ASUS Matrix Radeon HD 7970 Platinum Review
Performance Summary: The ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum’s performance was nothing short of impressive. Speaking strictly in terms of frame rates, the ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum was the fastest Radeon HD 7970-based graphics card we have tested to date. An argument could also be made that the ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum is the fastest single-GPU powered graphics card we’ve ever tested, but that argument could also be made for some factory overclocked GeForce GTX 680 cards as well--the competition is tight to say the least. The ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum’s cooler also performed very well, the card was relatively quiet, it had good overclocking headroom, and power consumption was in-line with a reference Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, despite the ASUS card’s higher clocks and additional features.
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The ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum
If you’ve read some of our previous high-end graphics card reviews or round-ups, you may know that we’re not necessarily fans of triple-slot graphics cards. We acknowledge that the vast majority of power users run only a single graphics card, however, and as such, probably won’t miss the additional slot that must be sacrificed with the ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum over more common two-slot cards. With that said, there are obvious benefits to the oversized cooler. The ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum operated at lower temperatures and was quieter than a reference Radeon HD 7970 too.
Put it all together and you end up with one heck of an impressive piece of PC hardware. Of course, high end hardware always comes at a price. The ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum can be had for about $499, which is roughly $100 - $110 more than the most affordable Radeon HD 7970 cards. That’s a fairly steep premium, but one that can be justified considering the ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum’s increased performance, better overclocking headroom, quieter operation, and myriad of additional features. Is the ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum for everyone? No. But hardcore enthusiasts looking for an ultra-high performance, tweaker-friendly graphics card would be well served by the ASUS ROG Matrix 7970 Platinum. In fact, it’s our favorite Radeon HD 7970 card and has earned itself and Editor’s Choice award. ASUS’ did a killer job with this one.
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