ATI HD 4670 - Testing and Conclusions

For testing we ran through our usual set of gaming tests and also measured the power draw of our test bed with each card installed. The test setup is as follows:

Common System Components

* Intel Core 2 Quad QX9770
* Asus P5E3
* 2GB Corsair TWIN3X2048-1333C9 DDR3
* 150GB Western Digital Raptor
* Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit

Cards Tested
* ATI HD 4670
* ATI HD 4850
* nVidia GeForce 9600 GT
* nVidia GeForce 9500GT

Games Tested
* Crysis
* Race Driver: GRID
* Enemy Territory: Quake Wars
* Call of Duty 4
* Counter-Strike: Source

Installation and testing passed without a hitch and we experienced no stability problems whatsoever. The card did become quite hot to the touch but we've come to expect that from ATI's cards and it has yet to cause a problem.

As for performance, the HD 4670 held up very well. Framerates were consistently within a 'playable' range for all games except Crysis where, at the settings tested, it struggled to hit 25fps. However, turning down the graphical settings a little should give you playable performance even in this most demanding of games. Most importantly, the HD 4670 distinguishes itself as being by far the best performer for its price.


Power consumption is of course a great concern in the current economic and environmental climate so it's good to see the HD 4670 does its bit as well. We did note that the 9500 GT consumed a little less power though. Nonetheless, you can rest assured that adding an HD 4670 to your system won't suddenly triple your electricity bill.

Verdict

We really like the ATI HD 4670. If you're seriously into your gaming and have an enormous 24in (or above) monitor, then it's probably not for you. However, if all you have is a modest PC and a modest upgrade budget and you fancy a bit of 3D gaming fun, this card is the perfect option.