Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 512MB Toxic
Overclocking, Performance Summary and Conclusion
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To see what kind of extra headroom the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB had hiding under the hood, we used the Overdrive control panel built into ATI's drivers. In the end, Overdrive topped out at a GPU speed of 875MHz and Memory speed of 1342MHz (2684MHz DDR). Unfortunately, the GPU speed was too high, with Half-Life 2: Episode Two pausing and starting throughout the test. With trial and error, we found the card to stabilize at a GPU speed of 850MHz, while the memory speed needed no further adjustment.
Performance Summary: In all tests, the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB graphics card performed well and on a competitive level to that of the GeForce 8800GTX. When you consider the 8800GTX we used costs double that of the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB, the Sapphire card really begins to show its value at the resolutions tested.
Every once in a while, a piece of hardware comes long that stands out from the rest. Sometimes it's the features, performance or both that help propel that component above the others in its family, and with the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB, it's the complete package that helps it shine.
From a performance perspective, the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB does well. When we look at the margins we recorded and factor in that the GeForce 8800GTX we used for reference retails for double the price of the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB, the value aspect of the card becomes increasingly evident. Top that off with a complete retail bundle, bonus software and a free voucher for "The Black Box" and the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB's value proposition looks good.
Retailing in the area of $190, we think the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB offers an excellent bang for the buck. Sapphire backs the card with a single-slot Vapor-X cooler, a comprehensive retail bundle and delivers a modestly overclocked card that offers solid performance for the price. There is a lot to like about the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB, and we definitely recommend users in the market for a graphics card check it out. With it's higher than reference clock speeds, good bundle, and single-slot cooler, the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB is one of the most attractive Radeon HD 3870 cards available.
From a performance perspective, the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB does well. When we look at the margins we recorded and factor in that the GeForce 8800GTX we used for reference retails for double the price of the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB, the value aspect of the card becomes increasingly evident. Top that off with a complete retail bundle, bonus software and a free voucher for "The Black Box" and the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB's value proposition looks good.
Retailing in the area of $190, we think the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB offers an excellent bang for the buck. Sapphire backs the card with a single-slot Vapor-X cooler, a comprehensive retail bundle and delivers a modestly overclocked card that offers solid performance for the price. There is a lot to like about the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB, and we definitely recommend users in the market for a graphics card check it out. With it's higher than reference clock speeds, good bundle, and single-slot cooler, the Sapphire Radeon HD 3870 Toxic 512MB is one of the most attractive Radeon HD 3870 cards available.
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