Roundup: Four Radeon HD 6850 1 GB Cards Compared
Table of contents
- 1. The Other Green Alternative
- 2. Asus EAH6850 DirectCU Overclock Edition
- 3. Asus Overclocking Software
- 4. MSI R6850 PM2D1GD5
- 5. MSI Overclocking Software
- 6. PowerColor PCS+ AX6850 1GBD5-PPDHG
- 7. Sapphire Toxic 6850
- 8. Test Settings
- 9. Benchmark Results: Alien Vs. Predator
- 10. Benchmark Results: Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
- 11. Benchmark Results: Crysis
- 12. Benchmark Results: DiRT 2
- 13. Benchmark Results: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat
- 14. Benchmark Results: 3DMark Vantage
- 15. Power And Efficiency
- 16. Heat And Noise
- 17. Conclusion
Improvements to performance, acoustics, and bundles can add big value once a reference graphics card is modified by third-party vendors. We compare four modified Radeon HD 6850 1 GB boards to find out which company's additions best suit your gaming needs.
Some say green is the new red, and no place is that more true than in the rebranding of ATI to AMD. And yet, marketing similarities between AMD and Nvidia don’t end in color, as the newer, more efficient Radeon HD 6850 offers performance and a price nearly identical to Nvidia's GeForce GTX 460 1 GB. If you want to know more about the card itself, check out our launch review of the Radeon HD 6870 and 6850.
AMD’s slightly better power consumption figures mean that buyers of the new green team can go green for the same green, while saving a little green over the life of the card (Ed.: Xzibit approves, dawg).
If you believe this makes the Radeon HD 6850 a perfect mid-priced performance part, you're in good company, as the number of folks willing to spend ~$200 is much greater than the market for flagship $500 boards.
If you're ready to buy, there are plenty of options available. Some vendors even offer multiple models. Choosing a card certainly doesn’t have to be difficult. We simply asked every major manufacturer to send its best, and those who didn’t have anything to offer beyond AMD's reference design chose not to participate. That left us with four souped-up models for your consideration.
| Radeon HD 6850 1 GB Comparison Specifications | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus EAH6850 DC/2DIS/1GD5 | MSI R6850 PM2D1GD5 | PowerColor AX6850 1GBD5-PPDHG | Sapphire Toxic 6850 100315TXSR | |
| GPU Clock | 790 MHz | 775 MHz | 820 MHz | 820 MHz |
| DRAM Rate | GDDR5-4000 | GDDR5-4000 | GDDR5-4400 | GDDR5-4400 |
| DVI | Two Dual-Link | Two Dual-Link | Two Dual-Link | Two Dual-Link |
| HDMI | Full-Size | Full-Size | Full-Size | Full-Size |
| DisplayPort | Full-Size | Full-Size | Full-Size | Dual Mini |
| VGA | By Adapter (x1) | By Adapter (x1) | By Adapter (x1) | By Adapter (x1) |
| Output Adapters | DVI to VGA | DVI to VGA | DVI to VGA | DVI to VGA Mini to Full DP |
| Length | 9.7" | 9.0" | 8.9" | 9.6" |
| Height | 4.8" | 4.4" | 4.4" | 4.4" |
| Total Thickness | 1.6" | 1.5" | 1.6" | 1.6" |
| Cooler Thickness | 1.4" | 1.4" | 1.4" | 1.4" |
| Weight | 18 Ounces | 16 Ounces | 19 Ounces | 27 Ounces |
| PCB Version | C223 Rev. 1.00 | V224 V1.0 | LF R97FF V1.0 | 109-C22237-00 |
| VRM | Three Phases | Three Phases | Four Phases | Four Phases |
| Warranty | Three Years | Three Years | Two Years | Two Years |
| Added Value | PCIe Power Adapter CrossFire Bridge CD Wallet | PCIe Power Adapter CrossFire Bridge | CrossFire Bridge Free "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" | 6' HDMI Cable 2 x PCIe Power Adapter CrossFire Bridge |
| Price | $200 | $205 | $210 | $210 |
- Sapphire,
- PowerColor,
- MSI,
- ASUS,
- radeon-hd-6850 ,
- eah6850 ,
- ax6850
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It would be nice to see overclocking results. I know the whole "results will vary" malarkey but still, it would be interesting to see things like the benefit (if any) to having two pci-e power connectors on the Sapphire card or how high you could take the ASUS card using the software that came with it. Oh, and also, can you use Afterburner with the Powercolor and Sapphire cards?
[citation][nom]Oh, and also, can you use Afterburner with the Powercolor and Sapphire cards?[/citation]
I use afterburner with a Gigabyte Card, (Flashed to ASUS). Works fine.
Oh, and also, can you use Afterburner with the Powercolor and Sapphire cards?
Yes
last line of the article...
"Now, here did I put that Christmas list?"
here = where
Why are you using catalyst 10.6 (drivers from june) instead of latest, quite long already available 10.11 or 10.10-beta with HD6800 support?
love this card looking to buy it for my new build and would go for ASUS as i already own the game.
No OCing?
so, wheres the comparison between these cards and rival cards from nvidia??? using recent drivers?? and OC???!this doesnt really tell us anything except the performance is so close you may as well get the cheapest of the lot.
ATI driver support is a complete debacle. That's why this article uses stone age drivers (10.6)
No OCing?
so, wheres the comparison between these cards and rival cards from nvidia??? using recent drivers?? and OC???!this doesnt really tell us anything except the performance is so close you may as well get the cheapest of the lot.
Er dude...
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2776.html
The previous article, which answered all your questions a month ago, was linked numerous times in this article.
So, it seems it can run Crysis!
I always appreciate more information, but shouldn't an exploration of the top options in the $200 range be more appropriate given it's the Christmas hardware giving season? The 6850 is a great card, but a more focused value study across many makes and models might be more useful. All the same, I'll take what I can get. I'd just like to point out that the new Radeons are getting more expensive while nVidia's 460s are getting much cheaper.
Just my two cents, but that would seem like a much more interesting article. We already know the 6850 is mostly quiet and pretty efficient, but GTX470s are going for only a few dollars more in some cases. Bring the throwdown.
Excellent conclusion, Thomas. Explores different uses.
I wish there were custom cooler versions for the HD6870 D:
You can use Sapphire Trixx to overclock and unlock the voltage for the new Radeon 6800 series cards if Afterburner doesn't work.
I would have loved to see the Sapphires being OC'd and then XFire'd. Will there be any love for that? 8)
Great article also, thanks Mr. Thomas!
Cheers!
last line of the article..."Now, here did I put that Christmas list?"here = where
Thanks, I don't think I could have ever figured that one out...
Those dirt2 benches kinda make me regret getting the 6870. Oh well...
What I like about the 6800s is that AA does not detract that much from framerate.
A nice review and round-up of the 6850, Thanks Tom. I have to say I was am still am very interested in the 6850-70 model GPU's and I am glad to see some comparisons of the 6850's. Although right now these cards exceed my spending limit, I am glad to say I picked up a 5830 for $130 after MIR(pricing mistake?), I think thats a good trade off of price/performance for now.
this article was pointless
overclocked cards perform better and use more power.. we all know this