HIS Radeon 6850 1GB Graphics Card

Conclusion
From our benchmarking tests, the card has performed very well for a reference speed offering in comparison to the overclocked GTX460 from nVidia. Put into CrossFire, the 6850s results are double that of a single card setup. More for the single card setup, the card is ever so slightly behind the overclocked GTX 460s but with a little overclock, I expect it will put itself back in front. This is consistent throughout the tests, although the Cyberlink MediaEspresso 6 test did prove to be a bit inconclusive with mixed results.

Given the results from our benchmark tests, I’d say that this cards closest rival from nVidia is the GTX460. The main drawback that I can see with this card is that it will only support a 2-way CrossFire setup rather than a 3 or 4-way (due to only one connector), however, even a 2-way setup is more than ample to deal with the needs of mid to high end gamers and this I feel is reflected in the price.

Unlike some other cards though, especailly AMD’s reference 6850, the fan on this one is a little bit noisier under load – not massively – but enough for you to notice.

That minor point aside, this card is well made, spec’d & priced and coming from HIS you know that it’s going to be reliable as well – which is the least you would expect when you’re parting with around one hundred and sixty of your hard earned pounds.

Unboxing Video:

Video Review:

Pros:

• Well known maufacturer
• Premium online customer support
• Latest in AMD graphics technology
• Good bang per buck
• Variation of connectivity options for displays
• EyeFinity supports up to 6 displays

Cons:

• Lack of support for 3 and 4-way CrossFire
• Cooler can be quite noisy

Ratings:

• Design – 8
• Features – 8
• Performance – 9
• Value – 9
• Overall – 8