The PCS+ R9 270X looks promising and once you pick it up it feels even better because the shroud and the backplate are metal. That also makes the card rather heavy, but since it is still a mid-range product it’s not too bulky or too heavy. It measures 240mm x 111mm x 38mm. 

The top of the card is also quite attractive thanks to the differently shaped shroud in red and black.

The shroud is opened on all sides and the openings serve as exhaust vents.

The R9 270X needs two 6-pin power cables for normal operation. According to AMD the R9 270X will draw a maximum of 180 Watts.

The dual slot cooler uses two 8.5cm fans and the double bladed fans look rather unusual. PowerColor claims the double-blade design can focus airflow into the center and increase airflow by up to 20 percent compared to traditional designs. The design is also supposed to prevent dust from depositing at the bottom.



We can confirm that the fans and the heatsink do a good job at keeping the GPU cool. We did not record fan speeds over 1700RPM and at the same time the GPU temperature never exceeded 71 degrees Celsius. You can see the double bladed design in a bit more detail on the next couple of pics.

We would still advise users to clean the heatsink on a regular basis. Luckily that is easy to do. You can remove the fans simply by undoing four screws that keep them attached to the heatsink. There is no need to remove the entire cooler.

Here you can see the heatsink and we assure you that PowerColor did not cut any corners. Everything feels solid and very precise indeed.

If you were wondering what the “Turbo Timer” sticker is all about, it is a rather simple gadget powered by pins located at the back of the card.

The "TurboTimer" is actually full of capacitors and it is supposed to cool the card even after you shut down your PC. This is supposed to cool key components a bit faster, extending their lifespan. It is an interesting idea, especially if you tend to switch off your PC as soon as you are done gaming (e.g. if you are night owl and do your gaming before going to bed).

TurboTimer keeps the fans running for 30 to 50 seconds after shutdown, which doesn’t sound like much but it’s better than nothing. The location of the Turbo Timer shouldn’t interfere with other components, especially if the card is placed in the first PCIe slot.