Power, Temperature and Noise
AMD evidently has the RX 6900 XT running so close to its optimal ceiling that eking out just another four-to-five per cent performance sees system-wide power consumption spiral to over 500 watts.
But what's a few extra watts here or there when there's a 360mm radiator in tow? Sapphire's Toxic doesn't run just cool, it's practically cold by comparison, and that's behind our chassis' solid front door. Tremendous results here.
Ultra-low temperatures are a key attraction, however the Toxic card doesn't have ultra-low noise levels to match. Our sample exhibits unmistakable coil whine in certain titles, the idle reading can be attributed primarily to the pump - it isn't the quietest and is always audible inside our test rig - and Sapphire's fan profile could certainly be smoother.
All four Toxic fans spin down when temperature falls below 50°C, yet in an odd turn of events, the card runs so cool that the fans turn on and off on a frequent basis. Even a cut-scene or game loading screen is enough to switch them off, and when they ramp back up they move from zero to 1,000+ RPM in an instant, creating noticeable shifts in noise.