We've been on the lookout for an HD Radeon 4850 here at COMPUTEX ever since GIGABYTE hinted at AMD and NVIDIA's next-gen graphics cards.

Fortunately for us, part of that search came to an end today when we had our hands on this:

Yep, that's AMD's forthcoming mid-range GPU, the Radeon HD 4850. It's a single-slot design, and it doesn't look all too dissimilar from the current 3800-series. Our sources state that AMD aren't allowing its partners to adjust the reference design at launch. If indeed that is the case, every Radeon HD 4850 will initially look like the above, with the various partner-provided derivatives arriving later on.

The card provides 512MiB of GDDR3 memory and features dual DVI-I outputs. Unfortunately, GIGABYTE weren't willing to cough-up any further details, despite showing the card. Nonetheless, there's support for CrossFire X and our favourite feature is undoubtedly the sticker that says "FAST".

AMD HD 4850 – RV770 GPU die shot

Never, ever leave a bit-tech person in reach of a screwdriver and an unattended next generation graphics card; otherwise this happens. People, there’s your RV770 core, the eight Qimonda memory chip layout and general red PCB goodness

HD 4850: New results and price revelation

Shortly before the middle of this month RV770 for the first time the public light of day, are in the network performance further details. A few days ago there was a message that AMD's Radeon HD 4850 at least ten percent faster than a 9800 GTX renders, but now are more results appeared that the small RV770 in 3DMark06 just nine percent faster than one expects 8800 GT and in 3DMark Vantage only equal to the 9800 GTX is - that we already suspected as the first comparison of the chip clock HD 4850 of 625 to 700 MHz greatly increased.

In 3DMark06 reached the HD 4850, according to "Fudzilla" a score of 11,760, while the Nvidia card compared to 10,800 3DMarks came - two values that only by a factor of 1088 separately. At this point not tested 9800 GTX would probably come around 12,500 points.
Similarly, results in the colleagues of "ITOCP" emerged that the HD 4850 P5847 points in 3DMark Vantage has achieved. At the same system, a 9800 GTX P5816 points obtained. So far so good: It is interesting, however, that the X-mode, in 1920x1200 instead of 1280x1024 and there is also the default 4-times anti-aliasing and 16 times anisotropische filtering active, the score against a 9800 GTX with points instead X2609 X2104 points, 24 percent higher.

We want the results to this point without first stand, while a second time to point out that the card currently from 156 euros in neighbouring abroad. Maybe it is the one or the other led the graphics card purchase a few weeks to relocate to the rear.
Whether the favorable sales price of RV770 are also several recent discussions in forums ignites. How can the ATI chip only so cheap?

In general play in the costs of chip production two factors besondoers a decisive role: the one the chip surface and the yield rate. While the latter logically nothing is known - and sometimes this is also herstellereigenes secret - are now available information on the chip surface of the RV770. This will be with 256 mm ² to the very small RV670 (192 mm ²) only 33 percent higher and thus, for example, still below the values of the Nvidia G92 chips, which covers an area of approximately 330 mm ² to be united.

Thus, a RV770 chip theoretically - starting by themselves yield rate - about 30 percent cheaper to produce than a G92 and certainly as a GT200, with 576 mm ² more than twice as large. With this comparison shows that any hopes of RV770 can only begin the GT200 the water rich, are wrong - even the dual RV770 (R700) is, according to Computer Base "only a narrow lead against the GTX series win and even this seems questionable. It looks rather then, as if AMD will have a chip, more powerful than the G92 and will be significantly cheaper to produce. By G92b (55 nm) is still Nvidia counter this summer, the chip should be similar size as the RV770. The question remains whether the performance in regions of an HD 4870 will - without their own GDDR5 memory should be a heavy task.

HD 4870 RV770XT card exposed

candle_86dont be so sure, if the G260GTX is faster than the 4870 then AMD lost again

In 3DMark06 reached the HD 4850, according to "Fudzilla" a score of 11,760, while the Nvidia card compared to 10,800 3DMarks came - two values that only by a factor of 1088 separately. At this point not tested 9800 GTX would probably come around 12,500 points.
Similarly, results in the colleagues of "ITOCP" emerged that the HD 4850 P5847 points in 3DMark Vantage has achieved. At the same system, a 9800 GTX P5816 points obtained. So far so good: It is interesting, however, that the X-mode, in 1920x1200 instead of 1280x1024 and there is also the default 4-times anti-aliasing and 16 times anisotropische filtering active, the score against a 9800 GTX with points instead X2609 X2104 points, 24 percent higher.