HIS R9 285 IceQ X2 OC 2GB GDDR5 Video Card Review

Videocards/VGA Reviews by stefan @ 2014-11-04

As the R9 285 OC model from Gigabyte, the HIS R9 285 IceQ X2 2GB OC video card is based on the Tonga architecture and is using a new form of compression for frame buffer color data, which reduces the amount of memory bandwidth required for buffer operations. The product is overclocked from the factory but not as high as the Gigabyte R9 285 OC so the overall results were a bit lower in the synthetic benchmarks but also inside the games. However, we could overclock the card quite a bit with the supplied utility and have reached similar performance when the card was maxed-out.

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Product Features, Specifications

Product Features:

 

Features of R9 285

 

GCN Architecture

 

Primed to enable astonishing performance and breathtaking image quality, making it a top choice for gamers who expect the best.

 

In simple terms, increasing the number of transistors in a GPU has a big impact on the potential performance of a graphics card, but transistors alone are not enough. It takes a truly great design, like the GCN Architecture, to effectively use that potential and turn it into real-world performance.

 

Mantle and DirectX 12

 

Cutaway showing the inner layers of the earth

 

There’s optimization, and then there’s Mantle. Mantle gives game developers the power to speak directly to the GPU core. With such a direct connection to your hardware, game developers are discovering a whole new world of immersion and performance made possible by AMD graphics leadership. Games enabled with Mantle speak the language of GCN architecture to unlock revolutionary performance and image quality.

 

AMD Eyefinity technology

 

Enjoy the ultimate immersive gaming experience with innovative “wrap around” multi-display capabilities. Take your PC games to the next level of reality and immersion. Most modern games look great on three screens, and only AMD Radeon™ graphics offer you the ability to play across five screens for an eye-popping gaming experience. Other combinations and configurations with up to six screens work too. Create your dream display.

 

AMD PowerTune technology

 

Enables intelligent power monitoring to enable higher clock speeds and better performance in your favorite games.

 

AMD TrueAudio technology

 

By leveraging AMD TrueAudio technology, game developers now have the ability to recreate acoustic environments with incredible fidelity, and to bring them to every gamer. With AMD technology inside all the most popular “next-generation” gaming platforms, including the PC, gamers across the entire industry will finally enjoy the best audio today’s technology can offer.

With the sonic brilliance of AMD TrueAudio technology, your games now sound as good as they look. You get the most revolutionary, realistic and breathtaking sound we’ve ever put in a GPU.

 

AMD Freesync technology

 

FreeSync does not need to poll or wait on the display in order to determine when it’s safe to send the next frame to the monitor. FreeSync uses industry-standard DisplayPort Adaptive-Sync protocols to pre-negotiate supported min/max refresh rates during plug’n’play, which means frame presentation to the user will never be delayed or impaired by time-consuming two-way handshakes.

 

IceQ X² – Cooler, Quieter

 

Cooler

With IceQ X², the card is cooler than the reference cooler.

 

Quieter

IceQ X² is one of the quietest coolers, making the card quieter than the reference cooler. The card is below 28dB when watching movies, surfing Facebook and working. The card remains quiet whether you are gaming, online socializing, entertaining or working.

 

Fan Design

 

The super large 2x 86mm dual axial fans draws massive amount of cool air to cool the GPU directly.

The Q&C fan blade increases air velocity make cooling more efficiently while keeping noise level at minimum.

The fan is extremely durable with a life span of up to 70,000 hours.

The 5x 6mm wide heatpipes optimize cooling performance by removing heat from the core area.

The extra-large 60 x 62 mm copper heatsink provides a large area to dissipate heat efficiently.

The card also carries memory and MOSFET heat sinks to provide extra heat dissipation from these areas.

The card also features fan control and monitoring, you are able to read fan speed & ASIC temperature from iTurbo or other software.

 

Built for Crossfire

 

CrossFireX Ready!

The card's is armed with Crossfire Connector, ready for CrossFire & strengthened performance!

 

iTurbo - Your Graphics Card’s Assistant

 

iTurbo is your graphics card’s assistant to control your card to be quiet, cool. Experience overclocking by simply pressing the iTurbo Button!

 

User Friendly Overclocking Software: Cooler, Quieter, OC!

 

iTurbo's Fan Control and Fan Monitoring allow easy adjustment of your card to its maximum cooling performance or to run your card quietly!

 

Press iTurbo: OC Right Away!

 

With the smart auto overclocking function, users can experience a slight performance boost for selected HIS graphic cards with just one click!

Powerful Overclocking Software

Either you wish to unleash its full potential or to make it more environmental friendly, iTurbo is ready for you!

 

iTurbo is compatible with all cards! Enjoy OC no matter what card you have!

 

Product Specifications:

 

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