The AMD Radeon HD 7770 1GB card
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The reference Radeon HD 7770 1GB card, measuring 210mm (8.5in), underscores its mainstream positioning. AMD outfits it with a dual-slot cooler that's not entirely necessary, we feel. However, as is usually the case with the best GPU from a particular class, and this is the better Cape Verde silicon, the cooler is designed with overclocking in mind.
Remember, the default core speed is 1,000MHz, which, we believe, is the first time that a standard-clocked GPU has achieved a GHz rating. The overclocking ability exhibited by other HD 7000-series GPUs intimates this 28nm GPU should run at higher speeds, much higher. 1GB of GDDR5 memory, meanwhile, pushes along at 4,500MHz - a figure that's considered on the low side for Radeon cards.
Build quality is good. Perhaps the only aspect of note is the repositioning of the fan from the right-hand side to a central location. The fan, too, is changed from recent Radeons', now an axial model, replacing the radial versions we've come to associate with AMD.
It's inevitable that AMD's partners will take on this design for their cheapest HD 7770 cards. Expect to see rebadged cards appear at retailers today, with special-edition models, usually overclocked, sitting alongside.
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The now-familiar Radeon HD 7000-series I/O section is replicated here. A single (dual-link) DVI port is to the right of HDMI and two mini-DisplayPorts, leaving the top section for venting purposes. A six-pin PCIe power connector is in the same forward-facing position as on a Radeon HD 6850.
The sparseness of the rear tells us that partners, if they so wish, can release smaller, cost-effective PCBs.
Reinforcing just how much unused PCB space exists is a picture with the heatsink taken off. AMD uses the same Hynix memory found on the Radeon HD 7950 GPU, if that kind of detail interests you.
