Interesting stuff.
A couple of weeks ago I sprung for an upgrade on my 6700XT by buying a cheap (LOL) 6950XT $579 (plus free Starfield. Unfortunately I have not enjoyed the experience, my office feels like it has an extra space heater in it and the XFX Merc sounds like a 747 on runway. At default the card reaches108C hotspot. I truly expected more from XFX. Fast forward today, the card is going back to Amazon as faulty, I really don't think 108C is acceptable at 100% fan. I decided to grab a Powercolor Hellhound 7800XT instead. Yes, less performance than the 6950XT, but not by much and I should have a quieter and cooler office. Plus another free copy of Starfield!