Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 OC Review - PAGE 15

Currently the HD 7850 is one of the best graphics cards available in the $250 price segment, because it offers performance rivaling last generation's high-end hardware, while still offering better performance-per-watt and performance-per-millimeter. Additionally, the HD 7850 is built on AMD's Graphics Core Next architecture, so it has a rich feature-set that includes Eyefinity 2.0, HD3D, Power Tune technology and App Accelerations. The HD 7850 is already a well-rounded graphics card for its price range, and so far we've only been talking about the reference model.

Taking things a step further, Sapphire has created their own custom designed HD 7850 which sports higher clock frequencies, a dual-fan thermal solution and a shorter PCB with all high-quality components. All of these modifications make the Sapphire HD 7850 OC Edition a superior option over the reference cards as this model is faster, quieter, more efficient and shorter than the reference boards to boot. What's more, the HD 7850 OC Edition is priced $259 which is only 4% higher than Sapphire's non-overclocked model. In our opinion the 4% premium is well deserved, since you get 5% better performance at 1080p, along with all the other benefits of the custom design.

Of the custom features, perhaps the most beneficial are the smaller PCB size and the lower acoustics levels. In our launch review, AMD sent a reference Pitcairn Pro graphics card built on a 9.5” inch PCB. The Sapphire model meanwhile shaves off over an inch of that, measuring just 8.25”. This allows it to fit into small form factor cases, making it a powerful solution even for gamers with limited case space. The noise levels were also amazing as heatsink did an excellent job keeping the temps in check, allowing the fans to dissipate the heat a lower RPM, thus maintaining low acoustics even during extreme gaming and benchmarking.

As a recap, the Sapphire HD 7850 OC Edition is faster, quieter and shorter than the reference model, while still offering the same amazing feature-set and performance-per-watt. Additionally, the improved performance and custom design only adds 4% to the total cost, so this model is an great option for anyone looking for an improved out-of-the-box experience without breaking the bank.