As the HD4870 X2 aka R700 launch is just around the corner, some European retailers are jumping the gun and listing the new card today.

We found Sapphire's HD4870 X2 2GB GDDR5 listed for €433 on two sites. No surprise price-wise, and as expected the GDDR5 flavored version comes first. The card runs at 2x 750MHz and 2x 900MHz for the core and memory. It has a 2x 256-bit memory interface, 2x 800 stream processors and 2x 40 texture units. We're still not sure about the power consumption or availability dates, although initial reports claim it should be widely available in the last week of August. Nvidia's 55nm GT200 is expected in September.

Nvidia's flagship GTX280 is currently available for around €350, with overclocked card selling for well over €400. ATI seems to have a good card on its hands, according to early benchmarks it beats the GTX280 with ease, although we would like to see it end up a bit cheaper. The HD4870 X2 DDR3 comes a bit later and it should sell in the same price region as the GTX280.

You can find the listing here.