ASUS EAH4870 TOP Radeon HD 4870
Performance Summary: The ASUS EAH4870 TOP performed as we expected it to for the most part. It, of course, offers a nice bit of extra performance over a Radeon HD 4870 with reference clocks while performing significantly better than a Radeon HD 4850, especially when the resolution and eye candy are cranked up. Furthermore, the EAH4870 TOP trades victories back and forth with our reference GeForce GTX 260.
ASUS's "TOP" line of video cards never fail to excite. As performance enthusiasts, we certainly appreciate the significant factory overclocks (as long as stability isn't sacrificed, of course). ASUS consistently delivers excellent products, and the EAH4870 TOP is no exception. As we noted several pages back, however, ASUS plans to ship this card with a different cooler in the United States, and it sounds like the planned cooler should only make for a better card. We look forward to seeing what ASUS comes up with and will update our readers as soon as we have more details.
The lack of availability of the EAH4780 TOP from online stores confirms that ASUS is delaying its release to market as it finalizes the custom cooler. For now, if you really want an EAH4870 TOP, you'll have to keep an eye on your favorite e-tailer's stock or ASUS's web site for updates. If the EAH4870 TOP hits the streets at a price that isn't too much more than other HD 4870s, then we would wholeheartedly recommend that you consider it if you are on the hunt for a high-end video card that costs around $300.
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