Introduction:

ASUS EAH3850 X2 1GB Graphics Card

    Just as in the technological world, VH has gone through many changes. One area of marked change has been the types of graphics cards we review. Many moons ago, when I first started writing for VH, there weren't any graphics card reviews on the site at all. I was the first one lucky enough to receive a graphics card to review. Later on, when SLI and CrossFire came about, I tried my hardest to get two video cards to review for that purpose. Now, fast forward to today, and the opportunity I have to review a single graphics card with a dual GPU onboard. The card in the lime light now is from ASUS: the EAH3850 X2 1GB.

    "To dual or not to dual" - that is the question. Yes, yes, I can hear you all yelling, "DUAL DUAL DUAL," and to a certain extent I agree. So maybe the real question should be, "To dual with single GPU's or dual GPU's."  The EAH3850 X2 1GB may be a reason to consider a dual GPU card. The main feature is that Crossfire has already been enabled onboard and is ready to go out of the box. The 3850 GPU has a core clock of 668MHZ and the DD3 memory runs at 1.65GHz. This combination allows DVI resolution to reach 2560x1600, which means it's time for me to get a new higher resolution monitor.

About the Company:

    As a major player of the IT industry, ASUS has established its corporate mission: Provide innovative IT solutions that empower people and businesses reaching their full potential.

    The philosophy of ASUS product development is to do the fundamentals well first before moving forward. Started with computer components such as motherboards, graphic cards, and optical storage devices, ASUS now has now over 16 product lines, including desktop barebone systems, servers, notebooks, handhelds, network devices, broadband communications, LCD monitors, TVs, wireless applications, and CPT (chassis, power supply and thermal) products.

Specifications:

Packaging:

Retail Front	Retail Rear	Lid Open
Inside View	Contents	Video Adapters

    The box for the ASUS EAH3850 X2 is huge, which leaves you wondering how big the actual card may be. The outer portion of the box is actually a sleeve that has a flip-up front cover. The front has a female character on it and also lists some of the card's features. Under the flip-up lid is some more information on the card, and the back side of the sleeve has some of the specifications and features. Slide off the sleeve, open up the box, and breath a sigh of relief... the card is not as large as the box, but it still looks like a beast. On the inside, the hardware and software are separated by cardboard dividers and the card is also protected in foam.

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