Best PCIe Card For ~£230: None
Honourable Mention:
2 x Radeon HD 6850 in CrossFire
Exceptional 1920x1200 performance, Good 2560x1600 performance
| 2 x Radeon HD 6850 in CrossFire | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV970 "Barts" |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1920 (2 x 960) |
| Texture Units: | 96 (2 x 48) |
| ROPs: | 64 (2 x 32) |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 775 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1000 (4000 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5.0 |
| Max TDP: | 254 W (2 x 127 W) |
We already know that two Radeon HD 6850s in CrossFire are fast. However, based on our exploration of micro-stuttering, there's a fair chance that enthusiasts sensitive to this phenomenon might not be satisfied with the way a pair of these cards behave. If you already know this doesn't affect you, then you're in the clear.
Read our full review of AMD's Radeon HD 6850 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
Best PCIe Card For ~£275:
Radeon HD 7870
Excellent 1920x1200 performance, Great 2560x1600 performance
| Radeon HD 7850 | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | Pitcairn |
| Process: | 28 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 1280 |
| Texture Units: | 80 |
| ROPs: | 32 |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 1000 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1200 (4800 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11.1/SM 5 |
| Max TDP: | 175 W |
The Radeon HD 7870 sets a new standard for what we expect from a sub-£300 GPU. With performance comparable to the GeForce GTX 580 and kissing the heels of AMD's own Radeon HD 7950, this card represents one of the best high-end values we've seen in recent memory.
Read our full review of AMD's Radeon HD 7800 series for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
Honourable Mention:
2 x Radeon HD 6870 in CrossFire
Great 2560x1600 performance
| 2 x Radeon HD 6870 in CrossFire | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | RV970 "Barts" |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 2240 (2 x 1120) |
| Texture Units: | 112 (2 x 56) |
| ROPs: | 64 (2 x 32) |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core Speed MHz: | 900 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1100 (4200 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5.0 |
| Max TDP: | 302 W (2 x 151 W) |
Two Radeon HD 6870 cards in CrossFire and two GeForce GTX 560 cards in SLI are very powerful, capable combinations. Just keep in mind that, if you plan to employ resolutions above 1080p with anti-aliasing enabled, you may want to consider boards with more than 1 GB of RAM.
Bear in mind, though, that this isn't a full recommendation, either. The Radeon HD 6870s remain honourable mentions in light of the findings in Micro-Stuttering And GPU Scaling In CrossFire And SLI.
Read our full review of AMD's Radeon HD 6870 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
Honourable Mention:
2x GeForce GTX 560 in SLI
Great 1920x1200 performance in most games
| 2x GeForce GTX 560 in SLI | |
|---|---|
| Codename: | GF114 |
| Process: | 40 nm |
| Universal Shaders: | 672 (2 x 336) |
| Texture Units: | 112 (2 x 56) |
| ROPs: | 64 (2 x 32) |
| Memory Bus: | 256-bit |
| Core/Shader Speed MHz: | 810 / 1620 |
| Memory Speed MHz: | 1002 (4008 effective) |
| DirectX/Shader Model: | DX 11/SM 5 |
| Max TDP: | 160 W |
The new GeForce GTX 560 is essentially a highly overclocked GeForce GTX 460, and two in SLI provide good competition for a dual Radeon HD 6870 CrossFire setup.
Read our full review of Nvidia's GeForce GTX 560 for more information on the card and its accompanying architecture.
Eh? You can still buy these... Shouldn't the Best PCIe Card For ~£170 still be the 6950?