HIS Radeon R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB Video Card Review

AMD recently launched the non-X version of the 270. We take a look at the HIS variant to see what's going on with the IceQ X2 model.

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Introduction and Package

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Apart from a few of the lower-end models that we've yet to look at, the release of the R9 270 really brings the whole line up of new AMD cards to an end. As the name suggests, the new R9 270 sits just below the R9 270X and above the R7 260X. AMD has really brought a ton of new models to the table with the new R series of cards and we've said it once and we'll say it again, AMD has really done an excellent job with these new cards.

Not only have they managed to offer some fantastic performance and some great new features, but they've really hit the nail on the head when it comes to the pricing on the cards, enough to really send NVIDIA into a bit of a stir.

Today we're looking at the new R9 270, as we've just mentioned, and this is a model that AMD has chosen to not really offer reference cards on. This isn't the first time we've seen this with the latest launch, we also didn't see a reference card for the R9 280X 3GB.

It will be interesting to see if AMD can continue the strong trend that they have going since the launch of the new series. We do wonder though, is the non X variant of the R9 270 just one model too many? Well we'll figure that all out over the coming pages. For now, let's get stuck into the package to see just what HIS is bringing to the table with the new HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB.

Package

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HIS Radeon R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB Video Card Review 04

Looking at the box, you can see a very typical IceQ X2 design going on. The front gives us the brand and model along with a few of the major features. Turning it over you can see some of those major features covered in more detail, including the Full Solid State Capacitors, IceQ X2 Cooling Technology and Dynamic Phase control PWM IC along with mention the card is quieter and cooler thanks to the IceQ X2 cooler.

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Taking a look above, you can see the bundle we've got going on which isn't complete unfortunately. While above you can see the manual, case sticker, and DVI to VGA connector, what you can't see are the CrossFire Bridge and Driver CD which are both included in the full retail versions of the card. The reason for the incomplete package is due to the sample coming quite early to us.

The Card and Specifications

The Card

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Taking a look at the card, you don't really see anything new when it comes to the overall look thanks to the cooler taking up majority of the card. The IceQ X2 cooler isn't anything new to us and you can see the dual fan setup along with the copper heat pipes coming out the bottom of the card.

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Taking a look around the card, you can see that the R9 270 2GB requires just a single 6-Pin PCIe power connector to get up and running. As we move to the top of the card and closer to the front, you can see we've got a single CrossFire connector in the event that you want to run two of these cards together.

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Finishing up with the I/O side of things, you can see we've got just a single Dual Link DVI connector. HIS has seemed to drop the second one and instead opt for two Mini-DisplayPort connectors instead of just a single full size DisplayPort connector. As a fan of DP, I prefer this setup personally. To round things off, you can see we've also got a HDMI connector.

Specifications

Taking a look below, you can see the specifications of the card. Today we're not dealing with a "Boost" version of the HIS card, so the clocks below match the reference ones. That means the core comes in at 925MHz, which is down on the 1050MHz that the R9 270X offers. As for the 2GB of GDDR5, that comes in at 5600MHz QDR on a 256-bit bus, which is the same as the R9 270X.

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When it comes to the core features of the cards, they're really both quite similar to each other. Stream Processors, Texture Units, and ROPs are all the same at 1280, 80 32. Both also don't feature TrueAudio and are built on the TSMC 28nm core.

Benchmarks - Test System Setup

We would like to thank the following companies for supplying and supporting us with our test system hardware and equipment: Intel, ASUS and Corsair.

With so many cards tested lately, our graphs these days really do have a bunch of cards included in them. From the AMD side of things, we've got the HIS R9 270, IceQ X2, along with the AMD R7 260X and R9 270X, which are the models that sit either side of the new R9 270. We've also included the AMD HD 7970 GHz Edition, heavily overclocked R9 280X DirectCU II TOP from ASUS.

Rounding off the AMD side of things we've got the R9 290 4GB and R9 290X 4GB running in "Uber Mode". As for the NVIDIA side of things we've included just the GTX 770 2GB.

The FPS Numbers Explained

When we benchmark our video cards and look at the graphs, we aim to get to a certain level of FPS which we consider playable. While many may argue that the human eye can't see over 24 FPS or 30 FPS, any true gamer will tell you that as we climb higher in Frames Per Seconds (FPS), the overall gameplay feels smoother. There are three numbers we're looking out for when it comes to our benchmarks.

30 FPS - It's the minimum number we aim for when it comes to games. If you're not dropping below 30 FPS during games, you're going to have a nice and smooth gaming experience. The ideal situation is that even in a heavy fire fight, the minimum stays above 30 FPS making sure that you can continue to aim easily or turn the corner with no dramas.

60 FPS - It's the average we look for when we don't have a minimum coming at us. If we're getting an average of 60 FPS, we should have a minimum of 30 FPS or better and as mentioned above, it means we've got some smooth game play happening.

120 FPS - The new number that we've been hunting down over recent months. If you're the owner of a 120 Hz monitor, to get the most out of it you want to get around the 120 FPS mark. Moving from 60 FPS / 60 Hz to 120 FPS / 120 Hz brings with it a certain fluidity that can't really be explained, but instead has to be experienced. Of course, if you're buying a 120 Hz monitor to take advantage of 3D, an average of 120 FPS in our benchmark means that in 3D you will have an average of 60 FPS, which again means you should expect some smooth gameplay.

Why are some graphs incomplete?

Adding new game benchmarks is a long, tedious, and time consuming task as every video card has to be re-tested in those new benchmarks. Because of that reason we have always just evaluated our benchmark line up every six months. To stay up to date and current with the latest benchmarks and games available, we've changed our approach to adding new benchmarks.

Our benchmark line up will progress and be updated as newer more intensive games with benchmarks come to light. While this will mean that initially you may only see a single video card in those particular graphs, as the weeks go on and we test more and more video cards, the results will grow quickly. This will help keep our benchmark line up as up to date as possible as we introduce and remove games on a constant basis.

Benchmarks - 3DMark 11

3DMark 11

Version and / or Patch Used: 1.1

Developer Homepage: http://www.futuremark.com

Product Homepage: http://www.3dmark.com/3dmark11/

Buy It Here

3DMark 11 is the latest version of the world's most popular benchmark. Designed to measure your PC's gaming performance, 3DMark 11 makes extensive use of all the new features in DirectX 11 including tessellation, compute shaders, and multi-threading. Trusted by gamers worldwide to give accurate and unbiased results, 3DMark 11 is the best way to consistently and reliably test DirectX 11 under game-like loads.

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Out the gate with 3DMark 11 you can see the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB does a good job of sitting between the two models that sit on either side of it. It doesn't lean too heavily to one side, which is good.

Benchmarks - 3DMark Fire Strike

3DMark Fire Strike

Version and / or Patch Used: 1

Developer Homepage: http://www.futuremark.com

Product Homepage: http://www.futuremark.com/benchmarks/3dmark

Buy It Here

Fire Strike is our new showcase DirectX 11 benchmark designed for high-performance gaming PCs. It is our most ambitious and technical benchmark ever, featuring real-time graphics rendered with detail and complexity far beyond what is found in other benchmarks and games today. Fire Strike will only be available in the Windows editions of 3DMark initially.

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Looking at Fire Strike performance you can see we again sit pretty much in the middle of the R7 260X and R9 270X like you'd hope and expect. We'll get a better idea of what's going on though, when we move into our gaming benchmarks in just a moment.

Benchmarks - Unigine Heaven Benchmark

Unigine Heaven Benchmark

Version and / or Patch Used: 3

Developer Homepage: http://www.unigine.com

Product Homepage: http://unigine.com/press-releases/091022-heaven_benchmark//

New benchmark grants the power to unleash the DirectX 11 potential in the gift wrapping of impressively towering graphics capabilities. It reveals the enchanting magic of floating islands with a tiny village hidden in the cloudy skies. With the interactive mode emerging experience of exploring the intricate world is ensured within reach. Through its advanced renderer, Unigine is one of the first to set precedence in showcasing the art assets with tessellation, bringing compelling visual finesse, utilizing the technology to the full extend and exhibiting the possibilities of enriching 3D gaming.

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Heaven performance looks good and lines up with what we've seen in our other tests. Let's get into our games though, to see just what kind of performance we're able to get out of the setup.

Benchmarks - Phantasy Star Online 2

Phantasy Star Online 2

Version and / or Patch Used: Standalone Benchmark

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.sega.com/?t=EnglishUSA

Product Homepage: http://www.pso2.com/us/html/index.html

Play Phantasy Star Online 2 and experience revolutionary combat in an action-driven, free-to-play multiplayer online RPG from SEGA. Take a journey into an immersive sci-fi fantasy narrative and explore mysterious worlds to unravel their secrets. Join fellow adventurers and fight against the legions of darkness to banish them from the galaxy.

Score explanation: Less than 2000: Please adjust your game settings because the processing load is quite heavy.

2000 through 5000: The game runs fine at the setting, if you have room, you can adjust some settings.

5001+: The game works wonderfully at this setting.

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PSO2 performance looks good and you can see is strong compared to the R7 260X 2GB. Coming in at 4292, you can see we're well into the "game runs fine at these settings" range, but not quite at the 5001+ mark which is considered the best area to be in.

Benchmarks - Lost Planet 2

Lost Planet 2

Version and / or Patch Used: Standalone Benchmark

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark - Test A Scene 1

Developer Homepage: http://www.capcom.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.lostplanet2game.com/

Lost Planet 2 is a third-person shooter video game developed and published by Capcom. The game is the sequel to Lost Planet: Extreme Condition which is also made by Capcom, taking place ten years after the events of the first game, on the same fictional planet. The story takes place back on E.D.N. III 10 years after the events of the first game. The snow has melted to reveal jungles and more tropical areas that have taken the place of more frozen regions. The plot begins with Mercenaries fighting against Jungle Pirates. After destroying a mine, the Mercenaries continue on to evacuate the area in which a Category-G Akrid appears and attacks them. After being rescued, they find out their evacuation point (Where the Category-G appeared) was a set-up and no pick up team awaited them. The last words imply possible DLC additions to the game: "There's nothing to be gained by wiping out snow pirates... unless you had some kind of grudge."

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Lost Planet 2 numbers are good and you can see while the R7 260X 3GB struggles to hit 60 FPS at any resolution, the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to break that 60 FPS mark at both 1680 x 1050 and 1920 x 1200. The only time we fall back under that number is at 2560 x 1600.

Benchmarks - Just Cause 2

Just Cause 2

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Dark Tower

Developer Homepage: http://www.eidos.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.justcause.com/

Just Cause 2 employs the Avalanche Engine 2.0, an updated version of the engine used in Just Cause. The game is set on the other side of the world from the original Just Cause, on the fictional island of Panau in Southeast Asia. Panau has varied terrain, from desert to alpine to rainforest. Rico Rodriguez returns as the protagonist, aiming to overthrow the evil dictator Pandak "Baby" Panay and confront his former mentor, Tom Sheldon.

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Just Cause 2 performance is also looking really strong and you can see, like the R7 260X 2GB, we've got strong performance at both 1680 x 1050 and 1920 x 1200, with numbers over the 60 FPS range. The difference is that the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to also just break past the 60 FPS range at 2560 x 1600.

Benchmarks - F1 2012

F1 2012

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.codemasters.com/uk/

Product Homepage: http://www.codemasters.com

In F1 2012 players will feel the unparalleled thrill of becoming a FORMULA ONE driver with a host of new features, wide-ranging technical and gameplay advancements and extensive competitive and co-operative multiplayer components. F1 2012 will feature all of the official teams, drivers and circuits from the 2012 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including the debut of the 2012 FORMULA 1 UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX at Austin, Texas and the return of Germany's famous Hockenheim circuit to the calendar.

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F1 2012 looks just like Just Cause 2 in terms of how performance works. We can see like the R7 260X, the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to break the 60 FPS barrier with ease at 1920 x 1200 and 1680 x 1050.

When we move to 2560 x 1600 though, you can see the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to break into the playable FPS range while the R7 260X 2GB doesn't have quite enough power.

Benchmarks - Metro Last Light

Metro Last Light

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.4a-games.com/

Product Homepage: http://enterthemetro.com/ /

Metro: Last Light takes place one year after the events of Metro 2033, proceeding from the ending where Artyom chose to call down the missile strike on the Dark Ones. The Rangers have since occupied the D6 military facility, with Artyom having become an official member of the group. Khan, the nomad mystic, arrives at D6 to inform Artyom and the Rangers that a single Dark One survived the missile strike. Khan believes the Dark One is the key to humanity's future, and wants to make peace with it, while Ranger leader Colonel Miller wants to kill the creature due to its potential threat. Miller sends Artyom to the surface with a mission to kill the Dark One; he is accompanied by Anna, Miller's sarcastic daughter and the Rangers' best sniper.

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Looking above you can see that the three main cards we're looking at today fall short of getting into the 60 FPS range at any resolution.

Benchmarks - Dirt Showdown

Dirt Showdown

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.codemasters.com/uk/

Product Homepage: http://www.codemasters.com/uk/dirtshowdown/360/

DiRT Showdown is the new arcade racing game from the team that brought you the award-winning DiRT series, uncaged in 2012. Pick up and play controls combine with electrifying events, frenzied crowds and stunning graphics to deliver high octane, dive in and drive thrills from event one.

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Dirt Showdown looks good, and you can see while the R7 260X 2GB is unable to break the 60 FPS range at any resolution, the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to offer playable numbers at both 1920 x 1200 and 1680 x 1050.

Benchmarks - Nexuiz

Nexuiz

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.alientrap.org/

Product Homepage: http://www.nexuiz.com/

Nexuiz is an Arena First Person shooter coming soon to consoles. Nexuiz is fast paced with extremely competitive game play. IllFonic brings Alientrap Software's Nexuiz to next-gen gaming consoles around the world while staying true to the game play refined over the years through development. IllFonic introduces a new Victorian influenced art style that is simultaneously futuristic and sophisticated. Nexuiz for consoles is powered by CryENGINE 3.

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As you'd expect getting into Nexuiz, we see our HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB struggle to get playable FPS at any resolution. It's not until we get into the heavily overclocked R9 280X ASUS offering that we see playable numbers at the lowest resolution.

Benchmarks - Sniper Elite V2

Sniper Elite V2

Version and / or Patch Used: Standalone Benchmark

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.rebellion.co.uk/

Product Homepage: http://sniperelitev2.com/us/age.html

Sniper Elite V2 features detailed sniping simulation with advanced ballistics, taking into account gravity, wind, velocity, bullet penetration, aim stability and more. Guaranteed to provide players with the most realistic simulation of military sharpshooting yet available.

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Looking above you can again see that the R7 260X struggles to hit the 60 FPS mark at any resolution. The HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB on the other hand manages to break into the 60 FPS+ range at both 1680 x 1050 and 1920 x 1200.

Benchmarks - Sleeping Dogs

Sleeping Dogs

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://eu.square-enix.com/en

Product Homepage: http://www.sleepingdogs.net/

The core gameplay of Sleeping Dogs consists of giving the player an open world environment in which to move around freely. Sleeping Dogs is played as an over-the-shoulder, third-person perspective action-adventure game with role-playing elements. The player controls Wei Shen, a Chinese-American police officer, as he goes undercover to infiltrate the Sun On Yee Triad organization. On foot, the player character has the ability to walk, run, jump, climb over obstacles, and swim, as well as use weapons and martial arts in combat. Players also drive a variety of vehicles including cars, boats, and motorcycles.

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Sleeping Dogs numbers across the board are really good, and you can see unlike the R7 260X 2GB, the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to break the 60 FPS mark at 2560 x 1600, giving us playable FPS at all resolutions.

Benchmarks - Hitman Absolution

Hitman Absolution

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.ioi.dk/

Product Homepage: http://hitman.com/

Hitman: Absolution is an action-adventure stealth game developed by I/O Interactive and published by Square Enix. It is the fifth entry in the Hitman game series, and runs on I/O Interactive's proprietary Glacier 2 game engine. Before release, the developers stated that Absolution would be easier to play and more accessible, while still retaining hardcore aspects of the franchise. The game was released on 20 November 2012, which is in the 47th week of the year (in reference to the protagonist, Agent 47).

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While the R7 260X 2GB really falls short of the numbers we'd really like to see, you can again see that the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB manages to offer some fantastic looking numbers at not just 1680 x 1050, but also 1920 x 1200.

Benchmarks - Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://www.nixxes.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.tombraider.com/us/base/agegate?refer=184&

Tomb Raider is an action-adventure platform video game. Published by Square Enix, Tomb Raider is the fifth title developed by Crystal Dynamics in the Tomb Raider franchise. As the first entry in a new Tomb Raider continuity, the game is a reboot that emphasizes the reconstructed origins of the culturally influential lead character Lara Croft. Tomb Raider was released on 5 March 2013 for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows to universal critical acclaim.

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Tomb Raider numbers across the board are lower than we'd like at all resolutions. While we've got decent minimums at both 1920 x 1200 and 1680 x 1050, the averages in the 40 FPS range we would say are just too low.

Benchmarks - BioShock Infinite

BioShock Infinite

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Steam Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Built in Benchmark

Developer Homepage: http://irrationalgames.com/

Product Homepage: http://www.bioshockinfinite.com

BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter video game and the third installment in the BioShock series. Previously known as "Project Icarus," it is being developed by Irrational Games and was released worldwide on the Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360 platforms on March 26, 2013. BioShock Infinite is not part of the storyline of previous BioShock games, but features similar gameplay concepts and themes.

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While the R9 270X 2GB manages to just sneak over the 60 FPS mark at 1680 x 1050, you can see that the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB falls a few FPS short of the number we need. Of course, struggling at 1680 x 1050 means that the resolutions above aren't really an option.

Benchmarks - Battlefield 4

Battlefield 4

Version and / or Patch Used: Latest Origin Update

Timedemo or Level Used: Custom 60 Second Run with FRAPS

Developer Homepage: http://dice.se/

Product Homepage: https://www.battlefield.com/games/battlefield-4

Battlefield 4 (also known as BF4) is an upcoming first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game is a sequel to 2011's Battlefield 3. Battlefield 4 features several changes compared to its predecessor. The game's heads-up display is much the same, composed of two compact rectangles. The lower left-hand corner features a mini-map and compass for navigation, and a simplified objective notice above it; the lower right includes a compact ammo counter and health meter. The mini-map, as well as the main game screen, shows symbols marking three kinds of entities: blue for allies, green for squadmates, and red/orange for enemies.

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Battlefield 4 numbers are looking pretty strong at 1680 x 1050 and 1920 x 1200. Looking at 2560 x 1600, you can see that the numbers aren't too bad, but we'd prefer to have that minimum and average sit slightly higher.

Benchmarks - High Quality AA and AF

High Quality AA and AF

While we test all our games with maximum in-game settings, turning on Anti-Aliasing (AA) and Antistrophic Filtering (AF) helps take the intensity of our testing to another level.

Here we see video cards go from playable FPS to an unplayable FPS and the real power houses continue to help break that 60 FPS mark we always aim for to provide a smooth gaming experience.

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Turning on AA and AF, you can see that playing Metro: Last Light just isn't an option here.

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Just Cause 2 sees playable numbers at 1920 x 1200 with AA and AF on, but falls short at 2560 x 1600 as you'd expect.

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Just like Metro: Last Light, you can see that Sleeping Dogs with AA and AF on just isn't an option.

Temperature Test

The temperature of the core is pulled from MSI Afterburner with the max reading used after a completed run off 3DMark Vantage and the Performance preset.

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Looking above, you can see heat numbers are good with the card sitting just under 60c at load.

Sound Test

Pulling out the TES 1350A Sound Level Meter, we find ourselves quickly yelling into the top of it to see how loud we can be.

After five minutes of that we get a bit more serious and place the device two CM away from the fan on the card to find the maximum noise level of the card when idle (2D mode) and in load (3D mode).

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Noise levels, as you can see above, sit towards the middle of the pack. Idle numbers are extremely good, but you can see a decent little jump in noise levels when we get to load.

Power Consumption Test

Using our PROVA Power Analyzer WM-01, or "Power Thingy" as it has become quickly known as to our readers, we are now able to find out what kind of power is being used by our test system and the associated video cards installed. Keep in mind; it tests the complete system (minus LCD monitor, which is plugged directly into AC wall socket).

There are a few important notes to remember though; while our maximum power is taken in 3DMark06 at the same exact point, we have seen in particular tests the power being drawn as much as 10% more. We test at the exact same stage every time; therefore tests should be very consistent and accurate.

The other thing to remember is that our test system is bare minimum - only a SSD hard drive is used with a single CD ROM and minimal cooling fans.

So while the system might draw 400 watts in our test system, placing it into your own PC with a number of other items, the draw is going to be higher.

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Power draw on the new model is extremely good as it sits towards the bottom of the pack. You can see we're around the mid 300 watt range.

Pricing, Availability and Final Thoughts

Coming in at $179.99 at the time of writing, the HIS R9 270 IceQ X2 2GB, and just the R9 270 in general, hit at a strong price point. The R9 270X is going to cost you $20 - $40 more, depending on what variant you get, while the R7 260X will set you back around $40 less. The move to the R9 270X isn't a huge jump in price, and for the most part we'd recommend spending the extra money, as there is a nice little performance jump that comes to the table.

Saying that though, if you're looking at a card around the R7 260X 2GB pricing level, we'd highly recommend thinking about if you can spend the extra $40 to make a move to the R9 270. Of course, to move from the R7 260X 2GB pricing level to the R9 270X 2GB brings with it a $60 - $80 increase, and we understand that is a much more significant jump.

While for a moment it feels like the R9 270 2GB could be a model to many for AMD, it really does slot in nicely between the R7 260X 2GB and R9 270X 2GB. Pricing is strong, but it would've been nice if it sat maybe $10 cheaper, and we saw both models that sit beside it come in at a $30 difference. In the end though, you can see that the R9 270 2GB does lean more towards its bigger brother than its younger brother.

Getting into some specifics on the HIS variant of the card, there's not too much to say outside of what we've already said since the card does carry with it the reference clocks. The only thing we can really comment on is the cooler, and in typical HIS fashion it's strong. The IceQ series of coolers have been strong since their introduction, and the X2 variant has done an excellent job of keeping cards cool at a decent noise level.

While at times the new R9 270 might feel like one card too many, when you really look at it AMD has done a good job of placing this card in an excellent price bracket. We're not 100% sure it's a price bracket that is needed, but it's indeed a price bracket that can be taken advantage of.

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