MSI RX3870-T2D512E OC Videocard

With both AMD and Nvidia readying a new arsenal of videocards, the real battle for GPU supremacy won't be fought until later this summer.  In the meantime, gamers are enjoying attractive price points nearly across the board, and unlike days of yesteryear, enthusiasts needn't plunk down $600+ for a high end gaming experience.  Remarkably, AMD's HD 3870 has nestled into the $150ish tier, unheard of territory for a high performance part.

	HD 3850	HD 3870
GPU	RV670	RV670
Shader Units	320	320
ROPs	16	16
Memory	256MB	512MB
Bus	256-bit	256-bit
Core Clockspeed	670MHz	775MHz
Memory Clockspeed	1660MHz	2250MHz

Built on a 55nm manufacturing process, AMD's RV670 core puts the company's graphics division back in the same ballpark as Nvidia, and then ups the ante by adding DirectX 10.1 support, a claim Nvidia can't currently make.  Combined with the low street pricing, the HD 3870 has suddenly become a very compelling solution.  But is it enough to stave off the urge to wait?  We intend to find out as we get our game on with MSI's RX3870-T2D512E OC.

Specifications

Model	RX3870-T2D512E OC
Core	RV670
Memory	512MB GDDR4
Memory Speed	2250MHz
Core Clockspeed	800MHz (up from 775MHz reference)
Vista/DX10 Ready?	Yes (DirectX 10.1)
HDCP Ready?	Yes