|
Visiontek Radeon HD 4870
The "To hell and back" complete review
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR RADEON HD 4870 (512) GPU
| GPU |
RV770 |
| Fabrication Process |
55nm |
| Graphics Clock |
750 MHz (Stock) |
| Memory Clock |
900 MHz / 1800MHz effective |
| Memory Interface |
256-bit |
| Memory Size |
512MB |
| Memory Type |
GDDR5 |
| RAMDACS |
400 MHz |
| Stream Processors |
800 |
| HDCP Support |
Yes |
| HDMI Support |
Yes (DVI to HDMI connector) |
| Connectors |
2 x dual-link DVI-I 1 x S-Video Out |
| Bus Technology |
PCI Express 2.0 |
| Form Factor |
Dual Slot Design |
| Power Connectors |
2x6-pin |
TESTING SETUP
| Processor |
Intel E6750 2.6GHz - (3.6GHz when O.C'd) |
| Motherboard |
Abit IP35Pro |
| Memory |
4 Gigs Patriot Extreme Performance DDR2 800 speed (900
speed when CPU is O.C'd) |
| Video Card |
Visiontek HD 4870 w/ Catalyst 9.3 |
| PSU |
Coolermaster Real Power Pro 750W |
| Hard Drive |
WD1600JD 160G |
| Optical Drive |
Memorex 52MAX/DVD/ |
| OS |
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate (32 bit) SP1 |
HOW THE TEST WAS DONE
For this first round of tests I used the game Call of Duty 4 Modern
Warfare. I choose this game because it puts a great deal of stress on the
GPU since it's very fast paced and has many things going on within each FPS on the screen. I don't really
like to do tests that just loop scenes over and over as I believe that is
not what someone really experiences in a game. I play fast paced "run and
gun" style so I believe the FPS results I received are more actual and real
world scenarios than loop tests in certain aspects. I don't rule out loop
tests but I just didn't feel I would be giving people a true FPS test rating by
using them on this game. FPS games are very fast paced and there are some
moments of little activity but if you play run and gun style as I usually
do these tests true in game FPS should prove very accurate.
I cross tested different system configurations as well. By this I mean
I didn't just run the GPU and CPU stock and then run a test with them both
overclocked. I mixed and matched them to better see what configuration
posted the better FPS's.
1. 16 different GPU and CPU configurations (with and without 4xAA)
2. Within these 16 configurations runs I ran a total of 5 tests (four 4 minutes
rounds and one 10 minute round in game)
3. A combined time of 6.93 hours of in game testing to get these
results
I choose to run four 4 minute tests to get a good feel of the FPS in
different maps in COD4. I feel like running in different maps offers a
better actual real life FPS than just running all on one map.
The 10 minute run was to see how the FPS averaged out on one map for an
extended time frame. The server I played on for these tests (FUBAR) is a
very active and player maxed server that gave me a great test bed for
intense FPS loads.
Please post in the forums is you agree or disagree with my testing
method as I am always looking for feedback on my testing methods.
CPU and GPU settings
| Program used |
FRAPS benchmarking tool |
| Total number is tests run |
80 (40 with 4xAA + 40 with no AA) |
| Resolutions |
2 (1680x1050 and 1920x1200) |
| GPU clock settings |
stock 750MHz - O.C. setting 780MHz |
| GPU memory settings |
stock 900MHz - O.C. setting 1090MHz |
| CPU settings |
stock 2.6GHz - O.C. setting 3.6GHz |
TEST RESULTS (Raw Data)
NORMAL CPU & GPU (2.6GHz and 750/900 GPU)
1680x1080 w/ 4X AA (Run 1)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21584 |
45 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21624 |
65 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21147 |
43 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
19378 |
45 |
93 |
81 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
50711 |
53 |
93 |
85 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
87 FPS! |
1680x1080 w/ No AA (Run 2)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21376 |
72 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21238 |
59 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
21575 |
70 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21266 |
61 |
94 |
89 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
52517 |
53 |
94 |
88 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
89 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/ 4X AA (Run 3)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
20729 |
53 |
94 |
86 |
| 4 |
20145 |
52 |
94 |
84 |
| 4 |
18953 |
28 |
94 |
79 |
| 4 |
19375 |
30 |
93 |
81 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
48694 |
47 |
94 |
81 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
82 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/ No AA (Run 4)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21195 |
60 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
20780 |
50 |
94 |
87 |
| 4 |
21296 |
62 |
94 |
89 |
| 4 |
21275 |
67 |
94 |
89 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
51318 |
55 |
94 |
86 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
88 FPS! |
NORMAL CPU & O.C'd GPU (2.6GHz and 780/1090 GPU)
1680x1080 w/ 4X AA (Run 5)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
20980 |
53 |
93 |
87 |
| 4 |
21191 |
69 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
19329 |
61 |
94 |
81 |
| 4 |
20131 |
42 |
94 |
84 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
53809 |
58 |
94 |
90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
86 FPS! |
1680x1080 w/ No AA (Run 6)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21533 |
67 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21485 |
66 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
20873 |
63 |
94 |
87 |
| 4 |
21028 |
63 |
94 |
88 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
53990 |
58 |
94 |
90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
89 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/ 4X AA (Run 7)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
19055 |
35 |
93 |
79 |
| 4 |
18765 |
38 |
94 |
78 |
| 4 |
20838 |
46 |
93 |
87 |
| 4 |
20633 |
54 |
93 |
86 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
53094 |
49 |
94 |
88 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
84 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/ No AA (Run 8)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
20441 |
57 |
94 |
85 |
| 4 |
20744 |
55 |
93 |
86 |
| 4 |
20552 |
51 |
94 |
86 |
| 4 |
21064 |
48 |
93 |
88 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
52479 |
50 |
93 |
87 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
86 FPS! |
O.C'd CPU & NORMAL GPU (3.6GHz and 750/900 GPU)
1680x1080 w/ 4X AA (Run 9)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
20276 |
42 |
93 |
84 |
| 4 |
19915 |
52 |
94 |
83 |
| 4 |
20229 |
56 |
94 |
84 |
| 4 |
19240 |
50 |
93 |
80 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
51298 |
48 |
94 |
85 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
83 FPS! |
1680x1080 w/ No AA (Run 10)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21587 |
57 |
93 |
90 |
| 4 |
21382 |
51 |
93 |
90 |
| 4 |
21754 |
64 |
93 |
91 |
| 4 |
21717 |
59 |
94 |
90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
54344 |
72 |
93 |
91 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
90 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/ 4X AA (Run 11)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21404 |
59 |
94 |
89 |
| 4 |
21032 |
54 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
21189 |
49 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
20979 |
47 |
94 |
87 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
46654 |
41 |
93 |
78 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
86 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/No AA (Run 12)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21330 |
34 |
94 |
89 |
| 4 |
21715 |
74 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21108 |
49 |
94 |
88 |
| 4 |
21594 |
66 |
93 |
90 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
51504 |
31 |
94 |
86 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
89 FPS! |
O.C'd CPU & O.C'd GPU (3.6GHz and 780/1090 GPU)
1680x1050 w/ 4X AA (Run 13)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21549 |
52 |
93 |
90 |
| 4 |
21583 |
64 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21659 |
62 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21726 |
63 |
93 |
91 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
53436 |
48 |
94 |
89 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
90 FPS! |
1680x1050 w/ No AA (Run 14)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21679 |
51 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21691 |
65 |
93 |
90 |
| 4 |
21739 |
60 |
94 |
91 |
| 4 |
21741 |
72 |
94 |
91 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
53091 |
50 |
94 |
88 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
90 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/4X AA (Run 15)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
17638 |
33 |
94 |
73 |
| 4 |
20471 |
41 |
93 |
85 |
| 4 |
19826 |
48 |
93 |
83 |
| 4 |
19740 |
42 |
94 |
82 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
44776 |
35 |
93 |
75 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
80 FPS! |
1920x1200 w/No AA (Run 16)
| Time (Minutes) |
Frames |
Minimum FPS |
Maximum FPS |
Average FPS |
| 4 |
21524 |
55 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21486 |
56 |
94 |
90 |
| 4 |
21464 |
60 |
93 |
89 |
| 4 |
21245 |
44 |
94 |
89 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 10 minute run |
48074 |
30 |
94 |
80 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Total Average = |
88 FPS! |
CHARTS
CONCLUSION
Overall I was very
satisfied with my findings with this card. ATI and Nvidia are always at a
constant battle for GPU dominance but I would say for the price of this
card it is by far a good choice for any gamer to have in his/her arsenal.
With the ability for the fan to be manually adjusted now via the Catalyst
control center the problems of heat can be alleviated for the most part.
PROs - This truly is a great buy for the price and this
card can play any of the modern games (FPS, RPG, RTS, MMORPG) with very
minimal problems at high settings.
CON's - The fan can get a bit noisy when pushed up to
around 75%
I plan on doing more
testing with other games so please comment on this review in the forums.
If you have any suggestions or comments as to how I could improve the
testing process please advise as well. Thank you for visiting the site and
I look forward to bringing you more real game benchmarking.
|
