MSI Unveils R5870 Lightning 2GB Graphics Card

The Computex convention in Taipei officially kicked off this morning, and that means you can expect a spate of product announcements at every turn. One of those comes from MSI, who has just announced their R5870 Lightning graphics card. Built around the same 40nm manufacturing process as other HD 5870 parts and sporting the same 2GB of RAM, MSI says they took things to a new level by using military class components, a unique cooling solution, and a voltage regulator function.

Of interest to overclockers, MSI's Lightning iteration includes a 15-phase PWM design to provide more power to the GPU and memory, as well as a built-in dual 8-pin power source interface. It's all supplemented by server grade capacitors and solid state chokes for a longer lifespan and less noise and vibration.


On the cooling front, MSI equipped the Lightning R5870 with their Twin Frozr II heatsink/fan combo. The cooling solution comes with two 8cm fans and promises to cool 50 percent better than reference designs, MSI claims.

MSI R5870 Lightning Graphics Card
Redefine the Extreme Performance at COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2010

Stability and extreme performance for audio/video and different display applications are pretty much ubiquitous requirements among the world's elite gamers. At COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2010, globally-renowned graphics card and mainboard manufacturer MSI will exhibit its record-breaking darling of the media and award’s king, the R5870 Lightning graphics card. It not only features the latest 40nm process Radeon HD 5870 GPU with huge 2GB GDDR5 high speed memory, it also comes with MSI's specially selected military class components, a distinct cooling design and a voltage regulator function. At COMPUTEX TAIPEI 2010, it will surely be the center of attention. 

Special power & cooling design provides performance with the ultimate boost
The MSI R5870 Lightning graphics card uses not only a special 15 phase PWM design to provide GPU and memory with abundant power during overclocking, but also features a built-in dual 8-pin power source interface so high load operators and heavy gamers have a stable power supply. Also, MSI's exclusively designed Lightning Power Layer (LPL) PCB design flawlessly supplies the CPU and memory with stable and ample electric current. It's worth nothing that in cooling, the R5870 Lightning uses the Twin Frozr II design, which not only features gigantic dual 8cm fans that effectively increase cooling performance by 50%, but also comes built-in with dual 8mm SuperPipe heat pipes that effectively reduce operating temperature by up to 13°C.

Military Class components provide high stability and quality
Outstanding stability is also a major distinguishing factor of the R5870 Lightning. The R5870 Lightning graphics card uses server grade, military class materials, including Hi-c CAP, which provides 8 times the lifespan of ordinary solid state capacitors; Solid State Choke, which offers no high frequency noise & low vibration; and Solid CAP, which extends lifespan by up to 10 years. These materials not only greatly extend the life of a graphics card along with its stability, but also provide consumers with remarkable product quality.

Afterburner utility & V-Check Points provide easy and comprehensive overclocking functions
With MSI's development of Afterburner overclocking software, not only can GPU and memory clocks be adjusted, but GPU voltage can also be adjusted to a maximum of 1.35V to boost overclocking potential. Along with the Kombustor burn in testing program, a joint MSI & FurMark creation, a perfect integration of all necessary overclocking software thoroughly unleashes all of a graphics card's performance. What's more, with V-Check Points, it’s not necessary to read long and complex strings of data, you can understand the most accurate CPU and memory voltage conditions at any time.

Complete support for ATI Eyefinity & DirectX 11 / ATI Stream Technologies
The MSI R5870 Lightning graphics card uses the all-new ATI Eyefinity multiple display technology to connect up to three displays. This allows users, whether for work or Game, striking visual effect and another performance upgrade. In addition, the R5870 Lightning also provides complete support for DirectX 11 game graphics standards, which fully captures a game's special effects and gives exquisite definition. And with the use of ATI Stream technology, graphical and application programs can simultaneously realize enhanced operating speeds.