If you have been reading many hardware reviews over that last little while, you've undoubtedly come across more than one or two filled with ebullient praise of the recently released Radeon HD 4850 and HD 4870 from ATI. After a long stretch of offering video cards that were competitive with NVIDIA's offerings, but not decisively superior, ATI turned the tide and won one battle with the surprisingly speedy and cost effective Radeon HD 4800's. But of course, one battle does not make a war. Somewhere some guys in lab coats, and engineers and driver specialists are turning out the next step, the next latest and greatest. While the dust might have settled for the big guns, a new battle has begun. - NeoSeeker

AMD Radeon HD 4670 512MB Gaming Edition Review

But this time around, in this generation, the mid-range is more afforable than has been in some time. Think under the $100 mark. A new generation is always kicked off with the higher-end, enthusiast class video cards that showcase the newest technological gains made during the latest stretch of research and implementation. Then the second wave breaks, which carries this card we are going to take out today, the Radeon HD 4670. Ah, the mid-range. Cards a bit cheaper than the fastest cards that are capable performers for the large segment of the gaming market that does not have the inclination or disposable cash.

Priced at $80-89, it would be hard to argue that the Radeon HD 4670 is not affordable for most. But it's a tough market out there, though a fantastic market for card shoppers. NVIDIA has its own inexpensive GeForce 9600 GSO to match this model, and last generation high-end wonders like the GeForce 8800 GT and Radeon HD 3870 are not all that much more expensive than today's Radeon HD 4670. The Radeon HD 4670 does not have the huge cooler and long profile similar to its elder Radeon HD 4800 series brothers. Actually the Radeon HD 4670 is a bit smaller than we would have expected.

The Radeon HD 4670 has 320 stream processors like the Radeon HD 3870, but has a 128-bit memory interface, which will stifle performance somewhat in comparison with 256-bit memory interface of the Radeon HD 3870. The 128-bit memory however is the norm for the mid-range video cards of this and recent generations. However, one break with earlier mid-range card traditions is that the Radeon HD 4670 has 512MB of GDDR3 memory, and also comes in a 1GB configuration right off the bat. By the time the next generation of cards appears, it seems likely that 256MB of memory will be rare on the market.

After being wowed by the Radeon HD 4800 series of cards, we can't help but feel slightly let down by the Radeon HD 4670, but rationally we don't really have much cause to. The Radeon HD 4670 does the job, and is a capable mid-range offering. This video card has a great host of features, and using a rapidly aging video card, say a GeFoce 7800 GT this card would make a great upgrade, being offered initially for about $80. The Radeon HD 4670 is a huge improvement over the last generation's mid-range offerings, from both NVIDIA and ATI, and is well achieved as it utilizes that less expensive mid-range 128-bit memory interface.

For those are looking for pure gaming performance however, many might be tempted by the Radeon HD 3870 and GeForce 8800 GT, which just simply have more horsepower, and more staying power, the today's offering. While right now the Radeon HD 4670 is a good deal, it seems plausible that in as little as a month, the cards mentioned might offer a bit more bang for the buck. The Radeon HD 4670 may not be as exciting as the Radeon HD 4800 series, but it delivers on its promises. It is a big step up for ATI's performance target for the sub-$100 card. And we're telling you, things are looking for the new mid-range.