Radeon HD 6990 Acoustics & Temperatures Linus Tech Tips

In this Linus Tech Tips video, the host adopts a slightly different approach to temperature and acoustics testing for the Radeon HD 6990. Rather than placing the camera close to the card’s fan, the camera is held above the card to capture overall system acoustics and airflow behavior. The test setup compares the HD 6990 against a single GTX 580 and two GTX 580s in SLI to provide context for both a high powered single card and a dual GPU configuration. Idle temperatures register around 38 to 39 degrees Celsius in a controlled room, while load temperatures on the 6990 reach about 82 degrees Celsius on one GPU and 87 degrees Celsius on the other, highlighting the effect of grille design on cooling efficiency. Linus explains that the back grille appears more restrictive than the front, and suggests that a less restrictive aftermarket grille could potentially lower GPU temperatures by improving airflow, though this would depend on the specific cooler geometry. At the time of testing, only one GPU is under load, with fan speeds around 80 percent for both GPUs to standardize acoustics across the dual-card setup, while Furmark testing on a single EVGA card shows about 91 degrees under load, illustrating the thermal strain under stress. The video also demonstrates a practical method for keeping noise in check by manually adjusting fan speeds and confirms that even at higher verbosity, the card remains loud but also exceptionally capable in performance. The final take is that the Radeon 6990 is undeniably powerful yet notably loud, and Linus invites viewers to subscribe for more unboxings, reviews, and PC videos.

Topics · science and technology · hardware · gpu · hardware cooling