14 DAY TRIAL // Now that the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 and GTX 480 graphics cards are out and winning every gaming benchmark they can find, it makes sense that partners of Advanced Micro Devices would try to somehow counter this effect with newer HD 5000 Series models. In fact, with Sapphire having already unshackled its 2GB GDDDR5-equipped beasts, it is not such a surprise to hear that PowerColor has also unveiled an HD 5870 of its own.
Obviously meant to stand up to the advanced Fermi architecture through sheer horsepower, the PowerColor PCS++ HD 5870 video controller uses the company's special Professional Cooling Solution (PCS) to make sure that the factory-overclocked graphics processing unit doesn't die sooner than it should. The actual clock speed is taken, from the reference 850MHz, all the way up to 950MHz. The 1GB GDDR5 VRAM operates at 4,800Mhz and has an interface of 256 bits. Furthermore, the card features 1,600 stream processors, dual-DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs for EyeFinity setups and a power consumption of under 250W, even when under load.
"With factory overclcoked settings, the PCS++ HD5870 delivers out-of-the-box performance that only used to be achieved through time consuming trial and error," said Ted Chen, CEO of TUL Corporation. "This will be the most complete solution available on the market right now."
Naturally, special recognition goes to the dual-slot fansink that, through use of four pure core copper heatpipes and a 92mm fan (with a sound output of under 30dBA), enables the graphics adapter to stay at temperatures up to 15 degrees Celsius lower than what the reference solution allows. Unfortunately, like the cards from Sapphire, this particular model isn't yet available. Users won't have to wait long, though, as it is scheduled to start shipping on April 20, bundled with DiRT 2 and priced at $449.