The full line up of HD 5000 series cards are here and while in my many reviews of the models you can get a good idea of which series is for you I thought I would give you a quick rundown of each model and let you know which model is best for you.

HD 5450 (Starting at $44.99US) – The baby HD 5000 series from AMD, the first thing you really need to know about this model is that you’re not going to game on it. The model clearly has a place in the market though, Eyefinity support make it a great option for productivity, albeit one connection is going to have to be via VGA. It’s also a great card for Home Theatre Systems as it’s got all those fancy technologies implemented at a budget price. Throw in the fact that it’s low profile and sports no power connector it’s a real winner of a card for the right market which is for people who want something better then onboard graphics, Eyefinity support on the cheap or a great HTPC card.

HD 5570 (Starting at $79.99US) – While some feel the model is a bit of a waste since from a HT System perspective you get no advantages over the HD 5450 yet it costs you more the model again has its place. Since the performance is significantly closer to the HD 5670 then it is the HD 5450 we can actually get some decent performance numbers out of the model. Now I don’t mean decent in the sense that you’re going to be playing FarCry 2 at 2560 x 1600 but decent that newer games at 1280 x 1024 is an option or older games / source engine based games at 1680 x 1050 with medium detail is an option. The fact that model is also Low Profile means that users of pre built LP systems can finally get a graphics card that is going to be able to do something.

HD 5670 (Starting at $92.99US) – The model that I consider the first real card for gamers, 1680 x 1050 is an option with detail at medium; here and there you’ll also hit the odd game which is playable at 1920 x 1200. While the model is very good, unless you’re on an extremely strict budget I would suggest that you make the jump to a HD 5700 series model.

HD 5750 (Starting at $129.99US) – For not much more you get a nice little jump in performance compared to the HD 5670, for gamers who play at 1680 x 1050 I tend to find in game settings at high isn’t a problem for this model. If you’re a more casual gamer 1920 x 1200 is playable with a detail drop on newer games. It’s a great option for 1680 x 1050 gamers though who don’t want to blow the bank account wide open.

HD 5770 (Starting at $144.99US) – Moving from the 50 to the 70 doesn’t bring with it a huge price increase but does bring a game changing difference when it comes to performance. 1680 x 1050 maxed out isn’t a problem, you may even find yourself throwing on a bit of AA / AF, on the 1920 x 1200 front you’re not going to run into any real problems when it comes to gaming. Most the time you should find your in game settings at 1680 x 1050 sitting between High and Maximum.

HD 5850 (Starting at $289.99US) – The card we all really want, the HD 5850 is for many people the model that represents the perfect balance of performance and price. 1920 x 1200 isn’t an issue and this is its target audience, while 2560 x 1600 is also an option the bottom line is that people who own a monitor that outputs that resolution tend to have the money to buy one of the top two models from ATI. The HD 5850 makes 1920 x 1200 gaming enjoyable and offers us that bit of future proofing for more intense games in the future at that resolution.

HD 5870 (Starting at $394.99US) – A great option for people who game at 2560 x 1600 and have this odd feeling against dual GPU cards. You’ve got two kind of people who buy this model, 2560 x 1600 gamers who don’t quite have the money for the HD 5970 and 1920 x 1200 gamers who don’t want to have to worry about low FPS. This model really offers the ultimate gaming experience for 1920 x 1200 users, max in game settings, AA and AF, there’s not much you could complain about, except maybe availability and price; that’s getting better though

HD 5970 (Starting at $649.99US) – The Creme de la Creme of not only ATIs Video Cards but Video Cards period at the moment. This might change over the coming months as NVIDIA come out with the GTX 400 series but at the moment there’s not a better model out there. This model lets users get outside the box when it comes to standard resolutions. To sum the model up; It’s the model I have the pleasure of using when I game at 5760 x 1200. This model is for users who game beyond 2560 x 1600, forget Full HD gaming, this model is not just for 2560 x 1600 which is what I consider the level above Full HD but the level above that. If you’re only on a monitor that offers 1920 x 1200 though and you’ve got the money to blow the chances are you’ve got one as well.

While that covers the individual models and where they’re aimed at you can’t forget about the HD 5830 which is due in the coming weeks along with CrossFire which opens up even more options. CrossFire is something I’ll cover later on, for now though, if you’re wondering which HD 5000 model is for you hopefully the above information can help you out, if you need anything else feel free to drop us a line in the comments below.