Extreme Overclocking Performance

When looking at the PowerColor version of the Radeon HD 3850, we somehow got the feeling that this card is capable of more. The looks and design suspect that this Xtreme version has been designed to deliver stunning performance, but that some still has to be discovered. Since the Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme just being released, and this version actually already being a pre-overclocked version we just want to see how far we can stretch the limits. And well overclocking, unlocking the extra performance is exactly what we have done. And although the RV600 core powering the Radeon HD 3850 doesn't feature a voltage increase possible via a simple BIOS tweak, we could still get some decent overclocking out of it.

Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6700 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
Radeon HD 3850 512MB Xtreme (0x/2x)	Game Score
720/1800MHz (Reference)	109.1 fps
745/1880MHz (Avg Overclock)	112.6 fps
770/1960MHz (Max Overclock)	115.9 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.
Gaming Results - 1600x1200 - E6700 2.80GHz - 2GB RAM
Radeon HD 3850 512MB Xtreme (0x/4x)	Game Score
720/1800MHz (Reference)	103.2 fps
745/1880MHz (Avg Overclock)	104.1 fps
770/1960MHz (Max Overclock)	105.0 fps
Results Interpretation: Higher index values are better.

We just overclocked the core and memory by upping the clock speeds and that resulted in decent increase in performance. As you can clearly see from the figures we gotten from Unreal Tournament 3 a significant boost is noticeable. During all our benchmarks the Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme kept on humming stable with no hickups to finally set the top speed at 770/1960MHz. Would you have thought so? Well we suspected the Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme to be quite overclock friendly but such a nice increase we didn't expect, especially taking into account that is already a pre-overclocked version. But the standard Radeon HD 3850 version certainly has quite some hidden potential that each and every owner can unlock by just overclocking their graphics card.

Final Thoughts

Well, we wouldn't have guessed it but ATI just did what it should do... Yes indeed, being the first to release a DirectX 10.1 compatible graphics accelerator on the market at a very attractive price tag. A renewed architecture based upon the Radeon HD 2900 series, bringing the mid-range performance to the next level, delivering stunning image clarity and quality. Although a bit trailing behind NVIDIA actually, which released a few days ago a re-spin of their GeForce 8800 architecture with the G92 graphics core. The PowerColor takes the RV670 just one step further by bringing out an Xtreme edition which is pre-overclocked and having its own cooling solution. Not at all a bad choice as it is delivering as such great performance at a nice price tag.

What is generally the most exciting part about the graphics card these days is without a doubt the overclocking ability. In that aspect we can say that this card has really struck us by the overclocking potential of the RV670 graphics core. The PowerColor Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme edition did manage to hit 770/1960MHz without any difficulties. Yes, maybe more could be expected but due to the time constraint we haven't been able to tweak it much further. And make no mistake this was all achieved with the ZEROtherm cooling solution and no modifications done to the graphics card. And one important aspect to note is that this cooler is silent and running cool. Not like what we are used to from ATI where their GPU is running quite hot.

And although the Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme is able to match and even beat the performance delivered by the older GeForce 8800 GTS, we know it will have a very hard time to go up against the new GeForce 8800 GT edition. But no worries there as ATI has as well thought about that and released next to the Radeon HD 3850 as well the more powerful Radeon HD 3870 graphics accelerator. Both cards are hitting the market today, with the mean difference being the clock speed settings. Next to that you can expect from PowerColor the usual, meaning excellent customer care and support services. At PowerColor the customer service is of very high importance and a key factor towards their success throughout the years, with a very efficient RMA service and technical support.

From past experience we saw a very good follow-up from ATI on the drivers, bringing more mature and stable drivers which gave a bump in performance. Somehow we expect the same this time with the Radeon HD 3800 series, which will surely boost the performance a bit higher and be better positioned against the renewed GeForce 8800 series. The PowerColor Radeon HD 3850 Xtreme comes at a very attractive price tag which will please a lot of potential buyers. The main point we liked about the PowerColor version is the professional cooling solution which does an excellent job and allows greater overclocking. All well considered the features offered are excellent, and with full DirectX 10.1 support you can't really go wrong with the Radeon HD 3800 series. So if you are on an average budget then this PowerColor board could be the graphics card you have been looking for...

Pros

• Excellent Gaming Performance
• High Quality and Gorgeous Design
• Microsoft DirectX 10.1 Ready
• Optimized Cooling Solution
• Full 256-bit Memory Interface
• Decent Overclocking Capability
• CrossFireX Technology Ready
• Unified Shader Architecture
• Attractive Pricing

Cons

• N/A

PowerColor Corporation - All Rights Reserved. (© http://www.mvktech.net)