Powercolor HD3850 Extreme PCS - AMD 3850 Performance explored
The Card
Published: 15th November 2007 | Source: Powercolor | Price: £135 |
Powercolor have gone for a non-standard cooling solution on this card and it looks pretty effective. Rather similar to Zalman coolers, the ZEROtherm solution is a looped heatpipe cooler made of aluminium with fins aerating from a central copper base. The fan in the centre looks a little bizarre, but seems to do the job.
As usual for an ATI card, the 3850 is built around a nice bright red PCB. In comparison to a lot of Nvidia cards we've seen recently, there's actually very little on the PCB. You'll also notice that the memory is uncovered with no cooling at all on it. I'm not sure if this is a money saving exercise or simply due to the fact that the Samsung K4j52324qe 1.8v 1.0ns memory modules that Powercolor ran with should use a little less power than your average GDDR3.
The card uses a single PCI-e power dongle in keeping with what seems to be a good response to demand on keeping the power consumption of cards low.
We can see a little more of the cooler design if we switch angles.
Again the cooler looks striking.
Here is where it gets a little more interesting. HDMI, Dual Link DVI and S-Video make up the connectors onboard. This is great and leaves the option for an HDTV with HDMI and HDCP to be connected natively using the HDMI interface.
The Cooler
So we've seen the card and heard me rattle on about HDMI, HDCP, HDTV and DVI, but what's that rather nice cooler actually like?
The Cooler
So we've seen the card and heard me rattle on about HDMI, HDCP, HDTV and DVI, but what's that rather nice cooler actually like?
Temperature sits around 34°C at idle and a chilly 49°C fully loaded with RTHDRIBL. Reporting to use the 55nm process, the HD3850 won't be filling your case with heat at all.
Sound-wise, the HD3850 is whisper quiet. At full load there's a small whizz of air with that odd looking fan spinning it's heart out, but certainly not noticeable above the noise of an average-to quiet system.
Sound-wise, the HD3850 is whisper quiet. At full load there's a small whizz of air with that odd looking fan spinning it's heart out, but certainly not noticeable above the noise of an average-to quiet system.
As you can see by some gratuitous nekked shots above, the cooler has just the right amount of thermal paste. In fact it was such a good amount that my reseating with AS5 gave a slight rise in temperature.
I don't think you can actually tell from the photo above, but the surface of the cooler is very flat and mirror-like in appearance, excellent work from Powercolor.
Most Recent Comments
Nice review Kemp. Performance was a little underwhelming but it all depends on the price point really. I think on the first page hard should be harm.
Cheers mate. Performance was pretty damn good if you ask me, £135 for a card that nearly performs as well as an 8800GT?
Nice review there, I really thought I would have to be canceling my 8800gt order! But not quite. I've never had an Ati card, but I take it the price will be around £130 and up for pre oc'ed cards. Is the powercolor a reasonably middle of the road brand for Ati?
The cooler looks pretty decent, found a link to manufactures of them:
http://www.zerotherm.net/eng/product/GX815.asp
Nice one
The cooler looks pretty decent, found a link to manufactures of them:
http://www.zerotherm.net/eng/product/GX815.asp
Nice one
looks awsome
performs medeocre - reasonable
not bad i guess
performs medeocre - reasonable
not bad i guess
ATI are back in the game, well sort of. I wonder when places will get them in stock.
For a stock clocked 8800gt you can get it for 250 at zipzoomfly.com right now its out of stock but if anything its less. I do love the fact that ati is cutting down on power consumtion and higher temps.
Review a 3870? CF?
Review was decent though
Review was decent though
Yep they will be forthcoming, didn't get a 3870 initially but I'll be sure to get one in soon
For £139 in the UK and $140 in the US it's a bargain card that performs almost as well as an 8800GT.
For £139 in the UK and $140 in the US it's a bargain card that performs almost as well as an 8800GT.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by name='Kempez'
Yep they will be forthcoming, didn't get a 3870 initially but I'll be sure to get one in soon
For £139 in the UK and $140 in the US it's a bargain card that performs almost as well as an 8800GT. |
I love the direct conversion from $ to £... Import ftw!
Tried not to bump too old a thread, but I`ve just noticed that PowerColor/Radeon/Sapphire are making an AGP 8x of the 3850.
Interesting for those holding onto 939 boards with their teeth.
Gotta get some decent results from that.
Interesting for those holding onto 939 boards with their teeth.
Gotta get some decent results from that.
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