Todays review item is another HIS graphics card based on the ATi Radeon X850XT GPU with support for the PCI Express platform. Generally when reviewing a graphics card, the most exciting part is busting open the box to find out what exactly is inside. This being the case, I have to admit this exciting aspect of the job has become a little less exciting with the more recent HIS graphics cards. This is certainly not a negative aspect of the HIS product range, rather this is a reflection of their high-level of quality. The first few HIS IceQ II graphics cards were quite exciting, featuring a unique cooling design and unmatched looks.

However, after reviewing a few of these IceQ II graphics cards, the same level of quality can be expected from the entire series. They all look the same, they all feature the same accessories and the majority of them are available in the iTURBO version. This makes the series no less exciting for the consumer though. When reviewing similar products from other manufacturers, it is hard to imagine what the card may look like. Often manufacturers will just go with the reference design, though on the other hand there is a 50% chance they will produce their own design. HIS on the other hand have a number of unique series that a particular graphics card can belong to.

Over the last year or so, HIS have had a huge amount of success in the graphics card industry, as they have quickly become a key player in this market segment. The HIS product line-up covers all corners of the market segment with several variations of each product. For example, todays HIS graphics card does utilize the Radeon X850XT GPU, though there are a total of five HIS cards that do. The Radeon X850XT IceQ II Turbo is one of the most powerful X850XT cards HIS has on offer. While the card is a member of the IceQ II family, it also boasts the HIS patent iTURBO function. The only feature absent from this product is VIVO (Video-In/Video-Out) support, though there is a version of the product that does offer this feature.

The Radeon X850XT support was further extended late February 2005 when HIS announced their AGP version of this graphics card. The HIS Radeon X850XT VIVO 256MB AGP is a member of the Classic Pack and is one of several new Radeons to join this series. However, the product currently under the microscope is the HIS Radeon X850XT IceQ II Turbo, which could be considered to be a genuine Radeon X850XT PE. The X850XT PE is the most powerful Radeon currently in existence, boasting a core clock speed of 540MHz and a memory frequency of 1180MHz. The Radeon X850XT on the other hand features a core clock of 520MHz and a memory clock of 1080MHz.

However, using the iTURBO software the HIS Radeon X850XT IceQ II Turbo quickly becomes a Radeon X850XT PE. Once the iTURBO mode is enabled, the X850XT IceQ II Turbo will operate at exactly the same frequency as the X850XT PE. This is quite interesting, as once the iTURBO mode is enabled there is absolutely no difference between the HIS Radeon X850XT and the X850XT PE. Though when taking the price tag into consideration, this is probably not all that surprising. The HIS Radeon X850XT IceQ II Turbo is not an affordable graphics card by any stretch of the imagination; with a retail value of $600 US. Though at this current point in time, similar Radeon X850XT products from the likes of ASUS and Gigabyte carry roughly the same retail value.