PowerColor PCS 7870 Myst Edition
Overview
Hardware: Video CardsWHAT WE LIKED:
Sleek styling; low temperatures; low noise, 2 free A+ game titles includedWHAT WE DISLIKED:
No resounding performance knockout against NvidiaDiscuss in the Forum
Summary
There are some interesting things happening here with the Tahiti-based PowerColor PCS 7870 Myst Edition card. While it shares the same name as the Pitcairn-based 7870, the differences are in the details, as this PowerColor card is essentially a detuned version of the 7950. It’s obviously handcuffed in a few areas, and AMD designed it that way to drop down into the market against the GTX 660. There’s some strong competition (and some confusion likely) here, both from AMD partners and Nvidia.
On that note, the 7870 Myst Edition trades blows with Nvidia’s GTX 660, so there’s not much to worry about on the AMD side of the equation. That said, cards in this price range aren’t solely about framerates; temperatures, noise levels, and dollar value are likely just as important. And on those criteria, the PowerColor PCS 7870 Myst Edition matches up rather well against the competition.
The temperatures are quite good, the cooler exhibits low noise levels at load, and with a price of about $260, this card is also attractive. However, the value becomes outstanding when you consider that Tomb Raider and Bioshock Infinite are supposed to be included as part of AMD’s “Never Settle Reloaded” promotion.
We think these factors make for a very enticing package with the PowerColor PCS 7870 Myst Edition, giving gamers a compelling option who want a healthy mixture of performance and value.
