ATI Radeon HD 5450 Review

[Guest]

Sorry Steve, but that is actually quite untrue. I have a HD4550 which should be right there between the 4350 and 5450. I play Guild Wars at 1920x1080 with 4xAA (Edge-Detect, 12 samples) and 16xAF, plus HQ AAA, and I maintain 45-60 fps at the highest quality settings. It drops down to 30 in heavy fights with lots of spells flying around (like sitting in the middle of a Meteor Shower) but it is still absolutely playable for a MMORPG. WoW and CS are significantly less detailed and should pose no difficulty to these cards, though I can't say for certain as I don't own either if these games.

 

[Steve]

Honestly how you can utilize AA/AF in any game with a Radeon HD 4550 is beyond me, let alone sustain 45-60fps. I have never played Guild Wars but if it can be played on a Radeon HD 4550 using the higest in-game quality settings with 4xAA and 16xAF then I know why LOL.

If WoW and CS are significantly less detailed as you say I would be absolutely amazed as it makes your previous statement even more unbelievable. This is certainly the first I have heard of a graphics card with a bandwidth of just 12.8GB/s with a 64-bit wide memory bus and a fill rate of 4.8 GT/s (texture) that can play a game with 4xAA/16xAF enabled with maximum in-game quality settings at 1920x1080 no less, simply amazing.

In any case this is all completely missing the point as to why you would buy such a graphics card in the first place for gaming because, A – for a little more money you can get significantly more bang for your buck and B – IGP’s are not much slower so you might as well use one instead.

 

[buttus]

Like others in this thread, I can only see this card being useful in a HTC or similar box. The performance is good for video but modern games would be sluggish at best. I wonder now what size of screen the average PC user has now as maybe good performance on high res isn't where the mainstream is at this moment.

 

[Guest]

I own rather old PC, P4 630 3Ghz, 1GB od ram, VGA X800 GTO. Use it mostly for windows application, surfing the internet and occasionally some older game (usually on medium settings)

I didn't want to upgrade as this served my needs good enough. Until few weeks back when I got 42' HD plasma screen for my living room and now I would like to connect it to my PC with HDMI so I can watch HD movies on it.

Is this the graphic card that would be best for me to upgrade my pc or would you recommend something else?

 

[Guest]

Would integrated graphics serve my needs?

I plan on buying a new desktop, probably a slimline HP via HP's website.. I also plan on buying a new widescreen LED LCD monitor, most likely the Samsung XL2370 or the LG W2286L. I don't play games at all, but, I want to get my moneys worth out of my new LED monitor. HP offers the 512 & 1GB versions of the ATI Radeon HD 5450, and, the Nvidia Geforce GT 220. HP charges $100 for the ATI card and $130 for the NVidia card.

Four years ago, when I bought my current desktop from HP, I had a bad, disappointing, experience;---after researching the card I planned on buying from HP at the time of my order (GeForce 7300LE), I placed the order. However, when I received my computer from HP, the first thing I noticed was that the card had no DVI output. To jump to the chase, I found out from NVidia that they made a "special" lower end version of their card---which bore the exact same model number---for HP. I had no reason to foresee this at the time I researched the 7300LE card. Needless to say, I felt badly misled by HP.

Therefore, I now have 2 questions (I guess the first question is pretty much rhetorical): (1) Can I even trust HP to deliver what apparently is an overpriced low end card to begin with, and, (2), and this is my main question, in order to get great sharpness, brightness, vivid colors, etc., from the new monitor, would the integrated graphics that come with new HP desktops be adequate, or, would I significantly benefit from the ATI or NVidia card? Obviously, I understand that I don't have to purchase the cards from HP at the time I order the computer, but, that would avoid hasseling with a discrete card after I buy the box.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

KG

 

[Steve]

For what you require I cannot see either card making an ounce of difference. If it is just picture quality you are worried about either the GeForce GT 220 or Radeon HD 5450 will do. That said if the Radeon HD 5450 is cheaper then it’s a better option.

However what integrated graphics does the Slimline HP use? Chances are if the integrated graphics solution provides the necessary connectivity then it will be fine.

As for your trust in HP the previous issue you had with them is in no way their fault, it is entirely your own. Nvidia makes a reference card for each GPU which may or may not feature all possible connectivity options. It is then up to their partners to choose which connectivity options they are going to provide.

For example from Asus graphics cards will feature DVI while others will only provide VGA support. If HP were using a VGA only product that is fine, it is up to the consumer to do the necessary research here. Chances are at the time HP was using LCD monitors that only supported VGA and therefore only required this interface.

Anyway in short my advice is to research what connectivity you require and what the integrated graphics of the Slimline HP provides.

 

[sgeva2001]

I have mointor dell 2408wfp and I am going to buy a new computer with:
OS win7 and mother board GigaByte P55A-UD3 .
I am not playing games too much in my computer, but may be in the future.
I want support for TV also and also to be able to see TV station and movies on my computer.
My tendency ATI's Radeon HD 5450 because I am very senstive to noise.
(I am willing to pay more and keep the gaming option but I want a silence video card, like the passive cooling HD 5450)
The most important question: video card ATI's Radeon HD 5450 have output of type diplay mode or HDMI.
it does not have both and I have to choose between the 2 types when I buy.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each type?
is their any diff in video quality on my PC mointor or TV?
does it have a driver for win7 64 bit?


thank you

 

[Bolletje]

There's no difference in quality between DP and HDMI.

I think you should choose the HDMI version since a TV is far more likely to have a HDMI port instead of a DP. You can also look at a HD5550 or a HD5570, they are a little bit faster, but don't expect those budget cards to play games smooth on a Full HD monitor (like your Dell). Then you must look at atleast a HD5670. You can also buy a HD5670 and put another (passive) cooler on it.

And yes, HD5450 works on Windows 7 64 bit.

 

[Guest]

No, Reviewing this card isn't a waste of time. I bought one about a week ago strictly out of curiosity; although, mine is sans fan and has a passive cooler. Admittedly, it doesn't get a very high graphics score on Windows rating system, but ratings don't tell you everything unless you're a gamer; and most people aren't gamers.

This little card is a wondrous thing. DVD's and Netflix streams look better on it than on my 9800 gt. And my everyday surfing looks just the same. At a fraction of the price of the higher performers, this is an everyman's card.

 

[Guest]

I own a very slow laptop with an ATI RADEON XPRESS 200M. a incredibly old card. however it can still handle quake live, admittedly at a low setting but can never the less still handle it. i am getting a dell laptop with the card that got reviewed with core i5 processor and should handle such games as quake live easily. for those who don't know quake live it is a free online FPS of a high quality. this card should handle this easily and other games as well. this card also supports direct x 11 which is very good.

 

[Guest]

The last poster is absolutely correct. I currently have 3 systems running. The one in my workshop (where i go to escape the wife) has an old GeForce 7300 and plays guild wars well enough. My spare comp in the house runs a Radeon X1950 pro and believe it or not that worked better for guild wars than the two SLi BFG 8800 GTS OC2 cards that replaced it in the rig that replaced it largely because the X1950 was a DX9 specific card whereas the 8800 was crippled in DX9 due to the compromise for running DX10.
Modern graphics cards are so overpowered for the needs of most users and the likes of specialist forum snobbery and the majority of reviews which are biased lead to a misconception that you need at very least a mid range card to play even the least demanding games.

 

[Steve]

The last poster is absolutely correct. I currently have 3 systems running. The one in my workshop (where i go to escape the wife) has an old GeForce 7300 and plays guild wars well enough. My spare comp in the house runs a Radeon X1950 pro and believe it or not that worked better for guild wars than the two SLi BFG 8800 GTS OC2 cards that replaced it in the rig that replaced it largely because the X1950 was a DX9 specific card whereas the 8800 was crippled in DX9 due to the compromise for running DX10.
Modern graphics cards are so overpowered for the needs of most users and the likes of specialist forum snobbery and the majority of reviews which are biased lead to a misconception that you need at very least a mid range card to play even the least demanding games.

So are you comparing a Radeon HD 5450 to a Radeon X1950? :S

True gamers that want to enjoy the latest games in all their glory have every right to turn their noses up at a pair of 8800 GTS cards. A singe Radeon HD 5850 is not insanely priced and it allows gamers to truly enjoy spectacular looking games such as Metro 2033 for example.

As for the reviews we only try to guide the reader to a smart buying decision for their gaming needs and we do show performance comparison graphics so they can make their own informed decision. Furthermore we offer guidance in our conclusions and if you think spending $20 - $30 more for a graphics card that is twice as fast for gaming is bad advice then I have no idea what good advice might be???

 

[christop]

Darn - wish I would have read this a few days earlier - just ordered Dell Inspiron 580 desktop with i5 750 (8MB Cache, 2.66GHz), 4G RAM (DDR3 SDRAM, 1066MHz), ATI 5450 (1G), and 300 W psu for $650. I thought this would be a nice upgrade from my current amateur gaming system - Inspiron 1505e laptop with T2050 (2MB/1.60GHz/533MHz), 2G RAM (DDR2, 533MHz), 128MB ATI X1300 (128Mb).

I play Battlefield 2142 online with my laptop on a 23" monitor and not sure of the settings and fps - but would like to think that I can play at higher settings and better fps with this new system once it arrives. Am I mistaken? I was thinking of waiting till the end of the year and then purchasing a higher end graphics card when the price point decreases - but with all this talk about power usage - maybe I have to upgrade my psu as well?

Great article Steve - just wish I would have read it sooner

 

[Guest]

I have just ordered a Dell Studio XPS 9000 and this ATI Radeon HD 5450 Graphics card, I play The Sims3 game. Will my game work with this card?

 

[BMfan]

It depends at what resolution because with sims3 ambitions at 1080P i get about 65\75 fps.I'm sure the 5450 will struggle to play sims3 at 1680x1050 and above.

 

[Guest]

Your review missed the primary reason why people buy this card.

HTPC owners who want to upgrade their audio.

The 5000 series is the first ATI series to support HDCP 7.1 channel sound over HDMI.

If you want a quiet, slim, and low-power card in your HTPC that will support Blu-ray's highest sound levels, then this is the perfect card for you and it's pretty cheap.

 

[Guest]

Need some expert advice!
I'm about to purchase a Dell Inspiron 580 (w/Intel Core i5-750 proc. 8MB cache, 2.66 GHz), and it comes with the ATI Radeon HD 5450 1GB. Also: 8GB Memory, 1TB hard drive, 21.5" monitor, 16X DVD etc.

I'm not a gamer except for playing The Sims2 w/several expansion packs and looking at The Sims3 -- will these games play well with this card, and what resolution do you suggest? If you feel these games won't play well, what would you suggest?
Thanks for any input you can offer.

 

[Guest]

I just bought this card as a part of a small form-factor (mini-itx) computer for a friend.

I chose between going for Intel Core i5 650 (which has graphics integrated) and skip a graphics card, or go with Core i5 750 which is a quad-core and significantly (30%) better than 650 at many tests, and get the cheapest possible graphics card for decoding HD content, basically.

The reason why i did not go with option one or an IGP-motherboard is simple: I could not find one which satisfied what I needed. He doesn't play any games at all, only poker and the occasional old Heroes of Might and Magic 2 and 3 (not even 3D). The motherboard i chose was a Gigabyte H55N-USB3, which is a mini-itx form factor motherboard with USB3 support, it was cheap, and had some very nice features. On top of that i got him the HD5450 (because he would like up to 3 monitors).

In my case, the older generation (HD4650) would be insufficient due to the number of monitors needed, and every penny saved in allowed me to get the better CPU, Case, bigger harddrive and better memory which in his case was far superior than having a better GPU.

So I can really see why some people would choose to use this card. Me for one thought it was the best option in the price range, and he will get a computer which will last him many years since he does not play any games. In this case, CPU/Form factor/Power >>>> GPU

 

[Guest]

Or you could have built your friend a six-core "AMD Phenom II X6 1055T" system with an AMD 880G motherboard for the same price of less. That would blow away the Core i5 750 system in programs that can use the cores and you don't need a graphics card then unless 3 screens is really needed. In which case you can add any Radeon card and use it with the onboard GPU.

If you read the TS budget CPU articles they say go with the Phenom II X2 555 processor and enable the other two cores. But if you are going to spend $200 then the six-core Phenom II X6 is hard to go past.

 

[Guest]

It's weird, because with my 5450 I can play Oblivion with HDR, 1280x920 and most details at high with little or no lag. It looks beautiful, so i'm happy. That, and it takes extremely little power.

Honestly, if anyone wants to play at anything above 1280x900, why would they buy this card? They should have a seperate review tier fir these budget cards that review games in 720/1080 configs, not 1400.

 

[Guest]

Most of the games they reviewed were the high end ones. This card isn't that bad for gaming really.

 

[Guest]

No you are wrong it is really bad

 

[Guest]

I'm not a serous gamer but as my dell inspiron desk top 531 had a 128 card. I wanted to upgrade for my own work,pics ect. so I fitted the 'ati hd 5450 512' card. Due to my psu and the power consumption of the said card it was a compromise. It needs no hook up conections and a straight fit to a pci-e .Up to yet (1month) its been faultless and a very good improvement. My usage is about 3 to 4 hrs at a time, but just for my own peace of mind(and i have no heat worries) i am fitting a internal fan..I paid £52 for it and i'm more than pleased with the result. In my opinion its a dam good low end card at a good low end price.

 

[Guest]

Hey guys. New to the site, found it by browsing google. I'm picking up a computer today with this card in it. Long story short, my grandmother is paying for it, and she's a bit stubborn after we ordered from Newegg and got a busted computer. So long story short I'm ordering a comp with this card and I am curious as to how it will run WoW. I've been playing for 6 years now and it's the only game I play. As long as it can run it on high settings at 40+ FPS I'm fine.

After living in the stoneage for 6 years playing at 10 FPS anything would do I guess.

So just..knowledgeable straight up answer. Hopefully that's not asking too much, there seems to be alot of bickering going on in this thread.

 

[Guest]

I play WOW and this card sucks. The lady at Best Buy didn't know what she was talking about when she said my HP 210Y with the 5450 was a gaming computer. Now I have to upgrade this video card. I went to best buy because I don't have time to build my own computer and follow up on all the new changes. Guess I will go somewhere else next time.