# Palit Revolution 700 Deluxe - HD 4870 X2 2048 MB



## W1zzard (Nov 10, 2008)

Palit's new Revolution 700 Deluxe is the first graphics card that occupies three slots in your PC. The massive cooling assembly successfully increases overclocking performance, lowers temperature and reduces fan noise. But is that good enough to beat the AMD reference design?

*Show full review*


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## btarunr (Nov 11, 2008)

Thankfully it's not as heavy as it looks.


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Nov 11, 2008)

Ya the three fan slots kinda put me off...  3 PCI slots is way too many.  Also, I would rather have the basic model, as $10 for a 50mhz OC is not that great.


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## DOM (Nov 11, 2008)

Me want


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## DarkMatter (Nov 11, 2008)

Nice review as always Wizzard. 

I have a pair of doubts though:

- Is there any word from Ati or Palit about an improved PLX chip or bios or something? I mean with the odd results of the HD4850 X2 and now this one there must be something there. There's no way 50Mhz OC on the memory can make the X2 up to 12% faster.

- I know the answer is yes, but I have to ask. Are you sure the power consumptions are correct? There's no errors on your part?

There's no way I would ever buy anything with such high consumption. The reference X2 was already bad in that, but those consumption figures are just ridiculous. With the average use we give to my main PC at home (avg. 15 hours day, half time at full load) that card would suppose extra 50 euros per year compared to the reference one and 100 compared to an OCed GTX280. After seeing the average price for kwh in the US and the world, which both seem to be around $10 it's exactly the same 50 or 100 but this time in $. I don't even want to compare them to my current card. yeesh!


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## btarunr (Nov 11, 2008)

The idle power is high because there's no proper 2D clock profile programmed. I agree, you can run two GTX 260 Core 216 cards for this amount of power.


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## wolf2009 (Nov 11, 2008)

WOW, I am amazed at the Power numbers !! 

Whats up Palit ?


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## DarkMatter (Nov 11, 2008)

btarunr said:


> The idle power is high because there's no proper 2D clock profile programmed. I agree, you can run two GTX 260 Core 216 cards for this amount of power.



Yeah I knew, but wasn't that already the case on HD4xxx cards? This is much worse.


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## DaMulta (Nov 11, 2008)

wolf2009 said:


> WOW, I am amazed at the Power numbers !!
> 
> Whats up Palit ?



Like us benchers are green people lol


It almost takes two psu's just to really push my system!!!
------
Nice review Wiz, and I'm glad the first place I have seen it reviewed is here. There is no BS when you review something. Only the truth.


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## Winterwind (Nov 11, 2008)

This should be the first X2 that uses Qimonda GDDR5 like HD4870.
And it shows.. Hynix oc-s to ~950MHz and Qimonda does ~1100+


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## DaMulta (Nov 11, 2008)

> "Palit disabled certain power saving features like 2D clock reduction in the BIOS"



Wiz would this help with the problems that I saw with some games not kicking into 3d clocks when I started certain games(I seen this with my x1950xtx CF and 2900XT CF)?


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## wolf2009 (Nov 11, 2008)

DaMulta said:


> Like us benchers are green people lol
> 
> 
> It almost takes two psu's just to really push my system!!!



Well thats all good and true for benching, 

But I wouldn't want my card to consume 240W to display titties !


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## VulkanBros (Nov 11, 2008)

This baby (Gainward Rampage 700 Golden Sample) also occupie three PCI slots

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=16257


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## btarunr (Nov 11, 2008)

VulkanBros said:


> This baby (Gainward Rampage 700 Golden Sample) also occupie three PCI slots
> 
> http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=16257



And that's this card's twin. Sells in the regions where brand Gainward sells better than Palit.


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## OnBoard (Nov 11, 2008)

wolf2009 said:


> Well thats all good and true for benching,
> 
> But I wouldn't want my card to consume 240W to display titties !



Those are some hot titties  More power consumption on idle than my card takes on load.

I did like the heatsinks though, so perty. The PCB also looks half empty, I remember the orginal being much more crowded (or was it the 3870x2). Nope it wasn't:

front reference/palit
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/HD_4870_X2/images/front.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Palit/Revolution_R700/images/front.jpg

back reference/palit
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Sapphire/HD_4870_X2/images/back.jpg
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Palit/Revolution_R700/images/back.jpg


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## Sasqui (Nov 11, 2008)

New top dog... with the overclock, it's not surprising the power consumption is high, but at _*idle*_?  <- that part bugs me (and I doubt I'm not alone).


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## DaMulta (Nov 11, 2008)

OnBoard said:


> Those are some hot titties  More power consumption on idle than my card takes on load.
> 
> I did like the heatsinks though, so perty. The PCB also looks half empty, I remember the orginal being much more crowded (or was it the 3870x2). Nope it wasn't:
> 
> ...


Notice the power plugs are on top now, and not on the side. Much easier IMO.


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## Apocolypse007 (Nov 11, 2008)

It's a nice model. But I fail to see what other than a better cooler and 50mhz clock increase qualifies this as a "deluxe" version. I expected more unique features from palit, but this far from tarnishes their reputation


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## VulkanBros (Nov 11, 2008)

DaMulta said:


> Notice the power plugs are on top now, and not on the side. Much easier IMO.




Right about the power plugs - my old ASUS HD3870X2 has it too.. much easier to handle


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## 3870x2 (Nov 11, 2008)

ill have to agree to disagree on the 9.0.  Palit just created, by far, an impressive gain on the stock card.  Saying this, i own a 9800GX2 and am in no way a palit fan.  As always another amazing TPU review, and the reason why its the only forum that I go to daily.


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## 3dchipset (Nov 11, 2008)

I thank you for testing some older generation games. Extremely appreciated to see games that I would play still!!! How about tossing like SOFII and some Medal of Honor games for kicks?  ;-)


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## Binge (Nov 12, 2008)

I've been saying this for a while... the reference cooler is not bad on the 4870x2 and I prefer it.  If you put a fan over the area of the reference card that is above the VRegs then you can shop 5-15C off of your card easily.

It's nice to see there's a good difference when you OC the 4870x2s.  I've noticed it through personal use, but this just proves it.  Great review w1z!


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## Duffman (Nov 12, 2008)

interesting, very interesting.

I love the great, quiet cooling this card offers.  Only drawback is that power draw at idle.  If it comes out at $540 as the msrp indicates, it's a pretty good deal in the 4870x2 realm.


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## btarunr (Nov 12, 2008)

3dchipset said:


> I thank you for testing some older generation games. Extremely appreciated to see games that I would play still!!! How about tossing like SOFII and some Medal of Honor games for kicks?  ;-)



SOFII is pre shaders. It's idTech3 based. All geometry, no shaders. It's like testing the framerate for the spinning cube in DXdiag.


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## DaMulta (Nov 12, 2008)

HKPolice said:


> This review is full of bullshit. There's no way a 50Mhz OC on the ram can make that much of a difference over the regular 4870x2. They were either on different drivers or the reviewer was bribed and is intentionally inflating Palit's figures.



it's not just ram maybe, and I don't see Wiz doing that for no one........ Why would he in the first place? 
ati card




Here is the palit card


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## WarEagleAU (Nov 12, 2008)

Seeing it lag a couple times on benches where the original 4870X2 had it beat is a little misgiving....
great card and all but the price and the performance....eh, Im iffy.


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## 3870x2 (Nov 12, 2008)

DaMulta said:


> it's not just ram maybe, and I don't see Wiz doing that for no one........ Why would he in the first place?
> ati card
> 
> 
> ...



yes, i believe there are probably architectural differences, and w1zzard belongs to no one.


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## wolf2009 (Nov 12, 2008)

btarunr said:


> SOFII is pre shaders. It's idTech3 based. All geometry, no shaders. It's like testing the framerate for the spinning cube in DXdiag.



where do you get all this info from ????


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## erocker (Nov 12, 2008)

wolf2009 said:


> where do you get all this info from ????



I'll put my money on the internet.  Perhaps the outside chance of some printed publication.


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## Arkilae (Nov 13, 2008)

TPU recommended?

This shit is for niche market only, it should only be "recommended" if your running around with 600$ in your pocket and you're either A) An idiot or B) A rich idiot. 

This is company ass kissing.


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## wolf2009 (Nov 13, 2008)

erocker said:


> I'll put my money on the internet.  Perhaps the outside chance of some printed publication.



Well for the first step, you want to know what you want to learn  that is pretty tough


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## DOM (Nov 13, 2008)

Arkilae said:


> TPU recommended?
> 
> This shit is for niche market only, it should only be "recommended" if your running around with 600$ in your pocket and you're either A) An idiot or B) A rich idiot.
> 
> This is company ass kissing.


 A) PALIT   B) if you had a job you could get it C) thats why theres credit cards


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## W1zzard (Nov 13, 2008)

Arkilae said:


> TPU recommended?
> 
> This shit is for niche market only, it should only be "recommended" if your running around with 600$ in your pocket and you're either A) An idiot or B) A rich idiot.
> 
> This is company ass kissing.



if you have the money and are looking for something in that performance class then i can recommend this card to you as one of the options you could choose from.

obviously this card is not for everyone, the same way an intel igp is not for gamers but still a great choice for everybody just doing office and internet browsing.

there is no product (in any category) that fits everyone


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## Arkilae (Nov 14, 2008)

W1zzard said:


> if you have the money and are looking for something in that performance class then i can recommend this card to you as one of the options you could choose from.
> 
> obviously this card is not for everyone, the same way an intel igp is not for gamers but still a great choice for everybody just doing office and internet browsing.
> 
> there is no product (in any category) that fits everyone



But you're recommending it why again? Oh to those looking for performance class cards that fit only a niche market. I have a completely difference sense as to how recommendations and reviews should go by, things should only be recommended when and only when "They meet and exceed expectations of that product". I mean come on even your dollars to performance chart is in ill favor of this card.

Now given the fact that in the review, the CONS both in number and severity outweigh any of the PROs, how the hell would a product still get a rating of 9/10 and be EDITOR'S CHOICE recommended? Telling me it's because it is only recommended to performance maniacs is simply not good enough to warrant someone blowing that amount of cash on the card or even allowing a TPU Recommended sticker on it.

To make my point clearer before I get warned again for bullshit, why on god's green earth would you put an editor's choice recommended sticker and a 9/10 rating on a card that in all actuality is an expensive paperweight, in cost, in performance, in consumption of power, and with the review of it saying the card has more cons then pros. It just seems to me that _ it is_ company ass kissing rather than a neutral review of a card. It also in my opinion brings down the weight with which the "TPU recommended or Editor's choice" sticker has an effect when seen at the end.


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## MKmods (Nov 14, 2008)

while I would love to be able to spend more than $500 on a GPU unfortunately I can not so I must live vicariously through these reviews..

However, for that much $$ its a shame the cooler is so poorly designed (especially since it takes up 3 slots) Seems that if they had that much space they could have made a much better cooler than the design could have trickled down to the other cards.


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## DaMulta (Nov 14, 2008)

Arkilae said:


> But you're recommending it why again? Oh to those looking for performance class cards that fit only a niche market. I have a completely difference sense as to how recommendations and reviews should go by, things should only be recommended when and only when "They meet and exceed expectations of that product". I mean come on even your dollars to performance chart is in ill favor of this card.
> 
> Now given the fact that in the review, the CONS both in number and severity outweigh any the PROs, how the hell would a product still get a rating of 9/10 and be EDITOR'S CHOICE recommended? Telling me it's because it is only recommended to performance maniacs is simply not good enough to warrant someone blowing that amount of cash on the card or even allowing a TPU Recommended sticker on it.
> 
> To make my point clearer before I get warned again for bullshit, why on god's green earth would you put an editor's choice recommended sticker and a 9/10 rating on a card that in all actuality is an expensive paperweight, in cost, in performance, in consumption of power, and with the review of it saying the card has more cons then pros. It just seems to me that _ it is_ company ass kissing rather than a neutral review of a card. It also in my opinion brings down the weight with which the "TPU recommended or Editor's choice" sticker has an effect when seen at the end.





It's rated by what market it is in, and not the whole market point of view.
To add it is also rated in all the markets 






High class market it's a rated 9 card. For what you would get for around 500USD.

This is how I understand TechPowerUp!'s system on doing reviews on different products.


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## Arkilae (Nov 14, 2008)

DaMulta said:


> It's rated by what market it is in, and not the whole market point of view.
> To add it is also rated in all the markets
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah? It's a high performance card with a low performance dollar ratio, how is that a good thing? It's a great thing if you have the money to blow, but when compared to other cards reviewed it is bollocks, that's why I'm scratching my head as to why it got an Editor's Choice, considering, that in my mind, that would be reserved for the cards that perform exceptionally well in all categories rather than a niche market filled with rich idiots. 

I give up anyway.


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## DaMulta (Nov 14, 2008)

If the card cost 500, and is supposed to be a high level card. Then it performed as a 9500GT would in games, and benching programs. Then the card would score a 1/10, because it would not be in the market they are calming it to be in.

Being rich would be the view point of the person buying the card. Some people would rather buy the top end, and have less problems with PC games. It could be more cost effective for those people options.


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## MKmods (Nov 14, 2008)

imagine comparing it to a 7900GTX (about the same cost before) seems like you get a lot more for your money with the 4870 X2..


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## sneekypeet (Nov 14, 2008)

The issue has been addressed please drop the subject and remain on topic!


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## DaMulta (Nov 14, 2008)

sneekypeet said:


> The issue has been addressed please drop the subject and remain on topic!



I know that this issue has been addressed before in the past. That's why I was explaining it for him; on how it was explained on how products are rated here to all of us.

This will be dropped by me, but at the same time I think we were on the topic at hand.


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## LAN_deRf_HA (Nov 15, 2008)

You know they almost charged $1000 for the Ultra, wonder how he would have reacted to that review. Seems to me that it's normal pricing for the best of the best these days. Let us not forget the debut price of the 280 GTX, and the very large number of people who bought it at that price tag. 

Review conclusions are done relative to what the card is supposed to be. This card is supposed to be the best card available, and for the most part it is. If it was attempting to be a budget midrange card, well that would have resulted in a very different review.


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## wookie666 (Nov 27, 2008)

*high power consumption*



btarunr said:


> The idle power is high because there's no proper 2D clock profile programmed. I agree, you can run two GTX 260 Core 216 cards for this amount of power.



I emailed Palit to ask them why the power consumption was soo high. The reply I got back was that TechPowerUp had been supplied with an engineering sample Revolution 700. The reason for the higher power consumption was because the PowerPlay feature was not optimized in the engineering sample. For the mass production unit, Palit have improved the BIOS setting to optimize the PowerPlay feature.

Hope that helps anyone who was considering to buy the card but was put off by the idle power consumption figures.


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