Sapphire HD6870 FleX Edition CrossfireX Review – Quad screen 7680×1080 testing

Rating: 9.5.

When KitGuru reviewed Sapphire's HD5770 Flex Edition last year, it walked away with our top award. It was not only an amazing productivity board, but in a CrossfireX configuration it was capable of reasonable frame rates across three screens. Today we are looking at the new Sapphire HD6870 Flex Edition, a more powerful update in the FleX series. We will not only be testing this across three screens, but across four screens at 7680×1080 resolution in a CrossfireX configuration.

Later in the review we show some 7680×1080 engines in high definition video action.

But first, what exactly is a ‘FleX' board?

Generally when you purchase an AMD Eyefinity capable graphics card, you only have two DVI output signals, meaning that you need to purchase a higher cost DisplayPort supported monitor. The FleX boards can support three DVI monitors, out of the box, without the need for a DisplayPort monitor or active adapters. The first two monitors are connected to the DVI outputs, just like normal. The third DVI monitor is then connected to the HDMI output with the passive adapter which is supplied.

When you consider that three high quality, 24 inch DVI monitors can be bought in the UK for a total of £450 inc vat, this is the cheapest and most effective way to enter into high performance multi screen gaming.

If you are feeling flush, then two more monitors can be connected, up to a total of five, however these have to be DisplayPort capable.

The Sapphire HD 6870 FleX Edition has 1120 Stream processors and 1GB of GDDR5 memory running at 1050mhz (4.2Ghz effective) with the core clock set to 900mhz. Sapphire have not only designed a custom PCB for this product, but they also have a high performance cooler attached with three thick 8mm heatpipes. The FleX card also utilises sealed dust resisting bearings to keep the card cool, and running quietly under load.

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