TechRadar Verdict
If you just want a quality HD 6950 with some overclocking chops then this Sapphire graphics card is well worth a look
Pros
- +
Impressive cooler
- +
Trixx unlocks the core clock
- +
Good overclocker
Cons
- -
No Bios-flashing no more
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The pick of AMD's latest generation of graphics cards is undoubtedly the AMD Radeon HD 6950, and Sapphire has paired up with the launch of Codies' new racer game, Dirt 3, to unleash the 2GB Radeon HD 6950 Dirt 3 Edition.
Despite the fact that the GPU is running at the standard stock speeds, it's not just another reference board with a fancy sticker and bundled game – we're talking about a brand new cooler design and access to further clock tweaks through Sapphire's Trixx overclocking software.
Recently redesigned Radeon HD 6950s, however, have come with a few definite deficiencies – the main one being a lack of the impressive dual-Bios switch. That made the reference HD 6950 one of the most easily tweaked graphics cards around.
Add in the fact that you could unlock the dormant shaders nestling in the Cayman Pro GPU to turn it into an HD 6970 with a simple Bios flash and there was a lot to like.
Later cards, such as the MSI HD 6950 Twin Frozr III, came without the switch, making a Bios flash far more hazardous. It's back with the Sapphire HD 6950 Dirt 3 Edition, though.
So does the combo of Bios-flash and flash cooler make it the best Radeon HD 6950 around?
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