The Bundle:

The HD4870 is securely packaged.  There isn't a lot of wasted space and all of the accessories are packaged under the divider in the box.

As you probably noticed from the image above, our samples are missing a couple things. Our particular 4870s were pre-release samples therefore we did not receive the drivers CD or the manual. The retail version of this card will include everything.  The package will also include a CrossfireX bridge interconnect, DVI to HDMI adapter, DVI to VGA adapter and an HDTV Component out adapter.

Layout:

Like the rest of the manufacturers, VisionTek's layout is straight from the reference AMD design.  I'm sure it won't be too long before manufacturers start looking into other cooling options.  This beast gets hot. 

The back of the card features 2, dual link DVI-I ports and a video out.  The card also takes up two slots to provide an outlet for all of that heat. 

Even though the card is energy efficient, you still need two, 6-pin PCI-Express power cables for each card.  AMD recommends at least a 600 watt power supply, if you plan on running two cards.

Comparing the HD4870 with a Sapphire HD3870 that I have, revealed that the four holes around the GPU are the same.  However, the holes that secure the fan assembly to the video card are different.  You will probably have to wait for an HD4870 specific cooler, if you chose to go with an aftermarket cooler. 

Page 1: Intro Page 2: Specs & Features Page 3: The Bundle & Layout Page 4: Overclocking Page 5: Benchmarks Page 6: Games Page 7: High Quality Benches Page 8: Conclusion