AMD launches Radeon HD 5850 and 5870
MUCH TO THE CHAGRIN of Nvidia, AMD/ATI today launched its RV870 architecture with the highly anticipated Radeon HD 5850 and HD 5870 graphics cards.
We could spend a whole day writing about it, but we'll leave that up to our reviews. In the meantime we'll give you the skinny on what they are and what you can expect.
As you've figured out by now there are two SKUs, the HD 5850 and 5870, both built on the RV870. The RV870 architecture itself isn't an entirely new approach to the GPU design - it's both a die shrink and a doubling-up of raw processing power on a single die, with some extra silicon thrown in to accommodate advanced features like the new display controllers and Tesselation unit.
Here are the official specs from AMD's presentation.
AMD has essentially twice all of the good stuff it had on the RV770 architecture and it has produced a 1440-1600 stream processor monster with 2.15 billion transistors on a single die. The clock rates are 725MHz and 850MHz for the junior and senior cards. Both cards have 1GB of GDDR5 memory running on a 256-bit interface at 1GHz and 1.2GHz, respectively. This means they'll deliver 128Gbps and 153.6Gbps of memory throughput. Otherwise the chips have identical feature sets.
GDDR5 is now supplied by Hynix and Samsung, as opposed to the now-defunct Qimonda kit. You'll notice the differences between the 5850 and 5870 are really down to binning and marketing, as the dies are one and the same.
Performance-wise, the numbers presented by AMD show across-the-board improvements over the previous generation, and bad news for Nvidia. Against the GTX 285, AMD is showing anything from 18 per cent to a rather extreme 155 per cent gain in Lost Planet: Colonies under Windows 7 at 2560x1600 resolution.
That's not your typical gaming situation, but it's definitely the target for the HD 5870.
One of the biggest changes over the RV770 is the RV870's power management. While 170W and 188W at load might sound high, AMD did double the SIMD units on these chips while moving to a new node. However, according to AMD, the new boards can keep an idle power rating of 27W, compared to 90W in the HD 4870. That should save a bit on the power bill, and your ears. You really wouldn't want to browse the web with a hoover in the background.
Finally, AMD is playing the DirectX 11 card with these two GPUs, just in time for the Windows 7 launch.
Despite the anemic-looking list of DX11 titles, things are bound to improve over the coming months, just as happened with all DX incarnations before this. The difference here is platform adoption. While users seemed less than willing to take on Vista and its DX10, Windows users seem to be begging to move to Windows 7 due to Microsoft's promises of enhanced performance.
Physically speaking, both cards are huge and have a lengthwise shroud with BMW-like air intakes on one end and exhausts on the dual-slot bracket. This has always made sense, as it takes the hot air out of the case instead of dumping it inside.
If you think about it, these GPUs are mostly brute force, just like what Nvidia did with the GT200 chip, only the economics of this are better since you can fit a lot more RV870 dies on a wafer using a 40nm process. You don't see a linear performance increase over the previous generation, but from AMD's numbers we won't be surprised if a HD 5890 SKU comes along soon with a 1GHz or higher GPU. The power features are also extremely welcome. We can recall the initial power issues with the HD 4850 and HD 4870 when those cards came about.
These cards are set to replace the aging ATI 4850 and 4870 cards on the market and will start shipping at $299 and $399, respectively.
In the best-case scenario possible, we'd have both AMD and Nvidia releasing new graphics cards on the same day - or week, really - with reviewers being able to pit them against each other directly. As things stand, it seems that ATI has retaken the graphics performance crown away from Nvidia.
So, to recap. Single die, twice the raw horsepower, DX11 feature set, drives 3x2560x1600 displays, lower power consumption at idle - hopefully with better thermals than the reference 4850 and 4870 - and a price premium to cause some upset to the competition. Oh, and the timing is just about right, too.
With no news from the Nvidia camp and AMD's dual-GPU Hemlock likely out by Christmas, definitely poisoning the season for the green goblin, AMD/ATI shouldn't have much trouble mopping up in Q4.
Oh, and that famous 6x4 Quadfire setup from the NDA'd presentation you saw elsewhere... that's a special card that'll be launched shortly, or at least in due time, we guess. µ
Share this:
ShareBusiness Intelligence Software
Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Enterprise Accounting Software
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)
Enterprise Systems Management
I have a GTX 295. It's on my 'going to be e-bayed' list. The performance almost matches the 295 (i've read a half dozen reviews), the power consumption (my niche market) is fantastic. Noise is good to average from idle to max. This is a phenomenal card. Any NV fan cannot fight it. My card will be sold off but i will wait for NV's response and the potential ensuing price drops. It's not worth me upgrading yet but my god, well done ATI, this card is the card to beat now.
how long until they release linux drivers? it should be easy if it is just a matter of doubling up and adding a few features from the previous card.
They showed 24 monitors running on Linux. I expect drivers should be available any time!
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=NzU0OQ
Looks like the author has been fooled by design. The two red-piped holes on the end of the card are purely decorative. It takes air in via the fan blades silly. Also the hot air IS being pumping into the case. So wrong again. The external vent is tiny (insufficient) so like the Nvidia cards ATI are pumping hot air into the case too.
It's almost as if ATI wants to help its partners showcase their thermal innovations. I can't wait to see what they come up with.
it's been released 6+ hours before the Inq mentions it and then it doesn't even have links to any reviews. WTF?
I want my 500+ review links in no particular order, and i want it 3 before release :(
Ah stop crying, go on tomshardware for your benchmark
Amazing news
1GB of GDDR5 shouldn't be able to pull 3x2560x1600 screens?
2560x1600x3 x 32bit = 49Mbytes
Why shouldn't 1Gb be able to handle it even if you add 32bit z-buffering & triple buffering you're looking at less than 300 MBytes.
you're right... damn maths... I know I shouldn't have dropped out of school
Yeah.. the INQ is late with the news and without a single link to any of the numerous reviews, that existed long before they got around to it. Very unusual and very sloppy, but not that unusual of late, hm..
and really fucking shitty 'news'.
How much is nvidia paying you to announce this half a fucking day late and with no links?
Andrew McNaughton, insufficient?
Strangely Anadtech found that 'tiny' vents to the outside more than adequate enough. Maybe you want to check with those guys before babbling?
energyman, AnandTech points out that the cooling is sufficient for the card.
Andrew McNaughton probably got his info from Tom's Hardware which says that 'half' of the exhaust goes out of the case through the vent and the rest blows up into the case, where it exits through your rear case fans.
He seems worried about extra heat being pumped into the case, and I was too until I looked at the photo showing both card vents.
All the naysayers are shut up as Charlie was correct in his predictions that the new DAMMIT chip would rock.
@energyman - Silly me, I forgot Anandtech were the Gods of all things true and that everything they say must be right. :-S You're obviously a child or an adult with special needs/learning difficulties.
My point of view, to which I am entitled, comes from the perspective of having a case which is more confined than the average one this thermal design is intended for. I cannot afford to have too much heat vented into my case. So this thermal design is not for me sadly.
Anandtech gave its opinion. I gave mine. I'm sure it's adequate for a tall and wide gaming case with plenty of fans and vents of its own.
It is my opinion that not enough attention is paid to reducing heat and noise while still delivering high-end performance. It somehow feels backward/old-fashioned. There's not enough 'world changing' development in this area. Alternative cooling is still too expensive and clunky.
@ Glenn.
STFU about Charlie! I'm an NV chappie and i'm fully behind ATI's new offering - i think it kicks ass royally - a proper innovation, not just a mammoth chip (thats inside the 200's in my 295). NV fans never said ATI's new cards would suck.
It's premature to start slagging off NV or to buy this card. No matter what NV offer, for better or for worse, the prices will drop in a few months.
IMO if you've got a decent card now for your chosen resolution, wait for NV to launch theirs and let the price war start all over again.
And again, stop mentioning Charlie as if your dilberts up his cakehole. He was right AND plain wrong about many things...
To me it seems like owners or will be owners of 5870 will be paying more to make the 5850 cheaper, cause how much more will the 2gb models cost, how much more will they perform, will they oc the same.
Like most benches the 5850 seems to offer more for quite a more reasonable price. I dont like the hot air exhausting into my case though, so I think I shall wait till asus offers an aftermarket one.
Cause oc numbers with the EAH5870/5850 show that the 5850 is uner and 5870 is overpriced realative to each other.
It's hard for me to believe AMD's brand new tech can't beat Nvidia's old GTX295. Yes it's a 2 chip card (295) but it's still the competition for a single slot solution. There are too many places the GTX295 blows the 5870 away. It's a good advance for AMD, and I'd obviously buy it at it's $100 less tag than GTX295 (because I like the 15-25% power savings at idle or load and the 6DB's less noise) but Nvidia can still claim the single slot crown. Most of the games show victory for GTX295 and the few where 5870 wins it's a small enough margin most wouldn't notice or it's within margin of error. It seems to me all Nvidia has to do is die shrink the GTX295 to 40nm and the DB's drop a lot, clocks go up and they don't even have to come out with anything new. GTX285 would come really close with a die shrink to 40nm also with again, raised clocks, lower noise etc. I expected more. It's good, but all Nvidia needs to do is 40nm both gtx295 and gtx285 and this is pretty much a no gainer for AMD. I'd do this if I was NV for xmas (since it's so easy to shrink an old design) and bring out the GT300 after xmas. Then again, AMD is doing pretty good for a company that hasn't made money since mid 2006 (and lost over 7B since). I hope AMD can survive next year. My yearly upgrades to both card and cpu depend on it! I'd hate to see NV with a monopoly on GPU's and Intel with one on CPU's (ok, they almost are there now hence pricing on cpu's is creeping up on anything over $200). Hopefully a lot of people will pick up AMD's new cards for xmas. I'll wait for NV's answer to drop prices on all older cards. I could use a GTX260 (GTX275?) or so at 40nm for $150. :) A die shrink on it would more than double the speed of my 8800GT which I paid $215 for ages ago. That's a nice xmas present :) Note I'm not saying the 5870 is a bad card, just not what I'd hoped for. I was hoping it would shove prices down a lot but it's not fast enough for that. Maybe NV will get it done with whatever they're coming with for xmas. Die shrinks (and lower cost/prices) would eat AMD's short lived lunch.
By Decemeber, AMD should have the 5870X2 out, which will blow the GTX295 out of the water if 2x5870 in CF benchmarks are any indication.
JIAN, Like you said the gtx 295 is a 2 chip card.. Two chips can you count! And the 5870 is what? What? Let me hear it.,1. And look how wicked it is. You know what one GPU'ed 5870 can do.
Now Nvidia fanboi we know you're relying on excuses. A 5870x2 drops and it's a full - unadulterated - I saw it but couldn't dodge in time-flatlined one punch knockout.Not only can the babe flex raw power but it has a lot of new tech features to boot....
You can come back on me when Nvidia arrives with a better card. We knwo they're sweating at mo. Until then, sniff Ati's ass.
http://anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3643&p=3
You're forgetting how HOT it is already and how BIG it is 334mm2. Hemlock has issues which only a die shrink will fix. It's 2.1B transistors. GTX295 is 1.4Bx2. If NV does a die shrink and raises clocks/memory it will be facing a different animal anyway and won't have the size/power issues ATI will have until a shrink. Read the above, anand has his doubts. Even if they put one out, will it drive me out of my house with noise or cook me in my room?
Not a fanboy, just looking at the facts. Did you miss the part where I said I'd buy the card instead of a 295? The problem for AMD is not being able to claim you're the leader (which sells a lot of cards to ignorant people who think the whole lineup must be faster). ATI never made more than 60Mil. NV consistently made 250Mil/Q until the TSMC bump fiasco (which I'm sure NV will sue for eventually when the total bill comes in, just as they said they would). Sorry, ATI has been sniffing NV's ass for ages. IT's just the facts. What good is releasing a product that doesn't smoke the competition which in turn would have raked in the cash? With the size of the chip I don't expect huge profits.
By the way, I had a Rad9700pro AND a Rad9800+. Both excellent. I go bang for buck. NV is not sweating, the numbers (mm2?), heat, watts, noise don't lie. 5870x2 will be tough to sell or make.