What does a reference model mean

[forgottensakes]

I found a hd 6850 online and it said its a reference nodel. What does that mean?

 

[EzioAs]

It means it uses the standard reference design by AMD, nothing custom and that the card will have the blower design cooler. It's usually, though not necessarily, the cheapest version you can get for any GPU.

 

[cooldudesubho]

It means it uses the standard reference design by AMD, nothing custom and that the card will have the blower design cooler. It's usually, though not necessarily, the cheapest version you can get for any GPU.

lol NO.Cheapest version are generally the custom designed with crappy coolers.Reference version are generally of high quality stuff.

 

[EzioAs]

Cheapest version are generally the custom designed with crappy coolers.

That's sort of true, however look clearly at my previous post. I pointed out that it can be the cheapest although that's not always the case.

 

[forgottensakes]

That's sort of true, however look clearly at my previous post. I pointed out that it can be the cheapest although that's not always the case.

So it will still work the smae. Sorry for the late reply.

 

[EzioAs]

yep

 

[bigshootr8]

Yea it will work to the same to kind of go off what the others have posted. a reference design card typically has a shroud covering the whole card with a fan at the end acting in a blower type way where you have a heatsink over the gpu and a fan at the end blow air through the card out the back of your case. Where as with a non reference card you will get a cooling solution where you will have multiple fans on top of the card that are blow air off the card and heat rising through the top or exhausts of your case.