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Sapphire HD 3870 X2 Review |
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Written by Димитър Динчев a.k.a. Veseliq
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Friday, 22 February 2008 |
Page 2 of 11
Page 2 - HD 3870 X2 - Pictures, details
On the pictures below you can see what the bundle of the Sapphire HD 3870 X2 card is.
A big box, standard for all top-range computer components, all the necesery cables, DVI to DUB9 adapter, booklets, drivers, other software and a single CD of importance - an original Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts.
Design is referent. The length of the card is just over 26 centimeters ( about the same as 8800 Ultra). Although AMD does describe their creation as "elegant yet with aggressive design", there is no denying that hardly any refinement is present in the heavy HD 3870 X2, once we wry installing it in the PC, holding it with both hands of course. There also must be noted that he card has two 2 connectors for power supply - one 6 pin and one 8 pin. Just as in 2900XT the card might be used with two 6 pin ones, but if you want to overclock you need to have connected one 6 pin and one 8 pin - otherwise you won't find the overclock option in your Catalyst driver. Somewhat of a problem is that connectors are faced down (if we assume that in a standard case the card is horizontal with the cooler below it), so if we are to assume again your system is in standard case , where the PSU is somewhere on top, then your cables will get tangled if you are to connect everything correctly (since you'll have to bend them after they do downward).
The cooler is as big as the one of R600 (Radeon 2900 XT) and noisy about as a regular HD 3870, which isn't that loud. The bi-metal cooler is kept pinned to the cores with two separate metal brackets. AMD emphasize on the fact that the cooler is very carefully manufactured with the idea if weight balance and such. To great extent that is more of a marketing trick, but a quick and close glance reveals that the first core (the one closer to the radiator) is covered by aluminum radiator, while the second one is covered by copper one. This makes perfect sense - aluminum disperses heat easily than copper, while copper has better thermal transference qualities and is capable of accumulating more heat. This way the cool air coming from the fan passes through the aluminum first (cooling the first core) and then slightly warmed it goes through the copper - this way the temperature is balanced for the both chips. Bearing in mind making a cooler for such a card is extremely important and difficult process, AMD deserves our admirations upon a job well done for a mere referent cooler.
