ATi 4xxx Series Review

[ChronoReverse]

It does. It was broken for a few driver sets a while back but it should be fully working right now.

 

[wolf2009]

cant wait for tomm, its going to be an eventful day, maybe nvidia will make another announcement .

 

[cm123]

if this is repost of something - sorry, I can never find anything in here when everything is in one big thread...

specs of hte Sapphire 4870 below (its offical from Sapphire disty - disty cost is about $289) - Hong Kong, Germany already been selling the HD 4870:

Model
- Brand --- SAPPHIRE
- Model --- 100243L
Interface
- Interface PCI Express 2.0 x16
Chipset
- Chipset Manufacturer --- ATI
- GPU Radeon --- HD 4870
- Core clock --- 625MHz
- Stream Processors --- 800 Stream Processing Units
Memory
- Memory Size --- 512MB
- Memory Interface --- 256-bit
- Memory Type --- GDDR5
3D API
- DirectX --- DirectX 10
- OpenGL --- OpenGL 2.0
Ports
- HDMI --- 1 via Adapter
- DVI --- 2
- TV-Out --- HDTV / S-Video Out
General
- RAMDAC --- 400 MHz
- Max Resolution --- 2560 x 1600
- CrossFire Supported --- Yes
- Cooler --- With Fan
- Power Connector --- 6 Pin
- Dual-Link DVI Supported --- Yes
- Windows Vista --- Certified for Windows Vista
- HDCP Ready --- Yes
Packaging
- Package Contents --- 100243L /Driver Disk / Users Manual / HDTV Cable / Power Cable / DVI to VGA/D-sub Adapter / DVI to HDMI Adapter / CrossFire Bridge / S-Video to Composite Adapter

 

[bryanW1995]

those clocks are wrong. core is 750, not 625.

 

[cm123]

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
those clocks are wrong. core is 750, not 625.

can say that all we want, that is what that actual card (from sapphire) is clocked at... its info from card/sapphire

 

[HurleyBird]

unless it's a type, @%$@@@!!$%.

 

[allies]

Originally posted by: Denithor

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
I'm waiting for nvidia to release the 9800gtXXX to compete in the $300 market...maybe they could have jenna jamison on the box...

...or is that Jenna Jamison's box on the box?

:evil:

Maybe that would drive up sales of video cards (to adolescent boys, anyway).

And for you too, perv. Get out of this thread

 

[taltamir]

Originally posted by: Paratus

Originally posted by: taltamir

Originally posted by: Paratus

• Release "magic" faster drivers

It was around for a while as a beta, they just WHQLed it faster. good thing.

• Drop the price of the 9800GTX to $199 (has this happened yet?)

Less then 12 hours from the announcement newegg prices dropped to 200 from 300... They are still there.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130350

• Paper Launch (that's right Paper Launch) a possibly faster card 9800GTX+

And yet days later and we have real review sites with actual cards on their hands, performing benchmarks... yes it will take a while to get your hands on one due to lack of stock buildup, but they cards are real.
They are consistently faster then 4850 without AA, about the same (sometimes faster, sometimes slower, depending on game) with AA.


Anyways... that inq "article" was their worst yet... I mean, it goes beyond trying to discredit themselves and into the realm of surreal. It is as if a 10 year old mentally handicapped child with an attitude is writing those.

Ok I'm glad they came out with the driver and price drop but from your comment I don't think you understand what a paper launch is. What's bolded up there IS the definition of a paper launch. Reviewers have been officially given the cards by the manufacturer to bench them but the consumer can't buy them anywhere. (So you basically just said don't worry the house isn't on fire, it's just burning to the ground )

While I actually think that's just fine, (I like to know what's coming down the pipe), many many NVIDIOTS bitched up a storm at the fanATIcs every time ATI had to preview (paper lauch) a card to keep up with NV, but you couldn't buy the damn things for weeks after the preview. NV also said every launch would be a hard launch. This one isn't so they are scrambling.

I do understand what a paper launch is. I am saying that this is not vaporware like you indicated. I actually PREFER paper launches. Start selling it as soon as it is ready rather then building up stock in stores, I don't go to stores anyways, I order online. And yes, online stores will ALSO run out of stock, so what, those who check diligently can get lucky and score a card weeks before it would have been available otherwise. While some impatient whiners cry about spending all that time searching and not findind a unit...
If it is a paper launch I often times simply wait a few weeks before even LOOKING for the item. Unless it is something I really want, in which case I scour the place and find one.

 

[ajaidevsingh]

Originally posted by: Denithor

Originally posted by: bryanW1995
I'm waiting for nvidia to release the 9800gtXXX to compete in the $300 market...maybe they could have jenna jamison on the box...

...or is that Jenna Jamison's box on the box?

:evil:

Maybe that would drive up sales of video cards (to adolescent boys, anyway).

Maybe a pic of Carmen electra or Paris hilton or Cameron Diaz "All have sumthing common!!"


EDIT:- Just imagine a ATI/Nvidia card on her lap.. `!'

http://www.fatbackmedia.com/ns...johansson_shoot990.jpg

 

[taltamir]

i never liked the ridiculous box "art" they have on cards.

 

[ajaidevsingh]

Originally posted by: taltamir
i never liked the ridiculous box "art" they have on cards.

Ohh then you will love Gigabyte's 4850..!! :laugh:

 

[Quiksilver]

4850 VS 9800GTX+ Round 2 Coming Soon...

So now what, if this revised 4850 beat the 9800GTX+, then what is nvidia going to do, lower prices more? This is an interesting price war coming...

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: taltamir
i never liked the ridiculous box "art" they have on cards.

Yes, well, thankfully you can't see the tacky-looking stickers if the card face is pointed down at the bottom of the case.

Personally, I'm not too impressed by the ridiculous Alpha Dog and "triple-X" crap that XFX uses. (Way to only market to teenage boys, guys!) MSI's new orc berserker mascot is pretty over the top too, but not especially offensive.

Foxconn - I don't know what to say about their art, other than that it shows clear signs of LSD influence. It's just bizarre.

Most of the other stuff, like art from game franchises and the abstract stuff that PNY and HIS use is pretty innocuous. The Powercolor paladin/samurai gal, I also don't mind.

 

[epphllps]

Not sure if this has been posted, but if it has, it's worth repeating!! Ha Wednesday is Radeon 4870 Day!!!


Being from Fudzilla, take with a grain of salt, but if true, we just have to wait for the online retailers to put them on their sites!!! Going to be tough to get one for the first couple of weeks as I have heard from various sources, though.

 

[Hunt3rj2]

I wish they'd get some aftermarket coolers pre-installed on the 4850s, the single-slot cooler definitely isn't cutting it. Although if I get one of those 4870s I will definitely think about getting at Zalman VF1000 or the Arctic Cooling Accelero S1. Although when I do that the warranty will be heading out the window.


-sigh- I believe most of the brands that sell the ATI cards won't replace cards that are dead from heat damage. And the warranty voids if you modify the cooler too...

and yeah the box art is pretty tacky. Why can't they just have a clear background sticker with their brand name in some shiny lettering, and the model name in a corner or something. Clean looking art is cooler then having a video game shot squeezed into a 8x4 or so inch sticker is nice.

I do hope they make the 4870X2 no more then maybe $450 and with GTX 280 beating power. That'd at least make Nvidia wake up and do something about the insane prices of their higher-end cards...

 

[iBPJohn]

Our AMD rep gave us the green light to post some preliminary benchmarks of the HD4870s in single and CrossFire setups.
We have the stats on our forums!


It certainly looks promising for the Reds considering the pricepoint they are offering their HD4800 series cards.

Please let me know if you have questions or don't like how we benchmark

 

[ChronoReverse]

Hmm, looks like Crossfire still isn't scaling very well. ATI better get on the ball with that if they want their 4870x2 to succeed.

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: iBPJohn


Our AMD rep gave us the green light to post some preliminary benchmarks of the HD4870s in single and CrossFire setups.
We have the stats on our forums!


It certainly looks promising for the Reds considering the pricepoint they are offering their HD4800 series cards.

Please let me know if you have questions or don't like how we benchmark

Oh boy...it looks like that cooling fan is troublesome yet again. Well, I guess I don't mind waiting a bit for one of the vendors to release a card with a properly ramping fan.

Heh, that's quite the interesting rig in the picture. But hopefully the actual results will turn out better than the CrossFireX quad-4850 setup that TT tried out with your guys in Aus. It looked like AMD still needs to do some work on that.

 

[LittleNemoNES]

Originally posted by: iBPJohn


Our AMD rep gave us the green light to post some preliminary benchmarks of the HD4870s in single and CrossFire setups.
We have the stats on our forums!


It certainly looks promising for the Reds considering the pricepoint they are offering their HD4800 series cards.

Please let me know if you have questions or don't like how we benchmark

Doesn't the 2GB ram limit you?

 

[schneiderguy]

Originally posted by: AmberClad
Oh boy...it looks like that cooling fan is troublesome yet again. Well, I guess I don't mind waiting a bit for one of the vendors to release a card with a properly ramping fan.

There's nothing wrong with low 80c temps at load.

 

[iBPJohn]

Originally posted by: AmberClad

Originally posted by: iBPJohn


Our AMD rep gave us the green light to post some preliminary benchmarks of the HD4870s in single and CrossFire setups.
We have the stats on our forums!


It certainly looks promising for the Reds considering the pricepoint they are offering their HD4800 series cards.

Please let me know if you have questions or don't like how we benchmark

Oh boy...it looks like that cooling fan is troublesome yet again. Well, I guess I don't mind waiting a bit for one of the vendors to release a card with a properly ramping fan.

Heh, that's quite the interesting rig in the picture. But hopefully the actual results will turn out better than the CrossFireX quad-4850 setup that TT tried out with your guys in Aus. It looked like AMD still needs to do some work on that.

Actually we have no affiliation with iBuypower.com.au
But any iBuyPower in Europe are with us.

As for the fan we tested at stock speeds, but with the mod we could take it to 100%. However; it is extremely loud, louder than 3 gtx 280's w 4 additional 45db fans

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: iBPJohn
Actually we have no affiliation with iBuypower.com.au

That seems kind of awkward to be honest. No one has any issues with that and the potential for confusion ?

But I am still curious to see your version of quad Crossfire and how it does.

 

[iBPJohn]

Originally posted by: gersson

Originally posted by: iBPJohn


Our AMD rep gave us the green light to post some preliminary benchmarks of the HD4870s in single and CrossFire setups.
We have the stats on our forums!


It certainly looks promising for the Reds considering the pricepoint they are offering their HD4800 series cards.

Please let me know if you have questions or don't like how we benchmark

Doesn't the 2GB ram limit you?

We haven't noticed limitations on that, we might look into that to see if there is a difference for our results.

 

[iBPJohn]

Originally posted by: AmberClad

Originally posted by: iBPJohn
Actually we have no affiliation with iBuypower.com.au

That seems kind of awkward to be honest. No one has any issues with that and the potential for confusion ?

Ya it's all political but AFAIK they don't sell systems in the US and we don't sell in AUS.


We'll have our results of our Hybrid Crossfire system done by tomorrow.

 

[Paratus]

Originally posted by: taltamir

I do understand what a paper launch is. I am saying that this is not vaporware like you indicated. I actually PREFER paper launches. Start selling it as soon as it is ready rather then building up stock in stores, I don't go to stores anyways, I order online. And yes, online stores will ALSO run out of stock, so what, those who check diligently can get lucky and score a card weeks before it would have been available otherwise. While some impatient whiners cry about spending all that time searching and not findind a unit...
If it is a paper launch I often times simply wait a few weeks before even LOOKING for the item. Unless it is something I really want, in which case I scour the place and find one.

Well I guess I wasn't clear enough with my post. What I meant to say was:

Originally posted by: Paratus

Paper Launch (that's right Paper Launch) a possibly faster card 9800GTX+

I never said it was vaporware . It exists and it's coming in a few weeks, but when a manufacturer allows hardware sites to bench a card that we the customer cannot buy yet it's a paper launch, which is what the GTX+ is. If we could buy it now then it would be a hard launch (or if supply was low, a weak launch like the 7800GTX 512).

As it is I agree with you about preferring paper launches as I would rather know as soon as possible what's coming so I can make an informed decision rather than buying a card and having it eclipsed a week later.

So have a :beer: