Take two 1 GB Radeon HD 4870 cards and stick the chips on a single card. What you get is one 1 GB Radeon HD 4870 X2. Considering bulk, noise, power use, and most of all 3D framerates, is it still a contender despite its age and the arrival of the new 5000 series?

Size, noise and heat generation

At 26.7 cm (10.5") long and with its double-decker cooler, the 4870 X2 is as big as a GeForce GTX 295. It's also very heavy – 1.1 Kg (2.4 lbs.)! And it has a noise level to match its bulk – a very high 61 dB(A) in 3D! We don't need to remind you that noise like that won't make the people around you happy if they're looking for a little peace and quiet. On the other hand, the fan is a little quieter in 2D use, at 38.9 dB(A). At that level, it's neither what you'd call noisy nor really quiet – the sound is noticeable but not really bothersome.

The temperature was already very high in 2D, settling around 65°C, and reaching a little under 90°C during intensive 3D use.

Energy consumption

This is this model's major weakness. Its power consumption is gargantuan at 546 W under load! You'll need a 650-W power supply. At idle the situation isn't much better, with a measured 146 W. That's practically double the draw of a Radeon HD 5870. Note that these figures are for the entire computer, and not just the graphics card.

Gaming performance

This card was made for gaming in high resolution, and it still boasts top-shelf performance. In fact, it's just below the Radeon HD 5870. But that card has several other advantages, including really low power consumption, lower noise levels, and DirectX 11 compatibility. So unless you can get it at bargain price, we'd advise you to avoid the 4870 X2.

Anyway, here are a few of the results of our tests. With BattleForge, the 4870 X2 ran the game with the DirectX 10.1 optimizations, while the 5870 was able to use DirectX 11. In 1920 x 1200 with texture filters enabled, the X2 scored an average framerate of 32 fps, while the 5870 reached 36 fps. Playing ArmA 2 under the same conditions, the two cards were even, at 41 fps.


We'll end with a comparison with the GeForce GTX 295, a dual-chip card from NVIDIA. With Crysis Warhead, the Radeon scored an average of 30 fps at 1920 x 1200 without filters. The GeForce did better, at 36 fps. Playing H.A.W.X, the 4870 posted an average of 89 fps, still in 1920, but with filters enabled, while the 295 scored 98 fps.