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Tags : ATI   dx10 1   GDDR3   Graphic Cards   MSI R4850 T2D512   Radeon   Radeon HD4850   Reviews   RV770 Pro   hd 4850  

Introduction Specifications Photos and Pictures The Radeon HD4850 Card and Installation Test Setup and Procedures GPU-Z, Everest and 3DMark Vantage Benchmarks: F.E.A.R. (DX9) Benchmarks: Call of Juarez (DX10) Benchmarks: Crysis (DX10) Benchmarks: 3DMark 2005 Benchmarks: 3DMark 2006 Verdict and Conclusion

MSI targets its maistream gamers with the R4850-T2D512. Using ATI's Radeon HD4850 (RV770 Pro) ... it's certainly no slouch.

 

INTRODUCTION 

MSI have really stepped their game in terms of producing some really exciting products for this year. Last week we reviewed their P45 Platinum, which was a pretty decent performing board that offered good performance and some great overclocking ability. Now we now seeing new graphic cards from MSI using both Nvidia Geforce and ATI Radeon GPUs. CPU3D was one of the first sites to get their Radeon HD4850 based gaphics card ... the MSI R4850-T2D512.

Already, the Radeon HD4800 series have received rave reviews from around the globe ... it's even touted as a real serious alternative to Nvidia's Geforce range of cards. After such a long absence, are AMD/ATI finally back in the game? It certainly looks that way. The Radeon HD4800 series uses ATI's RV770 GPU and offer a lot more than its predecessor the HD38xx, which to be honest, was a little disappointing to say the least. The Radeon HD4800 is quite the opposite. It uses the same 55nm technology, but now offers more processor stream units and better anti aliasing techniques.  See, I knew AMD/ATI was going to come up with something special for this year ... all you have to have was a little faith.

 

 

AMD/ATI has two offerings in the Radeon HD4800 series. The Radeon HD4850 which uses the RV770 Pro GPU, while the more powerful HD4870 uses the RV770 XT GPU, which runs at a higher clock rate. Both HD4850 and the HD4870 are AMD/ATI's next generation GPUS aimed at the mainstream and high-end gaming market.

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From our preliminary tests, the HD4850 has shown to be a great performer ... easily matching the Geforce 8800GT, and I can see it to be a massive hit among the mainstream gamers. One vital selling point, which could tip the balance is the price of the HD4850. Costing around £125.00 ($250) or less, the HD4850 is a very attractive and affordable alternative ... with performance to match. One question that many gamers have asked, is whether 2 x HD4850 in Crossfire configuration could be a worthy consideration. Well, I have to say it's more than likely that 2-way Crossfire will probably offer one of the best value for money solutions in terms of price/performance. We'll be testing the Radeon HD4850 in 2-way Crossfire configuration in the next few weeks ... so watch our exclusive article soon.

AMD/ATI is hoping that the Radeon HD4800 series could be the answer to all those critics and non-believers. However, it's still going to be tough ... especially when Nvidia have dominated the gaming market for so long. AMD/ATI has got a lot of ground work to do before it can seriously tempt some of those hardcore gamers who's alreaded sided with Nvidia camp.

In this review, we'll be taking a look at the MSI R4850-T2D512. The grahics card is based on ATI's reference design and uses their latest Radeon HD4850 (RV770 Pro) GPU, and is equipped with a total of 512Mb of DDR3 ram. The whole card is based on a single slot solution and looks very similar in size and shape to its predecessor ... the Radeon HD3850. Using GPU-Z, we determined that the Radeon HD4850 (RV770 Pro) GPU runs at 625Mhz, while the 512Mb DDR3 ram runs at 1.95Ghz (2x975Mhz). I suspect over the next few months graphic card manufacturers will be releasing super overclocked versions of the Radeon HD4850 with custom cooling solutions.

The Radeon HD4850 sounds great ... and to some, it is. However, reports from users have already spotted weaknesses. Not in the performance department ... but rather the cooling side. The single slot cooler is sleek and looks great, but in reality ... it's not very sufficient. The card can get really HOT. With GPU core temperatures reaching in excess of 75 degrees Celsius in some instances, it's a little worrying for some users. Having said that, it's performance that counts at the end of the day, and I'm sure the HD4850 can deliver the goods. As for the heat problem, I'm sure MSI and other maufacturers will be bringing out their new and modified cooling solutions for these little hotties ;)

 

             

 

In our tests we'll be benchmarking the MSI R4850-T2D512 with several GPU intensive DX10 games ... with both 4xAA and 16xAF options enabled, as well as your usual 3D Mark 2005 and 2006 tests. Our test rig includes an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ default 2.4Ghz, Gigabyte GA-X48 DQ6 motherboard, OCZ SLI DDR2-1066 2Gb Kit, PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 860W PSU and a 19" Dell Ultrascan P990 monitor. All-in-all, it's a decently spec'd system for DX10 gaming.

OK, lets not waste any more time and see how well the MSI R4850-T2D512 will perform against other Geforce based cards on the market.

 

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Introduction Specifications Photos and Pictures The Radeon HD4850 Card and Installation Test Setup and Procedures GPU-Z, Everest and 3DMark Vantage Benchmarks: F.E.A.R. (DX9) Benchmarks: Call of Juarez (DX10) Benchmarks: Crysis (DX10) Benchmarks: 3DMark 2005 Benchmarks: 3DMark 2006 Verdict and Conclusion