Final thoughts and rating
AMD's 2GB ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition is something of a double-edged sword. The idea behind it, and the theory, is worthy of praise, but the current end results leave plenty to be desired.
Aimed at the enthusiast space, the combination of the card and up to six monitors can cost well in excess of a thousand pounds. For that amount, most users will want to crank up the latest games to ultra-high resolutions with maximum image quality. Unfortunately, the single-GPU hardware doesn't quite posses the power to do so.
Running demanding games at 5,040x2,100 (a conservative resolution in Eyefinity terms) can result in frame rates slowing to a crawl unless you revert to medium-to-high detail levels. Instead, the best results are achieved via a pricier CrossFire configuration, or a smaller three-display setup - the latter of which is in our estimation the best compromise for both usability and performance.
Given the performance at six-screen resolutions, gamers would be better advised to pick up a standard 2GB Radeon HD 5870. It'll save you a few pounds, and still allow for Eyefinity configurations with up to three displays.
Looking ahead, Eyefinity holds plenty of promise. Faster graphics cards will only help enhance performance - and you can expect to see dual-GPU Radeon HD 5970 Eyefinity 6 Editions in the near future - but arguably the most important developments will come from the industry as a whole. What Eyefinity needs to truly shine is affordable bezel-less displays and software designed to make better use of Eyefinity configurations.
The Good
Simplifies multi-monitor configurations
Brings a new meaning to desktop productivity
Has bags of gaming potential
The Bad
Single HD 5870 GPU struggles at ultra-high resolutions
Display bezels distract from overall experience
Software support is limited
HEXUS Rating
AMD ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition
HEXUS Awards
AMD ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition
HEXUS Where2Buy
The AMD ATI Radeon HD 5870 Eyefinity 6 Edition graphics card can be ordered from the following retailers:
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