AMD Aims Dual Graphics Processor at Nvidia

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The graphics chips used on the 4870 X2 run at clock speeds of 750MHz, while the chips used on the 4850 X2 run at 625MHz. Another difference lies in the graphics memory used on the two cards. The 4870 X2 has 2G-bytes of GDDR5 (graphics double data rate 5) memory, while the 4850 X2 has 2G bytes of GDDR3 memory.
Advanced Micro Devices Tuesday unveiled a graphics card, the ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2, that is widely expected to outperform rival Nvidia's top-end graphics card, the GeForce GTX 280.

Priced at US$549, the 4870 X2 is currently available and will be followed by release of the $349 ATI Radeon HD 4850 X2 in September, AMD said. Both cards have dual graphics processors that are linked using the company's CrossFireX technology and a dedicated bridge chip. CrossFireX allows multiple graphics processors to work in tandem, offering a significant boost in graphics performance.

"We did some driver work, along with this bridge chip, to make this somewhat seamless," said Pat Moorhead, vice president of advanced market at AMD. "That took a lot of work."