HD4870 512MB - MSI R4870 and R4870 OC review

Page 2 - Packaging and contents

HD4870 is in the top class of AMD and as expected, MSI spared no expenses and packed the card in big and variegated box, with appropriate bundle of course. Not bigger than the one of MSI HD4850 though. :)

On it besides an Ork, that must undoubtedly catch your eye right off the store shelf, is also a large lettered text block informing you about the basic features of the card that make it so fine. But surely the other function of the box, while much more basic is in no way unimportant, even though being simple - it must protect its contents through the long journey from far-away Taiwan (or China or any other Asian republic that manufactured it). And indeed, the card is well packed, between some foam protectors and in an anti-static bag too.

The box contents include Driver disk and some MSI software, the quite well mellowed Colin McRae D.I.R.T. (the same one MSI have been bundling with their first G80 cards. Ample store supply eh?), short installation manual, TV cable, Crossfire bridge, DVI -> HDMI adapter, DVI -> DSUB-15 adapter and the card itself :)

And here is the card in all its shine. As much as a referent card could be shiny that is. Being identical with ATI HD4870, it bares but one difference the sticker on the cooler. MSI put plugs on the DVI connectors to prevent oxidation when they aren't used. The real dimensions with its cooling reach 24cm (length) x 10cm (width) x 3.5cm (height). With that length the card goes all the way to the edge of an standard ATX motherboard, thus on most motherboards overshadowing 4 SATA connectors, so if you have lots of SATA devices, you'd better have SATA cables with "L" shaped connectors that fit under it.

Now, after having a good look of the card and it's cooler, time had come to look under it too.