Monday, May 9th 2011

PowerColor Readies Dual-HD 6870 Graphics Card

by
btarunr
 Discuss (43 Comments)
With no new GPUs in the works by either of the two main manufacturers, AMD and NVIDIA, this year's Computex event isn't going to be a very big exhibition of graphics cards. Instead, Intel's LGA2011 and AMD's AM3+ platforms are going to steal the show. It does leave graphics card manufacturers some attention, if they come up with something really out of the ordinary. PowerColor wants to be one of them. Flexing its in-house engineering muscle, the company is readying a dual-GPU graphics card that makes use of two 40 nm "Barts" GPUs for a CrossFire on-a-stick solution.

The two Barts chips will feature the BartsXT (Radeon HD 6870) configuration, with the card being designed to offer performance on par with HD 6870 CrossFire, with 3-GPU and 4-GPU CrossFireX support, and lower power draw than two single-GPU HD 6870 cards. The PCB design is the same as every dual-GPU AMD card ever made, there are two GPUs sitting on either sides of a PLX-made PCI-Express bridge chip, and each GPU system having its own VRM. There's 1 GB of GDDR5 memory over a 256-bit wide memory interface per GPU. Power is drawn from two 8-pin PCI-Express power connectors. The cooling solution is not pictured, but expect a multi-fan heatsink that spits hot air into the case.

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43 Comments on PowerColor Readies Dual-HD 6870 Graphics Card

#1
dieterd
yea, nice - by the way I am still waiting for dual HD 5770 and dual DTX460 :(
Posted on Reply
#4
NC37
If only NV had allowed the 460/560 to run more than dual SLI. Then those dualie boards could turn into quads. Good job AMD for not nerfing your Crossfire options.
Posted on Reply
#5
HossHuge
So this would be the third fastest graphics card after the 590 and 6990 (not in any particular order)?

I wish it had 2GB of memory.
Posted on Reply
#6
Jonap_1st
wahdangunwow this is cool shame its just 1gb of vram though
HossHugeSo this would be the third fastest graphics card after the 590 and 6990 (not in any particular order)?

I wish it had 2GB of memory.
6870 actually only had 1GB vram, powercolor said this card will had 1GB per GPU. so it will be 2GB per card. i think it's should be fine..
Posted on Reply
#7
dinmaster
am i the only one here that noticed how long that card is?! flipping A380 in your case, the ram is 1gb per gpu so the board has 2gb in total, it is a bit of a downer, should have 2gb each.. o well
Posted on Reply
#8
Jonap_1st
dinmasteram i the only one here that noticed how long that card is?! flipping A380 in your case, the ram is 1gb per gpu so the board has 2gb in total, it is a bit of a downer, should have 2gb each.. o well
6870 actually only had 1GB vram. how many times do I have to tell.. :shadedshu
Posted on Reply
#9
ensabrenoir
so many options

Was determined to go nvidia on next build but these
make me drool. Gotta see performance #s. Quad capable. So many choices. Must become billionaire so I can just buy them all at my leisure!!!
Posted on Reply
#10
crazyeyesreaper
Not a Moderator
it dosent fucking matter if the 6870 only ever had 1gb per gpu it CAN have 2gb it just dosent, because tadaa 6870 is pin compatible with a 5870 meaning a 6870 can be dropped into a 5870 pcb if it can be dropped into a 5870 pcb it means it can be dropped into an eyefinity 6 5870 pcb meaning 2gb for a 6870 it just hasnt been done because its not cost effective to do so. That said its possible but wont happen and i dont care if it does happen pefromance will only be about 10-12% better then a 5970
Posted on Reply
#11
Jonap_1st
crazyeyesreaperit dosent fucking matter if the 6870 only ever had 1gb per gpu it CAN have 2gb it just dosent, because tadaa 6870 is pin compatible with a 5870 meaning a 6870 can be dropped into a 5870 pcb if it can be dropped into a 5870 pcb it means it can be dropped into an eyefinity 6 5870 pcb meaning 2gb for a 6870 it just hasnt been done because its not cost effective to do so. That said its possible but wont happen and i dont care if it does happen pefromance will only be about 10-12% better then a 5970
powercolor had released single 6870 2GB, but its only labeled as "eyefinity 6 ver.".

so yeah it doesn't matter. since 2GB only affecting when you play a game beyond HD resolution that need more powerfull gpu.. :o
Posted on Reply
#12
20mmrain
Well this is great I love the cool cards Powercolor is coming out with. Very nice.... the only issue is.... I am still waiting to see the single slot 6850 available somewhere. So far I have sowered the earth and can not find them. I am assuming this will be the same way!!!! What good are cards like these if No one can buy them anywhere?
Posted on Reply
#13
HossHuge
Jonap_1st6870 actually only had 1GB vram, powercolor said this card will had 1GB per GPU. so it will be 2GB per card. i think it's should be fine..
I stand corrected.
20mmrainWell this is great I love the cool cards Powercolor is coming out with. Very nice.... the only issue is.... I am still waiting to see the single slot 6850 available somewhere. So far I have sowered the earth and can not find them. I am assuming this will be the same way!!!! What good are cards like these if No one can buy them anywhere?
here's one for ya.


www.techpowerup.com/142574/Single-Slot-Slot-Powered-Radeon-HD-6850-Surfaces-in-Asia.html
Posted on Reply
#14
happita
If the 6 series crossfire scaling is any indication, this thing should definitely be just as good, albeit having a lower power consumption....win win.
Posted on Reply
#15
Melvis
6870X2 ;) Thats what it should be called.

I want to see how it performs, got me interested
Posted on Reply
#19
_JP_
Well, there goes my wish of ever crossfiring my HD 5770. This one looks like a better deal.
Posted on Reply
#20
alexsubri
I wonder if it's worthed running two of these bad boy's in Crossfire! I want to see some Benchie's!
Posted on Reply
#21
Zubasa
dieterdyea, nice - by the way I am still waiting for dual HD 5770 and dual DTX460 :(
5770 Dual must be much cheaper than a 5870 to even worth while.
A 5770 is basically half a 5870.
Posted on Reply
#22
Jonap_1st
20mmrainHey but there lies the problem First its not the powercolor version and second I am not looking for it to only get two of them. I am looking for it to possibly get 4 of them. Although if this thing releases the (6870x2) I wou;dn't mind two of them.
you can't do 4-way crossfireX with 6870 since it only have one crossfireX connector. but, yeah. maybe you can achieve that 4-way crossfireX when this dual 6870 released,

i think it will easily bottleneck the processor..
Posted on Reply
#23
wolf
Better Than Native
at the right price this could be a fantastic card to own, given it will easily best a GTX580 or 6970.

heat and noise is something they need to really slam dunk though, or it could flop.
Posted on Reply
#24
_JP_
Zubasa5770 Dual must be much cheaper than a 5870 to even worth while.
A 5770 is basically half a 5870.
By now it would be a HD 6770 Dual. It's half, somewhat, but a dual-CFX of HD 5770s can beat a single HD 5870 by a few fps.
Jonap_1styou can't do 4-way crossfireX with 6870 since it only have one crossfireX connector. but, yeah. maybe you can achieve that 4-way crossfireX when this dual 6870 released,

i think it will easily bottleneck the processor..
Not if you crank-up the resolution and the details.
wolfheat and noise is something they need to really slam dunk though, or it could flop.
Unfortunately, that's always the problem with PowerColor's cards. (with active cooling)
Posted on Reply
#25
wolf
Better Than Native
_JP_Unfortunately, that's always the problem with PowerColor's cards. (with active cooling)
I can't say that I've ever owned one when buying ATi (back in the day) or AMD cards, but also palit/gainward have made a few cards I've bought where the cooling was more than adequate but the noise was utterly disturbing. IMO Asus, MSI and Gigabyte have gotten their non reference cooling down to a fine art, Powercolor should take a lesson from their books.
Posted on Reply
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