it still oc better, have more vram for gaming, and is quiet (believe me, those shapphire 1GB are LOUD)
I don't disagree with that, I just disagree with shader unlock with the original poster wanted a lot it seemed. Right now the 6950 are a toss up with a lot of newer ones not being able to unlock. Also bios switch is use to tell reference design, one of the key parts is the actual core itself. I own the DCIi and TWin Frozr 6950 and love them better then my stock 6970
Okay, so unlock is not guaranteed in both cards but currently I can buy the ASUS 1GB DCII cheaper than the 1GB Sapphire.
So I guess Asus is better, no ?
Definitely! Better cooling and overall design then that of the sapphire. 2GB shouldn't matter for mining but if you plan to use it later on for gaming then it might matter depending on resolution