14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese computer manufacturer Asustek has just unveiled its newest HD 3850 X2 graphics card with 1GB of memory. The dual-chip behemoth has shifted from pure rumors to silicon and metal in less than a week.
The new HD 3850 X2 graphics card uses the same dual fan cooling solution that has been introduced with the high-end D 3870 X2 offering. The new dual-chip behemoth comes with a stock core speed of 668MHz for each of the GPUs, while the 1 GB of DDR memory is clocked at 829MHz (1,658MHz effective, since we are talking about GDDR3).
According to its manufacturer, the new card manages to pull out 13250 points in the 3DMark06 "official" benchmark, which is about 34 percent higher than the 9884 points achieved in the single-chip version of the card.
The dual-chip solution seems to have the same scaling problems as any of the Radeon HD cards. For instance, the performance boost is situated at just 5 percent as compared to two single-GPU Radeon HD 3850 cards linked in a CrossFire configuration.
The HD 3850 X2 offering will be available from Asustek as EAH3850X2/HTDI/1G. However, the dual-chip card will be manufactured by Asustek and some other few manufacturing partners, mostly because of its rumored high price.
The EAH3850X2/HTDI/1G also sports the EMI shield, that keeps the graphics circuitry away from any electronic interference from the nearby hardware working at high frequencies.
Other nifty additions to the card are the newly adopted DIP Spring Chokes that operate in lower temperatures and the high-quality Japan-made polymer capacitors for longer lifespan and higher performance.
The company did not mention any details about the card's availability or pricing, but according to the latest rumors, it will hit the market at a price tag of $300.