13 - The Conclusion
The Verdict
So then. Interesting. We notice throughout the scope of these tests that one gigabyte of memory definitely helps bring some additional bite to the Radeon HD 4870. We of course expected no less. As it stands, in most regular situations 512 MB really is sufficient. But if you want a little more performance, the extra 512 MB will without a doubt help.
Personally I do prefer the 1024 MB models in the high-end segment, as that's where it can make an actual difference.
Modern and upcoming games with massive amounts of textures, and even more important, high-resolution textures will happily make use of that extra memory. And albeit though we test typically at 4xAA, it would definitely make a sufficient enough difference at 8xAA. A good example of that was Devil May Cry 4 where we noticed a pretty significant performance boost in the higher resolutions with more GPU limitation.
So overall, the 1024 MB models will be slightly more expensive. I expect them to add another 50 USD to the price-tag. Currently you can pick up a 512 MB model at roughly 279 USD. I expect the 1024 MB models to settle at 299-319 USD.
Framerate wise it's hard for me to justify the extra 50 bucks. However, if you want to be a little more future proof for upcoming gaming titles, then my recommendation obviously is this card. You'll love it indefinitely.
The GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 then, interestingly enough the 1 GB 4870 definitely has the upper hand over the regular Core 216 versions. But if you look at some of our reviews, it's competing way more fiercely with the Core 216 pre-overclocked products like BFG and eVGA offer. And that's nice because both the 1024 MB 4870 and the pre-OC GTX 260 Core 216 models are priced roughly the same.
Competition my friends, the corporate companies might hate it, but we as consumers can certainly respect the good dynamics of a mud fight between companies. In the end it'll help evolve GPU development, drive prices down... and you get to play better and nicer looking games for a fair price. And with that I'd like to close this article... The Radeon 4850 / 4870 series are built with one thing in mind, good performance at a decent price. The 1 GB version will cost you roughly 300 USD / 250 EUR in e-tail, I say it's a fair deal and an awesome product to purchase.
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