Gainward GeForce GTX470 Golden Sample VS XFX Radeon 5870 AVP Edition Video Card   Page 1

Reviewer: RWL Staff Article Publish Date: 10/20/2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     A while back we had the chance to review the XFX ATI Radeon 5870 Black edition, one of the fastest, if not the fastest, cards around at that time. Unfortunately NVIDIA did not launch their counter offerings until several months later and although initially our results were quite disappointing 7 months later with the latest and more mature drivers the new GTX4xx series are now what they should had been from day one. On the other hand ATI is preparing to launch their new 6xxx series of graphics cards in a couple of days, however instead of manufacturing an entirely new line of cards based on a new GPU the 6xxx series is basically a revamped version of the 5xxx series. Anyways today's review/comparison is about the Gainward Golden Sample GTX470 and the XFX Radeon 5870 AVP Edition 1GB two models which are currently amongst the fastest ones in the market today.

 

 

 

 

 

     Gainward Co. Ltd was founded in Taipei back in 1984 and their main goal was to produce a variety of PC video enhancement products. In 1989 Gainward starts production of new VGA technology and becomes a major developer for Tseng Labs ASIC in Taiwan. Their USA presence was officialized in 1991 and by 1992 Gainward was ranked Top 1000 Industrial companies in Taiwan. TNC Industrial Co. Ltd. merged with Gainward in 1997 and with that move they became one of the largest graphics cards suppliers, shipping more than 2 million boards during the year. In 2000 Gainward establishes their presence in Europe with a new branch in Germany while in 2001 they become an NVIDIA Certified Selection Solution Provider and NVIDIA Launch Partner. Gainward and Palit Microsystem Inc. merge together in 2005 to ensure a higher level of accessibility and the highest possible product quality. In 2006 they introduce a new company logo which they change again in 2008 when they become an AMD authorized partner.

 

 

 

 

 

     XFX dares to go where the competition would like to, but can’t. That’s because, at XFX, we don’t just create great digital video components—we build all-out, mind-blowing, performance-crushing, competition-obliterating video cards and motherboards. And, not only are they amazing, you don’t have to live on dry noodles and peanut butter to afford them. XFX is a division of PINE Technology Holdings Limited, a leading manufacturer and marketer of innovative solutions for the worldwide gaming technologies market. Founded in 1989, PINE designs, develops, manufactures and distributes high-performance video graphics technology and computer peripherals. The company’s dedicated research and development team are continually pushing the limits to meet the demands of the ever-growing and performance-driven community. Headquartered in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR), PINE has more than 1,000 employees worldwide with 16 offices around the globe. PINE also maintains four state-of-the-art research and development facilities in the Asia Pacific region and two factories in Mainland China.

 

 

 

 

 

      Having already seen and reviewed quite a few Gainward and XFX cards in the past we have a good idea of what to expect from their newest models. The level of quality in both cards much like the previous ones is top notch and as you will see later on both units feature improved aftermarket cooling systems and in the case of the GTX470 Golden Sample improved clocks across the board. Of course further overclocking is possible with both cards but as with most factory overclocked solutions the Golden GTX470 has a somewhat limited overclocking potential, or at least it should have.