ATI Radeon HD 5850 news

Buying Guide: Best graphics card under £150: 8 reviewed

By TechRadar, published 27-10-2011

Best graphics card under £150: 8 reviewedGraphics cards are so important - theyproducing the biggest performance variable in a desktop PC.We've capped the pricing at £150.If you only upgrade one component in your PC, make it your graphics card. It's going to have the most dramatic effect to your video playback, gaming frame rates and graphical quality.Before we delve into the group test, there are a few things to mention. If you're sitting on a powerful last-gen GPU, you're faced with quandary: buy another of my existing card for a cheap SLI/CrossFire setup, or start again with a new single GPU.In general, we'd recommend the newer single card, but it does depend on what you've got to work with in your existing rig. Nvidia's GTX 280s have retained their value sickeningly well, yet can't h...

Review: XFX HD 6850

By TechRadar, published 31-08-2011

To be honest we were rather unforgiving of the HD 6850, at launch it was pricing itself almost out of the market. It was going toe-to-toe with Nvidia's 1GB GTX 460 which, at the time, just about had it pipped in performance terms. It was also a little pricier than the GTX 460, coming in around the £160 mark. Again though time has been kind to the HD 6850. The price has dropped a huge amount, indeed AMD recently announced a further price-drop bringing the card down to less than £120, which for a spec like this is a serious bargain. AMD's constant driver updates too have meant that performance has increased over time as well. The Barts Pro GPU core at the heart of the HD 6850 is a reworking of the Cypress Pro that made the HD 5850 such an impressive card back in the day. It doesn't have th...

Buying Guide: Best computer: how to choose the right one

By TechRadar, published 28-07-2011

When buying a new computer, it's easy to become confused by the sheer volume of technical decisions that you'll have to make. You might wonder how much RAM you'll need, for instance, which CPU or which graphics card to pick, what display to look for, which hard drive will be best for you - there are so many issues that it's difficult to know where to begin.There is a simple way to at least begin cutting down the choices on offer, though, and ensure you get the best PC for your needs. And that's to forget about the low-level technical specifications, and fine details like the brand of graphics card just for the moment and instead concentrate on something much more fundamental and important: what you will be expecting your new system to do.So read on to find out how to buy the best computer ...

21 New Rules for Technology: A Maximum Manifesto

By MaximumPC, published 05-12-2011

Four Score and… no, that’s not going to work. We the People of the Geek World, in Order to form a more perfect Desktop… no, that probably won’t work either. The Founding Fathers had it easy. Alas, there’s really no “Geek manifesto” that I can quote from, nor any real historical document that I can pilfer and humorously change, to reflect the modern-day demands of geek consumers. Look, there’s no reason why you should let hardware and software manufacturers dictate terms for how you go about your daily geek life. Whether you’re a hardware hacker or a Best Buy shopper who just wants to get the latest gadgets sans fuss, it’s up to you to demand that all of your technological interactions meet a bare minimum of standards. Why? Doesn’t it make you mad when ...

Review: Sapphire AMD Radeon HD 6670

By TechRadar, published 05-04-2011

We've been getting hot under the GPU-collar for the top end of the graphics market in the last few months, with the release of both AMD's Radeon HD 6990 and Nvidia's GeForce GTX 590 dual-GPU monoliths. But we still love a cheeky, cheap GPU like the AMD Radeon HD 6670.It's all very well talking about £600 graphics cards that need PC cases the size of Andre the Giant to house them, and a mini Arc reactor to keep them powered, but how many of us are actually going to drop a month's wages on such a pixel-pushing behemoth?More likely you're going to be looking at a maximum outlay of around £150-£200. And currently there's a lot of graphics processing power available all the way down the price spectrum too.AMD though has come in, GPUs-blazing, at a sub-£100 price point with its latest Direct...

In Depth: Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion: hybrid chips explained

By TechRadar, published 04-10-2011

We recently reviewed one of AMD's latest Fusion processors as part of the Asus E35M1-M Pro motherboard. Like Intel's recent Sandy Bridge chips, they combine a programmable graphics engine onto the same piece of silicon as the CPU. It's a modern minor miracle in metal. Like the first wave of Intel's CPU/GPU hybrids, these initial Fusion chips from AMD cleverly and cautiously avoid underwhelming us by targeting netbooks, where performance expectations are pretty low. For Intel, it was bolting a rudimentary graphics core onto an Atom to create Pinetrail. AMD's new Bobcat CPU architecture is more forward looking, but by going up against Pinetrail and low-end notebooks, it looks perhaps better than it is. AMD will follow the trail that has been forged here, though. Over the last 12 months, Inte...

In Depth: Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion: hybrid chips explained

By TechRadar, published 04-10-2011

We recently reviewed one of AMD's latest Fusion processors as part of the Asus E35M1-M Pro motherboard. Like Intel's recent Sandy Bridge chips, they combine a programmable graphics engine onto the same piece of silicon as the CPU. It's a modern minor miracle in metal. Like the first wave of Intel's CPU/GPU hybrids, these initial Fusion chips from AMD cleverly and cautiously avoid underwhelming us by targeting netbooks, where performance expectations are pretty low. For Intel, it was bolting a rudimentary graphics core onto an Atom to create Pinetrail. AMD's new Bobcat CPU architecture is more forward looking, but by going up against Pinetrail and low-end notebooks, it looks perhaps better than it is. AMD will follow the trail that has been forged here, though. Over the last 12 months, Inte...

In Depth: Sandy Bridge and AMD Fusion: hybrid chips explained

By TechRadar, published 04-10-2011

We recently reviewed one of AMD's latest Fusion processors as part of the Asus E35M1-M Pro motherboard. Like Intel's recent Sandy Bridge chips, they combine a programmable graphics engine onto the same piece of silicon as the CPU. It's a modern minor miracle in metal. Like the first wave of Intel's CPU/GPU hybrids, these initial Fusion chips from AMD cleverly and cautiously avoid underwhelming us by targeting netbooks, where performance expectations are pretty low. For Intel, it was bolting a rudimentary graphics core onto an Atom to create Pinetrail. AMD's new Bobcat CPU architecture is more forward looking, but by going up against Pinetrail and low-end notebooks, it looks perhaps better than it is. AMD will follow the trail that has been forged here, though. Over the last 12 months, Inte...

Sapphire Relauchces the Radeon 5850 and 5830 At Cut Price!

By DigitalVersus, published 04-07-2011

Sapphire has just obtained an exclusive from AMD to sell the last stocks of the Radeon HD 5850 and HD 5830. They're going at relatively low prices. Sapphire Radeon HD...

Browser Battle 2011: Who Is the New King of the Web?

By MaximumPC, published 24-03-2011

The last time Maximum PC played host to a knock-down, drag-out dogfight for the browser crown, it was predominantly a two way scuffle featuring Mozilla’s spunky Firefox browser, then in version 2.0, versus Microsoft’s revitalized Internet Explorer, which had just been updated to IE7. We ultimately declared Firefox the winner, but that was four years ago, which, in computer years, is an eternity. Boy how things have changed since then, and at the same time, stayed the same. For starters, Internet Explorer still claims the largest share of the browser market. This has been the case for more than a decade now. Firefox, meanwhile, has maintained its rank as the world’s second most used browser and remains a fan favorite among enthusiasts. But there’s also now a third contender vying f...

The Ultimate Antivirus Guide: 10 Top Programs Reviewed

By MaximumPC, published 22-03-2011

Which AV product is up to the task of keeping your PC squeaky clean and immune to malware? In some ways, visiting cyberspace is kind of like entering a crowded subway car during the peak of flu season. You’re surrounded by all sorts of germs—in the form of trojans, spyware, viruses, rootkits, etc.—just looking for a vulnerable host to invade and feed on. Once you’re infected, these pests can wreak havoc on your system, swiping your personal information and passwords, annihilating your credit rating, and stealing your identity. To avoid a potentially virulent attack, you need to take precautions. Wouldn’t it be great if we could ward off both human and computer viruses in one (gooey) swoop? Smart computing habits—like never downloading unexpected email attachments—are your f...

Catch up: this week's most popular posts

By TechRadar, published 19-02-2011

It's been mobile phone mayhem this week with a host of new smartphones being shown off at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.And even though Apple wasn't there to show off a new iPhone, that hasn't stopped more iPhone 5 rumours cropping up.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesRumour: iPhone nano being developed by AppleApple could be developing a budget iPhone in order to ward off competition from Google Android handsets.A prototype version of a smaller, cheaper Apple handset than the iPhone 4 is said to exist, although this is no guarantee such an iPhone will ever make it to market.The mysterious little iPhone is apparently a third smaller than the iPhone 4, with no home button on the front of the handset, which certainly sits well wi...

Across the pond: This week on TechRadar

By MaximumPC, published 18-02-2011

It's been mobile phone mayhem this week on TechRadar with a host of new smartphones being shown off at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And even though Apple wasn't there to show off a new iPhone, that hasn't stopped more iPhone 5 rumours cropping up. Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar… Top five news stories Rumour: iPhone nano being developed by Apple Apple could be developing a budget iPhone in order to ward off competition from Google Android handsets. A prototype version of a smaller, cheaper Apple handset than the iPhone 4 is said to exist, although this is no guarantee such an iPhone will ever make it to market. The mysterious little iPhone is apparently a third smaller than the iPhone 4, with no home button on the front of the handset, which ...

Catch up: this week's most popular posts

By TechRadar, published 02-12-2011

This week, the numbering and naming of future versions of Android got a little confusing as Viewsonic revealed Google's plans for Android 2.4, which involve keeping the Gingerbread name and effectively replacing Android 2.3.And on a more retro tip,we discovered that Sinclair's ZX Spectrum is set to be relaunched to celebrate the classic computer's 30th anniversary.With Mobile World Congress kicking off tomorrow evening, the HTC Desire 2 looks to be one of the handsets that'll be making an appearance.Read on for this week's most popular stories on TechRadar…Top five news storiesAndroid 2.4 to replace 2.3, retain Gingerbread flavour?Viewsonic has revealed Google's plans for Android 2.4, which involve keeping the Gingerbread name and effectively replacing Android 2.3.The American company ha...

AMD vs Nvidia: 10 Videocards Go Head-to-Head

By MaximumPC, published 02-11-2011

A new generation of GPUs from Nvidia and AMD has hit the streets. Both camps are offering incredible performance and the widest array of features ever before seen in graphics cards. But, inevitably, each side brings its own unique strengths and weaknesses. What better way to determine the performance champ than by letting this season’s new crop of cards duke it out in the various price categories? On one side is AMD, the self-proclaimed master of efficiency, looking to hold onto the glory it grabbed when it shipped the original Radeon HD 5870—a surprise contender that knocked former champ Nvidia to the canvas at the time by offering DirectX 11 feature sets at impressive performance levels without requiring a nuclear reactor to power it. On the other side is Nvidia, looking to score a ...

Review: HIS Radeon HD 6850

By TechRadar, published 02-11-2011

Take any card by either manufacturer and benchmark it next to its direct competitor from the other camp and there's at least one very clear conclusion to draw. Nvidia has the grunt, while AMD has the elegance. But another factor soon becomes apparent. When DX11 is added to the mix, AMD's performance doesn't tail off quite so quickly at the higher resolutions, and it's a point the HD 6850 makes very well indeed. This card represents a bit of an odd mixture. It seems to be built specifically to tackle DX11, and yet it still lacks the raw power to contend with its closest competitor in the price-range, the GTX 460 1GB, in DX10 applications. And of course, in DX11 games it outperforms the card it was designed to replace: AMD's own HD 5850. What's odd is that the HD 5850 hasn't dropped in price...