Sapphire Radeon HD 4870

Manufacturer: Sapphire
UK Price (as Reviewed): £185.00 in VAT
US Price (as Reviewed): $309.99 ex Tax

Core Clock: 750 MHz
Shader Clock: 750 MHz
Memory Clock: 3,600 MHz (effective)
Warranty: Two years (parts and labour)

Like the HIS the Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 is clocked at the same 750MHz core and 3,600MHz GDDR5 memory. Inside the packaging for the card is a little different with Sapphire choosing foam instead of tough plastic like HIS. Both should easily get you the card in one piece though.

As far as bundled extra's go, Sapphire throws in DVI to VGA and HDMI adapters, a user manual and a 2GB USB key with some Sapphire wallpapers and videos on it. There's no composite or component break-out cable, even though the card features the usual socket on the back like the HIS.


When it comes to software though, Sapphire goes all out; including Cyberlink DVD Suite version 6, PowerDVD 7 (6-channel edition, but not High-Definition), 3DMark06 and Ruby ROM 1.1 that include the games Call of Juarez, Dungeon Runners and Stranglehold.


The card features art similar to the box cover - Sapphire has gone for a Lara Croft clone with large eyes and tight shorts. Typically Sapphire is attempting to appeal to the largely male audience by cropping the picture on the card just below her round.... thighs.

Other than these unique tit-bits tidbits, the card underneath is essentially the same red animal the HIS is, but whether funky multi-tools or software and CGI babes takes your fancy is entirely up to you.

Warranty

The Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 comes complete with a two-year warranty that includes cover for parts and labour. During the first year of the product’s life, your point of contact should be the retailer. However, if you’re having problems getting hold of the retailer (or the retailer goes out of business), you should contact Sapphire’s support team directly. During the second year of the warranty period, you should talk directly with Sapphire.

This warranty is nothing special, but to be fair to Sapphire it’s inline with what most other AMD partners offer and the warranty period is consistent in every corner of the world.