MSI Readies HD 5870 Lightning Graphics Card

Wednesday, December 16 2009

MSI is designing a high-end graphics card based on the ATI Radeon HD 5870, to be featured in its Lightning series of overclocking-friendly graphics cards. A PCB drawing of the same surfaced recently, revealing a taller than usual PCB, with a high-grade VRM to support high-levels of overclocking, among other noticeable features. The PCB seems to have a 12-phase vGPU and 3-phase vMEM, it is fed by two 8-pin PCI-E power connectors, though it remains to be seen if MSI places two actual 8-pin connectors. Some parts of the PCB make use of high-C surface-mount capacitors. The display connectivity cluster seems to be identical to that of the reference design PCB, with two DVI-D, and one each of HDMI and DisplayPort. It is likely that MSI uses a high-end cooler for this card, perhaps similar to the Twin Frozr II design. More information will surface during the upcoming CES event.

Source: XtremeSystems

posted by btarunr - 3:36 AM | Related News |

User comments

by AltecV1 (December 17th - 3:38 AM) - Reply

a short 5870 good job msi

by sno.lcn (December 17th - 3:39 AM) - Reply

Awesome!!!

by [H]@RD5TUFF (December 17th - 3:58 AM) - Reply

About time! I've been thinking for a long time how it's stupid that cards keep getting about an inch or so longer each generation. Is it really that hard to add an inch or even half an inch onto the width of the card and cut about 2 inches off the end of the card. Don't you think 13 inches is a bit much AMD ?

by Semi-Lobster (December 17th - 3:59 AM) - Reply

A short 5870, if only these were around when I bought my 5850! Then it would actually fit in my Antec 300 case!

by SummerDays (December 17th - 4:13 AM) - Reply

by: [H]@RD5TUFF
About time! I've been thinking for a long time how it's stupid that cards keep getting about an inch or so longer each generation. Is it really that hard to add an inch or even half an inch onto the width of the card and cut about 2 inches off the end of the card. Don't you think 13 inches is a bit much AMD ?

There's at least 2 more additional inches of room from the 5970 length in the Thermal Take Armour Case so I think it'll last another graphics card generation. lol

:toast:

by eidairaman1 (December 17th - 4:20 AM) - Reply

The first non Ref 5870 is in the works, Awesome

by mlee49 (December 17th - 4:21 AM) - Reply

Are they going to include the voltage reading points like they did on the 275?

TPU's review if anyone would like to see:

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_275_N275GTX_Lightning

Edit: looks like those voltage readouts are on the far right, slightly under the power connectors.

by eidairaman1 (December 17th - 4:25 AM) - Reply

ive been waiting for the 3rd party designed boards

by [H]@RD5TUFF (December 17th - 4:37 AM) - Reply

by: SummerDays
There's at least 2 more additional inches of room from the 5970 length in the Thermal Take Armour Case so I think it'll last another graphics card generation. lol

:toast:

That's not really the point at all. more room or not, the cards don't need to be that long.

by Error 404 (December 17th - 6:35 AM) - Reply

Just how long is this card? It might actually fit in my case!

by Fourstaff (December 17th - 9:46 AM) - Reply

I have got this feeling that the next gen cards will all be about small size, seeing that they cut down the power consumption this gen.

by wolf (December 17th - 10:01 AM) - Reply

yay first 5870 I've seen with non reference PCB :D

full of win? lets wait and see.

by AsRock (December 17th - 12:34 PM) - Reply

by: [H]@RD5TUFF
About time! I've been thinking for a long time how it's stupid that cards keep getting about an inch or so longer each generation. Is it really that hard to add an inch or even half an inch onto the width of the card and cut about 2 inches off the end of the card. Don't you think 13 inches is a bit much AMD ?

The card being wider will be heavier on the PCI-e slot than making it longer.

by: SummerDays
There's at least 2 more additional inches of room from the 5970 length in the Thermal Take Armour Case so I think it'll last another graphics card generation. lol

:toast:

:).

by Sasqui (December 17th - 2:22 PM) - Reply

Hey that's confidential! "For internal CES Train Only" - Whatever the hell that means :laugh:

Judging by this image:

... looks like it'll be 1"-2" shorter :toast:

by WarEagleAU (December 17th - 2:32 PM) - Reply

I like, especially the component upgrades MSI put on there. Seems like they want to play with the big boys now.

by [H]@RD5TUFF (December 18th - 1:21 AM) - Reply

by: AsRock
The card being wider will be heavier on the PCI-e slot than making it longer.

How so, if your going to make the case that a 13 inch car puts less stress than a card of 9-10 inches , your fooling yourself, also were talking less than an inch wider, the PCB area is the same iether way.

by DarthCyclonis (December 18th - 1:52 AM) - Reply

Kind of reminds me of the 3870X2 from PowerColor I used to own. Short PCB, a little taller but shorter none the less.

by Hayder_Master (December 20th - 9:01 AM) - Reply

cool i wonder if they release 5970 with same size

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