
Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB graphics card (Game Edition)
Following in the only slightly larger footprints of the sizzling 5870 graphics card comes this downscaled version, the Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB.
Pros
- Good price, can support up to three screens, decent performance
Cons
- Until more DirectX 11 games are on the market we won't be able to test this card's performance fully
Bottom Line
While the 5870 is all about showcasing innovation, the Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB also boasts plenty of power, with many of the same features. The clincher, though, is the price.
-
Price
$ 422.00 (AUD)
While the 5870 is designed for ultimate single-chip performance, the ATI Radeon HD 5850 aims to be a more modest version, yet one fast enough to satisfy demanding gamers.
You don't lose a great deal. Both use the 40nm manufacturing process, but the Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB card is shorter, runs cooler and consumes a little less power - although still requires a pair of 6-pin power connectors.
It offers the same useful duo of HDMI and DVI ports, and can support up to three screens. There's the potential to stretch some games across three flat-panels using Eyefinity - creating an immersive cockpit in a flight sim or racing game, for example, or giving a wider range of view in a First Person Shooter.
The basic architecture remains the same. The 256-bit memory interface has been retained, but other specs are trimmed. Not by an awful lot, though, so the 5870's 850MHz core clock becomes 725MHz in the Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB, and the memory clock slides from 1200MHz (4800MHz DDR effective) to 1000MHz (4000MHz). And the number of stream processors is sliced from 1600 to a still impressive 1440.
We'll have to wait a while yet to see DirectX 11 games in full glory. A small number of titles tuned for DX11 are due out before next year, but right now, all we have to judge is Battleforge, taking a small sampling of DX11's promised capabilities.
The most significant use of DX11 in the Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB is in improving performance through compute shader, giving an extra 19 percent framerate in our tests.
But until we see games showcasing a range of DX11's artillery, we can't honestly assess these cards of their DirectX11 worth.
The Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB is a clear contender on performance - never quite reaching the heights of the 5870, but neither finishing too far behind. Both the nVidia GTX 295 and ATI's 5870 remain ahead, but those cards are an awful lot more expensive. And the 5850 gives the 4870 X2 a good fight, beating it comfortably in a number of tests.
Brand Post

Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A review: This 4K monitor plays nice with consoles
- 2 Firewalla Gold review: Powerful home network security in a tiny box
- 3 Alienware AW3423DW review: Quantum dot OLED renders rival monitors obsolete
- 4 Acer Aspire 5 review: An affordable laptop that’s enjoyable to use
- 5 Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 review: This gaming laptop oozes luxurious power
Latest News Articles
- This real-life “aimbot” uses a physical mouse to cheat at shooting games
- Bethesda’s classic Elder Scrolls games arrive on Steam—for free
- We tested 22 different RPGs on the Steam Deck
- Steam Deck’s first major update adds a lock screen, Windows 11 support
- Sony is getting serious about bringing more PlayStation games to the PC
Resources
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers

Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world

Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles

PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- Best Unlimited Internet Deals in 2022
- Microsoft’s universal ‘One Outlook’ client just leaked out
- Liquid Retina vs. Liquid Retina XDR: Which display is better?
- Which flagship TV is best? Sony 4K HDR Bravia 2016 versus LG 4K HDR OLED 2016
- 10 Blu-ray movies / Best looking Blu-ray movies