The PowerColor PCS+ AX5870 1GBD5-PPDHG2 graphics card is one of several new HD 5800-series video cards released by ATI AIB partners in the last couple months that follow a new design pattern. Advances in power-semiconductor packaging have allowed for a simpler VRM implementation that consumes much less real estate on the board. At the same time, the use of a down-flow HSF arrangement eliminates the dead spots found below and behind the blower wheel on the reference design. The combination makes for a smaller, more efficient, and more reliable card that's less costly to produce. I call that progress, but there are others who bemoan the process of removing cost from a design. I can understand the angst if functions and features are being removed, but finding a cheaper way to deliver the same performance is a good thing. Benchmark Reviews has tested some ATI Radeon HD 5870 video cards already, so the performance and features of the GPU are hardly news, but we thought it was time to sample one of the new 2nd generation cards and see how the design has matured. Please follow along as we give you a detailed look at one of the latest high-end Radeons from PowerColor.