ATI Radeon HD 5830 Review
Introduction
After the high-end DirectX 11 (DX11) parts launched in late 2009, a lot of gamers watched and waited with baited breath for the release of the more affordable AMD/ATI mainstream products. Now the price and performance gaps between the HD 5770 and the HD 5850 has been closed up in the form of the Radeon HD 5830.
This latest release from AMD has a suggested e-tail price (SEP) of US $239. The questions to be answered today though, is whether or not the HD 5830 does justice to the rest of the 5800 series and also if the price to performance ratio is good enough for you to drop your coin on it. Read on to find out.
Radeon HD 5830 Specifications
The Radeon HD 5830 is the most affordable member of the HD 5800 Series. Instead of having a simplified Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) much like the HD 5670 (Redwood GPU), it bears a striking resemblance to the more powerful HD 5850 and HD 5870 which are based on the Cypress GPU.
Here are the full specifications of the HD 5830 along with its closest brethren.
Just like the higher end cards, the HD 5830 is based on the Cypress GPU core. The default clock speeds are 800MHz on the core clock and a memory clock of 1000MHz (4000MHz effective). These speeds combined with its 2.15 billion transistors, give this 40nm process GPU a theoretical maximum of 1.79 TeraFLOPs of computing power. To top it off, it features ATI’s new Eyefinity Technology and supports up to 3 monitors simultaneously. You have your choice of four output ports: two dual-link DVI, one HDMI, and one DisplayPort.
The reference design of the card is 11” long and this will be a big issue for those with small cases. Be careful when purchasing your video cards. The worst thing would be to buy your card only to find out later that it cannot fit in your chassis. As a guide, you may use our Video Card Length Database to check whether or not you have enough room. However, some AiBs might feature shorter PCBs.
Architecture
The Cypress GPU is designed with out-and-out performance in mind. The HD 5870 leads the way with the fully equipped GPU architecture. The HD 5830 GPU, like the HD 5850, is a cut down version that has some disabled sections. The HD 5830 GPU, known as the Cypress LE, has 6 of the 20 SIMD engines disabled leaving a total of 14 active. Each SIMD Engine is embodied by 4 texture units and 16 stream processors, each of which has 5 stream cores or Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs); if you prefer calling them that. This setup provides the HD 5830 GPU with 56 texture units and 1,120 stream processors.
The 256-bit memory interface is maintained even though 16 of the 32 ROP Units have been disabled. Each of the eight memory controller clusters support 4 ROPs. So to achieve this, AMD disabled 2 ROPs in each cluster. This prevented them from having to to disable any of the memory controllers themselves.
Here is a schematic diagram of the GPU architecture to help illustrate this.
Mini-Gallery
Here are some nice shots of the reference card itself.
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AMD has not left anything up to chance and therefore I won’t either. Let me introduce the test system so we can get to the benchmarking results.
Test System
The test system used is as follows:
| CPU: | Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550S @ 3.85GHz (453×8.5) |
| CPU Cooler: | Cooler Master V10 |
| Motherboard: | ASUS P5E Deluxe X48 (Rampage Formula BIOS) |
| Hard Disk: | Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB (ST3500418AS) |
| Memory: | G.SKILL 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2-1000 PQ |
| Video Cards: | AMD Radeon HD 5830 1GB Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB |
| Display: | 24” Gateway FHD2401 LCD |
| Power Supply: | Cooler Master UCP (Ultimate Circuit Protection) 1100W |
| Chassis: | CM Storm Sniper – Black Edition – Mesh Version |
| Operating System: | Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit |
| Video Drivers: | ATI Catalyst 10.3 |
Benchmarking Notes
Throughout the testing, all of the hardware and software (including the driver) remained the same except for the video cards.
All game benchmarks were run at both 1680×1050 and 1920×1200 resolutions and in most cases at the highest possible settings unless otherwise stated. The newly released Unigine Heaven 2.0 Benchmark was also run at these resolutions. Both 3DMark tests were run at their default settings. Each chart will show the respective conditions.
Disclaimer:
The Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 1GB used in this review is the only card available to me that offers close enough performance versus the HD 5830 and was chosen on that basis, as well as for its overwhelming popularity.
The main specifications are as follows:
| Reference Radeon HD 5830 | Sapphire Radeon HD 4870 | |
| Process | 40nm | 55nm |
| Core Clock | 800MHz | 750MHz |
| Memory Clock | 1000MHz (4000MHz effective) | 900MHz (3600MHz effective) |
| VRAM Buffer | 1GB GDDR5 | 1GB GDDR5 |
| Stream Processors | 1120 | 800 |
Now on with the show!
3DMark 06
3DMark06 is a PC benchmark suite designed to test the DirectX9 performance of your graphics card. 3DMark06 is the most downloaded benchmark and the ORB database of 3DMark 06 results, maintained by Futuremark, now contains over 8.5 million 3DMark06 benchmark scores from around the world. Three main graphic tests from 3DMark05 were carried over to 3DMark06 and updated. The tests included in 3DMark 06 feature HDR rendering, shadow mapping, water surfaces created using pixel shaders with HDR refraction, HDR reflection, depth fog and Gerstner wave functions, heterogeneous fog, light scattering and cloud blending, etc.
3DMark 06 has long been a standard benchmark used to determine the changes in performance in a system. It gives a very good idea of the general performance to be expected from each of these cards. The HD 5830 quite easily shows its dominance early out.
Note:
Given its age and simplicity versus modern video cards, ABT is considering dropping 3DMark 06 from our test bench. Please let us know what you think about this. Just drop us a line in the forum or comment on the article from the main page.
3DMark Vantage
3DMark Vantage is a PC benchmark suite designed to test the DirectX10 performance of your graphics card. It is the latest addition to the 3DMark series. As it is a DX10-only benchmark, it only runs on Windows Vista and Windows 7. 3DMark Vantage is composed of four full-bore benchmarking tests (2 CPU tests and 2 GPU tests) and 6 feature tests. This test makes good use of multi-core CPUs and can even use Nvidia’s PhysX technology on its GeForce line-up of video cards.
Again we see the newer card taking control of the benchmarks right away. In any case, synthetic benchmarks do give a good idea of overall performance but they don’t usually tell the whole story. To do that we need to run some real-world game benches.
Crysis
From the makers of Far Cry, Crysis offers FPS fans the best-looking, most highly-evolving gameplay, requiring the player to use adaptive tactics and total customization of weapons and armor to survive in dynamic, hostile environments including Zero-G.
Crysis is currently still one of the most demanding games on any GPU subsystem. It can usually make a mainstream system beg you for an upgrade. Even enthusiast systems are challenged more often than not.
The HD 5830 continues to show itself approved on the performance front, with average frame rates higher than the maximum for the HD 4870 at both resolutions in Crysis.
Far Cry 2
Far Cry® 2, the next-generation first-person shooter from Ubisoft, will take you deep into the most beautiful but also most hostile environments in the world: Africa! More than just a visual and technological achievement, Far Cry® 2, the true sequel to the award-winning PC game, will provide you with an unprecedented gaming experience.
The trend continues and both cards hold their positions in order of expected performance. The HD 4870 continues to offer some decent performance to gamers with last gen hardware but the HD 5830 yet again delivers superior frame rates at the Ultra setting on the Dunia engine. Both cards offered playable results with max detail, however, the gaming experience on the HD 5830 was smoother.
Unreal Tournament 3
Unreal Tournament 3® marks the return of the industry’s premiere first-person shooter. Utilizing the power of Unreal Engine 3, the latest installment takes graphics and gameplay to a whole new level. Slug it out with a diverse roster of opponents, battling across unbelievably detailed environments using the latest in high-tech firepower.
Both cards run this game optimally at both resolutions with the HD 5830 slightly ahead. Not surprising as the Unreal 3 Engine is very well optimized and very efficient on a wide range of hardware.
Resident Evil 5
Another series that is an old favourite, Resident Evil 5 brings with it a top-notch gaming experience and rich, fluid visuals.
RE5 as it is known, does justice to the series and both Radeon cards do justice to themselves, each in their own right. Both cards run this game optimally with the HD 5830 still slightly ahead.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
The events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat unfold shortly after the end of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Having discovered about the open path to the Zone center, the government decides to hold a large-scale military “Fairway” operation aimed to take the CNPP under control.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (just simply called STALKER) series has made quite an impact on PC gaming with its Action-RPG, FPS hybrid style gameplay. The latest game in the series, Call of Pripyat, has a benchmark which was used to compare the performance of the two cards being featured today.
Here are the results of the DX10 benchmarks.
Now here is the chart for the DX11 benching runs. Lacking DX11 functionality, the HD 4870 was obviously left out of these tests.
Call of Pripyat ran reasonably well on the DX10 pathway on both cards. The HD 5830, yet again, having the slight edge. The DX11 performance is admirable when comparing it to DX10 and he performance hit is minimal if any at all. In some instances the DX11 pathway performed better than DX10.
Call of Juarez
Call of Juarez is a First Person Shooter for PC, inspired from the greatest movies of the Western genre. It is the first ‘serious’ and the most realistic adaptation of the genre. Developed by Techland Studio, the game draws on the major themes of the American Wild West through confrontation between the two principal emblematic characters.
While the game focuses on a high level of realism with its incredible graphics, environments and overall look, the gameplay has not been neglected, and players will enjoy a great gaming experience with duels and shoot-outs, wild horseback antics and a great Western atmosphere.
At this point, we can start to conclude that the HD 4870 is just no match for the HD 5830. Some persons may say that this was not a fair comparison to begin with but performance is performance; there are no two ways about it and no going around it.
World In Conflict
The AWARD-WINNING WORLD IN CONFLICT® showed us what it would’ve been like if the Cold War erupted into World War III. In the original game, you would play the U.S. side and defend your homeland against the invading Russian army. With the new single-player expansion you can now go on the attack as you take control of the Soviet army in an attempt to paint the free world red. Award-winning original game plus new expansion – the complete edition will immerse you in an all-out battle for the heart of the free world.
Great performance here with the HD 5830. Very playable frame rates and maxed out graphics options. Although placing second, the HD 4870 proves that it is no slouch.
Just Cause 2
The orders are simple: hunt down and execute a rogue agent that has stolen top-secret intelligence and millions in Agency cash. Each of Rico’s assignments can be tackled by land, sea or air with more than 100 vehicles including tactical jeeps, attack helicopters and jet fighters. As the Agency’s best, Rico can execute a range of breathtaking new stunts, utilizing his trademark parachute and upgraded grapple to reach any location in Panau -400 square mile island of white sand beaches, scorching deserts and snow-capped peaks.
A newcomer to the test bench, Just Cause 2 does justice to the performance evaluation of these cards. The graphics are very clean and crisp. The newer, stronger HD 5830 wins handily while providing a smoother overall gaming experience and better numbers overall in the benchmark.
BattleForge
The gods have disappeared and the old sun has died, letting a vile twilight engulf the world of Nyn. In exchange for all treasures the mortals possessed, the evil giants agreed to forge a new sun and hurl it into the sky.
But the deal was betrayed, the treasure stolen and now the mortals flee the wrath of the giants. Under the light of a new sun the mortals stumble into a world changed and twisted by an age of twilight. The long journey home has become a conquest of survival.
A marvellously artistic game with wonderful graphical effects, BattleForge has proven itself as a wonderful benchmark. The results, however, are not as wonderful for the HD 4870, as it has again been outclassed by the HD 5830.
DiRT 2
Inspired by the best in off-road racing and extreme sports, Dirt 2 takes you on a stunning world tour from Malaysia to Morocco and London to LA in new and classic events. Unleash the planet’s hottest licensed off-road vehicles in a range of multi-car, solo and multi-class races set in incredible new environments.
Aside from DX11 capabilities, the HD 5830 just demonstrates its raw muscle versus the one-time ATI champion, although both cards run the game well. Dirt 2 is one of those games that doesn’t need an extremely high frame rate to run well; butter smooth performance on either side with the edge to HD 5830.
Unigine Heaven 2.0
Unigine™ is a top-notch technology, that can be easily adapted to various projects due to its elaborated software design and flexible toolset. It is already used in the development of different projects (mostly games).
This time around, the just-released Heaven 2.0 Benchmark does the job for us.
With DX11 on the verge of getting really popular among game developers, we see that DX10 is far from dead. Although it will eventually be replaced, it still deserves fair mention because it is still current. The performance right across the board is not bad by any means but the HD 5830, as expected, keeps on beating the HD4870.
Temperature
Temperature is a vital part of the whole balance between noise and cooling. We all want to know that when we sink our hard-earned money into our hardware, it won’t fail due to overheating caused by inadequate cooling solutions.
FurMark 1.8.0 – the new Hot Like Hell Edition – was used to load the GPU for 10 minutes and the peak temperature recorded. The idle temperature was taken before and after the test and verified to be the same in each case.
Both of the cards in question idled in the low-50s. The HD 4870 had a peak temperature of 73°C, while the HD 5830 crept up to a high of 87°C. These results were obtained in an air-conditioned room, with the ambient temperature maintained at 27°C.
The difference in the temperature between idle and load was also noted. The HD 5830 had a 34 degree increase while the older HD 4870 got 23 degrees hotter than when idling. In both cases, the Catalyst Control Center (CCC) was left to automatically adjust the fan speeds.
Note:
The HD 4870 card has an aftermarket cooling solution with a heat-piped design that may allow for cooler temperatures. The HD 5830 uses the reference design. The AiB partners will no doubt offer their own cooling solutions which may or may not be better.
Noise
Owing to the lack of a decibel meter, I had to play it by ear as usual. This was done at an approximate distance of three feet away with the chassis closed. I was pleased to find that while both of these cards were actively cooled, neither could be heard when GPU was idling. When the GPU is loaded and putting out more heat, the fans spin up to offer more cooling to the cards’ components.
The fan on the HD 5830 runs at roughly 21% of it full speed at idle When it spins up under heavy load, it becomes audible at about 30% and gets loud at 50%. At 100% fan speed, you get the blow-dryer-sounding-like-an-aircraft-taking-off effect.
Note:
Keep in mind that this HD 5830 uses the reference design. The AiB partners will no doubt offer their own cooling solutions which may or may not be better and/or quieter.
Some of these designs are shown here.
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Power Usage
Power usage is becoming increasingly important in this green age. Most enthusiasts disregard power usage in favour of raw performance but at the other end of the spectrum, budget and mainstream users are more wary.
The entire system drew a total of 331W from the wall, idling with the HD 4870. Under full GPU load, this figure increased to 489W. The HD 5830 demonstrated an expectedly lower power draw with figures of 279W and 484W, for idle and load respectively.
Here is where it gets interesting. The HD 5830 uses far less power when idling and as such brings down the system’s idle power consumption by a significant amount. Under load, it also uses slightly less energy. So we have a situation where we can get more performance along with more power savings. Sounds great to me.
Note:
The major factor for such high wattage is that the 1100W PSU that powers the test system has caused the idle power amount to go up by quite a bit. Hence, this is the reason that knowing the power differential is useful. The differential will also take into account any additional power draw from the CPU also being under load, along with other smaller components, such as hard drive spin-up among others.
As I stated, this is the power draw on the entire system. There are special power meters that can measure the video card power draw at the slot level but for the moment I only have a Kill-A-Watt unit at my disposal.
Overclocking
For a long time now, enthusiasts have been upping the clock speeds on their cards to either equal or best the more expensive, higher-performing models. I am a part of that group and I usually seek to extract as much performance as I can get out of my hardware.
Overclocking was a bit tricky because the usual method of overclocking a card like this didn’t go the way I liked. That method would be to use the Catalyst Control Center (CCC) to enable ATI Overdrive and then overclock to high heaven. This proved useful but was not the extreme overclocking I was looking for.
The CCC allowed me to stably hit the pre-defined maximums of 875MHz on the core and 1200MHz (4800MHz effective) on the memory. After not being satisfied, I then decided to find some other means to boost my clocks, which is when I turned to the MSI AfterBurner utility.
I was yet again disappointed to find out that this only allowed me the same maximums as the ATI Overdrive did. A bit annoyed now, I decided it was time to start tweaking. I did some research and then some digging around in the configuration files for the utility and came across a solution. Look for a follow-up article detailing this in the near future.
After doing all my testing I finally achieved a maximum overclock (on stock voltage) of 950MHz on the core, an 18.75% increase, and 1300MHz (5200MHz effective) on the memory, a 30% increase. Very impressive! Here is the GPU-Z screenshot and the validation can be found here.
Now for a few benches to compare and demonstrate the benefit of such a hefty overclock. The memory bandwidth was never really in question and as such its 30% overclock was merely extra headroom rather than an actual factor in the resulting performance. The 18.75% core overclock has the most impact. Here are a few benches I reran, showing improvements in excess of 15%.
So 17.13% increase on average in some of these benches really isn’t bad for an 18.75% overclock. However, bear in mind that overclocking has its cons as well. Increased temperatures and power usage are the first to come to mind. Also, there is the possibility of shortening the life of your card. I noticed temperatures go up to 89°C and total system power draw peak very briefly at about 566W while running FurMark. Regular gaming did not push the card that hard, so not to worry (too much).
Not all benches showed such large gains but there are several factors to consider why this is so. That is a whole other story which I will not delve into at this time. However, I’m pleased to say that overclocking the HD 5830 is rather easy and it responds very, very well.
Conclusion
The Radeon HD 5830 has proven that time and patience can be a great ally in purchasing hardware. I remember scrambling to buy my HD 4870 a year and a half ago for $300. That is a very long time ago in tech years and an equally long time to wait (and miss out on the fun). Anyway, now I can get roughly 25% more performance for 20% less at $240 (calculated at launch price). This is a marvellous time for gamers with several great deals all around.
Now to answer the first question: Does the HD 5830 do justice to the rest of its 5800 series? A resounding YES! This card is the entry point to ATI’s top-tier 5000 series GPUs and it easily beats last generation’s big boys.
Now the second question: Is the price to performance ratio of the HD 5830 good enough for you to spend your money on it? Yes, certainly. The HD 5830 is a strong card and a voracious overclocker. For those willing to push it to its limits then it is a good deal and it might very well be a ticket into that elite club you seek to be a part of. However, for the not so brave, the HD 5830 might be a bit of a stretch at $240 and as always, I recommend that you shop around for the best deal to suit you in regards to price, warranty, aesthetics, etc.
Bottom Line: Getting an HD 5830 at anything closer to the $200-mark would be a steal of a deal.
Pros:
- DirextX 11 functionality
- Decent performance @ 1920×1200
- Great performance @ 1680×1050 and lower
- Amazing overclocker!
- Low to reasonable power consumption
- Eyefinity technology
- Onboard HDMI audio processor
- Lots of outputs
Cons:
- Does run a bit warm
- Fan gets very loud, very quickly
Without any hesitation, I give the Radeon HD 5830 the Recommended and Overclocker Awards.
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–
Leon Hyman
Senior Editor
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Very good job Leon…
Thanks a lot. Glad to be able to bring it to you. =)
Nice review, Leon. I really like the style and the in-depth coverage. Keep it up (interesting how this review in particular shows it to really beat the 4870.. perhaps 10.3 drivers really did help the 5830?)..