Item: Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 TOXIC 1,024MB examined
Author: Tarinder Sandhu

Review: Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 TOXIC 1,024MB examined

Final thoughts and rating

AMD currently offers a trio of high-end gaming cards that have most of the checkboxes ticked. The cheapest is the Radeon HD 5850 that's available for £225 for a reference model, listed by most of AMD's AIB partners. Extend the budget to £300-£350 and the faster Radeon HD 5870 can be yours. Spend significantly more wedge, to the tune of £530, and a HD 5970 becomes available.

Partners' pricing is such that the £100 gap between the two 5800-series cards opens up the way for special-edition models of the cheaper part. Now some five months after launch, Sapphire brings a couple of custom-cooled Radeon HD 5850s to market. Differentiated solely by clock-speed the Vapor-X and TOXIC are due to etail for £250 and £270, respectively.

Taking the TOXIC model for a spin, the card is better than the reference in practically every way, save for price. The cooler's genuinely quieter under load, provides better temperatures, and the pre-overclocked frequencies of 765MHz core and 4,500MHz memory give it a 6.5 per cent advantage across our benchmarks.

Going by recent history, we'd be concerned that etailers will charge a greater premium for this limited-run model and therefore erode much of the benefit by putting it too close to a Radeon HD 5870. Sapphire's not in direct control over pricing but is over bundle, and the package is rudimentary for a TOXIC model.

We think you will like this card for super-quiet gaming with most of the eye-candy turned on. You won't like paying an extra £45 for the privilege over a reference card. Worth it, then? That depends entirely upon how you view value. We like it insofar as it betters the basic model in most ways. It can be recommended if it's priced below £270. If not, special-deal HD 5870s will provide better value, assuming you can look past the noisier fan.

The good

Excellent cooler: better than reference in every way
TOXIC card benefits from generous factory-based overclocking
Solid performance in all games

The not so good

Bundle is very average
No bundled overvolting (Redline) software or overvolting options

* Update 18/02/10 - the current etail price of the card is £262, including VAT, putting it at the favourable end of our predictions.

HEXUS Rating

Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 TOXIC 1,024MB (at £262)

HEXUS Awards

Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 TOXIC 1,024MB (at £262)

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Tempted to get one of these as they're much quieter than a stock card.

Although i'll probaly just go for the vapor x one

Just to reiterate, after having the stock card and TOXIC in the test system one after the other, the difference in under-load noise is easily discernible. :)

Tarinder
Just to reiterate, after having the stock card and TOXIC in the test system one after the other, the difference in under-load noise is easily discernible. :)

Thanks mate.

If i read the review correct are the only differences between the Vapor X and the toxic the overclock settings.
Is everything PCB wise pretty much the same so the noise would be the same if not quieter due to the card running at lower clocks so less heat.

Also roughly how quiet would you say. Eg if everything else in my pc was ilent would i stuggle to hear it in a case.

handscombmp
Thanks mate.

If i read the review correct are the only differences between the Vapor X and the toxic the overclock settings.
Is everything PCB wise pretty much the same so the noise would be the same if not quieter due to the card running at lower clocks so less heat.

Also roughly how quiet would you say. Eg if everything else in my pc was ilent would i stuggle to hear it in a case.

Yup, the only difference between the two cards is the frequencies. The Vapor-X might run at a slightly lower voltage than the TOXIC, due to its lower clocks, and that would lead to a slightly lower noise profile.

After 10 minutes of FurMark at 2,560x1,600 the TOXIC's fan spins at around 2,000rpm, at a temperature of around 68°C. It's not silent, obviously, but you'd need sensitive ears if the card-produced noise bothered you.

Tarinder
Yup, the only difference between the two cards is the frequencies. The Vapor-X might run at a slightly lower voltage than the TOXIC, due to its lower clocks, and that would lead to a slightly lower noise profile.

After 10 minutes of FurMark at 2,560x1,600 the TOXIC's fan spins at around 2,000rpm, at a temperature of around 68°C. It's not silent, obviously, but you'd need sensitive ears if the card-produced noise bothered you.

Great :thumbsup:

To be honest though i'm not quite sure why i'm worried about the noise as much at load.
It's only idle i'm worried about as it's going to go into my gaming HTPC and i don't want it to be making a load of noise when i'm watching a movie.