AMD Radeon HD 4350 and 4550: Released Review thread

[AzN]

http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3420

http://www.guru3d.com/article/...-hd-4550-512mb-review/

http://hothardware.com/article...4550-Budget-DX101-GPU/

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=15658

http://www.neoseeker.com/Artic...rdware/Reviews/hd4550/

http://www.firingsquad.com/har...deon_4550_performance/

Applying glue

-ViRGE

 

[mpilchfamily]

Is this thread a comment or a question?

 

[tvdang7]

its a thread on reviews.

Did not realize that it had a 64 bit. well it makes sense since it the bottom line but i figured the 2600/3650 series was going to be our new bottom line , since the specs are looking almost like it. owell still good cheap cards.

 

[amheck]

Any idea when we might be seeing the 4350 or 4550 low profile cards? I need a GPU badly, and am almost ready to pull the trigger on a 8400gs, but would really like to see how these compare. I read the de-interlacing of the 3450's wasn't so good, so hopefully ATI fixed that in these 4xxx series cards.

Thanks for the links, OP

 

[AzN]

You should probably wait for these new cards considering they perform close to 8600gt and all the new features including 8 channel sound over HDMI. You should see it any time now considering it released today.

 

[FalseChristian]

I read about them on DAAMIT's website and they said it was good for gaming. Maybe if you play GLQuake all day. With only 80 shader pipelines it isn't going to play today's games or even yesterday's games acceptably at all. Good for playing Blu-Ray movies, though.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Darn it, I thought that these were the 4830 reviews. See, even I get screwed up by all of ATI's new nomenclature.

 

[angry hampster]

Originally posted by: amheck
Any idea when we might be seeing the 4350 or 4550 low profile cards? I need a GPU badly, and am almost ready to pull the trigger on a 8400gs, but would really like to see how these compare. I read the de-interlacing of the 3450's wasn't so good, so hopefully ATI fixed that in these 4xxx series cards.

Thanks for the links, OP

4350 looks to be low-pro, however, it doesn't have HDMI:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3420&p=2


Wait a few days for them to pop up on Newegg and you'll probably find one that suits you. I'm curious when nV is going to release a 9400/9300. They're way behind the game in the HTPC market.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Darn it, I thought that these were the 4830 reviews. See, even I get screwed up by all of ATI's new nomenclature.

Yes, I agree. I think AMD should name the HD4830 to something like the HD4750. It would make a little bit more sense to me, considering it will have a different amount of SPUs.

 

[perdomot]

How would the 4550 compare to an older 7600GT? Thinking of replacing the vid card in my SFF rig and like the passive cooling design of the 4550.

 

[jyjjy777]

Originally posted by: perdomot
How would the 4550 compare to an older 7600GT?

Not well. Your 7600GT is about on par with the DDR2 9500GT which you can see comparisons to in the anandtech review linked above.

 

[rsd]

When are stores actually going to be selling these cards? it's been a couple of days now and no one has them.

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: rsd
When are stores actually going to be selling these cards? it's been a couple of days now and no one has them.

That's what I'm beginning to wonder. I want a 4550 for my HTPC sooner than later.

 

[AzN]

Cards like these need only few gaming benches. I would rather see difference in HTPC capabilities compared to it's rivals and higher end cards.

 

[shangshang]

1. we need more reviewers who actually features dealing with HTPC
2. we need manufacturers putting HDMI port on cards whose buyers are looking to use in an HTPC machine

I have a feeling a lot of these "low power" cards will end up in the silicon scrap heap in a year.

 

[amheck]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...2E16814102799&Tpk=4550

 

[ronnn]

nm

 

[RanDum72]

The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

 

[repdetect2]

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

So am I to understand that I can't send uncompressed audio out this card to my amp? I was really looking for something to play Blu-ray movies with that I can then in turn send the out to my amp and have it decode a true hd or dts -ma stream. Thanks.

 

[PUN]

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

ha, forget about 5.1PCM.
Can't even get a single channel through HDMI.

I would stay away from ATI HDMI audio feed.
I have tried 3 different ATI HDMI solution including adaptor and straight HDMI out with no luck.

 

[repdetect2]

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

ha, forget about 5.1PCM.
Can't even get a single channel through HDMI.

I would stay away from ATI HDMI audio feed.
I have tried 3 different ATI HDMI solution including adaptor and straight HDMI out with no luck.

Thanks boss

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

ha, forget about 5.1PCM.
Can't even get a single channel through HDMI.

I would stay away from ATI HDMI audio feed.
I have tried 3 different ATI HDMI solution including adaptor and straight HDMI out with no luck.

From what I've read it should be fairly straight-forward. Are you sure you don't have conflicts with an existing sound card?

 

[PUN]

Originally posted by: MrPickins

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

ha, forget about 5.1PCM.
Can't even get a single channel through HDMI.

I would stay away from ATI HDMI audio feed.
I have tried 3 different ATI HDMI solution including adaptor and straight HDMI out with no luck.

From what I've read it should be fairly straight-forward. Are you sure you don't have conflicts with an existing sound card?

Just search this forum or google "ATI HDMI"

I've spent over 25hrs on this thing.
4850 DVI to HDMI "grey" dongle approach
3450 HDMI straight approach
2400 DVI to HDMI "grey" dongle approach

Only Catalyst 8.2 works with both video and audio...but video quality is extremely poor. Blurry image and oversharpened text, making ones eye blind.

ATI disabled the sound 8.3 and on...not sure the reason why...maybe they couldn't figure out the fix the image quality on it.

I called ATI support, and they advised me to use RCA audio out to my reciever. Now, what is the point of having a HDMI if I m going to rca out?

 

[MrPickins]

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: MrPickins

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

ha, forget about 5.1PCM.
Can't even get a single channel through HDMI.

I would stay away from ATI HDMI audio feed.
I have tried 3 different ATI HDMI solution including adaptor and straight HDMI out with no luck.

From what I've read it should be fairly straight-forward. Are you sure you don't have conflicts with an existing sound card?

Just search this forum or google "ATI HDMI"

I've spent over 25hrs on this thing.
4850 DVI to HDMI "grey" dongle approach
3450 HDMI straight approach
2400 DVI to HDMI "grey" dongle approach

Only Catalyst 8.2 works with both video and audio...but video quality is extremely poor. Blurry image and oversharpened text, making ones eye blind.

ATI disabled the sound 8.3 and on...not sure the reason why...maybe they couldn't figure out the fix the image quality on it.

I called ATI support, and they advised me to use RCA audio out to my reciever. Now, what is the point of having a HDMI if I m going to rca out?

I did some searching, and the problem seems to be nowhere near as widespread as you claim. Telling people to avoid an entire brand of cards because of it would be overboard. Lets see what these cards can do before you label them "worthless."

 

[PUN]

Originally posted by: MrPickins

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: MrPickins

Originally posted by: PUN

Originally posted by: RanDum72
The 4550 looks the perfect HTPC video card. Gotta replace the 3450 in my HTPC. While good, no 5.1 PCM over HDMI kinda limits the whole HT expereince, especially for Blu-ray. Show me a low-profile 4550 with HDMI and I'm on it.

ha, forget about 5.1PCM.
Can't even get a single channel through HDMI.

I would stay away from ATI HDMI audio feed.
I have tried 3 different ATI HDMI solution including adaptor and straight HDMI out with no luck.

From what I've read it should be fairly straight-forward. Are you sure you don't have conflicts with an existing sound card?

Just search this forum or google "ATI HDMI"

I've spent over 25hrs on this thing.
4850 DVI to HDMI "grey" dongle approach
3450 HDMI straight approach
2400 DVI to HDMI "grey" dongle approach

Only Catalyst 8.2 works with both video and audio...but video quality is extremely poor. Blurry image and oversharpened text, making ones eye blind.

ATI disabled the sound 8.3 and on...not sure the reason why...maybe they couldn't figure out the fix the image quality on it.

I called ATI support, and they advised me to use RCA audio out to my reciever. Now, what is the point of having a HDMI if I m going to rca out?

I did some searching, and the problem seems to be nowhere near as widespread as you claim. Telling people to avoid an entire brand of cards because of it would be overboard. Lets see what these cards can do before you label them "worthless."

Check all ATI threads on AVSforums, AMD forum, etc. This is a common problem not fixed by ATI. Overboard? i am tellling people a fact that 4850, 3450, 2400 series of cards do not support HDMI video and audio. If you want to use it for video only, then it may work for you, but if you are planning on using it as HTPC, then this is an absolute product to avoid.

EDIT: Like I said earlier, with Cat 8.2 the audio works through HDMI. this may work for 24" or under but if you use it for anything above, like my 52" Philips LCD or 42" Sceptre LCD, it is absolutely blinding. This is the reason why ATI stopped HDMI support from 8.3 and on.