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Stylish boxes have always been a strength of XFX and this one proves no different. An excellent, futuristic design.
It is not often a company bundles a flyer for their PSU range (in conjunction with Seasonic) with a graphics card, but XFX are keen to make customers aware of their Pro Series range, which we have reviewed in the past on KitGuru. Read the testing here: XFX PRO 650W, Pro 750W and Pro 850W.
We received one of the first XFX HD6850's off the production line so there are no games bundled, however XFX told us that they are supplying Alien V Predator with this bundle. Our bundle was all literature based, with a ‘Do Not Disturb' sign to hang over your door.
The XFX card is finished in a striking black design with a bright pink fan. I have always been a sucker for a black PCB.
The fan is a 9 blade design and is larger than the AMD reference model, which is always good to see. Interestingly, while we are used to seeing ‘warranty void' stickers on power supply screws to stop people tampering, this is the first time we have spotted them on the backplate of a GFX cooler (above left).
The shroud on the card is attractively designed with the name and branding of the product on the sides. This cover has holes all around it which certainly makes the product stand out.
The XFX HD6850 adheres to the AMD reference design with support for 2x mini DP (1.2), HDMI 1.4a, and 2x DL-DVI and SL-DVI connectors. It requires a single 6 pin power connector to operate. We like the fact that this card will expel hot air out the back of the chassis. Also good to notice little touches, such as the XFX name ‘cut' into the backplate, and cooling vents next to the power socket.
The cooler itself is a circular design, a copper and aluminum hybrid design to ensure good cooling characteristics. It reminded us of a Zalman design, although we aren't sure who made it for XFX.
Above, the naked card and a close up of the core and memory chips. These are Hynix H5GQ1H24AFR and we have seen them on many AMD cards in the past.
Above, the XFX HD6850 specifications, which are reference clocks at 775mhz core and 1000mhz (4000mhz effective) on the memory. The image on the right shows two of them running in Crossfire X.
These look the nicest boards, love that cooler design. performance is great from the 6850. seems to be the better overclocker of the two series.
Wow nvidia just got owned again. although the gtx460 is still competitive, I like these better, power consumption rocks.
Excellent value for money, see it on Scan for 133.
HD6850 seems the massively scalable of the two, those overclocks are fantastic.
I ilke the way they have copied the look of the black edition 4GB 5970.
These look beautiful. what a classy looking design.
What a great price, less than two 5770s for 30% moer performance.
Great cards, shame about the lack of OC tool, I wonder will sapphire make this available on their site for everyone to use?
Great article, very informative
this new range is impressive. good power consumption
Looking forward to the high end cards if this is a sign !
cant wait to see the 6970 next year
the price is brilliant, crossfirex here I come. any ideas who has them to buy ?
A nice card indeed. At the moment I have a HD4870, but I’m thinking of upgrading. The price of the GTX460 also lowered quit significantly to like 140 EUR, so I’m still in doubt. HD6850 is slightly above that price, but I have a Crosshair 4 Formula. It would be nice to run Crossfire like in the review.
@ Zardon
btw Zardon, is your first name ‘Allan’? Since I think I’ve seen you before on another website 😛
XFX cards have been fixed with 1120 cores instead of 960 which is stated which means that these results are unacceptable and you wont get this perforamce out of the 6850s. WTF
These are 960. GPUz screenshot in the review.
oh yeah rofl sorry. that means the 6850 cf and 460 sli are in dead heat wow!
Great review guys. The scalling is awesome.
I did the calcutlations and the stock 460 sli beats the 6850 cf by 4.8% and metro and mafia which the 6850s beat the 460s support physx which makes it more complicated favorign teh 460s. The 460s are better performers but the 6850s are still very competetive and eats less power and new drivers would increase performance so…. its still a war. Great review
not including 3dmark vantage bcse its not a game and it fluctautes
sry 4.8 frames not 4.8 % lol