Manufacturer's Part Number: HD-577A-ZNFC
Price: Approx. $160USD
Warranty: Double Lifetime



For gamers, the last month has been a dream come true as ATI has effectively opened the floodgates on its 40nm manufacturing process by bringing an entire range of well-priced DX11 cards onto the market. The release of the high-end HD 5870 was quickly followed by the launch of the HD 5850; a card many people are calling the new 8800 GT due to its amazing price / performance ratio. The fun continues today with the simultaneous launch of two performance-oriented mid-range cards: the HD 5770 1G and the HD 5750 which will be available in 1GB and 512MB forms. In this review we will be looking at the XFX HD 5770 1GB GDDR5.

Unlike the HD 5870 and HD 5850, the positioning of the HD 5770 is a bit less ambiguous since its price of around $160USD doesn’t particularly line up with much in NVIDIA’s current lineup. At this point, the GTS 250 512MB sits at around $125 while the less popular 1GB version comes in at $140 which means ATI is hoping their new card bridges the gap between the GTS 250 and the GTX 260 216. In essence, the gap we are referring to is presently filled in ATI's lineup by the HD 4850 512MB whose $125 price point is a good 20% lower than that of the HD 5770. Depending on the HD 5770’s performance, this might mean that consumers will be forced to pick between a less expensive DX10 card or a costlier DX11 GPU.

In the grand scheme of things, ATI is still aiming to lead the pack when it comes to both the price consumers have to pay for performance as well as performance per watt. Their 40nm manufacturing process seems to have matured to a point where both of these goals are within reach which is why we are seeing this sudden glut of DX11 cards.

The only issue thus far with the 5-series launch has been the sparse availability of products. A combination of popularity coupled with very few units being restocked has led to shortages of the HD 5870 and the virtual non-existence of the HD 5850. Whether these problems carry over into the 5700-series is anyone’s guess but from what we hear, these lower-end cards should be available in good quantities come launch.

The HD 5770 1GB we are reviewing today isn’t the usual overclocked card we have all come to expect from XFX but rather it is based on the ATI reference design and sports stock clocks. We are sure that in the future, XFX will flex their overclocking might but the stock nature of this GPU doesn’t stop it from carrying the usual Double Lifetime Warranty. This warranty basically gives you along with the second buyer (if you choose to sell it) a modder-friendly lifetime warranty. Along, with their 5-star customer and technical support, XFX hopes that these little touches will differentiate them from the competition.