The success of the RV770 graphics processor (GPU) meant that partners of ATI could experiment with the design and come up with several products based on the GPU. The likes of Sapphire, HIS, PowerCOlor, Palit, HIS, etc., have already come up with numerrous non-reference designs, though all those designs had a common ATI designed PCB, with a primary PCB design with common layout of the various components, where the memory configurations and coolers used made all the difference. Sapphire has come up with a new non-reference PCB design for the Radeon HD 4850 that places components in a different way, perhaps it aides manufacturing and keeps the memory chips at a distance from the VRM circuitry enough to keep it cool enough to be passively cooled by a central cooler's air-flow? Whatever be the design methodology, Expreview pictured an upcoming Sapphire product based on this new PCB.As the pictures show, the VRM circuitry has been pushed forward, towards the output connectors and Crossfire X fingers. The MOSFETs are cooled by an aluminum heatsink. There is a 2-phase power circuit for the RV770 GPU. The RV770 GPU is pushed towards the right hand side, with the memory chips on the south and west of the GPU. There is no heat-producing component next to the memory chips except the GPU on one side, the right-hand-side end only has the 6-pin power input, three capacitors and a choke with two MOSFETs.

The card uses a circular heatsink with a copper core, the cooler consists of a central copper-embedded core with aluminum fins projecting radially.