XFX HD-485X-ZDFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 Review
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Update: My average FPS on high settings in Left 4 Dead is about 58-65fps when the battle is getting nuts, when things are calmer it usually spikes up to 72fps
So I just upgraded my gaming rig to something mid-range but in my opinion, very adequate for high-end gaming.
Here are my system specs to help you gauge your performance, also I will be posting reviews for each of these components as I test them more:
1. BIOSTAR TFORCE TA790GX Motherboard
2. AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache AM2+ CPU
3. G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500)
4. Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache
5. XFX HD-485X-ZDFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 Video Card
6. OLD MSI FULL Size ATX case with 3 case fans.
For the video card - I popped in a XFX HD-485X-ZDFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3, I wanted to get the 4870 originally but I only have a 500 watt power supply and didn't want to push it. (even though the 4870 minimum requirement is 500 watts).
The card itself feels very sturdy and of high quality, it has a bit of weight to it and obviously requires 2 PCI slots to mount it. The fan is very quiet considering it's size and seems to be do a sufficient job of cooling at stock settings.
Anyways this card has worked very well so far, I can play Left 4 Dead at max settings with no hickups whatsoever. As I test more games, I can provide FPS and what not if you request it. One thing to note is that I play on lower resolution (1280x1024), so of course I am going to run smoother then others who are running on 19+ inch monitors.
Just getting out of a full campaign of L4D, its running at 41 Celcius according to ATI Catalyst Control Center.
Vista gives it a rating of 5.9.
One thing about this card that is prevelant with most video cards is the size, I have a full size ATX Case and have a photo below to show you how big the card is.
If this review of the card can help you at all, hopefully it will be to gauge the size of your case with the card. I think you will have a harder time fitting it into a mid-size ATX case.
For the actual photo you can check out a past post about the 512mb model or the newegg link:
http://feelthefunk.com/past_posts.php?sid=137
Newegg.com Link
Overall, everything from the packaging that XFX provided (with a do not disturb sign for your door) to the overall quality of the card has impressed me. I am just a normal guy who plays games on the side so I don't have benchmarks and crazy stats to provide you, but for a casual gamer who doesn't want to worry about choppy game play, this card will do the trick.
