Overclocking
HD 6870’s reference clocks are 900MHz for the GPU and 1050MHz for the memory, and our today’s PowerColor cards clocks are 940MHz for the GPU and 1100MHz for the memory. We relied on MSI’s Afterburner for our overclocking. We managed to hit 985MHz for the GPU but only after we increased the voltage.
We managed to hit 960MHz for the GPU and 1100MHz for the memory by running the card on factory voltage and with the fan in AUTO mode, it resulted in additional 4% better results in Aliens vs. Predator. Overclocking to 985MHz GPU provided another 2% boost to results.
Thermals and Noise
PowerColor HD 6870 PCS+ didn’t exceed 86°C during our tests. The cooler was almost inaudible in idle operation (42°C). Although PowerColor’s card runs a few °C higher than the reference card, you’re still in the safe zone. On the other hand, the cooler wasn’t loud, not even in intensive GPU operation. Naturally, you can always turn to Catalyst Overdrive and meddle a bit to find your preferred temperature-noise ratio.
Power Consumption
HD 6870 consumes 19W in idle and 151W during operation whereas the 6850 draws 19W when idle and 127W during operation.
We measured our entire rig's consumption after stressing the graphics with FurMark. The tests show that HD 6870’s consumption is similar to the GTX 460 1GB. PowerColor HD 6870 PCS+ consumes about 15W more that the reference card.