ATI Radeon HD 4890 Roundup (ASUS, Diamond, HIS, Sapphire, XFX)

Conclusions

Before we actually get to the individual conclusions, we really have to talk about the HD 4890 in general and how well it has been shaping up over these last few months. In our original review of the card, we mentioned that the only way ATI would succeed with this card would be to have a hard launch with product in the channel and ready to buy on launch day. They definitely did just that and even Nvidia’s paper launched GTX 275 could do little to take the wind out of ATI’s sails.

The stock situation with the HD 4890 cards has remained very good but I feel that the real story here is just how scalable ATI’s current architecture really is. Back when the HD 4870 was first launched, ATI made it apparent to us that they weren’t necessarily going for performance domination but rather for smaller chips that could be adapted for numerous situations. Remember, the chip that was premiered in the HD 4870 512MB has come a long way and barring a few tweaks, is now –nearly a year later- powering the beast that is the HD 4890. If that isn’t proof that ATI’s vision has come true, I don’t know what is.

With new cards approaching, we are seeing the twilight of the current architectures and let me tell you; the HD 4890 is one hell of a swan song for this generation of ATI cards.


ASUS HD 4890 TOP

It seems that no matter what happens in the industry, one thing will always be constant: that ASUS will release a high quality product time and again. Their HD 4890 1GB TOP Edition is just the latest in a long line of ASUS cards that have put their best foot forward and have impressed us as a result.

Even though the higher clock speeds made this card’s performance look great on paper, I can tell you now that in most regular gaming scenarios you won’t be able to see a performance difference between the TOP and a stock-clocked HD 4890. Granted, there will be some instances where minimum framerates will hold steady above 30 where the stock card falters a bit. But are those few and far between cases worth this card’s $50 price premium over most reference-based cards? We don’t think so.

What does make the ASUS TOP unique is the Voltage Tweak feature. Usually we don’t add overclocking observations into a conclusion but with the ability to increase voltage up to 1.45V through SmartDoctor, this card can really fly. Just remember, with increased voltages come increased heat output so make sure you have sufficient cooling.



Diamond HD 4890 1GB XOC

When Diamond first approached us with the opportunity to review their HD 4890 XOC, we had some very high expectations. The clock speeds looked amazing since at the time it was the highest clocked HD 4890 on the market and the price definitely looked right. Add to that the fact that Diamond was officially doubling their warranty length from the original single year (which was well below industry norms) to two years and I found myself really hoping for something special. Well, they delivered.

Not only was the XOC able to run away from the much more expensive GTX 285 1GB on a regular basis but due to its high memory clocks, its performance sat right behind the ultra high speed Sapphire HD 4890 Atomic. That in itself is impressive but unlike the ASUS card featured here, Diamond clocked this card high enough that the difference between it and a stock clocked card is perceptible in nearly every game. The minimum framerate increases we saw were impressive to say the least.

I can talk all I want about the performance of the XOC but that wasn’t what impressed me the most about it. Rather, it was the price that really had me stand up and take notice. What if I told you that at the time of writing, this little pocket rocket was retailing for about $12 higher than a stock HD 4890? Would you be interested? I know I would be which is why Diamond’s HD 4890 1GB XOC receives our Dam Good Value Award.