In the search for a decent video card in the initial game class, many buyers focus on value in the first place. Therefore, the world famous AMD company made a good gift to all its fans by presenting them with a graphics accelerator at an affordable price.
The focus of the article is the HD 5770 video adapter. Features, photos and owner reviews will allow the reader to find out all the necessary information about an interesting representative of the initial game class. And the recommendations of experts and testing conducted by enthusiasts will provide an opportunity to evaluate firsthand the performance of new items.
Features of the new chip
The media has a lot of negative reviews from users who believe that the previous generation HD4890 gaming graphics accelerator was used to produce a new video adapter based on the AMD Radeon HD 5770 chip. If we compare the technical characteristics, similarities are present both in the frequency of the core and in the number of physical elements.
However, technology, software, and the physical data of the core itself are at stake. Hypothetically, a manufacturer would not be able to use an obsolete crystal as the basis for a new video card. And the similarity of the parameters is simply explained - a successful configuration showed excellent performance results, and they decided to repeat this with the new chip at AMD.
Basic specifications
The fact that the ATI Radeon HD 5770 belongs to the lower boundary of the gaming segment is evidenced by the clock frequency of the graphics core, which does not go beyond the psychological barrier of 1 GHz and is only 850 MHz. True, this indicator is fictitious for many users, because the chip accelerates perfectly. But more on that later. As for the other technical characteristics, then everything is simple:
- 800 stream processors;
- 40 texture units and 16 ROP elements;
- 128-bit bus with GDDR5 memory;
- The full amount of video memory is 1024 MB.
Yes, the weak link in the device of the initial game class is the video memory bandwidth, which equals 76.8 gigabytes per second. No overclocking of the graphic core can improve this indicator, because the 128-bit bus spoils the general picture of the chip.
The software part of the device
The advantages of the AMD Radeon HD 5770 graphics accelerator include support for the DirecrX 11 libraries. This parameter allows the video card owner to run almost all modern games on his computer. Do not forget about the new ATI Stream technology, which ATI has recently implemented in all of its gaming solutions. The user has a great opportunity to use the graphics core of the video adapter for the needs of the computer (analog of CUDA from Nvidia). True, for the implementation of the project you will need to purchase the SimHD program.
Continuing to develop the topic of technology, it is worth mentioning the energy-saving mode, which is able to put the graphics core into sleep mode (power consumption is reduced from 100 to 20 watts). It’s also useful for the user to know about Turbo mode, which automatically accelerates a video card under heavy loads. As practice shows, the performance gain is small (2-3%), but it is quite enough for most games where there are rare drops in frame rate at optimal quality settings.
Gaming device class
Users are already able to navigate the market of computer components and at first glance they will be able to distinguish a game video adapter from a representative of a budget class. The Radeon HD 5770 graphics card is full-sized and claims to be two slots in the system unit. The cooling system, which is made in the form of a huge radiator with a protective casing and a turbofan, located at the base of the printed circuit board, also hints at the gamer properties of the adapter.
Will please future owners and a set of connectors, which are equipped with a graphics accelerator. The manufacturer installed two DVI video outputs and equipped the board with HDMI and DisplayPort interfaces. But to connect analog devices, you will need a special adapter (DVI-VGA), which the buyer can always find complete with the device.
PCB Features
Unlike video adapters of an expensive game class, whose crystal area is 282 mm 2 , the HD 5770 video card is equipped with a conventional graphics accelerator, which has an effective area of 170 mm 2 . It is this indicator that causes doubts among potential buyers regarding the gaming properties of the video adapter.
As for the factory wiring, everything here is much more interesting than that of budget representatives of the market. The memory modules are installed around the graphics accelerator and are completely covered by its cooling system, made in the form of a copper core. The manufacturer assembled the batteries in one unit and placed them in the back of the video card, as it is implemented in more expensive devices.
The graphics core of the video adapter has a textolite frame and is protected from chips. And all overclocking fans will surely like the installed memory modules , because the manufacturer used Hynix chips, designed for efficient operation at 5 GHz.
Video Game Potential
Many potential buyers are trying to pick up the processor characteristics for the Radeon HD 5770 graphics accelerator, focusing on the test stands that are used by enthusiasts. The approach is wrong, so the manufacturer took this task into its own control and provided the world with its own requirements for computer components that can most effectively reveal the full potential of this video adapter.
AMD recommends using only dual-core A4 series processors operating at a frequency of 3000 MHz and higher for its graphics accelerator. As for RAM, to run all the resource-intensive games supported by the video card, a volume of 8 gigabytes will be enough. In their reviews, many owners note that of the Intel processors, the potential of a video adapter is able to reveal any dual-core crystal with a frequency above 3 GHz.
Mobile platform
An interesting chip HD 5770 from the initial gaming class did not go unnoticed by laptop manufacturers. Almost all Asian brands are interested in an inexpensive solution, however, to install a graphics accelerator in mobile devices, manufacturers had to globally change the specifications of the video adapter.
The core clock frequency was lowered to 650 MHz, and the memory became slower by almost 20%. As practice shows, manufacturers at this step pushed the need for a gaming video card in electricity. As a result of all the modifications, the graphics accelerator has become less demanding on resources - only 30 watts are needed for the chip to work at maximum performance settings.
It is easy to guess that the overall performance of the game adapter has decreased in proportion to power consumption, but it is too early for customers to get upset. The fact is that many laptops along with the Radeon HD 5770 chip equip the mobile device with a similar integrated solution. As a result, the user gets a full CrossFire system with two entry-level gaming video cards.
Hot sale
All users know that the manufacturer AMD does not provide retail graphics accelerators, providing this opportunity to other manufacturers of computer components. The Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 video adapter is recognized as the best purchase in the domestic market.
The most interesting thing is that neither the technical characteristics nor the rich equipment affected the choice of the future owner. As practice shows, the fault was the bonus that the manufacturer granted its fans - a license for the game DIRT 2, which at the time of the presentation of the graphics accelerator had just appeared on the US market.
The legendary ATI product line
Not all users know that there are a huge number of modifications of the Sapphire HD 5770 graphics accelerator on the world market. A well-known manufacturer simply occupied all the empty niches with its products, eliminating all other competitors. Naturally, all models differ among themselves not only in technical characteristics, but also in appearance. Therefore, it is not surprising that every second owner of a video card based on the Radeon HD 5770 chip praises the Sapphire brand.
In addition to the differences, there are similarities between all products of a well-known manufacturer, which are more related to the configuration of devices. In the box, in addition to the licensed game and the video adapter itself, the user will find complete instructions, driver disks, many adapters for connecting video devices and connecting power. Also in each box there is a company sticker of Sapphire, which is recommended to be placed on the body of the system unit.
Hidden Sales Leader Opportunities
The Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 is an interesting device. The fact is that on the basis of one printed circuit board, the manufacturer managed to make several completely different devices. Naturally, many buyers have a question about the advisability of acquiring the most expensive copies of this graphics accelerator. After all, all the components of a video card are no different from cheap products.
Yes, it's all about the cooling system, which allowed Sapphire technologists to overclock the HD 5770 chip in the factory, the characteristics of which needed to be improved. As practice shows, along with the GPU, memory modules are also subject to heating, on which it is necessary to install an additional cooling circuit if overclocking is supposed.
Overclocking potential
Having decent air cooling, the ATI Radeon HD 5770, under the Sapphire logo, nevertheless reaches a psychological barrier of 1 GHz, however, it demonstrates unstable work in testing, so experts recommend limiting the core frequency to 960 MHz in their reviews. As an evidence base for poor-quality work at high frequencies, many enthusiasts attach to their tests photos of burnt-out video cards that work at an increased frequency.
But with memory chips, things are easier. The modules themselves are designed to operate at a frequency of 5000 MHz, so it is not difficult to overclock the video adapter to these indicators. But the rest of the potential directly depends on decent heat dissipation. Experts recommend limiting the frequency to 5600 MHz. It is on this indicator that the graphics accelerator is able to demonstrate stable operation.
Legend Game Potential
Fans of the most popular game in the world of World of Tanks should definitely not worry. The Radeon HD 5770 video adapter at maximum quality settings, with the support of a dual-core processor, is capable of demonstrating 60-70 FPS. But with other demanding games that use DirectX version 11, there are often problems.
Loved by many users, the Crysis 2 game on average settings shows about 30 frames per second. This is a low indicator, especially considering the fact that a new version of the toy has appeared on the market. But the games DIRT 2 and GTA 5 show the owner that the graphics accelerator still has potential - 60 FPS on average settings, this is a worthy indicator.
The HD 5770 performs well in all applications created for DirectX 10 libraries. So, with FarCry2, Resident Evel 5 and Need for Speed, there were no problems during the testing process. But you just have to download a modern toy that requires DirectX 11 to work properly, immediately the video card demonstrates low performance.
Analogs on the market
Interesting products based on the AMD HD 5770 chip include graphics accelerators under the ASUS logo. A well-known Taiwanese manufacturer drew attention to a new product and introduced the world its own solution. True, many experts did not like one moment - in the laboratories of the company, the technologists changed only the cooling system, and the motherboard was left in the factory version.
It is this fact that has generated a lot of rumors about the ideality of the video adapter, which even well-known manufacturers do not want to improve, since it is a finished product. It is not clear why in the tests ASUS graphics accelerators are far behind their counterparts created on the basis of the HD 5770 chip.
The products of HIS, MSI, Gigabyte and many other well-known manufacturers of computer components in the world market were subjected to similar censure.
Problems and their solution
A potential buyer should pay attention to the fact that AMD, carried away by the promotion of new products, constantly forgets about outdated modifications. This attitude affects the creation of drivers for updated Windows operating systems. The ATI HD 5770 chip was no exception. The 5xxx series is not supported by the new Windows 10 system. At the hardware level, the controller is defined as a compatible AMD HD video device. The situation can be corrected by installing original drivers from a disk designed for the Vista platform.
Overclockers need to be alert too. The fact is that, unlike Nvidia products, in ATI video cards, parameters for overclocking the graphics accelerator and memory modules are written to BIOS devices. If the video adapter overheats and fails, the user will not be able to hand over the accelerator for repair under warranty. In fact, this is a one-way ticket - an unsuccessful overclocking will destroy the video card.
Finally
This is not to say that the HD 5770 chip is recognized as the best purchase on the market for entry-level gaming devices. It is rather a worthy choice in terms of price-quality ratio between devices of the budget segment and the gaming class. This is the middle class for users who do not have enough finance to purchase products from a more expensive line.
Also, the video card is suitable for those buyers who prefer to spend time on non-resource-intensive games, which require the old version of DirectX 9 or 10 to run. All tankers, aircraft pilots, ship commanders and fast car racing enthusiasts fall into this category. But with the first-person 3D shooters, this graphics accelerator will have problems at high and medium settings, so it is recommended that the potential buyer review their requirements for computer components and increase the budget for a decent video card.