| Sapphire Radeon HD4830 512MB Graphics Card
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Conclusion:
The performance of the Sapphire Radeon HD4830 512MB graphics card definitely surpassed expectations. I am not exactly sure how I expected it to fare during testing, but it wound up looking more like an enthusiast grade card than an entry level offering. It should be able to handle just about any game without having to sacrifice too much in terms of frame rates or settings, making it a great option for the gamer on a budget.
Newegg.com currently has the Sapphire Radeon HD4830 512MB graphics card for $114.99, which is before a $15.00 mail-in-rebate gets the final price just under $100. That is a very attractive price for a card that can do as much as this one can. It is a good deal less expensive than other cards in the 48xx series, and is quite competitively priced when compared to NVIDIA's offerings.
While the performance obviously won't equal the more expensive cards, the price-to-performance ratio is very favorable. It makes the Radeon 4830 worth considering for gamers who don't need the absolute best, just a card that can hang with today's games while leaving plenty of cash in their pocket. The card would be a good fit for non-gaming systems too, as the performance, low noise output, and low heat production would make it an excellent choice for an HTPC.
The positives are numerous, while the negatives are few; with most relating to cost cutting measures that let the card be so competitively priced. The bundle of accessories includes a variety of connectors, but there is no CrossFire bridge. In addition, the video memory is not equipped with heatsinks for cooling, but the GPU's cooling fan does direct air over each chip. While the GPU cooler is definitely well suited to keeping the card cool and quiet, it occupies two slots and all of the heat is dumped back into the computer case.
The price and performance of the Sapphire Radeon HD4830 512MB graphics card help it earn the Bigbruin.com awards of "Good Value" and "Highly Recommended".
 
Pros:
» Performance was solid, and better than I anticipated
» Runs cool and fairly quiet, even under a heavy load
» Good deal of overclocking capability
» Lower price than other Radeon 48xx series cards
» Relatively energy efficient
» CrossFire X capable
» Great HTPC graphics option
Cons:
» Two slot cooler leaves heat in the PC case
» CrossFire bridge not included
» No heatsinks on memory
Special thanks to Sapphire for providing the Sapphire Radeon HD4830 512MB Graphics Card to Bigbruin.com for review!
Please drop by the Bigbruin.com Forum and feel free to post any comments or questions.
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