Sapphire Toxic HD 4890 Vapor-X (factory OC to 960 MHz)

PhxKen

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I settle in on being satisfied with my research, and then BAM, it looks like this specific Sapphire Toxic 4890 is no longer carried by vendors! Frustrating. Is it too close in performance to their 5000 series, so they discontinued it?

Newegg does have an 870 MHz OC version of the Sapphire Vapor-X HD 4890 available. Is it "simply" a matter of voiding the warranty and OC'ing it yourself to 960? Is that the only diff? How difficult is it to OC a graphics card?

Any comments on the specific card line.... and 4890 in general? Thanks.
 
Get the XFX version and overclock it. The OC'ed versions are just marketing gimmicks made to catch the eye of buyer and make him believe that a few frames is worth the premium. I have seen stock 4890's (850 core) reach the exact same speed as the so called Vapor-X, so don't fall for the "Vapor" crap....



 
Meh, a 4890 is a 4890, if you spend the extra on the OC'ed versions you are basically wasting your time since the overclock can be done manually. As long as the user monitors the temps there should be no issue at all. Anyways paying 194.99$ for a 4890 with lifetime warranty is the way to go unless you are the kind that upgrades the GPU every 2 years and can care less.
 

PhxKen

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Vapor-X refers to the cooling technology, Toxic references the 960 MHz OC level... and whatever else Sapphire modified with the Toxic, if any.

Thanks for the feedback. How easy is it to OC graphics cards? To OC the mobo/CPU, it's done from BIOS, or mobo's control panel, right? How do you get into graphics cards and OC?

Still, the Toxic (960 MHz) 4890 appears to have been ended, replaced by a new 5000 series card I assume. Which card would have taken the 4890's place?

Which might be a better move if cost isn't out of line due to Direct X11 support, coinciding with Windows 7's new Direct X11 platform push??? Are higher Direct X level support cards backwards compatible? I would assume so. New build will be Win 7 64bit.
Thanks.
 
Well I don't see anything special about the "Vapor-X" when in fact it does not even exhaust all the hot air out of the rear. No point in having a GPU exhaust most of it's heat inside the case. I guess if you have good airflow it should not be an issue. Sapphire is a great company, not sure why they have such a weak warranty...
 

MARSOC_Operator

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That's BS. The Vapor-X series are very efficient at dissipating heat while being extremely quiet at the same time. I had a 4890 (I OC'd the hell out of it) which easily beat any overclocked GTX275/285 on the market, no problem. And quiet with no heat issues to boot.

So yes, the Vapor-X is "crap" if you don't mind having a loud ass hair dryer screaming inside your case. (and raising 10 Celsius on your system's temperature)
 
hehe,

If it is sooo good then why so many negative reviews from this particular model?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=14-102-841&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=100&SelectedRating=1&PurchaseMark=&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&Keywords=

another model with not so great reviews either :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16814102848

even this NON Vapor-X model has better ratings :

SAPPHIRE 100269HDMI Radeon HD 4890 :

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102852&cm_re=4890-_-14-102-852-_-Product
 


Look, I can CARE LESS of the sound comming from my GPU, on the contrary when it screams I get a hard-on cause I know something fun is going on at that monemt. People that complain about the sound of a GPU are kinda stupid in a way and this is why :

1. When the GPU screams it is beacuse you are either GAMING/HD Viewing and the volume should surpass any noise comming from the PC. If you are benching and there is no volume then get yourself a pair of earplugs, but don't complain.

2. If you have headphones and you can still hear your GPU, either your headphones suck or the volume is on low.

3. When the PC at idle the GPU should be at a max 10% fan speed = no noise at all.

4. If you still can't stand the noise then you should have invested in a WC loop before-hand ;)
 

MARSOC_Operator

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Nice trolling! You cherry-picked the 18 "Very Poor" angry reviews and conveniently left out the 54 customers who left EXCELLENT reviews, 10 GOOD, 8 Average and Zero poor reviews. Obvisouly, the customers with problems are the most vocal and furious about their issues, no big surprise here.

There's no reason to try to make this product look bad, just because you can't afford those "extorsive" 20 bucks which Sapphire chargers for the awesome Vapor-X tech... :lol: :D
 


Look SON, i didnt leave out the "54" 5 EGG reviews on purpose, my point is that if the VAPOR-X is an UBER GPU vs. the pack it should not have that many negative reviews. Of COURSE there will be 5 Egg ratings cause if there werent any then the GPU is not even worth talking about. Again all im saying is that the Vapor-X has it's flaws just like any other GPU. If you are a Vapor-X fanboy then good for you, nothing wrong with that. IMO the card is a gimmick, you might get a good one or you might get a dud, you never know....
 

MARSOC_Operator

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Hey TROLL, there are some people out there, known as discriminating customers (you obviously aren't one of them) who care alot about the quality of their living or working environment, and that means silent computing. Knowing that, manufacturers invest a great deal in Research and Development trying to come up with better solutions to this problem. There is no excuse for noise these days and I sure as hell will not invest a single penny on a noisy computer part. I'll leave all those jet engine fans to those deaf ogres...

http://www.silentpcreview.com/

http://www.buildsilentpc.com/
 
You can say what you want, again my point is that if you get anoyed by the sound comming from the GPU then you should have done your researh before buying the GPU. The Vapor-X at 100% fan speed will scream at the same level as any other GPU. So I don't see the "advantages" of having a such a GPU.

Btw, the links that you posted are useless since they point out the obvious. If you want silent then get a loop or a fanless cooler. If you are still complaining about the noise then you should not be using a PC in the first place.
 
This is kinda funny but I will throw it out just to compare.......

If Sapphire is this UBER GPU manufacturer that EVERYONE drools on they they should have opted for a cooling system similar to this GPU :

MSI N260GTX-T2D896-OCv3 GeForce GTX 260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127426&cm_re=GTX_260-_-14-127-426-_-Product

no fancy name sheme (to lure in the idiots), not an XFX, EVGA nor BFG.. Same warranty that Sapphire provides, YET it does not FAIL like the VAPOR-X does, nor they overprice their cards. It's an MSI, nothing special just a great company that uses REAL cooling and does not dissapoint. The reviews are clear as water...



 

PhxKen

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Not sure why you have a bone to pick with the cooling tech that other vendors use for CPU cooling and the like. It's pretty simple, gas to liquid and back again draws heat out, with a fan to boot. It's pretty basic, simple physics. Used in all sorts of cooling apps and appliances. The MSI you refer to is VW cooling -- air cooled -- fins and fans. Lots of air, high speed fans. dBA's. I guess you also swear by the VW Bug. Two in your garage? ;-)

You've got an AMD logo, but tout the non-AMD graphics card. Well... at least you're not tooo loyal. Thanks for the inputs.
 


I am a Fanboy of EVERYTHING that has to do with computers, the issue I have is specifically with Sapphire GPU's. If the brand is Top Notch it should at least provide the same warranty as Visiontek, XFX among others. Specially when it is priced higher than other brands with better warranties. That is my issue,... Another example, I purchased a 4870x2 (Sapphire) when it came out for a customer build... To my surprise the GPU did not even last 6 months, no overclocking, high temps, nada... It was just a defective GPU. It was a PITA to handle the RMA process, after a month a got a replacement and this time it dies after 4 months, same exact issue... On top of the fact that I had to pay for the shipping they still were hesitant to send me a second replacement. A month later got the 3rd GPU and this time it was working like it should... When you pay 500.00$ for a GPU the least a company can do is help you out and not ask stupid questions as to how the GPU died. That is why I stick with companies that provide lifetime warranties, you get a replacement "no questions asked" .... The way it is supposed to be....


 

PhxKen

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Legit beef. But kicking sand at the cooling tech used, as if it wasn't 'real' cooling tech, was counter-productive to the rest of your beef. Variety is the spice of life. If all companies had the same warranties, CEO's would be pretty vanilla wrapped human beings, no? If more vent about a company/product, smart CEO's might change their tune. You're doing your part.

The replacements for the 4870/90's:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5770,2446.html
 


Look, I did not come here to argue with anyone, I was just trying to point out a few facts. I might have been a bit to harsh on the Vapor-X issue. I have had my bad shares with the company, that's all. And the fact that if a company is not going to take care of the customer then there is no point in spending good coin that could have been used on a different brand. Maybe you have had an excellent experience with your Vapor-X, and you have a different perspective on the company. I guess some are lucky and some aren't.....