AMD’s 5000 series video graphics cards debuted back in September 2009. The 5000 series introduce a host of new features, most importantly Microsoft DirectX 11, and the new AMD Eyefinity Multi-monitor support. The first cards released were the ultra-high-end 5800 and 5900 class video cards, and they come with an ultra-high-end price to match. Fortunately, this month AMD released a card suited for the budget gamer: the Radeon HD 5670.
What is the HD 5670 Video Graphics Card?
The HD 5670 currently retails for about $100, but prices are expected to fall once competition from Nvidia is released later this year. These cards fill in the lower-midrange segment formerly occupied by AMD’s HD 4670 cards. Boasting 400 stream processors, 512 megabytes, or 1 gigabyte of GDDR5 memory on a 128-bit bus, the HD 5670 is a formidable card.
Like the rest of the 5000 series, the HD 5670 has great power-saving features, making it not only environmentally friendly but also easy on your computer’s power supply. The HD 5670 does not require an additional power connector, whereas its competition, the 9800GT, does. Many store-bought computers come with low-end power supplies, and the HD 5670 can be an ideal upgrade for them.
In today’s games, the HD 5670 can handle resolutions below 1680×1050 with ease. In most games, it will even perform well at higher resolutions, but this is certainly no high-end card. Don’t expect to be able to turn every setting on max with high levels of anti-aliasing, but what you get is still very decent. The HD 5670 can also enable DirectX 11 rendering in games that support it, however, it may take a performance hit for doing so.
AMD Radeon HD 5670 driver download
AMD’s Eyefinity is also supported on the HD 5670, enabling it to drive up to three monitors, provided at least one of them has a DisplayPort interface. This can make for some stunningly immersive gaming, as well as heavy multitasking across monitors.
However, it isn’t without drawbacks. In benchmarks, the HD 5670 is comparable to an Nvidia 9800GT, or an AMD HD 4830 video card. The problem is that these cards cost $10-20 less than the HD 5670, making it a hard sell. The additional features and DirectX 11 support may make this card worth it to some consumers, but for gamers looking for the best performance at a certain price point, this card just isn’t it.
If you’re a gamer on a budget, but still want a forward-looking card with DirectX 11 support, the HD 5670 is attractive, yet not an ideal option. Slightly higher on the chain is AMD’s 5750, which costs $20-30 more but performs quite a bit better. Until the HD 5670 falls to around $70, you might be served better by a different card.
