The gaming industry is demanding more and more power from computers. And most of all performance is required from a video card. For a gaming PC, this component is critical. However, not everyone can afford modern solutions. But it doesn’t matter. Some old maps can still do a lot. And one of them is the AMD 5850 HD. This card was released in 2010. For such a period of time (8 years) a huge number of reference models and modifications have been released. And if the former are no different from the original (except for stickers with a different brand), then the latter may contain very significant changes. Let's take a closer look at them. But first, a few words about the chip manufacturer.
A little bit about the company
AMD is one of the oldest companies in the world of digital technology. It was founded already in 1969. And everything was fine with her until a decade later, a deadly enemy appeared - Intel. Now the two companies are trying to divide the spheres of influence, but Intel has been doing better in this area for many years. However, after a series of noisy lawsuits initiated by AMD in connection with the bribing of Intel notebook manufacturers, the chances were equal. By the way, it was officially proved that bribery on the part of Intel did exist. Also, the company Intel recently experienced an incredible tragedy: its processors were recognized as "leaky" and open to hacker attacks. And this is AMD's finest hour. In 2006, the brand began the process of merging with the manufacturer of graphic solutions ATI. And now the company pleases users with high-quality and inexpensive graphics cards, which include the HD 5850.
If with processors everything is more or less clear, then with graphics adapters the situation is completely different. AMD has been trying for years to overtake NVidia in the graphics card market. But so far it does not work out. Although the “red” brand is already breathing in the back of the head “green”. The video cards of the Radeon series may well compete with similar green products. And this despite the fact that they cost much less. Those who do not pursue performance and status brand, certainly choose a product from AMD. For example, Radeon HD 5850. We’ll talk about the technical characteristics of this wonderful video card now.
Specifications
Now let's move on to the boring numbers and consider the main characteristics of the HD 5850. It is worth mentioning right away that this video card has several options: a classic discrete adapter for PC and a mobile solution for laptops. For now, consider a full-sized graphics card. This adapter is made on an RV870 chip. And he, in turn, on the 40-nm process technology. This means that its performance is much higher than previous versions of the series. The core clock speed is 725 megahertz. The clock frequency of the memory bus is 1000 megahertz (working). But under certain conditions, the memory can work at a frequency of 4000 megahertz. And these are completely different results in synthetic tests and games. The amount of internal memory is 1 gigabyte. The video card supports DirectX version 11 and OpenGL 3.1. These are excellent indicators. Now we can say with accuracy that this graphic solution is relevant in our time.
Features
The Radeon HD 5850 1GB has one "chip", which was not a single graphics adapter of the time. Namely - support for proprietary Eyefinity technology. What it is? This option makes it possible to connect six monitors to the video card at once. And they will all work as expected. Of course, two monitors could be connected at Nvidia, but six at once ... It's really cool. What can we say about such a trifle as the SLI connector and CrossFire support. This option is available in almost every modern graphics card. Also very interesting is the cooling system in the original model. It is a rather large radiator, which is located directly on the board. Heat is removed from the chip using very thick copper tubes. A high-speed turbine is used as a cooler.
mobile version
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5850 is installed in mid-range notebooks. Why so? Because laptops with a discrete graphics adapter no longer belong to budget devices, but are not yet top-end. This is a confident "average". To install such a video card in a laptop, it is necessary that the processor also be from AMD. Only then will it be possible to achieve full compatibility and high performance. It should be noted that the mobile version of the video card is slightly weaker than the full one. The amount of internal memory is exactly the same - 1 gigabyte. But the frequencies are not at all the same. This is due to the fact that laptops have very little free space. Therefore, it is not possible to place a chip of a normal size there. Naturally, there are fewer active crystals and nuclei. Accordingly, performance is also decreasing. Nevertheless, the HD 5850 Mobility is often installed in laptops from ASUS. Yes, and some other manufacturers do this. But the vast majority of companies in their laptops use a bunch of Intel plus NVidia. It is much more productive than AMD plus ATI.
Modifications and reference cards
At the moment, released a huge number of modifications HD 5850. Their characteristics are sometimes very different from the original. Only reference models that are created in the image and likeness of the original do not differ in parameters. Of the unusual in them, only a label on the case from another manufacturer. But modifications based on the chipset from AMD can be very interesting. Let's look at some of the most popular models.
ASUS EAH5850 DirectCU
This video card is a real work of art. Although based on the Radeon HD 5850. Its characteristics are such that it easily bypasses even more modern options from NVidia. In this version, the guys from Asus reworked everything they could. The video card is sold already overclocked. The core and memory bus frequencies are an order of magnitude higher than the standard ones. But that's not all. This adapter provides for the possibility of additional software overclocking, which makes it even more productive. Naturally, such power required an excellent cooling system. And she is. Recycled CO from Asus is enough to cool the video card, even taking into account possible overclocking. It is also worth noting that there is nothing left of the original AMD product in this adapter. With the exception of the chip. Of course, the Asus video card is much more expensive than the analog from AMD. But there is something to overpay for.
HIS HD 5850 iCooler V
Another card from the manufacturer of modifications. This company is not as famous as Asus, but it also has its own mod, HD 5850. And it is practically in no way inferior to the masterpiece from Asus. And the cooling system of this product is even better. And iCooler in the title directly points to this. This video card has a huge heatsink, covered by a cooler and a plastic casing. The location of the plates on the radiator is such that copper tubes are not needed at all. He has full contact with the chipset and all components. This improves the quality of the heat sink. A powerful cooler easily blows warm air out of the radiator. As for the technical characteristics, they are almost the same as the modifications from Asus. The difference is only in price. A video card from His is much cheaper than an adapter from recognized masters of the genre. This video card also has nothing to do with the original from AMD. With the exception of the chipset.
MSI R5850 Twin Frozr II
This modification of the HD 5850 boasts only an improved cooling system. True, this very system changed the appearance of the video card beyond recognition. But there is nothing more interesting in the adapter. The possibility of overclocking is not even provided. But in the products from "Asus" and "His" it is available. The specifications of this model are exactly the same as the original. There are no changes in this regard. That is why this video card is much cheaper than all of the above. But it is in steady demand among gamers precisely because of its unique cooling system. This allows you to safely load it with the heaviest toys. The cooler resource is enough to remove any amount of heat from the chipset and other vital card elements. You can buy it for frank pennies.
PowerColor PCS + HD5850 1GB
This card is interesting in that it does not resemble the original as much as possible. And even not one of the modifications. However, a unique design and an improved cooling system is not all. This card has factory overclocking. That is, she is already at the start an order of magnitude more powerful than all her classmates. But that is not all. This graphics adapter provides for the possibility of independent overclocking. Such a video card will honor an extremely experienced gamer. Moreover, its cost will not force to run and sell a kidney. What is very common in products from "NVidia". PowerColor graphics cards are traditionally considered budget products. However, in terms of technical characteristics, they are more likely to belong to the middle price segment. We can say that this video card has the best value for money. However, you should not expect a lot from this adapter. Still, this is not a top map. But it is relevant to this day.
Conclusion
So, we reviewed the AMD HD 5850 graphics card. This is a great option for both that year of release. This adapter was launched in 2010. In eight years, much has changed. But even in our time, this video card is relevant. And if we talk about all kinds of modifications and reference models, then they are generally able to plug many modern entry-level models into the belt. Modified models HD 5850 are characterized by improved technical characteristics, increased core frequencies and memory buses. Also, these "monsters" have a very cool cooling system. During overclocking, this is especially important, since the heat transfer of the chipset increases. And heat needs to be put somewhere. In general, cards based on the HD 5850 chipset are quite able to please gamers so far. And they will not make a perceptible gap in the family budget, since they are already outdated and open pennies. In any case, if you need a video card "for the first time", then this "Radeon" will do just fine. And there will be no problems with the drivers. So go ahead!