ASUS HD 5870 Matrix & ASUS HD 5870 "V2" Sneak Peek

Under the Matrix's Heatsink

ASUS has spared no expense when it comes to the component choices for their flagship HD 5870. Not only is it decked out in 2GB of GDDR5 memory (8 modules on the front and 8 on the back of the PCB) but it also featured and extremely robust 8+2 phase PWM design that is managed by a digital controller and ensures sufficient power is delivered to the core and memory. The card’s design also features voltage read points for those of you who don’t want to use or simply don’t trust software monitoring.

According to ASUS, their Super Hybrid Engine chip is used for real-time control for voltages, clock speeds and fan output. It can adjust all variables in order to offer the most efficient power profiles while not sacrificing performance.

The cooler on this card is particularly interesting since it features five large direct touch heatpipes which are linked to a massive aluminum fin array. Interestingly, it seems like this heatsink could also be adapted to a GPU with a much larger die area.