Running multi-GPU setups that feature low-end graphics cards has been, in the past, a good way to spend a decent chunk of money for a very low performance benefit. AMD’s latest chips flip that around a bit.

The AMD Radeon HD 5670 slots into the low-end of the 3D performance market but when it’s set up in CrossFire it can improve into a solid mid-range solution. TweakTown has the review:

Now, before you say that two HD 5670s are more expensive than a single HD 5770, let me stop you and say; I know. HD 5670s can be had for under $100, though; closer to the $95 mark. And again, while that setup is slightly more expensive than a single HD 5770, it’s also slightly faster across the board.

Performance that scales with the amount you pay…how intriguing!

Constantly aiming for the high-end has some unintended effects on your PC. That top of the line card is going to want a new power supply to keep it happy and an appropriate processor and memory to keep it busy with new information to render. Perhaps shooting a little lower will save you some cash in the long run.

The Asus Radeon HD 5850 is a mid-range product but it’s no slouch when it comes to performance. Testseek Labs has a review of the card and how it handles the usual gaming duties:

Asus hasn’t added any physical alternations on this card; it is basically Asus’ version of the generic AMD 5850. However Asus has a series of software tools which help us overclockers to reach the maximum potential of this card; the “Gamer OSD” and “Smart Doctor”. This last application will be most useful since it allows us to play with the voltage of the core.

Voltage tweaking is certainly a benefit for those that enjoy a bit of the overclocking but you’re going to want an add-on cooler for that.

If you were wondering when the latest, monthly, ATI Catalyst drivers would be released well you had a bit of a wait this month as AMD chose to push them out on Microsoft’s Windows 7 launch date. In the latest 9.10 driver set you can expect quite a few performance improvements and bug fixes as well as support for the newest ATI Radeon HD 5870 and 5850 graphics cards. Unfortunately Radeon HD 5770 and 5750 support didn’t make it in but those cards should see support shortly in the form of a hotfixed driver.

If you’re running a Radeon graphics card earlier than the Radeon HD 2400 series you’ll have to grab the company’s legacy drivers as earlier generations of their graphics chips have been moved to legacy support status.

Here are some quick links to AMD’s download pages:

ATI Catalyst 9.10 Video Drivers for Windows 7
ATI Catalyst 9.10 Video Drivers for Windows 7 64-bit
ATI Catalyst 9.10 Video Drivers for Windows Vista
ATI Catalyst 9.10 Video Drivers for Windows Vista 64-bit
ATI Catalyst 9.10 Video Drivers for Windows XP
ATI Catalyst 9.10 Video Drivers for Windows XP 64-bit

If there’s one thing you can count on when a new graphics chip is launched is that there will be a reference design which means, more or less, every single board at launch will sport the same speeds and designs so choosing one depends on what sort of image you like on the card’s cooler.

XFX carries on that fine tradition with their Radeon HD 5770 graphics card. You’ll get all of the great mid-range performance you want without the tough decisions. Hardware Secrets has the review:

This model, also known as HD-577A-ZNFC, comes with 1 GB, two DVI outputs, one HDMI output and one DisplayPort output, following the reference model from AMD. This video card allows you to use up to three video monitors at the same time as a single desktop, feature known as “Eyefinity”. But there is a catch: the third monitor must use the DisplayPort connector, which is still not popular.

I lacks the Eyefinity prowess that its big brothers sport but three monitors is nothing to sneeze at either.

While the ATI Radeon HD 5770 triple CrossFireX testing that was recently attempted does make a good case for going with the value approach it would seem that taking on the same endeavor with ATI’s latest and greatest graphics cards is just as exciting and visually stunning.

PC Perspective slapped together three ATI Radeon HD 5870 video cards for some insanely high-end testing. It’s impressive:

A trend that I think you will see repeated throughout our CrossFireX testing today is that adding in that third card really won’t be making a big difference until you hit that 2560×1600 resolution.  Here in Batman: Arkham Asylum, you’ll see at 1680×1050 we saw a 71% performance boost adding in the second Radeon HD 5870, we only saw an additional 15% performance gain adding in the third.  At 2560×1600 that changes a bit: 84% boost moving to two cards and a healthy 43% performance increase adding in that final card.

Topping 150 frames per second on a single display bodes well for those Eyefinity gaming seekers, once they have that capability working of course.

While the ATI Radeon HD 5770 presents a solid mid-range performance gaming experience there is that often overlooked benefit that a multiple GPU environment brings in. Thankfully there are those dedicated enough to test such technology.

Guru3D has tested the Radeon HD 5770 in a three card CrossFireX setup which may seem a bit excessive but the performance benefits are there:

Obviously rendering your games with three GPUs equals a lot of brute horsepower, so big that the rest of the PC might become a bottleneck for your graphics solution. That is however a luxury problem though but as an example, Fallout 3 at 8x AA at 1920×1200 performed as well as a 2-way 5770 setup as the processor (Core i7 @ 3.75 GHz) was literally holding back the GPUs from reaching the stratosphere.

When your gaming performance is held back by such a powerful processor it’s a good problem to have.

The mid-range isn’t the mid-range you remember, it’s now what used to be last generation’s high-end, performance-wise at least. It’s all a little confusing but given the price/performance ratios offered by these new products it’s not hard to figure out why an upgrade is so tempting.

Rage3D has a look at the Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 graphics card and its DirectX 11 supporting ways. It’s no 5870 but it’s sure to handle most of your budget gaming needs:

In some circumstances the HD5770 outperforms the HD4870, thanks to a high engine clock and plenty of GDDR5, and in others the reduced memory bandwidth shows itself; but really this card is the average gamers hero, offering HD gaming performance, Eyefinity, Dx11 and more as well as great HTPC features.

Intriguing to say the least. Budget based CrossFire anyone?

AMD has been working feverishly on their latest graphics card architecture which has, so far, been very well received. The 5000 series has set a high bar for performance and feature sets which, seemingly, won’t be contested any time soon.

HardOCP has a look at the ATI Radeon HD 5770 and 5750 which give AMD the enviably position of having four products, at attractive price points, which all support Windows 7’s DirectX 11:

The Radeon HD 5750 is the interesting one; it is a double-slot video card only to accommodate all the connections such as dual-DVI, HDMI, and DisplayPort. Manufacturers may indeed bring single-slot Radeon HD 5750’s to market, but you will lose connections, unless special adapters or dongles are provided. The heatsink/fan unit looks crazy, we know, but add-in-board partners will be using some of their own designs, while others will use the reference heatsink/fan. We have seen a couple that don’t look as awkward. This video card is short as well, measuring only 7″ in length. The Radeon HD 4770 for comparison is 8″ in length. Only one power adapter is required for operation. The memory modules used are exactly the same as found on the Radeon HD 5770, so they are also rated at 5GHz.

Extremely tempting products given their lower power usage, CrossFire capability, and smaller overall profile.

Gaming has come a long way graphics-wise but there’s still quite a ways to go when it comes to the details that would make them truly immersive. One of those somewhat under-represented features is physics modeling which would improve realism but has so far been splintered into camps.

AMD has joined up with Pixelux Entertainment in order to develop an open source alternative physics engine that should be able to run on any OpenCL or DirectX 11 DirectCompute capable graphics card or hardware.

Interesting approach but, then again, there are only so many graphics chip makers and Intel, with Havok, and Nvidia, with PhysX, have already staked their claim.

Read more…

In cooling silence is a completely relative term. What may seem whisper quiet to someone is annoyingly loud to someone else. There is of course a way to get complete silence but it used to mean setting your performance sights low.

Testseek has a review of the Gigabyte Radeon HD 4850 SilentCell 1GB graphics card and its completely silent and fan-less cooler that’s perfect for your next HTPC build:

Another outstanding feature of this card is its PCB, which is built upon the “Ultra Durable VGA” principles. The UDV technology uses almost double the normal amount of copper, which helps better lead the electricity and also improves on the cooling and general stability of the card. On the PCB we also find the 6 pin PCI-E  power connector and the connector for CrossFire mode.

A nice looking card but you’re going to want some decent airflow over it in order to keep it cooled off.