PowerColor RX 6700 XT HellHound Graphics Card Review

With AMD’s latest release of their RX 6XXX Series, a new player emerges. While PowerColor may be a fairly well-known brand, they have now released their HellHound range of GPUs. The HellHound range of GPUs is designed to sit below the top-tier Red Devil range and should offer some good bang for the buck! Anytime a company releases a new range it is always interesting to see if it performs as well as they had hoped and I think with HellHound, PowerColor has done a good job and dependant on price, it should hit the mark they were hoping for. The HellHound range should be the perfect match for something like the AMD RX 6700 XT GPU, offering both good performances for 1440P gamers at a price that hopefully won’t break the bank.

PowerColor RX 6700 XT HellHound

Aimed at 1440P gamers, the 6700 XT is said to rival that of the NVIDIA GTX 3070 at this resolution. If this is the case, AMD will have a nice little addition to the arsenal of 6xxx GPUs and will only be missing a 1080P variant which one can only imagine will be coming soon. The 6700 XT comes with 12GB of GDDR6 and when compared to the 8GB that the 3070 comes with, this should help AMD close the gap in performance between the 2 cards.

For in-depth features and specifications, please visit the official PowerColor RX 6700 XT HellHound product page here.

What Power Colour has to say about their HellHound Range

“HELLHOUND is born, sharp fangs with razor-like claws, covered with fur that is tough like armour. Its eyes burn in the darkness, allowing it to precisely track and stalk its prey. It used to be a battle hound kept by a warrior brave. Yet, its bravery did not go unnoticed by the Red Devil and saw a chance to make this hound the keeper of his gates of hell… This HELLHOUND is silent, not a sound it makes as it guards the gates ready to strike in the darkness with a killer grace… Once the prey is found, HELLHOUND will take it down, it strikes with stealth on a single stroke!”

A Closer Look

The HellHound range features a triple-fan cooler with the middle fan being ever so slightly smaller than the other two. The overall colour scheme is a darker grey which should fit in quite nicely with a wide range of colour schemes. Those that like a bit of branding will be happy to see the new HellHound logos on the two larger fans.

PowerColor has gone with a 2 part heatsink that features five heat pipes to help disperse the heat from the GPU. We have a small RADEON logo on this side of the card and can see the power connectors, LED switch and a small wire connected to the PCB that is likely powering the LEDs for the fans.

PowerColor has added a handy little LED switch onto their HellHound RX 6700 XT that will let you turn the LEDs off on the fly. Simply flick the switch whether the GPU is on or not and the LEDs will turn off, or on. It would be nice to see more companies incorporate something to this effect on more of their cards. While I personally like RGB and pretty lights, it is nice to be able to just turn them off without needing some sort of software to do so.

When it comes to the power connectors on the RX 6700 XT GPU’s it has been a bit of a mixed bag. Some go with an 8+6 configuration while some go with an 8+8. PowerColor has decided to go with the 8+8 option to add just that tiny extra bit of stability and hopefully allow for slightly better overclocking results. Either way, most power supplies of a high enough wattage will have all the connections you need so no need to worry there.

The other side of the GPU has quite a bit of the heatsink showing and this is great. This site is hardly ever in view as it sits right up against the motherboard so the more of the heatsink showing the more heat that should dissipate, right? That is the hope anyways and with the number of fans, this shouldn’t be an issue.

Onto the back of the card and we can see where the 5 heat pipes are capped off just outside of the heatsink. As we have seen with a few of the other 6700 XT’s PowerColor have not completely covered the back and again, this is to allow for just that tiny bit more heat to dissipate from the card, trying to keep thermals as good as possible.

The backplate features a nice image of the HellHound and it is a bit bigger than what we have seen from most of the other logos from competitors. WE also have our small cutout towards the rear of the backplate allowing for even more heat to leave the GPU. It is great to see companies doing what seems like such small measures to help and battle thermal issues. All of these small things added up will surely help to reduce the temps of the card by a good few degrees.

The IO comes with our standard one HDMI 1.4 and three DisplayPort 2.1 connectors we have seen on most of the RX 6700 XT’s that have come through us for testing.

How We Test

We continue to update our testing methods around once per year. As such, we re-test older hardware to reflect changes over time. These can be driver updates, Windows updates, game patches, and more; all of which have an impact on performance figures. Furthermore, we update our test bench to newer and more relevant hardware. This means that our new reviews aren’t always comparable to those of older reviews, so please compare the testing methodology on older reviews should you be trying to compare them with newer ones.

RED results indicate a new high-score.

Replicate Our Results

When it comes to our benchmarks in our reviews, the benchmarks are pretty self-explanatory and kept as simple as possible, although there are a few exceptions. Remember that your choice of a graphics card, CPU, the silicon lottery, and other factors can yield different numbers, and there’s always a margin for error when using any software.

Links are provided below, as well as the settings we use. We encourage you to not just look at how one product compares to any other, but how it compares to your own. If you’re looking to build a new system, you should benchmark your current PC using the benchmarks available to you. You should then look at the percentage improvement from your current hardware to the hardware tested here to give you a ballpark figure of how much of an upgrade this will provide you with.

Graphics Card Test System

Additional Hardware

• Killawatt style electricity usage meter wall plug
• Precision Gold N05CC Decibel meter

Gaming

To gauge performance levels which are easily reproduced time after time, by both ourselves and our readers, we now stick strictly to games default profiles. We now use the “High” profiles for all games or their respective equivalent at all resolutions. V-Sync is always disabled in our testing, as are FreeSync and G-Sync technologies or similar. Graphics card power usage is set to optimised or balance, and the system power mode set to High Performance within Windows and the available GPU driver software. Identical settings are used for all resolutions unless otherwise stated.

Games

• Watch Dogs Legion
• Dirt 5
• Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
• Godfall
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Final Fantasy XV
• Borderlands 3
• Metro Exodus
• Control
• FarCry New Dawn
• Ghost Recon Breakpoint
• Wolfenstein Youngblood

Resolutions

• 1080p (Full HD)
• 1440p (2K)
• 2160p (4K)
• 4320p (8K)

Some tests will also include features such as Nvidia DLSS and Ray Tracing. However, these will be clearly labelled and may only appear in reviews for graphics cards that support those features. 8K testing will only appear in reviews of flagship cards that we consider capable.

Software Used

• 3DMark Fire Strike (download)
  • FireStrike
  • FireStrike Ultra
  • Port Royal DXR
  • TimeSpy
  • TimeSpy Extreme
• Unigine Superposition (download)
  • 4K Optimised Benchmark
• HWMonitor (download)
• GPU-Z (download)
• MSI Afterburner (download)

Noise

Everyone has a reasonable noise level preference when it comes to components on a computer. Some can handle all fans at 100% load to keep temperatures down; some want an entirely silent computer. To accurately gauge the noise output of a graphics card, we position a Precision Gold N05CC one meter above our open-air test bench and take an average reading at idle and load. 

Power Consumption

We take power readings during the idle state with no background applications running. Then again at 50% completion of the Unigine Superposition benchmark, using the average as the final published result.

Temperatures

We take temperature readings after 10 minutes of desktop idle with no background programs running, then take the recorded maximum delivered from Unigine Superposition after a 4K optimised run, confirming the numbers are accurate with HWMonitor. Furthermore, the ambient temperature is always kept +/- 1c from 21c.

Synthetic Benchmarks

3DMark TimeSpy

3DMark TimeSpy Extreme

3DMark Port Royal (DXR)

Unigine Superposition 4K Optimised

Build a resistance from virtually anyone you see as you hack, infiltrate, and fight to take back a near-future London that is facing its downfall. Welcome to the Resistance. Recruit and play as anyone in the city. Everyone you see has a unique backstory, personality, and skill set.

Hack armed drones, deploy spider-bots and take down enemies using an Augmented Reality Cloak. Explore a massive urban open world featuring London’s many iconic landmarks and fun side activities. Take your recruits online and team up with your friends as you complete missions and challenging endgame content.

Available now on UPlay.

Watch Dogs Legion Performance

DIRT 5 is a fun, amplified, off-road racing experience created by Codemasters. Blaze a trail on routes across the world, covering gravel, ice, snow and sand, with a roster of cars ranging from rally icons to trucks, to GT heroes. With a star-studded Career, four-player split-screen, innovative online modes, livery editor and more new features, DIRT 5 is the next generation of extreme racing.

Available now on Steam.

Dirt 5 Performance

Become Eivor, a legendary Viking raider on a quest for glory. Explore England’s Dark Ages as you raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power.

• Lead epic Viking raids against Saxon fortresses throughout England.
• Dual-wield powerful weapons and relive the visceral fighting style of the Vikings.
• Challenge yourself with the most varied collection of enemies ever found in Assassin’s Creed.
• Shape the growth of your character with every choice you make and carve your path to glory.
• Explore a Dark Age open world, from the harsh shores of Norway to the beautiful kingdoms of England.
• Personalize your experience by growing your clan’s settlement.

Available now on UPlay.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Performance

Aperion is on the precipice of ruin. You are the last of the Valorian knights, god-like warriors able to equip Valorplates, legendary armor sets that transform wielders into unstoppable masters of melee combat. Tear through foes as you climb through the elemental realms and challenge the mad god, Macros who awaits you at the top. Ascend in Godfall, the first-of-its-kind, looter-slasher, melee action-RPG.

Available now on EPIC.

Godfall Performance

Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be.

Available now on Steam.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider Performance

For the first time, players take control of Noctis’s greatest foe in this brand-new episode of FINAL FANTASY XV! Delve into the dark tale of scorned saviour Ardyn Lucis Caelum and unravel the secrets surrounding his mysterious past.

Available now on Steam.

Final Fantasy XV Performance

Experience Aloy’s entire legendary quest to unravel the mysteries of a world ruled by deadly Machines. An outcast from her tribe, the young hunter fights to uncover her past, discover her destiny… and stop a catastrophic threat to the future.

Unleash devastating, tactical attacks against unique Machines and rival tribes as you explore an open world teeming with wildlife and danger. Horizon Zero Dawn is a multi-award-winning action role-playing game – and this Complete Edition for PC includes the huge expansion The Frozen Wilds, featuring new lands, skills, weapons and Machines.

Available now on Steam.

Horizon Zero Dawn Performance

The original shooter-looter returns, packing bazillions of guns and a mayhem-fueled adventure! Blast through new worlds and enemies as one of four new Vault Hunters. Play solo or with friends to take on insane enemies, score loads of loot and save your home from the most ruthless cult leaders in the galaxy.

At the hard edge of the galaxy lies a group of planets ruthlessly exploited by militarized corporations. Brimming with loot and violence, this is your home—the Borderlands. Now, a crazed cult known as The Children of the Vault has emerged and is spreading like an interstellar plague. Play solo or co-op as one of four unique Vault Hunters, score loads of loot and save the galaxy from this fanatical threat.

Available now on Epic Games Store.

Borderlands 3 Performance

Metro Exodus is an epic, story-driven first-person shooter from 4A Games that blends deadly combat and stealth with exploration and survival horror in one of the most immersive game worlds ever created. Flee the shattered ruins of dead Moscow and embark on an epic, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in the greatest Metro adventure yet.

Explore the Russian wilderness in vast, non-linear levels and follow a thrilling story-line inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky that spans an entire year through spring, summer and autumn to the depths of nuclear winter.

Available now on Epic Game Store.

Metro Exodus Performance

A corruptive presence has invaded the Federal Bureau of Control…Only you have the power to stop it. The world is now your weapon in an epic fight to annihilate an ominous enemy through deep and unpredictable environments. Containment has failed, humanity is at stake. Will you regain control?

Winner of over 80 awards, Control is a visually stunning third-person action-adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Blending open-ended environments with the signature world-building and storytelling of renowned developer, Remedy Entertainment, Control presents an expansive and intensely gratifying gameplay experience.

Available now on Steam.

Control Performance

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint puts you in the boots of the Ghosts, an Elite US Special Operations Unit stranded behind enemy lines. This time there is no briefing. All contact has been lost with Auroa. This archipelago is home to Skell Technology, a high-tech company. You are sent there with your unit for a recon mission, but your helicopters are shot down: Skell Tech has fallen into the wrong hands. The Wolves, a lethal ex-US military unit gone rogue, have taken over the island.

Led by your ex-brother-in-arms, Colonel Cole D. Walker, they have reprogrammed Skell’s drones into killing machines and are ready to use them, no matter the casualties. Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a military shooter set in a diverse, hostile, and mysterious open world that you can play entirely solo or in four-player co-op. Injured, without support, and hunted down by ex-Ghosts, you must fight to survive while lost in Auroa. Choose the right alliances and decide how to take down your toughest enemy.

Available now on UPLAY.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint

Wolfenstein: Youngblood is the first modern co-op Wolfenstein adventure.

Nineteen years after the events of Wolfenstein II, BJ Blazkowicz has disappeared after a mission into Nazi-occupied Paris. Now, after years of training from their battle-hardened father, BJ’s twin daughters, Jess and Soph Blazkowicz, are forced into action.

Team up with a friend or play alone. Level up, explore, and complete missions to unlock new abilities, weapons, gadgets, cosmetics, and more to complement your playstyle and customize your appearance.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood features the most open-ended Wolfenstein experience to date. From a new base of operations located deep in the heart of the Paris catacombs, plan how and when to attack and dismantle the Nazi regime.

Available now on Steam.

Wolfenstein Youngblood Performance

Power Consumption

Temperatures

Acoustics

How Much Does It Cost?

At the time of the review, we don’t have official pricing for this card. However, we do know the reference’s MSRP is $479-$499 so while this so we hope this one won’t be too much more than that as it’s not their top-tier range. We will look to update this, hopefully in a weeks time once the cards are released and we can see what retailers are actually selling them for.

Overview

PowerColor’s new HellHound GPU is a great mid-range card and should look to go head to head with the likes of Gigabytes Gaming OC range. If pricing is similar, this will put PowerColor in a great position. When it came down to performance, all our 6700 XT’s were very close in FPS in most all titles so it really comes down to which model is the model for you.

Should I Buy One?

If you can find one, go for it! As long as it’s not at an over-inflated price. It all really comes down to what the price is once launched. Make sure to have a look around retailers and if it is not too much more expensive, when compared to the reference model, the better thermals if nothing else is worth a bit more of your hard-earned money.

SAM

We have tested SAM on our reference RX 6700 XT as the performance on all 6700 XT’s was quite similar. In most tests, we saw an 8-15% increase in FPS although in some games we saw 0 difference and this should be similar for all 6700 XT cards. In order to use SAM, you will need a 6xxx series GPU, 5xxx Series CPU and a B550/X570 with all the current updates for your system. We may revisit this in comparison to NVIDIA’s Resizable BAR in the future when it is more readily available.