AMD Radeon HD 4850 512MB
While the new HD 4870 is geared up for the sub-$300 market, the HD 4850 is meant for an even more budget-conscious gamer with an MSRP around $199. 

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Our Radeon HD 4850 samples came courtesy of MSI; a single slot design makes for one HOT card, but let’s look at the specs:
  • Radeon HD 4850
  • 800 Stream processors
  • 625 MHz core clock
  • 1000 MHz GDDR3 memory clock
  • 512MB frame buffer
  • Max board power 110 watts

AMD Radeon HD 4870 and HD 4850 Review - Mid-range GPU mix up - Graphics Cards 147

AMD Radeon HD 4870 and HD 4850 Review - Mid-range GPU mix up - Graphics Cards 148

The HD 4850 sports the same features as the HD 4870 including two dual-link DVI outputs that support audio and HDMI output as well as the standard TV output between them.

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For power connectivity, the HD 4850 only requires a single 6-pin PCIe cable.

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Like all AMD graphics boards since the HD 2900, the HD 4850 (and 4870) comes with a DVI-to-HDMI adapter. 

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AMD Radeon HD 4870 and HD 4850 Review - Mid-range GPU mix up - Graphics Cards 152

Under the single slot cooler lies the same memory and GPU configuration as the HD 4870 card; the memory chips are sized and lined up differently though since they are GDDR3 on this card. 

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The MSI card was sent to us before retail availability so that’s we only had a CrossFire connector, DVI-to-HDMI adapter and custom-made burned driver CD in the box.

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