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AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)
The AMD Radeon HD 'Tahiti XT' 7970 features a redesigned PCB, 3GB of GDDR5 384bit memory ring bus configuration and an optimized heatsink design.
The dashing looking Radeon HD 7970 measures 11.5 inches long (29.21cm), which should fit in most modern day gaming cases
![AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)](http://assets.vr-zone.net/14286/P1020791.jpg)
PCI-SIG approved 8+6 pin power connectors for up to 300W of power consumption
![AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)](http://assets.vr-zone.net/14286/P1020742.jpg)
No PCB Backplate on this reference card - hopefully the actual retail units will have them as they do provide some shielding against accidental metal contact short circuits
![AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)](http://assets.vr-zone.net/14286/P1020744.jpg)
More than a dozen screws binding the card to the heatsink - which was a nuisance when we disassembled it
![AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)](http://assets.vr-zone.net/14286/P1020745.jpg)
3-way Crossfire connectors are still present, as are the dual BIOS Switch for flash experiments
![AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)](http://assets.vr-zone.net/14286/P1020750.jpg)
Dual-link DVI, HDMI and Mini-DP ports for up to 6 displays. The half-height exhaust grill design from 58xx/69xx cards is gone and replaced with a full height panel, which should help reduce air turbulance.
![AMD Radeon HD 7970 Review [Part 2/3]: The Card Design (Hardware Components and Cooling)](http://assets.vr-zone.net/14286/P1020749.jpg)
Check also
Part 1: A Look at Graphics Core Next (GCN) Architecture
Part 3: Overclocking, Benchmarks and Conclusion
