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Radeon HD 4870 X2 coverage round-up
Everything you need to know about ATI's brand new dual-GPU graphics card
The wait for a Radeon that owns the title 'fastest graphics card in the world' is over - with its
This article is intended to be a one-stop piece rounding up all the coverage you need.
* Here's our review of the Radeon HD 4870 X2.
* If you just want the numbers, go straight to our performance benchmarks (opens in a new window).
* If you want to buy one of these new cards, we've listed a selection of the best prices available on the web.
We've also rounded up the best of the reviews from the rest of the web - and we'll add to these as more reviews go up:
* Tech Report: 'You know all of the
caveats that go along with a multi-GPU graphics card like the Radeon HD
4870 X2. Without proper support in the game or a profile in the video
driver, you may only see about half of the performance potential of
your video card. There's no getting around that. But in the case of
this particular card, even if the worst happens, you're falling back on
the performance of one of the fastest GPUs around in the Radeon HD
4870... It's
easily the quickest "single" video card you can buy, and it almost
feels like a good deal at $549.' (No score given)
* PC Perspective: 'Just like we concluded in our preview last month, the AMD Radeon HD
4870 X2 2GB graphics card is incredibly impressive and easily takes the
performance lead for a single graphics away from NVIDIA GeForce GTX
280. The power consumption is pretty high, on par with a pair of GTX
260s and we were let down by the performance of CrossFireX but neither
of these factors over-shadow the power the card provided for
high-resolution and high quality
gaming. If you need an enthusiast-class graphics card for your next
gaming system then AMD Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB is your ticket to gaming
nirvana.' (Gold award)
* Anandtech: 'I keep getting the
impression that multi-GPU is great for marketing but not particularly
important when it comes to actually investing R&D dollars into
design. With every generation, especially from AMD, I expect to see a
much more seamless use of multiple GPUs, but instead we're given the
same old solution - we rely on software profiles to ensure that
multiple GPUs work well in a system rather than having a hardware
solution where two GPUs truly appear, behave and act as one to the
software. Maybe it's not in the consumer's best interest for the
people making the GPUs to be the same people making the chipsets, it's
too easy to try and use multi-GPU setups to sell more chipsets when the
focus should really be on making multiple GPUs more attractive across
the board, and just...work. But I digress. The Radeon HD 4870 X2 is good, it continues to be the world's fastest
single card solution, provided that you're running a game with
CrossFire support.' (No score given)
Reddit | Technorati
I thought ATI would start this card on quick slide to be down to the 225 mark by X'mas but its not happening o well. I still think that this card is a better card than the Nvidia gtx280 (and it has the potential to get better as the drivers improve) but sadly its only maybe 10-20 pounds not the 100+ Ati want from us.
Comment by Cool_CR at 10:58pm 5th September 2008
i think nvidia have actually done pretty well. they have had bad press mainly because of the starting price points, which were absolutely insane however you look at it. but now, a GT260 can be had for £165, a little less than any 4870 i have seen so far and they are pretty evenly matched. then the GT280 for £235 is middle ground between the £170 4870 and the £340 X2. sales of £340 graphics cards are usually reserved for a select few, so nvidia now coming in around 165 and 235 pounds is actually a lot better than most would give them credit for!
Comment by vulcanproject at 3:24pm 23rd August 2008
they seem to shut up once you actually quote facts and figures to back up what you're saying. Huge cracks appearing in the 4870X2 and now seeming overpriced, underperforming and overheating. Reminds my of something else.........that's right, the 3870X2. That was supposed to save ATi as well.
Comment by crazyceo at 1:08pm 23rd August 2008
but lets get it straight, with the nvidia price cuts the GT280 is very attractive option. cheapest GT280 i have seen? 235 pounds. reference card. VAT inc, straight up at overclockers. cheapest 4870 X2 i have seen is 340 pounds at ebuyer. now kudos to ATI, they have the fastest card even if it is just two 4870's glued together. but a 100 quid more than a GT280, i would pick the nvidia. its already plenty quick enough, and when the price drops further SLI GT280 will scale better than crossfire 4870 X2, almost for certain. 4 GPU's do not scale all to well in hardly ANY games......
Comment by vulcanproject at 9:21pm 22nd August 2008
My screen res using a 22" asus is 1680 X 1050. Crysis ran at 36fps on average using the 4870X2 and 39fps on average using the GTX280. ArmA ran at 47fps using the 4870X2 on average and 51fps using the GTX280 on average.(Using the CPC benchmark tests) Again not only is it cheaper, runs cooler and is more energy efficient. Next time you challange a pissing contest, don't start pissing into the wind. Why would you pay more for less? This new superstar card clearly has cracks appearing and I'd recommend caution before parting with that much money.
Comment by crazyceo at 11:27am 22nd August 2008
Awesome card .. Broken in 1 day yay for Stress testing !
Comment by Bishbosh at 6:01pm 18th August 2008
I was thinking about taking the blunge and buy the said card as i have an 8800 Ultra, but a quick look on Ebay one day i found a second hand 8800 Ultra Extreme so put my bid in and won. 1 second hand Ultra for £160, that's gotta be a Steal. 2x 8800 Ultra's, i won't need to worry for another year atleast.
Comment by motogp46fan at 2:25pm 18th August 2008
What are you on about where are the games that the gtx280 can play at a higher res than the HD4870x2 what I am reading is that the HD4870x2 is like two gtx260's running in SLI so its clearly the better option to got ATI as sli mobs cost more and tend to be a bit crap and please dont even try to say that the new 790 range is awsome cause for 200+ its just not. Also frugal it there are one for just 309 pounds and remember how much was the gtx280 when it launched this could be the first good card ATI have brought out since the x1950's i might even trade in my 8800gtx (i wont though i love it to much).
Comment by Cool_CR at 10:01pm 15th August 2008
Arma runs better on the GTX280; but the X2 outpaces the GTX280 in every other game in every review I have seen. The new games designed for a unified shader architecture runs especially well on ATi hardware, with even a single X2 being considerably faster than two GTX280s in SLi. I think the ATi fanboys have a very legitimate reason to act like teenage girls at a McFly concert. The GTX280 looks like a weed in comparison.
Comment by Zhaoman at 4:10pm 15th August 2008
Yes, let's spend £350 to £400 on a card that gets outperformed on the most demanding games by a cheaper, cooler and more energy efficient Nvidia card. Really, these ATi fanboys are starting to sound like teenage girls at a McFly gig! Those beer goggles must be great.
Comment by crazyceo at 3:53pm 15th August 2008
[url=http://www.simhq.com/_technology2/technology_130a.html]Clicky[/url]
Comment by toycityworld at 9:35pm 13th August 2008
1 for each rig.... although of course I will stick both in 1 rig for some benching. :P
Comment by D_Cypher at 9:40pm 13th August 2008
Well done ATI, another great card, Nvidia should be worried, the red team is back with a vengence, i will upgrade my HD3870 crossfire setup for a pair of HD4870 asap, Crossfire with two HD4870 X2, is a wet dream, damm i need to win the lottery quick.
Comment by blazinglory at 3:59pm 13th August 2008
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