My ATI Radeon 5850 review (Gigabyte 5850OC) (custom dual fan model)

[SK-1]

Ya, but I thought the problem encompassed both models.

 

[erixx]

Probably... :/

You also have a greyed out voltage slider...

 

[exodusprime1337]

Sorry to hear your problems. I guess I should go ahead and contact them to bitch. Mine is nice and I love the looks, but the 2d thing bugs me. I can even over clock mine to 950 with no problem. Ive been no farther than that though.
http://img.techpowerup.org/100331/Capture330.jpg
http://img.techpowerup.org/100331/Capture329.jpg
http://img.techpowerup.org/100331/Capture331.jpg
Do I have an extra heat pipe?

can you ever have too man heat pipes... lol


@erixx and anybody else with this card.. Is this a non reference design that doesn't allow software overclocking.... To be honest with you i would not have purchased the card if it didn't. For instance i have an xfx 5870 xxx edition, designed with a higher stock oc, but other than that, it's a reference ati 5870. the software voltage control is there. if you buy a card like this 5870 with all the fans and heatpipes. Why do they cripple it so much that you can't comfortably overclock and control the card like it's reference counterparts...

Seems to me they should've taken a reference design and slapped a fancy cooler on it, made their own oc'ing software like asus smartdoctor and upped the price premium... idk seems backwards to me.

 

[SilverSilence]

Sorry to hear your problems. I guess I should go ahead and contact them to bitch. Mine is nice and I love the looks, but the 2d thing bugs me. I can even over clock mine to 950 with no problem. Ive been no farther than that though.
/snip
Do I have an extra heat pipe?

At least your fan speed idles at 22% instead of 55%

SK1!! But your card is a 5870!!
And yes 4 pipes versus 3 pipes..

Just tested something: the card, underclocked at 600/800 makes the Pc consume 169 W idling.
If I up it to 900/1015 it consumes 180 W.
Intense gaming with overclocks at CPU and GPU: 260 W

Would an operating 2D mode lower that 169W at idle ? (in the real world)

Well, i can run my 5850 on desktop at 200/450 and noticed temps dropped by about 10/15*C so for me it's worth it.

 

[erixx]

Seems like gigabyte has 2 divisions, one that make some rare cool stuff, and the big other that makes crap. Their product website and support website also suck. They hide information and make misleading publicity. ''Ultra durable overclocking 20%'' my ass!

On their website they offer a Comparison Chart, that 1) doesn't not work with this model family and 2) anyway does not include information about this feature, as a quick check with another card shows.

 

[erixx]

At least your fan speed idles at 22% instead of 55%



Well, i can run my 5850 on desktop at 200/450 and noticed temps dropped by about 10/15*C so for me it's worth it.

Another thing to test!!!! OMG!!!! haha, good idea!

 

[erixx]

Underclocked with a 2D profile (Afterburner) of 575/750 now it consumes only 160W.
(from 169W at 600/800).
That's 20W less than my 3D mode (only existing mode with Gigabyte stock settings)

It's beginning to look better...

 

[erixx]

Just got this reply:
___
Dear Erik,

Thank you for your kindly mail and inquiry. According to the hardawre design, due to this VGA card has been overclocked, so it doed not support 2D / 2D clock adjustment.

If you still have any further question or suggestion about our products/service, please do not hesitate to contact us. We will try our best to help you resolve the problem ASAP.

Regards,
GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY___

..................... I can understand the design decision to a certain point (cheaper!), but to say that it is *because it is overclocked* is utterly BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At least they could have suggested to create 2 profiles with 2 speeds, suckers!

 

[erixx]

FUNNY!!!

As I said: Gigabyte Taiwan Support answered the abovementioned.

BUT... Gigabyte Germany and Holland representatives have answered that a BIOS update is in the works...

WTF?! LOL! Wondering what they are baking....

 

[TRIPTEX_CAN]

I hope they get a working BIOS to you soon. Overclocked or not it's simply unacceptable for a modern ATI Radeon based card to not support 2d/3d clock profiles. My ASUS 5850 clocks down to 150mhz for 2D and it idles @ 37c. I can upload this BIOS in case anyone here wants to try it.

 

[erixx]

Thanks Triptex MTL! But the non reference hardware is just different. Someone may try it anyway and report here

 

[gvblake22]

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/6332/p1020538j.jpg
http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/9356/p1020533t.jpg
http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/9404/p1020529.jpg

Beautiful pics, thanks erixx!

 

[SilverSilence]

FUNNY!!!

As I said: Gigabyte Taiwan Support answered the abovementioned.

BUT... Gigabyte Germany and Holland representatives have answered that a BIOS update is in the works...

WTF?! LOL! Wondering what they are baking....

Where did you hear about the German and Holland reps? Did you ask them yourself or what?

 

[eidairaman1]

really never believed in Automatic fan control, reminds me of P4 and PWM, doesnt always work properly and can cause the fan to rev and slow every second there is a Spike in Temperature, best to have Manual Control that way when your gaming you can set the fan to a certain speed.

 

[SK-1]

+1 eidairaman1

 

[eidairaman1]

I notice once in a blue moon my card fan revs up, that's probably due to dust collection since its a single slot unit. I need to open the case and clean it again now that yellow dust is settling in.

 

[xeno7]

Hey guys,
Well, I'm unfortunately facing the same disappointment with this card... the only component in my new pc I just picked without reviews (I thought the cooler would be more silent than the stock one, and that was the only one available when I ordered).
Anyway, I am thus really thinking about sending that back, as I really wanted something more silent.
Now, the question is, have you guys taken a pic or two of the content before playing with the new toy?

Of course I did not... so I'm not sure if I am missing some stuff in the box or not!
I have the CD+booklet, the two connectors, the DVI adapter, the crossfire link, and the card... is that it?
Did they put some screws as well? anything else?

Appreciate the help! (about the box, or a bios working )

 

[erixx]

xeno7: you wanted a silent card, ok. Unless yours is broken this one is quite silent. And if you disable the ATI center (CCC.exe) that does nothing once you have set it up, you can use Afterburner (free control program) to set your fans below the build-in limit.
I have them at 30% at idle and can't hear'em, i swear!

Box: that's it, no screws, or anything else. I have hundreds of computer screws in excess, I can give you some

 

[xeno7]

Thanks for your reply erixx. Maybe I'm asking too much for the kind of power.. but this is definitely not silent to me... even with the fans at 20%.
(I managed to get the fans down with afterburner.. but not the clock/memory)

 

[erixx]

Sorry to hear that Xeno7. I have 3 exhaust fans that I can hear slightly (my PC is not a fanless 'Silent PC' and it is on top of my desk), and the videocard is not distinguishable abouve them, even at 60%.

In your situation, if your temperatures allow it, you could plug a 'speed reducing resistance' into the video fan, it has a standard PWR 4 pin. Or reduce the speed more. Or give the fans some oil. Or isolate your case. Check vibration of the plastic cover or the fins... Or return it...

 

[SteelSix]

Damn, too bad, looks like a Sapphire Vapor-X bios that can't be modded by RBE or adjusted by software. How about fan profile in RBE, that can be modded right? I saw comments about fans.

Other than needing a good bios, this is a VERY solid looking card. Look at those caps, and the very clean PWM layout with it's own little heatsink. Very nice layout. I'd be all over this after hearing they have a bios fix..

 

[ZCommander]

I have the GV-587UD and I had some issues with it related to its bad firmware.

Solved the issue by flashing the card with a sapphire firmware, yet I still can't change the voltage in this card.

I hope gigabyte would release a new firmware soon.

Check this link.....the card used seems to have a newer formware than the one I have!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlZCH1m3hqc

 

[erixx]

Other than needing a good bios, this is a VERY solid looking card. Look at those caps, and the very clean PWM layout with it's own little heatsink. Very nice layout. I'd be all over this after hearing they have a bios fix..

Yeah, Steelsix, I believe this pcb is the same base as for the superior models, read Super Overclocked, 5870 UD... there are some empty circuitries on this 585OC...

On one hand I feel envy, on the other I don't need anything more!

Zcommander, can't wait to see mainstream liquid ice systems hahaha

 

[SK-1]

1400 on the core!

 

[SK-1]

Update. I figured an expensive work around...Crossfire. I'm still working on wires, so please excuse the wire mess.

When I did the install, I had to remove the Gigabyte card. I had to marvel. This is the best looking card I've owned to date. My 10yo daughter and her friend even made a compliment..from a kid! lol Too bad its handicapped a bit with this 2D clock problem.