AMD's latest GPU generation is the RV670 which is used on the Radeon HD 3850 and Radeon HD 3870. With the Radeon HD 3870 Atomic edition, Sapphire has engineered a video card which goes together with the launch of their Atomic gaming portal. The card is the only Radeon HD 3870 that works with a single slot cooling solution. This is possible because Sapphire is using a different cooler with vapor chamber cooling technology, a proprietary cooler that improves cooling performance considerably, according to Sapphire. Since this card is a limited edition, it comes with some nice exclusive features like metal case instead of a cardboard box and more accessories. - techPowerUp!

Sapphire Atomic HD 3870 512MB Video Board Review

Sapphire does not use an ordinary cardboard box for their Atomic cards. Each card is sold in this extremely sexy metal case that just screams presentation. When you open the package you are greeted by your card stored in a foam cutout like some sniper rifle. What made us chuckle is that the transparent plastic cover is misspelling the word Atomic. We would also have prefered black styrofoam over the pink stuff that Sapphire uses. Below the card you find a load of accessories including an HDMI cable and a cold cathode. Looking at the card you will immediately notice that this Radeon HD 3870 uses a single slot cooler.

Also the cooler seems to be a bit smaller than what you would typically expect from an overclocked card. The output configuration follows today's standard. Two DVI ports are available, both are dual link capable, so you can run two extreme widescreen displays at once. In case you still have an old analog VGA monitor you can connect it using the included DVI to VGA adapter. Also included with the package is an HDMI adapter that lets you connect your HDTV set directly to the card. Sapphire's Vapor-X cooler looks just like any ordinary cooler at first sight. Even when taken apart you don't see any magic components.

When taking a closer look however, you can see that the whole baseplate is one big heatpipe that transfers heat from the GPU surface to the cooling fins faster and more efficient. CrossFire is supported of course, even the new CrossFireX which will work with up to four GPU's in the future can be used once the ATI drivers support it. Near the back of the card you find a single 6-pin PCI Express power connector. It is required for operation at all times, even when the card is running in PCI Express 2.0 mode which has a higher power delivery capability over the bus. The high-end GDDR4 memory chips are made by Samsung.

Sapphire's new Vapor-X cooler is doing a pretty good job at keeping the card cool. During our testing we observed similar temperature levels compared to the Radeon HD 3870 reference design, which uses a dual slot cooler. Sapphire's card is the only Radeon HD 3870 on the market today that works with a single slot cooler making it an excellent choice for small form factor or media PC systems. Another possible use is CrossFireX which is AMD's implementation of Quad CrossFire that will be released soon. Another plus of the Radeon HD 3870 Atomic edition from Sapphire is that the card comes pre-overclocked.

For less experienced users this is a quick and easy way to get some extra performance without having to worry about losing their warranty. The presentation of the Atomic edition is outstanding with the silver metal suitcase it is shipped in. There are plenty of accessories including a 3m long HDMI cable. However, all these gimmicks cost money and Sapphire charges you for it. Even though the initial announcement was something like $15 over a normal card it is now about $50 extra. You have to decide yourself if that is something you are willing to pay.