AMD has finally launched it’s highly anticipated its new 5800 range of GPUs which includes the current flagship ATI HD Radeon 5870.

This new GPU packs 2.15 billion transistors into a tiny chip, offering outstanding performance, DirectX 11 support, and triple-monitor (or better) capability.

If you compare the 5870 with AMDs previous flagship single GPU solution then you see some pretty impressive figures.

The new GPU is just 334mm2—30 percent larger than the earlier 4870 GPU, but packing more than twice the number of transistors.

In the Bit Tech and Legitreviews.com review the 5870 was significantly better than all other single GPU solutions on the market, and performed as well as or better than dual GPU solutions such as the 4870×2 and GTX295 in many tests.

One of the more surprising features of the new GPU is the fact that it uses less power than all other high end GPUs at idle and peak load. In fact while idle the GPU uses significantly less power with a 30 watts difference between the 5870 and then next lowest GPU the GTX 285.

At the moment NVidia don’t have a card to compete with the 5870 but the GT300 is due later this year.