Sapphire VAPOR-X HD 4890 OC Edition 1GB GDDR5

[Jeffrey]

Sapphire was the first company to release a so-called Vapor Chamber Technology which is specially designed for graphic cards. Using this technology, you can get a better heat dissipation or cooling of the graphics card. And on the same hand a better overclocking becomes possible. This technology was previously used in the aviation and space industry and in high-end server applications, and will lead to more efficient and compact cooling. This technology works much like the heat pipe principle. A liquid refrigerant evaporates in the heat and condenses back after striking a cool surface. Subsequently, the cooled fluid is passed on to the hot surface. This creates a cycle. With the Vapor-X technology is all done in a very thin, about 3 mm high vapor chamber (for the single-slot design). The principle works but with a much lower temperature than the boiling point because it was created in a vacuum chamber.

The Sapphire HD 4890 Atomic Edition, Toxic Edition and the Vapor-X-models use this technique. We looked at the Vapor-X model of the Sapphire HD 4890 family with 1 and 2 GB accurate and illuminated in a detailed test. We do not only on the 3D performance of the card, but check in detail the power consumption, temperatures and the resulting noise. We do, as always, enjoy reading. The performance of letters is a way of extensive testing, the PC Games Hardware with video cards, CPUs and other hardware perform short notice to make available online. In the performance you get all important letter to a product on a single page. In this case no measured values are too short, just the usual tests of large chip benchmark orgies fall by the wayside. There is, suitable to the tested product, selected comparisons to other drivers.

The SAPPHIRE HD 4890 Vapor-X model is a new SAPPHIRE original design. It has SAPPHIRE’s Vapor-X cooling module on the GPU together with a heat sink and profiled fan venting heat out of the case. It is quieter and significantly faster than the standard reference model, with core clock speed of 870MHz and 1GB of DDR5 memory clocked at 1050MHz. Any two of the four output options can be used simultaneously, giving maximum flexibility for connection to different display types. An HDMI to DVI adapter is also included for those who wish to use a pair of DVI monitors.

The Vapor-X series from Sapphire uses a special cooling system through a vacuum chamber. This leads through an evaporation effect, the heat quickly and efficiently on the GPU to the aluminum plate as an ordinary heat pipe solution. Due to the good overclocked the card from Sapphire House on 870/1.050 MHz instead include them in the usual 850/975 MHz. Another feature is the video memory, which holds 2048 MB. The eight memory chips on the front by the air stream of 75-mm axial fan kept at temperature to the rear along with an aluminum cooling profile. By Slot slotted aperture escapes some warm air, the voltage converter to get from under the plastic cover of the cooler little fresh air.

The equipment of the 2GB-Vapor-X is its 1GB-sister: In addition to a driver-DVD and the demo versions-comprising Ruby-ROM contains Cyberlink DVD Suite, Power DVD and the Advanced Edition of 3DMark Vantage in the box. Two adapters for the PCI Express power (Molex to 6-pin and Molex to 8-pin) and a Crossfire bridge complete the outfit. Exemplary: The slot cover is not only the mandatory connection for dual-link DVI, but HDMI, D-Sub and even display port.

Specification:

Output

• 1 x D-Sub(VGA)
• 1 x Dual-Link DVI
• 1 x HDMI
• 1 x DisplayPort

GPU

• 870 MHz Core Clock
• 55 nm Chip
• 800 x Stream Processors

Memory

• 1024 MB Size
• 256 -bit GDDR5
• 4200 MHz Effective

Features:

• Advanced GDDR5 Memory Technology - GDDR5 memory provides twice the bandwidth per pin of GDDR3 memory, delivering more speed and higher bandwidth.
• ATI Stream Technology - Accelerate the most demanding applications with ATI Stream technology and do more with your PC. ATI Stream Technology allows you to use the teraflops of compute power locked up in your graphics processer on tasks other than traditional graphics such as video encoding, at which the graphics processor is many, many times faster than using the CPU alone.
• ATI Avivo HD (DVD/HD-DVD/Blu-ray Playback) - Watch the hottest Blu-ray movies or other HD content at full 1080p display resolution and beyond and enjoy a more feature rich experience with enhanced Unified Video Decoder(UVD).
• ATI CrossFireX Multi-GPU Technology - Triple or Quadruple gaming power with ATI CrossFireX Multi-GPU Technology.ATI CrossFireX technology supports up to four graphics cards to be used in a single system.
• PCI-Express 2.0 - The latest PCI-Express 2.0 specification doubles data throughput from 2.5Gbps to 5Gbps allowing you to exploit the full performance potential of your graphics card.
• Black Diamond Choke & Full Solid Cap Design - Choke is an important component of the graphics card. By working with the component engineer, Sapphire’s patent pending choke is 10% cooler and offers 25% more power efficiency than a normal choke. The graphics card will be more reliable and save energy. Improved reliability and better overclocking are possible by using only high-polymer, aluminum capacitors which posse’s far superior characteristics than regular aluminum capacitor for a longer product life. When operational temperatures drop by 20°C, the product life span is extended by a factor of ten, when the operational temperature increases by 20°C, the product life span only decreases by 10%.

• D-Sub (VGA) - The 15-pin VGA connector is common to most monitors and high definition television. You can connect your LCD or CRT monitor / TV with D-sub VGA connector.
• Dual-Link DVI - Equipped with the most popular Dual Link DVI (Digital Visual Interface), this card is able to display ultra high resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600 at 60Hz.
• HDMI - Turn your PC into a home entertainment centre with HDMI. Simply connect the graphics card to an LCD TV with an HDMI input and you will be able to enjoy watching HD videos with audio in the living room.
• DisplayPort - Enjoy the benefits of the latest generation display interface, DisplayPort. With the ultra high HD resolution of 2560 x 1600 the graphics card ensures that you are able to support the latest generation of LCD monitors.
• ATI Catalyst Control Center - The ATI Catalyst Control Center software application gives you complete control over the performance and visual quality of your SAPPHIRE ATI Radeon based graphics card allowing for the best experience on your PC.
• Accelerated Video Transcoding - Massively parallel architecture and support for common shader transcoding instructions accelerates video encoding / transcoding way beyond what was possible with the CPU only.
• ATI PowerPlay - Dynamically manage power efficiency and take control of your performance with AMD’s revolutionary ATI PowerPlay TM power management technology delivering high performance features when needed and conserving power when the demand on the graphics processor is low. This seamless technology dramatically reduces the overall power consumption allowing for break-through energy efficiency.

[Jeffrey]

SAPPHIRE Vapor-X Technology

SAPPHIRE Technology was the first company to implement cooling for PC graphics cards based on Vapor Chamber Technology and has now implemented it in several successful product series. Vapor Chamber Technology was previously used in Aerospace Industry and High-End Server applications to provide more efficient yet compact cooling. SAPPHIRE’s Vapor-X cooler was introduced in 2007 with its HD 3870 ATOMIC Edition graphics card and then rolled out to the global market with the successful HD 3870 and HD 4870 TOXIC Editions and the Vapor-X series. Vapor-X cooling has been used on the stunning SAPPHIRE HD 4890 ATOMIC Edition – the first graphics card on the market to deliver a 1GHz engine speed, as well as the new HD 4890 TOXIC Edition and Vapor-X models for the global market.

And following the storming introduction of the SAPPHIRE HD 5000 series, the company has now introduced three new models on HD 5870, HD5770 and HD 5750 with its world-leading Vapor-X cooler technology delivering even greater performance, whilst working at lower operating temperatures and significantly more quietly.

How does Vapor Chamber Technology work?

• Heat source heats Vaporization Wicks.
• Working fluid, pure water, is easily vaporized due to the extreme low pressure (<104 Tor or less)
• Water vapor moves easily through the vacuum until.
• It meets the Condensing Wick - adjacent to the cooled surface - and turns back to a liquid state.
• The liquid is then absorbed by the Transportation Wick by capillary action and moved back towards the Vaporization Wick.
• The recycled liquid is then reheated and re-vaporized by the

Vaporization Wick and the process repeats.

The Vapor-X has a dual slot design, and this is something to be welcomed into a plate of these benefits, offering more effective at dissipating the heat generated during long sessions of HD Gaming. The fan included is a highlight of the Vapor-X series, and that while 100% achieved heard, is one of the few boards where it may be used without causing discomfort to the maximum audible as a moderate level of the chosen game, the fan will go completely unnoticed.

Like any other model in the series, comes the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 X with a total of 800 stream processors (160 5D), 40 texture mapping units and 16 raster units. In addition, the card can fall back to a full 2048 MB of GDDR5 video memory, which also has a 256 bit memory interface connected. As already touched on briefly, our test sample works with slightly higher clock frequencies. Sun picked the AMD partners at this in the above-mentioned 870 or 1050 MHz.

Performance & Comparison:

HD-4890-BIOS typically reduce idle only the GPU clock to 240 MHz. The GDDR5 memory the other hand, always works with full bar, which explains the high idle power (15 watts for a HD 4890 reference design). As compared to regular HD 4890 boards under load significantly higher power consumption of plus 20 or plus 43 watts, according to Sapphire this is not a peculiarity of our sample, but - as with the 1GB version - normal . Compared to the 1G model Sapphire has revised the 2-D operation. Even under load HD 4890 X 2G is almost silent. By comparison, AMD's reference design for the Radeon HD 4890 is rushing in Race Driver Grid up to 6.2. Sapphire's Vapor-X is allowed to remain on silent air-cooled HD 4890 decorate.

Consumption of the reference HD 4890 is, according to AMD, 60W in idle and 190W under load, but by raising consumption operational clocks naturally increases. Being on that basis including 2 extra power connectors. However, a curious detail is that the 2GB version has 1 PCI-E 6-pin and one 8-pin, while the 1GB PCI-E uses both 6c. I stress it's funny, because those 2 extra contacts are intended to earth (ground).

[Jeffrey]

Cooler

I must say that the accelerator Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 1GB GDDR5 Vapor-X Cooling equipped with the same firm two-slot cooler Vapor-X, which we have already seen on video Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB GDDR5 Vapor-X Cooling and Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 2GB GDDR5 Vapor- X Cooling . Directly in contact with the surface of the GPU is the same evaporation chamber, and her base is adjacent aluminum radiator with radiating ribs, bifurcated at the ends. Heatsink carries a big enough fan, and above the entire structure is covered by an attractive plastic casing with a spectacular blue LEDs on either side. In addition, for the removal of excess heat from the power supply circuit elements corresponding to individual aluminum radiator with a very large size. Another feature we are considering product is an impressively wide range of retired rear panel ports, consisting of DVI, D-Sub, HDMI and even DisplayPort.

It is worth noting that the new product is formed on the printed circuit board custom blue color, made under the bus PCI Express 2.0 x16, has on board gigabytes of GDDR5 memory and 256-bit interface, compatible with DirectX 10.1 Shader Model 4.1, and supports technology ATI CrossFireX Multi-GPU Technology, ATI PowerPlay and ATI Avivo HD Technology with integrated video of the second generation (Unified Video Decoder 2).

Connections

Both the model 1GB 2GB and include the same variety of connectors, as incorporated Sapphire 1 x DVI-I Dual Link, 1 HDMI, 1 Display Port, and the classic and questioned HD15 (VGA) connector quite obsolete today and that had to be replaced by a 2nd DVI, because if we need it we have to sacrifice the HDMI to use the appropriate adapter. Also, a plus in the thermal and electrical design of this plate is shown in the large sink in charge of maintaining a healthy operating margin to voltage regulators.

Package

The packaging design is just great, since it enjoys both a great visual appeal, as a good quality of material used. A highlight is its emphasis Sapphire to classify this series as HD Ready Gaming or the theme found in the back "Driven by performance, Fueled by fantasy", both being greatly exaggerated, but making your final task , which is to provide a bit of mystique to the product. In this case only see the packaging of the 2GB version, since the 1GB is identical to this one, except the part that clears the memory included.

The bundle included is the need to fully enjoy these plates, but as we always say, you miss the time when the plates were accompanied by a whole lot of titles that never played or that we had enjoyed at the time: p . However, we encountered 2 Molex adapter to pci-e, a CrossFire bridge, a bit of software like the 3DMark Vantage, PowerDVD and DVD Suite, in addition to the already classic CD with drivers. But something to note is that Sapphire includes an HDMI to DVI adapter, since the only model in question includes a connector of this type.

The packaging contains all the ingredients necessary to enjoy the benefits offered by the Radeon HD 4890. We have a user manual, DVI, HDMI, power cable (Molex to PCIe) and a TV out. On the software side, we find the cd with the drivers for the 3DMark Vantage, Power DVD and DVD Suite.

Conclusion

Sapphire Toxic series usually presents higher frequencies and cooling efficient enough to keep the internal components allowable operating temperatures. For it has a fan located in the center, directly facing the GPU. The system is called Vapor-X (which we discussed here), also known as steam chamber, which provides better heat conductivity and efficient construction allowing enthusiasts to achieve attractive results in any scene graph.

New version of Radeon HD 4800 architecture, the Radeon HD 4890 further improve the performance of their elders the Radeon HD 4870, and proposed operating frequencies ever achieved by an ATI card. The GPU of the Radeon HD 4890 is now clocked at 850 MHz and GDDR5 memory type has now reached the 3900 MHz! Always compatible with DirectX 10.1 and PCI-Express 2.0 x16 graphics card also benefits from this technology CrossfireX.

Always present the UVD engine and Avivo HD technology will ensure uncompromising quality and unfailing fluidity when playing your Blu-Ray. Thanks Vapor-X cooling and well-stocked PCB, the Sapphire can overclock well. Quiet cooling, factory overclocking and a good software features speak for the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 Vapor-X. The double storage pad is only relevant if you play at least at 1,920 x 1,200 with 8x MSAA including texture mods. Compared with a standard 4890, the Sapphire card about 5 to 10 percent faster and yet only half as loud. But the power is exorbitant.

If you take a higher volume in sales and the large frame buffer are not dependent on, access to a standard version of the Radeon HD 4890. Nvidia Geforce GTX 275 with 1.792 MB of VRAM is in comparison with the Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 Vapor-X 2GB equivalent alternative: On average the same speed, but it attracts a more quiet and - optional - HQ-AF and the SSAA -/Hybrid-Modi.