ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH

Zardon · Sep 23, 2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris23

i think that the only reason why the 5870 doesnt overtake the 4870x2 is because of the small memory bus speed....... 256-bit? 1GB RAM?

these are the two disadvantages of this card compared to a 4870x2 and a dual 4870 setup

ill be waiting and pulling my money together for a 5870x2 or nvidia offering if its THAT good

What size of screen and res are you using?

Judas · Sep 23, 2009, 10:51 PM

4870x2 with 2gb ram is still 1gb of ram per GPU.. (effective memory is 1gb even though 2gb is present.. this is the pitfalls of crossfire/sli... texture memory or anything in memory has be duplicated for each GPU's own memory )

and 2x 4870's with 1gb ram is still only 1 gb ram being used..

so that's irrelivant.....

and perhaps the 256-bit is a limiting factor.. but i highly doubt the case..... they are pushing the envelope of the frequencies they can muster with smaller and smaller returns for it...

more power is being pumpped in and there's less coming out of it in return.

Like I said... the way things are starting to play out NOW is almost identical to that of how the CPU market was panning out.....

**kris23** · Sep 23, 2009, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zardon

What size of screen and res are you using?

1920x1200 26"

just want something with a bit of excess power to last me a while....

i have about $500 right now to spend and slowly gaining more, but the 5870 is a little overpriced at this time so ill wait for the 5870x2 if it ends up being a bit better overall or wait for nvidia's offerings and see if the prices drop on the cards

The Captain · Sep 24, 2009, 03:57 PM

It seems like a decent card, but it looks like I can get about the same performance by buying another 4890 for use with the 4890 I have now.

bratboy · Sep 24, 2009, 04:23 PM

Looks like a lot of us are awaiting the x2 models, HURRRRYY!!!

Dwarden · Sep 24, 2009, 10:53 PM

thanks for the review , i hope it get's expanded in future by some closer looks on the improvements in AA/AF and so on ...

not to mention HD5870 is very nice card and runs our game (ARMA 2) quite well ...

~~RE III - Frankie~~ · Sep 25, 2009, 04:05 PM

*HD5870 Review*

Nice review, well thought out and structured. Nice card too.

|2A|N · Sep 28, 2009, 01:51 PM

That's a pretty sleek design.

**kris23** · Sep 29, 2009, 11:57 PM

wow.......... i have just put money in the bank..... now everytime i see the 5870, i get the extreme urge to click "BUY"

but i still want to wait for the 5870 X2.....

can someone talk some sense into me?

***Veridian3*** · Sep 30, 2009, 12:10 AM

buy 2

The Captain · Sep 30, 2009, 12:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kris23

wow.......... i have just put money in the bank..... now everytime i see the 5870, i get the extreme urge to click "BUY"

but i still want to wait for the 5870 X2.....

can someone talk some sense into me?

I saw a few pictures of the X2, and it is HUGE. It is 12" long. Yep, an entire foot.

If you can wait a month or so, are willing to pay around $500, and your case can actually fit it, wait and buy the X2. Otherwise, get a 5870... or a pair.

IvanV · Sep 30, 2009, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Captain

... If you can wait a month or so, are willing to pay around $500, and your case can actually fit it, wait and buy the X2. Otherwise, get a 5870... or a pair.

How's that talking sense into him?

What can I say, Kris? Try to find patience to wait a couple of months until there are a couple of more options on the table, then go crazy!

Seriously, you want it, you'd enjoy it, if you can afford it, go for it!

**kris23** · Sep 30, 2009, 01:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Veridian3

buy 2

my mind is going crazy because i actually can do that....

just short of a grand....... must endure until 5870 X2............ ooo the performance unleashed from my rig when finally completed..... dual 5870 X2.......

but i just realized...... with so much heat output...... will a 750w PSU handle them? i thought it was enough for me.....

bratboy · Sep 30, 2009, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Captain

I saw a few pictures of the X2, and it is HUGE. It is 12" long. Yep, an entire foot.

If you can wait a month or so, are willing to pay around $500, and your case can actually fit it, wait and buy the X2. Otherwise, get a 5870... or a pair.

Why the extra length? I thought the GPU's piggybacked each other for the x2. Going to have to measure my case space now. hummm.

ET3D · Sep 30, 2009, 07:41 AM

Just read the 5850 review at Anandtech, and it looks pretty impressive. Funny how the lower price changes perception (though it's also the fact that it's shorter, cooler and uses significantly less power than the 5870). They also put the 3870 in the benchmarks, which showed me how underpowered it is compared to later cards. Still, I'm planning to wait and see what the 57x0 cards bring to the table.

Judas · Sep 30, 2009, 04:23 PM

a die shrunk 5770...... mmm

compddd · Oct 3, 2009, 04:15 AM

I just got a 5870 and Batman AA

Can you please tell me how to run PhysX on it like you guys did?

Thank you for your time

Judas · Oct 3, 2009, 04:14 PM

um... there isn't any way to run physx on it... they didn't from what i read.. they were just comparing a nvidia physx solution to that of the radeons

**kris23** · Oct 3, 2009, 07:20 PM

PhysX is just a way of offloading Physics calculations from the CPU to a GPU to increase the available resources....

if you arent capable of using PhysX (you have ATI) then the game physics will all be done by CPU, if thats set to max then i believe theres almost no difference in gameplay for most titles

**kris23** · Oct 3, 2009, 08:37 PM

looks like im going to need a new PSU for two 5870X2s.....

lol but i just bought this one not too long ago!

M0nk3m4n · Oct 11, 2009, 09:24 PM

Are they mental? The benchmarks at the end make it laughable, the 48xx cards and nVidia ones there beat the heck out of it! (not by a huge margin, but this is next-gen!)

Sep 24, 2009, 03:57 PM	#34
The Captain HardwareHeaven Lover Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 210 Rep Power: 61	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH It seems like a decent card, but it looks like I can get about the same performance by buying another 4890 for use with the 4890 I have now.

Sep 24, 2009, 04:23 PM	#35
bratboy HardwareHeaven Newbie Join Date: Dec 2002 Posts: 7 Rep Power: 0	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH Looks like a lot of us are awaiting the x2 models, HURRRRYY!!!

Sep 24, 2009, 10:53 PM	#36
Dwarden HardwareHeaven Junior Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71 Rep Power: 0	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH thanks for the review , i hope it get's expanded in future by some closer looks on the improvements in AA/AF and so on ... not to mention HD5870 is very nice card and runs our game (ARMA 2) quite well ... __________________ I support

Sep 25, 2009, 04:05 PM	#37
~~RE III - Frankie~~ Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,754 Rep Power: 0	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH HD5870 Review Nice review, well thought out and structured. Nice card too.

Sep 28, 2009, 01:51 PM	#38
\|2A\|N SE7EN57 Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 358 Rep Power: 72 System Specs	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH That's a pretty sleek design.

Sep 29, 2009, 11:57 PM	#39
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH wow.......... i have just put money in the bank..... now everytime i see the 5870, i get the extreme urge to click "BUY" but i still want to wait for the 5870 X2..... can someone talk some sense into me? __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Sep 30, 2009, 12:10 AM	#40
*Veridian3* Administrator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Cloaked Posts: 5,028 Rep Power: 181	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH buy 2

Sep 30, 2009, 07:41 AM	#45
ET3D Hopeless Dreamer Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Dreamland, near the pool of infinite graphics cards Posts: 3,057 Rep Power: 105 System Specs	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH Just read the 5850 review at Anandtech, and it looks pretty impressive. Funny how the lower price changes perception (though it's also the fact that it's shorter, cooler and uses significantly less power than the 5870). They also put the 3870 in the benchmarks, which showed me how underpowered it is compared to later cards. Still, I'm planning to wait and see what the 57x0 cards bring to the table.

Oct 3, 2009, 04:15 AM	#47
compddd DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH I just got a 5870 and Batman AA Can you please tell me how to run PhysX on it like you guys did? Thank you for your time

Oct 3, 2009, 07:20 PM	#49
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH PhysX is just a way of offloading Physics calculations from the CPU to a GPU to increase the available resources.... if you arent capable of using PhysX (you have ATI) then the game physics will all be done by CPU, if thats set to max then i believe theres almost no difference in gameplay for most titles __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Oct 3, 2009, 08:37 PM	#50
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH looks like im going to need a new PSU for two 5870X2s..... lol but i just bought this one not too long ago! __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Oct 11, 2009, 09:24 PM	#51
M0nk3m4n HardwareHeaven Fanboy :D Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: A world of stupidity. Posts: 125 Rep Power: 28 System Specs	Re: ATI Radeon HD 5870 Graphics Card Review @ DH Are they mental? The benchmarks at the end make it laughable, the 48xx cards and nVidia ones there beat the heck out of it! (not by a huge margin, but this is next-gen!) __________________ Try Rockbox for MP3 players (example: videos, full Classic Doom, etc. on Nano 2G) Technics SA-EX310 (+Z-5500 speakers) on Creative SB X-Fi Fatal1ty Professional