At the moment, the 3870X2 from AMD is enjoying the top spot in performance when it comes to high-end graphics cards. However, that wasnt enough for MSI who have released an overclocked version of the 3870X2. Packaged is a large box with courier labels stuck to it, the graphics card arrived in our labs last week. Inside the box, we found the usual stuff- drivers, user manuals and cables for power and video output.

The RX3870X2 is based on the reference AMD design and thus offers nothing new in terms of looks and cooling. However, MSI adjusts the core's clock which is at 850MHz compared to the stock 825MHz. Memory is left untouched- DDR3 running at 1800MHz.

Lets head straight to the testbed and find out how much of an improvement these little clock speeds make in real life performance.