XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB Video Card Review

Conclusion

In our performance testing the XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB was up against some stiff competition, namely its faster and more expensive 4000 series brothers. To say that the 4850 1GB is a bad card would be incorrect. At just $124.99 it is an extremely capable gaming card and the best bang for the buck in our testing today. A few years ago, buying a sub $150 video card meant that you had to keep the resolution low and turn down or off certain in-game features in order to get playable results. That is not the case today, the XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB is able to play the latest games with all the eye candy on, though the compromise will be keeping it 1680×1050 or lower in most cases.

While it is not a card for someone with an extremely high resolution display, it is great for anyone looking to play todays games without breaking the bank. This is an extremely impressive card! Adding more to the value, the XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB is HDCP capable, meaning it can be used to watch Blu-ray movies and other high definition content with an HDCP capable monitor!

One of the strong points of the XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB video card is that it overclocks very well! The extra clock speed attained in overclocking can go a long way to making an “almost playable with those settings” game playable.

The heat sink and fan on our card are a terrific combination. It does not spin up like crazy when the system is initially powered on and it runs fast enough to keep things cool, but is quiet enough to use in even a very quiet system, such as an HTPC.

If you are in the market for a good looking card that overclocks well, plays today’s latest games with all the eye candy on, and do it all without spending too much money, you can’t get much better than the XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB. With it’s low power consumption, low heat output, and short length, it could find its way into a few HTPC’s as well!

One final thing to keep in mind is the XFX “Double Lifetime Warranty.” This warranty covers you and the person that you might sell the card to, against any defects or failures. All that is needed is to register the card when you get it. This actually adds a bit more value to the card over another brand in the event that you do decide to sell it.

Legit Bottom Line: XFX is officially a force when it comes to video card offerings and is now further establishing itself with graphics cards from AMD. The XFX Radeon HD 4850 1GB is an incredible value that offers great gaming performance for anyone on a budget.