- home
- reviews
- news
- downloads
- cnet tv
On MovieTome: See the villain of IRON MAN 2!
- log in
- join CNET
- welcome,
- my profile
- log out

ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 comparison

Add to my list
Print
E-mail
Share

Features
Remove from comparison	Remove	Remove	Remove	Remove	Remove
Product name	ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2	Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 (PCI-e 2.0, 2GB, GDDR3)	Nvidia GeForce GTX 295	EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked	eVGA e-GeForce 9800GTX+ Superclocked - graphics adapter - GF 9800 GTX+ - 512 MB
Price	Check Prices	$236.60 to $244.99	Check Prices	$199.99 to $245.99	Check Prices
CNET editors' rating	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)	4.0 stars Overall score: 8.0 (4.0 stars)	4.5 stars Overall score: 9.0 (4.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)	3.5 stars Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
Average user rating
Release date	January 28, 2008	November 08, 2008	January 09, 2009	September 22, 2008	July 01, 2008
The Bottom Line	The 3D graphics card market changes too rapidly for us to get bullish about a card with premature driver software. The ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2 shows promise, even outscoring Nvidia on many PC games, but we would still wait until AMD works out the kinks before handing over your $450.	Even if it's a relative power hog, the Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 brings so much speed and utility to the table it's hard for us to recommend another midrange 3D card. Only the particularly power conscious or those who play games with known multichip scaling issues should look elsewhere.	Nvidia's GeForce GTX 295 is the single fastest 3D card on the market, and for a relatively aggressive price. Added bonuses like power efficiency and PhysX support sweeten the deal, but even without those extra benefits, we'd still recommend this card for its processing power and comparative value.	We don't think most gamers shopping for a midrange 3D card are looking for power efficiency, but for those conscientious few, the EVGA GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked is the card for you. Otherwise, you can get noticeably more performance and capability from an only slightly more expensive ATI card.	EVGA's GeForce GTX 9800+ Superclocked edition has basically the same price-performance benefit as its Radeon HD 4850-based graphics card competition. With identical bang-for-the-buck, you'll like this card if you demand power efficiency, but you should turn to ATI's card if your PC has limited upgrade room.
Similar Products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products	Compare more products
Max resolution (external)	2560 x 1600	2560 x 1600	2560 x 1600	2560 x 1600	2560 x 1600
Video RAM installed	2 GB	2 GB	1792 MB	896 MB	512 MB
Interface type	PCI Express x16	PCI Express 2.0 x16	PCI Express 2.0 x16	PCI Express 2.0 x16	PCI Express 2.0 x16
API Supported	DirectX 10.1 Shader Model 4.1 Open GL 2.0	OpenGL 2.0 DirectX 10.1	DirectX 10 OpenGL 2.1	DirectX 10 OpenGL 2.1 OpenGL 3.0	DirectX 10 OpenGL 2.1
Video interface(s) provided	Dual-Link DVI	DVI-I HDMI HDTV output	DVI-I (dual link) HDMI	DVI-I (dual link) HDTV output VGA	DVI-I (dual link) HDTV output VGA
Graphics Processor	ATI Radeon HD 3870 X2	ATI Radeon HD 4850	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295	NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260	NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GTX+
Max monitors supported	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	Info unavailable	2
Compatibility	PC	PC	PC	PC	PC
Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications	Full specifications
Buying choices	Click here to see this card from ATI's partners.	Amazon.com $244.99 In stock: See Site Newegg.com $239.99 In stock: Yes Amazon.com Marketplace $236.60 In stock: Yes Prices from 3 CNET Certified stores	Reference product review See products in this family starting at: $475	Amazon.com $199.99 In stock: Backorder Newegg.com $199.99 In stock: Yes Amazon.com Marketplace $218.18 In stock: Yes Prices from 4 CNET Certified stores	E-mail me when this product is available
Remove from comparison	Remove	Remove	Remove	Remove	Remove