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AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850 pictured

Published on 31st May 2008 by Richard Swinburne

How RV770 might look in after too much caffeine.

Visiting one of the many manufacturers here in stormy Taipei, we just happened to stumble across this little number sitting on the side. A few shots later (why is it the most important ones always have the most blur?) and we decided to ask around as to its story.

Apparently, it's a dummy sample direct from the double-A team, which the companies use to get the basic gist of what they need for artwork and branding, and so that they can start working on their own cooling solutions.

Said company remained exceptionally tight lipped (like a well trained terrier) about the details of the card, and we didn't have time to whip out the screwdriver to see underneath. Check the (overly zoomed) picture right to see that it's the RV770 all right!

So here it is - it could be mistaken for the Radeon HD 3850, except for the larger fan, although nothing much else has changed on the surface. It's still red and single slot with a six-pin PCI-Express power connector. We scrounged for some light to get a side on die shot but it just wasn't happening.

AMD ATI Radeon HD 4850 pictured Exclusive Pictures: AMD 4850 Graphics Card

From the looks of it though, it's not all that huge and to keep it under the ~130W envelope the heatsink can stand, we still expect the same TSMC 55nm process. According to the rumours we've been hearing, both the Radeon HD 4850 and the higher-end Radeon HD 4870 will feature 480 stream processors in a similar arrangement to the R600 generation (i.e. 96 five-way shader processors).

The Radeon HD 4850 is rumoured to use GDDR3 memory, while AMD has already announced that the high-end Radeon HD 4870 will utilise the all-new GDDR5 memory.

The question that remains is performance and how it's going to shape up to Nvidia's current (and next-generation) products. For that, we'll have to wait and see, but you can discuss AMD's next-gen cards in the forums.

31 Comments

Discuss in the forums Reply

RotoSequence 31st May 2008, 07:48

The card hardly looks different from the X1800/1900, and if you ask me, thats a good thing. Big, fancy cards that require new, heavily engineered PCBs make for more expensive end products for the consumer. Hopefully, they'll pass the savings on to us.

salesman 31st May 2008, 08:23

I can't wait to hear the specs on this card, sucks that the one picture is blurry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RotoSequence
The card hardly looks different from the X1800/1900, and if you ask me, thats a good thing. Big, fancy cards that require new, heavily engineered PCBs make for more expensive end products for the consumer. Hopefully, they'll pass the savings on to us.

I agree, a cheaper card with good performance i would buy nothing fancy.

byronrock 31st May 2008, 08:29

haha i sold my 3850 for buying this one.

:D
I think people gonna think that im completly mad selling cards for buying the same one.

Of course they dont know what is behind of the 3800look

The Jambo 31st May 2008, 08:59

Looks awesome, after all, they even labelled it on the back to say that it's Fast!

atanum141 31st May 2008, 09:25

$329 for the 4870?

Quote:

Radeon HD 4870 core and memory clock frequencies have not yet confirmed, is most curious about the outside world is carrying Qimonda production GDDR5 memory Qimonda as the first GDDR5 graphics memory of AMD AMD / ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series Adoption of a single standard for 16 Mx32, with 256 bit 512MB capacity, the third party also said that although this card is the first allocation of GDDR5 memory card, although the related impact on manufacturing costs, but it is not difficult to see AMD in developing products Gall of the former, as overclocking and performance remains to be seen, Radeon HD 4870 Dual-Slot used air-cooled radiators, the two groups to be 6 - PIN card power, for electricity, AMD recommend the use of more than 500 W power supply , To provide double-Dual-Link DVI video interface, Radeon display driver 8.49 version drivers support the first time, after the 8.501 version is available Windows XP, VISTA test, AMD Radeon HD 4870 is expected at US $ 329元.

And $229 for 4850?

Quote:

Radeon HD 4850 is carrying a single specification for 16 Mx32 of GDDR3 memory, a total of 256 bit 512MB capacity, a Sing-Slot air-cooled radiators, providing dual-Dual-Link DVI video interface through the new DVI to HDMI Joints can be reached 7.1-channel audio output, takes a group of 6 - PIN card power, the electricity demand of the original proposal, the single card for the 450 W, two CrossfireX the implementation of multi-display operation structure needs a 550 W power supply , At the same time can provide two sets of 6 - PIN card power supply, AMD Radeon HD 4850 is expected at US $ 229元.

If these prices are correct then ATi have won.

teamtd11 31st May 2008, 09:32

It all depends on how it translates to the pound here. well to everyone in the uk it dose:)

wuyanxu 31st May 2008, 09:57

we'll see how well this shapes up againest GTX 280..... but from the company's pricing point of view, i think 4870 will just perform on par with 8800GTX

[PUNK] crompers 31st May 2008, 11:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by wuyanxu
we'll see how well this shapes up againest GTX 280..... but from the company's pricing point of view, i think 4870 will just perform on par with 8800GTX

probably right there, whether the power requirements and cooling are better than the GTX will be a deciding factor

Kipman725 31st May 2008, 11:06

according to the inquirer the new nvidia cards have very poor yeilds and have missed their clock frequancy targets by large margins. Also I doubt the new ati card will just be on par with the 8800's as ati already have the 3850 doing that and the newer cards are always faster than the old for high end cards. On an unrelated note that pcb is insanly packed, I have never seen so many components in such a small area. It must have been very hard work routing that thing.

culley 31st May 2008, 11:06

Do guys think that maybe this time ATi might have a card that can beat Nvidia and put it ontop again? I sure hope so its hard not to root for the underdog.

wuyanxu 31st May 2008, 11:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kipman725
Also I doubt the new ati card will just be on par with the 8800's as ati already have the 3850 doing that and the newer cards are always faster than the old for high end cards.

i don't recall 3850 even coming close to 8800GT, while 8800GT is a step down from 8800GTX. but yes, newer cards will always be faster, how much faster (if at all) is a whole another question though (9800GTX vs 8800GTX)

Mentai 31st May 2008, 11:45

9800GTX launched here (NZ) around $100NZD cheaper than the 8800GTX was at the time, which made it a viable purchase, just confusing as hell with the name chosen. I can't believe there isn't a high end that beats the 8800GTX yet, and no the 9800GX2 doesn't count.

Jordan Wise 31st May 2008, 12:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kipman725
according to the inquirer the new nvidia cards have very poor yeilds and have missed their clock frequancy targets by large margins. Also I doubt the new ati card will just be on par with the 8800's as ati already have the 3850 doing that and the newer cards are always faster than the old for high end cards. On an unrelated note that pcb is insanly packed, I have never seen so many components in such a small area. It must have been very hard work routing that thing.

as charlie wrote that i wouldn't believe a word

Bindibadgi 31st May 2008, 12:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordan Wise
as charlie wrote that i wouldn't believe a word

ROLF, uh, no comment

:D

frontline 31st May 2008, 15:18

Will be interesting to see the final specs of the cards. I get the impression that there isn't a lot to squeeze out of single card solutions at the moment and it might be of more interest as to how efficiently these perform in crossfire, compared to the current generation of cards.

naokaji 31st May 2008, 17:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jordan Wise
as charlie wrote that i wouldn't believe a word

well, sometimes he does guess right, but that usually happens when he writes several contradicting stories so he can say he was right later on no matter what happens, anyway, I agree that people shoudnt believe charlie too much, or, at the very least take it with a grain of salt...

http://i32.tinypic.com/2pqlvtf.jpg

dyzophoria 1st June 2008, 14:48

i'm really hoping the same goes for the 4870 x2, kinda saddens me if I can't fit my newly bought dangerden waterblock for the x2 3870 wont fit the 4870 x2 when I decide to upgrade in the future, kinda loved that block..

wiak 1st June 2008, 15:38

teh history might repeat itself
Remember Radeon 9700? beated the CRAP out off anything nvidia had at the time?

HourBeforeDawn 1st June 2008, 18:32

well until nVidia released the 8000 series of cards they couldnt release anything that could really beat an ATI card so and when you figure it was pretty much like that from the 9700pro all the way to the 1950 that was a damn good run for ATI and maybe with this they will regain that run or at least even it out. Im looking forward to this ^_^

evanbraakensiek 1st June 2008, 23:54

Looks exactly like my X1950 Pro, with the exception of a better cooler. Perhaps when I find out the pricing I'll splash out and hopefully manage to get 125fps steady on Call of Duty 4.

Nuffenburger 2nd June 2008, 05:17

definately going to try out the 4870 to see if its all its cracked up to be.
is there any chance they will make a 4870x2 or does nobody know yet.?

HourBeforeDawn 2nd June 2008, 06:05

yes they will make a 4870x2, thats actually one of ATI/AMD main focus in on multi-gpu cards.

wiak 2nd June 2008, 06:10

Nuffenburger: they will make, 4850 GDDR3, 4870 GDDR5 & 4870 X2 GDDR5 i think ^^

HourBeforeDawn 2nd June 2008, 06:44

ya all the R770 will use GDDr5 and all the R700 will use GDDr3

Cupboard 2nd June 2008, 09:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiak
Remember Radeon 9700? beated the CRAP out off anything nvidia had at the time?

hehe I still have one in my laptop :D
I hope AMD/ATI really do pull off something good here.

badders 2nd June 2008, 09:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanbraakensiek
Looks exactly like my X1950 Pro, with the exception of a better cooler. Perhaps when I find out the pricing I'll splash out and hopefully manage to get 125fps steady on Call of Duty 4.

125FPS? wows.
I normally stick with the same as my monitor's refresh rate!

Back on topic, It'll be nice if ATI can finally give nVidia a run for their money - good competition drives innovation.

Hamish 2nd June 2008, 12:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanbraakensiek
Looks exactly like my X1950 Pro, with the exception of a better cooler. Perhaps when I find out the pricing I'll splash out and hopefully manage to get 125fps steady on Call of Duty 4.

you know CoD4 doesnt run on Q3 engine like the other CoD games, why do you need 125fps :p

Horizon 2nd June 2008, 12:47

the heat sink has been revised the fan has more blades "duh, i know" , the copper fins are wider and are flayed outwards towards the end of the card.

HourBeforeDawn 2nd June 2008, 16:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by evanbraakensiek
Looks exactly like my X1950 Pro, with the exception of a better cooler. Perhaps when I find out the pricing I'll splash out and hopefully manage to get 125fps steady on Call of Duty 4.

you know the human eye typically cant see anything over 75fps....

Jack_Pepsi 2nd June 2008, 20:39

I better not see one in AGP after being given a 3850.

>.<

Kris 18th June 2008, 14:02

Well, about prices - as far as I know, it will be a very interesting battle. For example, I have a 4850 in stock(I work in a computershop) - of course, we can't start selling them until the 25th - and it's price will be about 175 eur, compared to GTX 280 that we received also(alas, only 5 pieces which sold out in the first day), and it's price is about 510eur. So, if the rumors are true(don't have the possibility of testing them myself) that 4850 in crossfire beats a GTX 280, then nvidia just might be in trouble with their GT200 series.