HIS R9 280 IceQ X2 Review
Overview
Hardware: Video CardsWHAT WE LIKED:
Unique styling; Excellent temperatures; Low noise, Strong gaming value; Well pricedWHAT WE DISLIKED:
Big and heavy heatsink; Blue PCB colour
Introduction
When AMD launched the 7000 series of graphics cards, an evolutionary approach was made, moving the bar by improving not only gaming horsepower, but also power efficiency and temperatures. AMD is again looking to capitalize on their latest architecture, which is in fact an evolution of the previous 7000 series generation tech, but the company has made it clear that framerates aren’t their primary goal.
They want to make affordable products that offer strong gaming performance, which is arguably one of the most important criteria for gamers out there who may be hard-pressed to choose where to spend their hard-earned money. And as the R7 and R9 product lineup matures before we see the next generation of cards, we’re seeing custom cards from AMD board partners which are eager to squeeze the most out of what left in the AMD product tank.
Today we’re focusing on the HIS R9 280 IceQ X2, a mid-range performance graphics card that retails for around $260. We’ve been impressed with cards from HIS in the past, particularly those with the vaunted IceQ cooler, which has proven to be very impressive with low temperatures and noise levels. Can this card continue the trend?
Lt’s take a closer look at the HIS R9 280 IceQ X2 to find out.
