Radeon HD 5870 vs 5850 Length Specs Comparsion Linus Tech Tips

This Linus Tech Tips short comparison video focuses on the Radeon HD 5870 and the Radeon HD 5850, emphasizing practical size and specification differences that matter for PC builders. The presenter starts by detailing the physical length discrepancy between the two cards, noting the 5870 measures about 11 1/8 inches while the 5850 is around 9 5/8 inches, and highlighting that PCIe Express clearance adds roughly an extra inch, bringing installed length differences to about 1 inch overall. He then switches to a quick spec comparison, citing a core clock of 850 MHz for the 5870 versus 725 MHz for the 5850, and memory speeds of 4.8 GHz on the 5870 compared with 4.0 GHz on the 5850. The discussion continues with changes in shader units and texture units, indicating the 5870 has more capable processing resources overall but the 5850 remains a more affordable option. Based on benchmarks the presenter mentions, the 5850 is estimated to be around 10 to 15 percent slower in performance, but the price gap makes it a strong value choice for many buyers. The video wraps with a concise takeaway: both cards support DirectX 11 and Eyefinity with up to three displays, but the 5870 delivers higher performance at a higher cost, while the 5850 offers competitive performance at a lower price.

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