Sapphire HD4850 Review Comment Thread (FINALLY!!)

[CanadaRox]

Originally Posted by miggs78

PAnd lastly, any possibility you can test a 4850CF vs 4870CF, if possible. Thanks.

Maybe even try out 4850/4870 Crossfire and see how much the 4850 actually helps the 4870.

[Leclerc]

Another great review SKY and I like the idea to test the Arctic Cooling S1 .

I'm just a bit disapointed that this card was not available 2 months ago has I built my new rig . I probably would have chosen the HD4850 instead of my HD3850. I'm satisfied of my purchase but a bit more could have been better.

[miggs78]

Yeah I will anxiously wait for ATI to launch new WHQL drivers for the 4800 series so that SKY can do a comparing on 4850 and 4870 Crossfire. At the moment I want to buy those cards so desperately, but looking at different reviews of both cards on Crossfire performance, they perform pretty close to each other, except for Call of Duty that is the only game that the 4870 CF takes an approx 30-40 FPS.

Anyways SKY I will wait.. Thanks :)

[burebista]

SKY, what can I say? I'm speechless. Probably is the best review on HD4850 around the net.
Thank you.

Oh my, awesome heatsink that Accelero S1.

[nolfclvr]

Great review, as usual! I'm still waiting to fire up my new rig for the first time with my HIS 4850 (was waiting on backordered RAM), but from all that I've read, coupled with my C2D 8400, I'm going to have one kick ass computer!

I've been heavily debating purchasing the S1 cooler, and I think I'll attempt the fan "hack" that is posted on the forums here before I try a new cooler. Can't wait!!

[cegras]

I want to bump this because I've found something funny while reading a lot of 4850 reviews.

How come your sample is the only one with a vapour chamber? Is this in fact a solution used exclusively and sneakily by Sapphire? Also, I wonder if the removing the shrink wrap would help performance (probably not).

[SKYMTL]

I am not saying it is 100% a vapour chamber but for all intents and purposes, that's what it looks like.

From what I can tell the card I got were bone stock other than the fact they had the Sapphire sticker on them. Can you link me to a review with a closer pic of the underside of the heatsink?

[cegras]

techPowerUp :: PowerColor Radeon HD 4850 512 MB Review :: Page 4 / 25

PowerColor HD4850 Review » Page 2 - Closer Look (Video Card) - Overclockers Club

The actual review that sparked me to ask this question is somewhere else, but these two show pretty much 3850 heatsinks with some more thermal pads for the vregs.

[SKYMTL]

Woah....that IS a different heatsink!!

[Squeetard]

Yah, I picked up a Diamond 4850 and it has the same heatsink as the powercolor. Ran hotter than your sapphire temps too. I have a Sapphire on the way too. I will compare. I grabbed the Diamond from future shop to voltmod, abuse and then return.