Conclusion

With the release of the HD3870 X2, ATI finally managed to get back into the game, offering a card that is competitive with Nvidia. Where does that leave the HD3850? On paper the performance of the card is obviously considerably lower than the HD3870X2, but then again so is the price.

The HIS HD3850 IceQ3 Turbo X is a good card by all accounts. Its performance in the newest games is rock solid and save for perhaps Crysis with its power hungry engine not a single game can bring it to its knees. ATI's drivers are top notch as well, so you can be sure that regardless of what you use the card for, it won’t cause you problems due to stability issues. Media playback is also one of the cards strong points, delivering an unparalleled experience when it comes to HD video playback. The supplied HDMI converter just further reinforces this.

Last but not least, the HIS HD3850 IceQ3 Turbo X (regular versions as well) comes with one of the best gadgets we have seen. The HIS screwdriver is a fantastic and original idea and just makes the whole HIS HD3850 IceQ3 Turbo X a great package. The fact that it at times outperforms a reference HD3870 doesn’t hurt either, however considering at the time of press it is £3 MORE than a reference HD3870 (£139 inc vat) we find it hard to wholeheartedly recommend.

The HIS card retails for £142 from Komplett

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