The Radeon HD 4800 series of graphics cards is real refreshment in these days. Every new generation of GPU brought a big shift in performances and ATI this time showed us that the top model graphics chip, the RV770 doesn't have to be expensive. Based on experience from previous Radeon HD 3850 and HD 3870 models, we expected that this new model being the Radeon HD 4870 would dominate in the middle-high class, with lower price and higher performance than the other competitors. That is at least the goal behind the new Radeon HD 4800 series which ATI had in mind and to take it from there. But, we were wrong as our tests showed something quite unexpected. - InsideHW

Force3D Radeon HD 4870 512MB Video Board Review

As unwritten rule says, the one that first masters a new manufacturing process, later will rule on the market. As a matters stand now, NVIDIA isn't still introduced its 55nm GPU, while AMD already has second generation graphics chip made in 55nm technology process. This made possible for ATI to produce chip with half less surface as a GeForce GTX 280. Still, ATI managed to pack even 953 million transistors. Number of stream processors is, as expected, increased and now amounts 800. Both the Radeon HD 4800 models communicate with memory through 256-bit interface bus though having different memory types.

What really distinguishes these two graphics cards is memory, as the Radeon HD 4870 used for the first time GDDR5 memory. The premier specimen of the Radeon HD 4870 we got was signed by Force3D. It isn't that important who signed graphics card that ATI designed, much important is how it works. The Radeon HD4870 is completely different story, comparing it with Radeon HD 4850, when it comes to cooling solution. Everything that was wrong on the Radeon HD 4850, on Radeon HD 4870 is corrected. We didn't mind to demount cooler from graphics card and to comment what we found under the hood.

The Radeon HD 4850 is an absolute hit if we observe its performance. The Radeon HD 4870 is faster from its older brother for approximately twenty percent and if you add on that far bigger overclock margin we can only say that $299 isn't that big sum. If the Radeon HD 4870 belongs to middle-high class, what is ATI keeping for the highest class? We think that better than one ATI Radeon HD 4870 can be better only two Radeon HD 4870's. It is obvious that ATI also feels that way and that we may expect one these Radeon HD 4870 X2 editions very soon.