Introduction

Face it, everything changes, whether on a daily, monthly or annual basis, things change. Many of us are not accustomed to change and don’t take it very well, while others accept change as a possibility of having improvements. For those of us who enjoy computers, a change will be coming soon and that change will be in the form of a new Windows Operating System. With the launch of Windows 7 comes a change from DirectX 10 to Directx11, DirectX is the part of Windows that controls many of the ways we view graphics that are generated via a video card to our screens.

What DirectX 11 brings to the table is the better ability to utilize the compute power of a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Unlike a CPU, a GPU can process in parallel, so it takes less time to render, transcode and compute equations than a CPU. This, in turn, will give the end user a better overall computing experience.
Direct Compute, which is part of DirectX 11, is strictly for GPU acceleration. Through the Khronos Group, the major video card manufacturers have submitted OpenCL Software Development Kits to assist developers in creating software (video games and video enhancement applications) that will take advantage of Direct Compute's power to accelerate visual (physics for gaming) and HD conversion (transcoding or upconverting video) via the parallel compute of the GPU.

ATI is the first video card manufacturer to produce a DirectX 11 capable GPU and have named these the 5000 Series. At this time, there are four discreet Direct X video cards available, the 5750 and 5770, which are mainstream, and the 5850 and 5870, which are gamer (enthusiast) cards. Sapphire Technologies, a manufacturer of ATI Radeon Graphics video cards, has released their first round of 5000 series video cards and they are available to the public.

The Sapphire Radeon HD 5870, HD 5850 and HD 5770 are all DirectX 11 capable and will be the three cards I will be evaluating. The Sapphire HD 5850 and 5870, which are high end mainstream and enthusiast level cards, and the HD 5770, which is a mainstream card, all offer the ability to empower your visual computing experience via DirectCompute.

The Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 DirectX 11

The Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 comes packaged in a bright black box with a Greenish Gold surrounding the card's mascot. The Sapphire 5000 series cards have different center insert colors for each. There is also a coupon for a copy of Dirt 2 and a copy of Battlestations: Pacific included.

The Sapphire 5870 is 11" x 4.5" x 1.5", comes with a dual slot cooling solution and is Crossfire and Eyefinity ready. You will need two 6-pin PCI-e connectors to power the card.

Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 DirectX 11

The Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 comes packaged in a bright black box with a Purple (favorite color) aura surrounding the cards mascot. The 5850 comes with a coupon for Dirt 2 when it is released.

The Sapphire 5850 is 9.75" x 4.5" x 1.5", comes with a dual slot cooling solution and is Crossfire and Eyefinity ready. You will need two 6-pin PCI-e connectors to power the card.

Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 DirectX 11

The Sapphire Radeon HD 5770 comes packaged in a bright black box with an Orange aura surrounding the card's mascot. The 5770 comes with a coupon for Dirt 2 when it is released.

Bundled with the video card are a DVI to VGA dongle, Crossfire Bridge interconnect and a Molex to PCIe 6 adapter. You will need one 6-pin PCIe connector to power the card.

Installation

To install the Sapphire Radeon HD 5770, you will need to open your case, find and unscrew the existing video card, remove it from the PCI-e slot, then insert the new card in its place. You will need one 6 pin PCI-e cable on your PSU to power the card.

Software (Driver Installation)

The installation of the HD 5770 drivers is easy and, if you have installed any programs before, you will find it pretty routine. If not, you can simply follow the on screen prompts and you will have your drivers installed in no time.

Graphics Drivers

Technologies

What's New?

A new line of DirectX 11 compatible 40nm Radeon video cards starting with Cypress (5870 and 5850), Juniper (5770 and 5750), Redwood and Cedar (entry level) and Hemlock (dual core 5800 series) all released within 6 months.

Architecture and Specifications

5800 Series

5700 Series

Efficiency

5800 Series

• Idle: 27W / 5850 and 5870
• Load: 151W 5850 and 188W

• Idle: 18W
• Load: 108W

With ATI Eyefinity technology, the 5700 Series of video cards can run three monitors simultaneously as one image for more immersive gaming. The maximum resolution is 3X 2560x1600.

DirectX 11 Features

What else is new with DirectX 11?

• Tessellation- "A tessellation is created when a shape is repeated over and over again. All the figures fit onto a flat surface exactly together without any gaps or overlaps."
• Shader Model 5.0
• Direct Compute 11- "Microsoft DirectCompute is an application programming interface (API) that takes advantage of the massively parallel processing power of a modern graphics processing unit (GPU) to accelerate PC application performance in Microsoft Windows Vista or Windows 7. DirectCompute is part of the Microsoft DirectX collection of APIs. Other DirectX APIs include Direct3D, Direct2D, DirectWrite, DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, and DirectSound."
• HDR Texture Compression

• ATI Stream Technology - ATI has sent their OpenCL GPU SDK to the Khronos Group for certification. ATI is stating that by the end of this month it will be released. Programs using the OpenCL SDK will take advantage of the power of Microsoft Direct Compute for better GPU acceleration.
• CyberLink announces "the companies are expanding their existing engineering engagement with a strategic focus on Microsoft DirectX 11 DirectCompute, taking advantage of the capabilities of AMD’s new DirectX 11-capable graphics architecture"
• Three DirectX 11 games before 2010 and two more before Q1/2010. Battleforge by EA Games is available now.

Specifications

5870

5850

5770

Features

1. Microsoft DirectX 11 Support

2. ATI Eyefinity Technology, support up to 3 displays. *

3. ATI Stream technology**

• Designed for DirectCompute and OpenCL
• Accelerate Video Transcoding

4. Microsoft Windows 7 Support

5. 40nm Process Technology

6. 2nd Generation TeraScale Engine

7. PCI Express 2.0 x16 bus interface

8. Advance 1GB/256-bit GDDR5 memory interface

9. HDMI 1.3 support with Deep Color and 7.1 High Bitrate Audio

10. On chip HDCP Support

11. ATI CrossFireX™ multi-GPU support for highly scalable performance. (Use up to four discrete cards

with an AMD 790FX based motherboard)

12. ATI Avivo HD Support

• ATI Unified Video Decoder 2 (UVD) for Blu-ray™ and HD Video.
• Accelerated Video Transcoding (AVT)
• DVD Upscaling
• Dynamic Contrast
• Built-in HDMI with 7.1 surround sound support

13. Dynamic power management with ATI PowerPlay™ technology including memory clocks

14. Dolby® TrueHD and DTSHD Master Audio TM Support

*Driver version 8.66 (Catalyst 9.10) or above is required to support ATI Eyefinity technology and to enable

a third display you require one panel with a DisplayPort connector

**Requires application support for ATI Stream technology

System Requirements

• PCI Express® based PC is required with one X16 lane graphics slot available on the motherboard
• 450 Watt (5770), 500 Watt (5800), or greater power supply with two 75W 6-pin PCI Express® power connectors recommended (600 Watt and four 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX™ technology in dual mode)
• Certified power supplies are recommended. Refer to http://ati.amd.com/certifiedPSU for a list of Certified products
• Minimum 1GB of system memory
• Installation software requires CD-ROM drive
• DVD playback requires DVD drive
• Blu-ray™ playback requires Blu-ray drive
• For an ATI CrossFireX™ system, a second ATI Radeon™ HD 5770 graphics card, an ATI CrossFireX Ready motherboard and one ATI CrossFireX Bridge Interconnect cable per graphics card (optional) are required

Maximum Display Resolution:

• D-Dub(VGA): 2048 x 1536 @85 Hz.
• DL-DVI-I: 2560 x 1600@60Hz
• HDMI:1080P
• Display Port: 2560 x 1600@60Hz
• Eyefinity: 7680 x 1600@60Hz*

*Grouped with 3 monitors supporting resolutions at 2560 x 1600 with one of them supporting Display Port input.

NOTE:

1. Resolutions are limited by the performance of the attached monitor.

2. Driver version 8.66 (Catalyst 9.10) or above is required to support ATI Eyefinity technology and to enable a third display you require one panel with a DisplayPort connector

Operating System

• Windows XP(32Bit/64Bit)
• Windows Vista(32Bit/64Bit)
• Windows Media Center Edition 2005
• Windows 7

Testing

To benchmark the video card, we will use our suite of popular games and also a synthetic benchmark created by FutureMark. For testing purposes, all scores will be posted on a graphical chart, which will progress from lowest to highest resolutions. All benchmarks will be on their own individual pages to eliminate confusion. Graphs will measure Frames per Second (FPS) in each resolution, except for 3DMark Vantage, which will reflect an overall score.

Test System(s):

Benchmarks:

• 3D Mark Vantage
• Batman Arkham Asylum
• Resident Evil 5
• Battleforge
• Left 4 Dead
• World in Conflict

Resolutions:

• 1024x768
• 1280x1024
• 1680x1050

Temperatures:

All Temperatures taken with IR Thermometer and will be read in Celsius.

3D Mark Vantage

3DMark Vantage is a benchmark suite that was designed to test performance of video cards. The overall score obtained when running the benchmark will measure your system's gaming performance.

3DMark consists of four tests, two for graphics and two to test your CPU, one for AI and one for Physics. Hi Tech Legion will test a video card using any of the four settings offered by 3DMark which are:

• Entry 1024x768
• Performance 1280x1024
• High 1680x1050
• Extreme 1920x1200

Comparison

Batman Arkham Asylum

Batman Arkham Asylum is the newest of the Batman series of video games. The Joker has escaped and is holding the Asylum hostage. It is up to you (Batman) to stop the Joker's evil plot and bring order back to the Asylum.

Settings

• No AA
• No Physics

Comparison

Resident Evil 5

The fifth installation of the Resident Evil Series, which is a first person shooter. You are a member of the World Bioterrorism Team and are sent out to stop a new infestation of the virus created by the Umbrella Corporation.

Settings

• AA 8x
• Levels: High

Comparison

Battle Forge

Battle Forge is an MMORPG that is free to play with its download. You choose from mythical characters and battle until your opponents are conquered. Battle Forge is the first game to support Direct X 11.

Settings

• AA x4
• Default High

Comparison

Left 4 Dead

Left 4 Dead is an FPS where four uninfected people are left in a city where everyone else has turned into zombies. The action in this game is intense - zombies come at you from all angles. You can play Left 4 Dead via Stream and can choose whether to play your own campaign or play with others.

Settings:

• AA: 4x
• Ansi: 8x

Comparison

World in Conflict

Do you have what it takes to conquer your opponent? World in Conflict is a DX10 game where if you don't defeat your opponent, you don't gain. This is an all out, winner take all, modern war scenario.

Settings

• AA: x4
• Graphics: Very High

Comparison

Putting it all Together

Right about now, if you just jumped from the front page to the benchmarks, you may or may not be confused. Why? If you have seen other evaluations on these video cards you may have seen them compared to other cards done on the same system. Some results you may have seen were results on overclocked systems, some stock etc.

If you did happen to read the introduction, I talked about change, and I decided to change things up a little. What I decided to do was benchmark the Sapphire 5000 Series video cards on different systems which may be in the appropriate price point for each card. So what you did see was the cards benchmarked on systems with both AMD and Intel Processors.

You may be wondering why I chose not to compare the cards to its NVIDIA rivals or even its ATI predecessors. Why? They are all DirectX 10 cards and I figured I would compare apples to apples and show what could be achieved using the 5000 series on Windows 7 which is a DirectX 11 operating system. (For those of you doubting if we have the comparable cards for comparison, you can look at our review section for video cards)

We all have different budgets and we all cannot afford top of the line systems, so we usually mix and match different components in our systems, based on what we can afford. You may have a system that has a powerful processor, a mainstream motherboard and an entry level video card or a mainstream processor with an entry level motherboard and the top of the line video card, and so on. What I have tried to show in this review is how well the Sapphire HD 5870, 5850 and 5770 perform on different systems with different combinations to try to give you, the reader, a better idea on what to expect when you purchase your Sapphire 5000 series card based on your budget.

The resolutions used to benchmark the Sapphire HD 5000 series were chosen by our readers and by polls placed throughout different forums asking what size monitors are being used. At this time, the most popular answer was 22", so the max resolution used was 1680 x 1050. There are 22" monitors that can reach 1900 x 1080 but again, the most frequent response was 1680 x 1050.

Temperatures

Sapphire Radeon HD 5870

• Idle: 44C
• Fan Speed Idle: 35%
• Load: 73C
• Fan Speed Load: 57%

Sapphire Radeon HD 5850

• Idle: 41C
• Fan Speed Idle: 35%
• Load: 76C
• Fan Speed Load: 50%

Sapphire Radeon HD 5770

• Idle: 42C
• Fan Speed Idle: 35%
• Load: 75C
• Fan Speed Load: 50%

Fan speeds are important to me - the faster the fan, the louder the system. The Sapphire HD 5800 Series was able to obtain a moderate temperatures at low fan speeds. Unfortunately, the fan was very loud and could be heard in the next room 25 feet away at fan speeds over 50%.

These do happen to be ATI stock Heatsinks. Sapphire does have their own cooling solutions and we should see these cards with Sapphire cooling solutions soon.

Benchmarks

The Sapphire 5000 Series of DirectX 11 video cards were more than capable of maintaining acceptable benchmarks in all resolutions tested. I tested the cards on some popular games of different genres to try to get an overall feel of how well those games were handled. Performance was smooth and crisp in all and the gaming experience was enjoyable. Battle Forge, which has a DirectX 11 patch, is the first game that takes advantage of what the Sapphire HD 5000 Series was produced for. I did notice a difference when I used the Sapphire 5000 series cards, as the graphics were cleaner and there were better effects as compared to a DX10 card. (Eyecandy)

Conclusion

Price Point

Price: $159.99 (5770), $269.99 (5850), $389.99 (5870) USD

Class: Mainstream to Enthusiast

The price points for each of these series of video cards places them at affordable plateaus for each class.

Performance

If considering an upgrade from your old graphics card, you won't be upset with the performance of any Sapphire HD 5000 Series Video cards. If you are purchasing a new system, or are moving to the Windows 7 operating system, you will want to purchase a DirectX 11 video card so you can take full advantage of what DirectCompute has to offer.

Reviewer's Opinion

For those of you who want the best performance from your video card when gaming, the Sapphire HD 5870 will not let you down. At this time, it is the most powerful single GPU on the market. It is also capable of maintaining acceptable frame rates at any resolution, even with AA and AF set to max.

For those of you who still seek great gaming performance, but a 5870 is not in your budget, the Sapphire HD 5850 shouldn’t be considered a step down since there was only about a 15% difference in performance between the two, yet at a more affordable price.

The Sapphire HD 5770 is the most affordable of the three cards, placing it in the mainstream category. Being a DirectX 11 card, you will be able get all the benefits Windows 7 has to offer through DirectCompute (parallel processing, multi-tasking, GPU acceleration) and still have an enjoyable gaming and HD video transcoding experience.

If you're getting ready for a change and are looking for a video card that can take advantage of what your new system may have to offer, Sapphire has a line of DirectX 11 video cards that will fit any budget.

Pros

• Direct X 11 Compatible
• Affordable Upgrade (per class)
• CrossFire Ready
• Eyefinity Multi Display Capable
• Shader 5.0

Cons

• Fan Noise