AMD just launched a new series in their Radeon graphics line up (HD6000), and if you have followed the evolution of the red team's products over the past few years you may be expecting something other than what is actually being delivered. Typically the new products are released with the mid-to-high level single GPU card featuring a x850 model number, and the top of the line single GPU card features a x870 model number. This was seen as we moved from the HD3850/HD3870, to the HD4850/HD4870, and up to the most recent HD5850/HD5870. In the HD6000 series there are HD6850 and HD6870 models, but their place in the performance hierarchy is not at the top as might be expected.

With the HD6850 and HD6870, AMD is using a new GPU (named Barts), has applied some new technology to enhance the overall experience, and has made the pricing more appealing when compared to rival cards (or even cards in the HD5000 series). One should not expect an evolutionary performance increase when comparing the HD6000 series to previous Radeon series cards, but actually something in the same ballpark. For example, testing an HD6870 against an HD5850 and an HD5870 should point to the performance of this new card falling somewhere in between the two older cards. The nomenclature and comparable performance seem a bit confusing, especially considering that these new cards are not intended to replace the cards from the HD5800 series.



In this review we will be taking a look at a Radeon HD6870 card from ASUS, in the form of the card shown in the promotional image above. The EAH6870/2DI2S/1GD5 is presently the only HD6870 based graphics card from ASUS, and while it follows the reference design for most features, it does distinguish itself from the other options on the market by sporting a GPU that is factory overclocked.

Before taking a closer look at the sample provided for review, let's take a look at some of the features and specifications as taken from the official product page on the ASUS website. And for more information on general features and capabilities of the HD6870 line up, please visit this page on the AMD website.

Features:

AMD Eyefinity Technology - Unlocks the power of GPU’s processor cores to accelerate the most demanding system tasks

AMD HD3Dâ„¢ Technology - Optimize stereoscopic 3D gaming and movie-watching entertainment.

Microsoft® DirectX® 11 Support - Bring new levels of visual realism to gaming on the PC and get top-notch performance

AMD CrossFireXâ„¢ Technology - Gets up to 1.8X of a graphics performance boost in dual mode.

Microsoft® Windows® 7 Support - Enable PC users to enjoy an advanced computing experience and to do more with their PC

Voltage Tweak - Full throttle overclocking with exclusive ASUS Voltage Tweak via Smart Doctor â€" boosting 50%* more speed, performance and satisfaction!

ASUS Gamer OSD - Real-time overclocking, benchmarking and video capturing in any PC game!

Full Aluminum Cover - Aluminum label on the cover drives heat away much more effectively with 14℃ lower surface temperature than reference. Simply cooler!

ASUS Smart Doctor - Intelligent system monitoring for efficient overclocking with an intuitive slide bar.

Splendidâ„¢ Video Intelligence Technology - Optimizes colors in various entertainment scenarios with five special modes â€" standard, game, scenery, night view and theater.

Specifications:

» Graphics Engine: ATI Radeon HD 6870
» Bus Standard: PCI Express 2.1
» Video Memory: GDDR5 1G
» Engine Clock: 915 MHz
» Memory Clock: 1050 MHz ( 4200 MHz DDR5 )
» RAMDAC: 400MHz
» Memory Interface: 256-bit
» D-Sub Max Resolution: 2048 x 1536
» DVI Max Resolution: 3840 x 2400
» D-Sub Output: Yes x 1 (via DVI to D-Sub adaptor x 1 )
» DVI Output: Yes x 1 (DVI-I), Yes x 1 (DVI-D)
» HDMI Output: Yes x 1
» DisplayPort: Yes
» HDCP Support: Yes
» Adapter/Cable Bundled: 1 x CrossFire cable, 1 x Power cable
» Software Bundled: ASUS Utilities & Driver
» Card size: 9.5" x 5"