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Tags : 2gb gddr5   ATI   dx10 1   GDDR5   Graphic Cards   hd 4870x2   r700   Radeon   Radeon HD4870x2   Reviews   RV770 XT   Sapphire  

Introduction Specifications Photos and Pictures The Radeon HD4870x2 Card and Installation Test Setup and Procedures GPU-Z and Everest Benchmarks: F.E.A.R. (DX9) Benchmarks: Call of Juarez (DX10) Benchmarks: Crysis (DX10) Benchmarks: 3DMark 2005 Benchmarks: 3DMark 2006 Benchmarks: 3DMark Vantage Verdict and Conclusion

Graphics power to the people ... Sapphire's Radeon HD4870x2 gives dual GPU goodness for the gaming enthusiasts

 

INTRODUCTION 

AMD/ATI have made huge leaps and bounds this year. Their Radeon graphic cards are now finally warming the hearts of many gaming enthusiasts. This is great news for AMD/ATI and will prove to be vital over the coming months. However, its success has a bitter side to it ... there have been reports that AMD/ATI have made 17 consecutive monthly losses, and this year alone ... they've lost over $1 Billion USD. This has forced the board to replace the Hector Ruiz with Dirk Meyer as CEO.

Troubles aside, AMD/ATI have made a lot of progress, both in terms of processor and graphics technologies. They are the first to utilise GDDR5 memory on their high end graphic cards. They are also the first to introduce Tri-Core processors ... be it a less than successful product. Still, you can't argue that AMD/ATI have been trying, and if they continue working hard ... they will succeed in producing and releasing innovative products that will re-capture the hearts of many enthusiasts.  

 

 

This is already true with ATI's Radeon HD4800 series of graphic cards. We tested both the Radeon HD4850 and HD4870 graphic cards in our labs ... and we were extremely surprised by its performance. But what really

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hit the nail on the head, AND gave Nvidia a run for its money ... was its price. The Radeon HD4850s and HD4780s are much much cheaper than equivalent cards from Nvidia. In fact Nvidia knew this, and immediately slashed its prices across its entire range of mid to highend Geforce cards.

This is not the end of it ... while Nvidia have in their line-up, a graphics card with dual GPUs on separate PCB boards in the form of the Geforce 9800GX2. AMD/ATI have something similar in the form of their Radeon HD3870x2. This is now replaced by their latest release ... the Radeon HD4870x2. It's a graphics card with dual GPUs on a single PCB board and equipped with 2Gb of GDDR5 ram. Seriously, I'm NOT joking, two gigabytes of GDDR5 ram onboard ... take that Nvidia !!

But what will 2Gb of GDDR5 ram do for gamers and enthusiasts? Is it just a numbers game? or will it actually be a benefit? We already now that extra memory onboard does help during graphic intensive application and games, especially at high resolutions. So has AMD/ATI got it right this time?

 

Sapphire, being board partners with AMD/ATI are among the first to release the Radeon HD4870x2. It features dual R700 GPUs on a single PCB board, which runs at 750Mhz with 2Gb of GDDR5 memory running at 1.8Ghz (2x900Mhz). The whole card is longer than most standard graphics card, and is very similar in shape and size to its predecessor the HD3870x2. For cooling, the card has a huge stock cooler, with the heatsink running across the entire length of the card. Because of the large heatsink and cooler, the card itself weighs in at a massive 1.5Kgs. And to power this beast, the card needs two PCIe power connectors ... one 6-pin and one 8-pin. So a power supply of at least 700W is recommended, one that has both 6-pin and 8-pin PCIe power connectors.

AMD/ATI have really produced a graphics card that not only offers extremely good performance, but also appeals to a lot of gamers and enthusiasts both in terms of price and features. Take for example, the use of 2 gigabytes of GDDR5 ram, the support for DX10.1, 2x800 stream processors, 55nm technology and dual GPUs (R700) on a single PCB.

 

             

 

We expect the Sapphire's Radeon HD4870x2 to perform with some outstanding performance, but will it be the gamer's and enthusiast's choice? Does the 2Gb of GDDR5 ram really help at all ... or is it just a marketing gimmick? And how will it compare against Nvidia's onslaught of new Geforce cards such as the 9800GX2 and GTX280? 

In our tests we'll be benchmarking the Sapphire Radeon HD4870x2 with several GPU intensive DX10 games ... with both 4xAA and 16xAF options enabled, as well as your usual 3D Mark 2005, 2006 and Vantage tests. Our test rig includes an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ default 2.4Ghz, Asus Rampage Extreme (X48) motherboard, Crucial DDR3-2000 PC3-16000 2Gb Kit, PC Power & Cooling Turbo Cool 860W PSU and a 24" Samsung SyncMaster 245B LCD monitor. All-in-all, it's a decently spec'd system for DX10 gaming.

OK, lets not waste any more time and take a look a closer look at the Sapphire Radeon HD4870x2 ....

 

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Introduction Specifications Photos and Pictures The Radeon HD4870x2 Card and Installation Test Setup and Procedures GPU-Z and Everest Benchmarks: F.E.A.R. (DX9) Benchmarks: Call of Juarez (DX10) Benchmarks: Crysis (DX10) Benchmarks: 3DMark 2005 Benchmarks: 3DMark 2006 Benchmarks: 3DMark Vantage Verdict and Conclusion