ASUS R9 280X DirectCU II TOP Video Card Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

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ASUS R9 280X DirectCU II TOP Video Card Review - We evaluate the new ASUS R9 280X DirectCU II TOP video card and compare it to GeForce GTX 770 and Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition. We will find out which video card provides the best value and performance in the $300 price segment. Does it provide better performance a than its "competition" in the ~$400 price range?
 
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very nice, shame they couldn't get power draw lower as it was supposed to be more "refined" if you will but awesome anyways, 7970GHe performance for less cash cant go wrong there.
 
Great review as always. The results weren't too surprising since we've known for a couple of weeks now that a r280x is essentially a 7970GE at a lower price point. Will be interesting to see how pricing in the mid-upper range video card segment adjust, like a nice drop in the price of GTX770's, but i'm not expecting much from Nvidia (you know how that goes).
 
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R290x @ $549, R290 @ $499.

Who the hell would buy a R290x @ $600 when you can get 2 R280x for $600 and smoke the performance by a longshot.
 
doz said:
R290x @ $549, R290 @ $499.

Who the hell would buy a R290x @ $600 when you can get 2 R280x for $600 and smoke the performance by a longshot.
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I, for one, would easily take a 600$ 290X over 280X crossfire. Hypothetically speaking, if I were on the market for new GPU(s).

I'd say surround users would also opt for the 290X ;)
 
No source, called economics. When was the last time AMD released a card 1 tier better at double the price? Nvidia for that matter?
 
doz said:
Who the hell would buy a R290x @ $600 when you can get 2 R280x for $600 and smoke the performance by a longshot.
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Me. I would buy 2 R290X cards, were I in the market for GPUs right now.
 
Probably a typo on the $549. lol

And, as much as I am open to owning AMD cards (have an unlocked 6950 now) I would never, ever, never do Multi-GPU with AMD again as long as I live.

Give me the powerful single GPU thank you!
 
R9 290/X prices have not been confirmed yet. I do not know them yet either, and assume when I do know them, will be under NDA until release. Will keep in mind the idea of CrossFire two cheaper cards, to equal one more expensive card. May not happen at launch, but a comparison certainly worthy of doing when we know the pricing.
 
doz said:
No source, called economics. When was the last time AMD released a card 1 tier better at double the price? Nvidia for that matter?
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*yawn. Keep dreaming on $549. Would love to see it, but economics dictates that upon release, the 290x will be priced from $650-700 if it performs at about the same level as a Titan.
 
Great Review. Glad I checked the site before hitting the sack for the night. Wonder how this will compare to the Sapphire Toxic 280x or MSI offerings?
 
Since all I care about is BF4, I can see myself replacing my 580SLI with a pair of these, if they are cheaper than a single 290x and iffer better performance.
 
Sounds like a solid card, but AMD isn't including the 200 series cards in their never settle game bundle. They want to use it as an incentive to move the older 7000 series cards, that puts a damper on wanting to pay the extra price for better components and possible better overclocks.
 
looks like AMD 13.11 beta drivers brought significant perf improvements in Metro Last Light. almost every review seems to reflect that. anyway Nvidia will respond with price cuts for their USD 300+ product stack when R9 290 series launches a week or so later. good for consumers. :) This is what was missing for the last 7 months after Titan launched. good old fashioned fight between the two GPU vendors at all price points.
 
Except Nvidia isn't fighting, they're not even interested in arm wrestling.
 
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Dangerdog said:
Sounds like a solid card, but AMD isn't including the 200 series cards in their never settle game bundle. They want to use it as an incentive to move the older 7000 series cards, that puts a damper on wanting to pay the extra price for better components and possible better overclocks.
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if you go look at listed specs of r280x, its a rebranded 7970 ghz edition. Cept they clocked the r280 50mhz slower with same memory speed. Which I see as a bit disappointing, since when nvidia did the rebrand for 680 to 770, they at least bumped gpu clocks up and gave ram mhz a nice bump up to make it faster not slower.
 
Arbit3r said:
if you go look at listed specs of r280x, its a rebranded 7970 ghz edition. Cept they clocked the r280 50mhz slower with same memory speed. Which I see as a bit disappointing, since when nvidia did the rebrand for 680 to 770, they at least bumped gpu clocks up and gave ram mhz a nice bump up to make it faster not slower.
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What does that have to do with the Never Settle bundles not being included with the 200 series?
 
Staying on my 670 GTX. "Move along, there is nothing to see". I'll switch to something else, when I notice bigger jump in FPS. Propably to 380X / 870.

Thank you AMD/NVIDIA, that round you allowed me to buy PS4, as I don't need any new GFX cards of your product line.
 
Well it's nice to know all these 7950s i have will still be viable...
 
Wait, does the game actually give you an advantage, something besides just fancier visuals that could have been done with Havok or whatever else even Euophoria without losing frames, by enabling PhysX?

(Eager to see Mantle tests run. How have Nvidia taken that? AMD have it all open and able for them to implement right? Expecting them to continue being salty)
 
MorgothPl said:
Staying on my 670 GTX. "Move along, there is nothing to see". I'll switch to something else, when I notice bigger jump in FPS. Propably to 380X / 870.

Thank you AMD/NVIDIA, that round you allowed me to buy PS4, as I don't need any new GFX cards of your product line.
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Yep, no need to upgrade. I think I can probably strech it out even a gen past 390x / 880. Unless The Witcher 3 destroys my card
 
Arbit3r said:
if you go look at listed specs of r280x, its a rebranded 7970 ghz edition. Cept they clocked the r280 50mhz slower with same memory speed. Which I see as a bit disappointing, since when nvidia did the rebrand for 680 to 770, they at least bumped gpu clocks up and gave ram mhz a nice bump up to make it faster not slower.
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And with same price. I looks cheaper but really it isnt. gtx 770 had more real price drop.
I am waiting for R9 290, non x and I think it will by best buy enthusiast GPU.
 
There are two dual-link DVI ports, one HDMI port and one DisplayPort on board.


I have been led to believe that AMD does not have 2x DL-DVI cards since the HD 5xxx series. Are both DVI capable of dual-link?
 
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geok1ng said:
There are two dual-link DVI ports, one HDMI port and one DisplayPort on board.


I have been lead to believe that AMD does not have 2x DL-DVI cards since the HD 5xxx series. Are both DVI capable of dual-link?
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Thats what the review says.....Don't think [H] would lie to you.
 
I like that this is a dual slot card now + 2 dual link dvi ports. Could be worth the wait for the games bundle and pick this up. So having some time, I'll wait & see the 290 reviews! ;)
 
Pretty disappointing that there wasn't atleast a little bump in stock clocks. Price point is nice. What I find more interesting is the huge gap in prices between the 280x and even the most modest predictions for the the 290 non-x. Could we see a 285 or even a 285x sometime in the future just to close the gap? I am thinking yes.
 
I'm having mixed feelings here.
On one hand, having this much performance for $300 is great, but on the other, being nothing more than a rebrand is disappointing.
 
I think ill stick with my GTX 670s in SLI. I think AMD is making too slow of progress, although I don't consider this progress. It's just a rebranded 7970 for a lower price. No evolution in the GPU exists here, just a price drop and name change. Shame on AMD for still trying to catch up. it's just like the iphoine 5c, release the same product from last year, but with a new name....
 
Sacrilego said:
I'm having mixed feelings here.
On one hand, having this much performance for $300 is great, but on the other, being nothing more than a rebrand is disappointing.
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You can have same performance right now with vanilla 7970 for same price or bit less. Bit of tweaking and you are there in few mouse clicks. Nothing new for me at the price point.

R9 290, once again, i hope it wont be over 450-500$. Enthusiast class GPU not only for the rich people. At 400$ it would kick gtx 770s ass but I doubt we will see that movie.
 
zEcToR45 said:
I think AMD is making too slow of progress, although I don't consider this progress. It's just a rebranded 7970 for a lower price. No evolution in the GPU exists here, just a price drop and name change. Shame on AMD for still trying to catch up. it's just like the iphoine 5c, release the same product from last year, but with a new name....
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They're not playing catch-up with this GPU, did you read the article? It's a price-dropped powerful GPU. AMD isn't progressing slower than Nvidia, because they don't have the same game plans.
 
ASUS claims 20% cooler GPU temperature with 3X less noise.
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I wish people would quit using this phrasing! There is no such thing as "times less"!!!!!! It is "one third the noise"!! This ticks me off like nothing else. It shows rampant, voluntary stupidity.

Tell the Asus marketing people this for me, please.
 
geok1ng said:
There are two dual-link DVI ports, one HDMI port and one DisplayPort on board.


I have been led to believe that AMD does not have 2x DL-DVI cards since the HD 5xxx series. Are both DVI capable of dual-link?
Click to expand...

Yakk said:
I like that this is a dual slot card now + 2 dual link dvi ports. Could be worth the wait for the games bundle and pick this up. So having some time, I'll wait & see the 290 reviews! ;)
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It's the same width as previous generation cards. They have added back 2 dual-link dvi ports. Yes, it has 2 dual-link dvi ports.
 
The only thing AMD has done for me today is reduce the resale value of my two HD 7970s..........bastards......:eek:

Now they are 299 brand new.

I won't be able to give mine away now.:mad:
 
The Mac said:
how about some firestrike numbers?
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Though I dislike using 3DMark to compare results between other people, I personally run my own testing internally A.) as a curiosity and B.) to see how cards change performance on my personal test system and C.) to add as one stability test

So please, don't put a lot of emphasis on these numbers, but here are my Firestrike numbers I got when I tested the ASUS card:

Firestrike - Overall score - 7659 - Graphics Score - 8503 - (Graphics Test 1 - 39.64 fps, Graphics Test 2 - 34.64 fps)

Firestrike Extreme - Overall score - 3821 - Graphics Score - 3943 - (Graphics Test 1 - 19.86 fps, Graphics Test 2 - 15.08 fps)
 
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i know, but its all we have leaked for the 290x right now for comparison.

Its really just to get a feel for how much more powerful the 290x could potentially be.
 
magoo said:
The only thing AMD has done for me today is reduce the resale value of my two HD 7970s..........bastards......:eek:

Now they are 299 brand new.

I won't be able to give mine away now.:mad:
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you could...to me! :)
 
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