Sooner or later you'll need to upgrade your GPU, if you are into gaming on your PC. It is one of those fundamental laws of existence. Of which there is no escape! But the big question when you go for that requisite upgrade is whether you go good enough, or go big. If you are the type that likes to 'go big' then you'll be interested in today's review of the new dual GPU titan from ATI, the HD 5970. Likeiwse, if you are interested in something that can handle HD videos and Civilization 4, then click your browser's back button before you see what you might be missing out on.

Most everyone and their pets saw today's review coming. Dual GPU video cards from ATI is nothing new and the HD 3870 X2 and the HD 4870 X2 are still fresh in many minds, and even leaked roadmaps declared a double-headed monster was on the way in the HD 5000 series. But what few people did guess was that today's card would be named the HD 5970, and not the HD 5870 X2.

Over a chat with ATI, they told us that they shifted to the HD 5970 name to help clear up some nomenclature for the average Radeon buyer. Last generation saw the HD 4890 competiting with the HD 4870 X2 -- and many folks assumed (apparently) that the HD 4890 was the faster of the two, not the more expensive dual-GPU HD 4870 X2. So, the new label, the HD 5970, better clarifies the gaming performance hierachry of the HD 5000 series. Makes sense to us. Not everyone is as informed as you probably are (as a hardware review reader), so the new name works, even if we were getting somewhat used to that "X2" label.  

Irregardless of whatever you want to call today's card, we can assure you even before you check out our first benchmark that this $600 USD creature is going to be fast. Fast as in, can't-get-any-faster-fast. The recently released HD 5870 doesn't have much trouble going through any new game, running them like they are out of 2004, not 2009; so certainly, a dual-GPU version is going to really zip. 

ATI's internal semi-codename for the HD 5970 is the Hemlock. We are not sure what trees have to do with this video card. Trees are much too slow.

Let's take a look-see at the HD 5970, shall we?