AMD Radeon HD 6850 Overclocking Roundup: Asus, XFX, & MSI
by Ryan Smith on November 8, 2010 12:40 AM ESTMeet The MSI R6850 OC
The final card in today’s roundup is MSI’s R6850 OC. The R6850 OC is one of the first 6850s being released with a significant overclock, with MSI releasing it at 820MHz core and 1100MHz (4400MHz effective) memory, a 45MHz (5.8%) core and 100MHz (10%) memory overclock respectively. Besides the overclock, the card is identical to MSI’s existing R6850, using the same PCB and cooler as its stock-clocked counterpart.
Starting with the PCB, MSI is also using a non-reference PCB, this time using a shorter 8.5” PCB. In fact it's the same PCB as on the XFX card, leading us to believe that this is an alternative 1x DisplayPort PCB from AMD. In any case, because it's the same PCB as the XFX it means it's sharing the same design flaws: MSI has kept the PCIe power sockets on the rear of the card, so the practical length of the card is longer. Furthermore in the case of the MSI card, the card’s plastic shroud hangs over the end of the card, making the card 9” long in practice. As a result the end-user benefits of the shorter PCB are more or less wasted.
Attached to the PCB is MSI’s cooler, which bears a striking resemblance to Asus’s DirectCU cooler. Here MSI is using a pair of copper heatpipes to transfer heat from the baseplate to an aluminum heatsink that runs most of the length of the card. In the center is an 80mm fan providing airflow for cooling, and on top of that a shroud to direct airflow out of the front and the back of the card. Compared to the Asus DirectCU cooler, the biggest differences are that MSI is using a larger fan and copper heatpipes in place of aluminum heatpipes.
As for the port configuration, MSI is using the same configuration as both XFX and Asus: two DVI ports, one HDMI port, and one full-size DisplayPort, meaning the card can drive up to 5 monitors with a DP hub.
For the R6850, MSI’s ace in the hole is the software rather than the hardware. The R6850 comes with MSI’s fantastic Afterburner software, which comes with allows overclocking and monitoring, and on the R6850 it even allows voltage modification. While MSI makes this software available for use on non-MSI cards, we always make it a point to tip our hat in their direction as Afterburner continues to be the gold standard in overclocking software.
Rounding out the package is the usual collection of odds & ends: a quick-start manual, driver/utility CD, molex-to-PCIe power adaptor, a long CrossFire bridge, and a DVI-to-VGA dongle. Unfortunately we don’t have pricing information for the R6850 OC at this time, but we’ve already seeing the stock-clocked version at around $190, so we’d expect the R6850 OC to go for around $200, a $20 markup over the AMD MSRP for a reference card and roughly in-line with other factory overclocked cards. Meanwhile on the support side of matters, MSI is providing a 3 year warranty with the card.
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CeriseCogburn - Thursday, August 23, 2012 - link
The "new policy" purportedly made from "abundantly clear emails" is a self serving policy and will leave us with less information more of the time.Anandtech will include only the OC model of the currently being tested card, and thus - they will get a happy pat on the head for the review article from their minders who sent them the test card(s).
Oh look it's soooo fast...
"why thank you"
"your welcome"
"see you guys at the island party where we can discuss the industry"
"why thanksfor the tickets and invite !"
"you're welcome keep up the good promo work!"
"we will ! "
"I like how you said it's your viewers desire! Man the spin is awesome !"
7Enigma - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
I can't say I read all 55 pages (last time I checked), but if you weeded out the fanboys on both sides you got very similar to what the OP is saying here (and I'm sure the comments to follow will reiterate):Comparing stock-clocked cards from a LAUNCH article of a new series to OC variants is questionable (again the key word being launch), but I believe that few of us were asking to not have any factory OC cards included (especially when this review focuses solely ON factory OC cards).
Just keep the comparisons consistent; that's all most of us readers without an agenda are advocating.
mm2587 - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
Thank you. I admit my first post was a bit over the top but really so was the conclusion to this article.Here's an article about the extremes of the 6850. A perfect place to mention the extremes of its closest competitor the gtx460 (yes the ftw cost more, but lets face it most 460's are able to clock within 5% of the ftw)
Instead we're treated with another round of OC'd cards vs. reference cards. The very issue that created the uproar previously.
I have no agenda here. I'm pretty sure I've switched manufacturers every time I've updated my card. I just want the most bang for my buck regardless of what color the card is. Right now Anandtech's articles are not doing a good job of showing me how to get that.
I've used and trusted this site for years. Like 7enigma, all I'm asking for is consistency, something that I always thought this site delivered.
khimera2000 - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
I have to agree i was surprised that the FTW card was not included since this was roundup of the 6850 OC cards. But i can understand there hesitation. When they caved to Nvidia they lost alot of respect from alot of there reviewers since no matter how you spin it, and no matter what there intentions everyone who looks at the sight will see it as AT selling out.AT now have to be even more carefull not to include anything that might be seen as biyest. and now has to do alot of work to prove that its loyalties rest with its readers and not lining there pockets (good luck)
If it was found that the FTW card killed the OC 6850 then im pritty sure they would have another flaim fest.
Its not a perfect approach but I see it as a step in the right direction to patching up there relation with there customer base. Id say a good approach is do a review off all the cards individualy so you can do see there marrets and flaws, then post one big comparison review of the OC 400 series vs the OC 6000 series. then note that you intend to do this comparison at the releas of every OC card.
MeanBruce - Wednesday, November 10, 2010 - link
Oh my God, you might have to start thinking on your own, what a disaster. Remember who is in charge here, Anand, not you...krumme - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
Excellent Ryan.Thank you for listening.
flipmode - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
Well, Ryan - give the people what they want, right? So you're giving in to the Radeon fanboys and opting to limit the products that you show. I don't know what to say. Sometimes you have to stand up to fanboys and stupidity, not give in. Anandtech just got an F for the day today.You're simply not supposed to let fanboys dictate policy for you.
mapesdhs - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
Hey, wait a minute Ryan, *plenty* of us said we _did_ agree with including
the FTW, that it was the right thing to do. You're seriously bowing to the moaners?
That's effectively admitting your original rationale for including the card was
wrong, which makes no sense to me.
As I pointed out, people who objected are much more likely to say so than
people who didn't mind. So once again we have to pander to the lowest
common denominator of opinion?
You should do a particular thing because it is the _right_ thing to do, not
because the majority say so. An opinion without a rationale is no opinion
at all. Your reasons for including the FTW were sound; it should have been
included in this review precisely to offer the comparison which all those
same moaners said was missing in the earlier article. It's whatt hey wanted
afterall.
What a sad day... another win for the those who shout loudest. :\
Ian.
medi01 - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
Right thing to do was exactly NOT including cherrypickedhardtofindoverclocked card. They realize it themselves.SlyNine - Monday, November 8, 2010 - link
Wait wait. Can we please respect the opinions of others instead of having an "my opinion is the only valid one" Now I agreed with their decision to include the FTW. But it's no big deal that they don't.Otho I agree, It sucks that those who whine loudest get their gears greased first. But if it's not a big deal, who gives a rats @$$.