Casecutter]

Interestingly Newegg has several GTX760 with "In Cart" pricing and rebates that have some AIB cooler versions pushing $240-250. Nice to see cards like those GK104 card being drawn-down from competitive pressure. The 270X/760 contest it's hard to motivate that extra 20% (or more) is worth anteing-up. While the thing is I don't know if Nvidia and the AIB's will find the ability to be much lower at any point soon with these larger die cards. Consider just a few of last "EoL GTX660ti" recently dropped out at $190-200, it was even hard for AMD to set a 7950's price "ever-much" below $200. all this points me to say 270X won’t see price drops, or strong rebates for good amount of life. Well, unless Nvidia make a GK106 do something more and real soon?

So what will be left for folks is the R9 270, which I believe can be reasonably positioned at $160 (with rebate) after the first of the year, including at least a copy of BF4 in many cases. So, folks can take Christmas money for… a 270 (non-X), have a copy of BF4, while being within 5% of a GTX760. It's like finding $80 back in the wallet (and that doesn’t even include any Mantle gains wherever that is…); it looks like AMD has a Happy New Year in store.

 

[SK-1]

I lucked out and scored one for 168.00 shipped.

 

[Casecutter]

I lucked out and scored one for 168.00 shipped.

Score! but what's the currency?

 

[SK-1]

Weak U.S. currency