R9 290X - This card made me change to nVidia.

Status
Not open for further replies.

chanchan

Limp Gawd
Joined
Sep 14, 2005
Messages
482
This is a mini rant, and I am definitely not hating, this is with reason but I wanted to share my experience with fellow enthusiasts. I have always favoured the underdog, I've been using AMD graphics for 14+ years - Radeon 8500/HD 5770/HD 5870/HD 6970/HD 6990/R9 290X.

Of course I have used nVidia cards in the past - TNT/TNT2/Geforce 6600GT/Geforce 8800 GTX/Geforce 8800 GT/Geforce GTX 260.

I have been happily using my R9 290X with 2x 1080p panels on DVI for 2+ years and with my recent monitor purchases my experience has gone downhill and I'm not the only one.

Here is a summary:
-When 2x 1440p monitors are connected to DVI, it doesn't work
-Both monitors work in BIOS but when Windows 10 loads secondary panel goes blank
-Contacted Club3D, they asked AMD, and said second panel will only work up to 1080p on DVI - this is not true for me
-I connected secondary panel to DP, and both work at 1440p
-Plot twist - flickering and underflow corruption because 2D clocks are too low 300core/150memory
-Overclocking to force a profile doesn't seem to work, disabling ULPS doesn't work, disabling PowerPlay doesn't work
-Many users are reporting issues on the AMD forum about this (290/390 series of cards)
-It's unacceptable that I can't browse the web or use my file explorer without seeing massive tearing and flickering

I finally gave up bought a Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti, connect both panels to the DVI, and boots into Windows without issues, install the drivers, both panels come up, and a reboot isn't even required. I was simply left speechless and at the same time sadden at the quality of the AMD solution. I've contemplated a long time before getting a Geforce, I looked at R9 390X and Fury X, but I really want a dual DVI connection because in my experience that's just the most stable connection. DP does blank out sometimes requiring a power cycle (this is true for AMD and nVidia solutions). Also, I don't want to risk having issues just browsing the web and using Excel.

I know not everyone will agree with me, but I wanted to share my experience. I actually tweeted Roy and wrote posts on the AMD Support Forums without much resolution, I was not the only user seeing the corruption issues, and the display limitation is just sad for me.

I will always be looking for a reason to jump back to AMD, AMD just needs to give me a reason to.
 
I'm pretty sure the 290xs all only had 1 DL DVI and the second was 1080p max (Single link), as for your monitors, there is a chance that they don't run at 1080P?

The other stuff sounds like it was defective.

I had 3 290xs and 3 290s, I had to RMA one 290x, and it went smoothly( I even got that card second hand), no real problems otherwise, crazy card, sucks you had so many issues though, seems like I have a lot of those issues on my 970 :p
 
How dare you prefer to use an ancient dead standard that works properly. Don't you know that displayport is the future, and the future is now? You're supposed to burn all of your non-DP monitors in a ritual to appease AMD and their forward thinking, not buy a different card.

At least, this is the impression I get from this forum when people talk about DVI anyways.
 
How dare you prefer to use an ancient dead standard that works properly. Don't you know that displayport is the future, and the future is now? You're supposed to burn all of your non-DP monitors in a ritual to appease AMD and their forward thinking, not buy a different card.

At least, this is the impression I get from this forum when people talk about DVI anyways.

The only reason DVI is relevant is because of the FW900. The korean monitors are now obsolete due to ULMB/VRR, no point choosing them unless you're strapped for $.
 
Similar, my last card was a 290x and it forced me to upgrade to a 980ti.

I had numerous issues but the one that kept biting me and stopped me even wanting to install drivers was when monitors were detected as DVI despite being on HDMI and being HDMI.
When detected has DVI, there is no sound available, yet the same display device when detected as HDMI has sound fully working.
Same using the DVI port, when the device attached was detected as DVI, no sound, but still using the DVI port, when the same device was detected as HDMI, sound worked.

It would sometimes randomly change what it detected as after a reboot and was quite often hours of trouble after installing a new driver.
This stopped me playing games and watching movies in surround sound quite a lot unless I spent a stupid amount of time getting it to play ball.
AMD didnt have a remote handle on why it occurs, the problem was ignored.
After 1.5 yrs it made me go grrrr once too often, so sold it to a friend for cheap who uses one display and a separate audio output.

Since then its been bliss, breath of fresh air!
All 3 display devices, my monitor, projector and AV system always have working sound.
AMD badly need to sort their drivers, the hardware was fine.
 
The only reason DVI is relevant is because of the FW900. The korean monitors are now obsolete due to ULMB/VRR, no point choosing them unless you're strapped for $.

Another reason DVI is relevant is because they provide it on the card and you may need to use it because there arent enough HDMI ports.
 
Another reason DVI is relevant is because they provide it on the card and you may need to use it because there arent enough HDMI ports.

There's only one HDMI port on both the 290X and the 980 Ti... :confused:

Why use DVI when you can use DP?
 
How dare you prefer to use an ancient dead standard that works properly. Don't you know that displayport is the future, and the future is now? You're supposed to burn all of your non-DP monitors in a ritual to appease AMD and their forward thinking, not buy a different card.

At least, this is the impression I get from this forum when people talk about DVI anyways.

I can't tell if you hate or love DP. I have no issues with the idea behind DP just that it doesn't work well 100% of the time, whereas I feel DVI just works. My panels have DP/DVI/HDMI/VGA, so I can always migrate over when needed, I just don't feel like now is the time.

I used to do graphics QA, so I've been working with the DP technology for quite some time. It's a mixture of the display implementation and the video card implementation, maybe I'm just too picky.
 
Similar, my last card was a 290x and it forced me to upgrade to a 980ti.

I had numerous issues but the one that kept biting me and stopped me even wanting to install drivers was when monitors were detected as DVI despite being on HDMI and being HDMI.
When detected has DVI, there is no sound available, yet the same display device when detected as HDMI has sound fully working.
Same using the DVI port, when the device attached was detected as DVI, no sound, but still using the DVI port, when the same device was detected as HDMI, sound worked.

It would sometimes randomly change what it detected as after a reboot and was quite often hours of trouble after installing a new driver.
This stopped me playing games and watching movies in surround sound quite a lot unless I spent a stupid amount of time getting it to play ball.
AMD didnt have a remote handle on why it occurs, the problem was ignored.
After 1.5 yrs it made me go grrrr once too often, so sold it to a friend for cheap who uses one display and a separate audio output.

Since then its been bliss, breath of fresh air!
All 3 display devices, my monitor, projector and AV system always have working sound.
AMD badly need to sort their drivers, the hardware was fine.

Interesting, I am at least fortunate with HDMI, I have 2x TV's that use only HDMI through my HD 6970's and they work perfectly fine, which I'm quite happy with. Just when the display configurations get a bit complicated things start to go wonky for me.
 
I can't tell if you hate or love DP. I have no issues with the idea behind DP just that it doesn't work well 100% of the time, whereas I feel DVI just works. My panels have DP/DVI/HDMI/VGA, so I can always migrate over when needed, I just don't feel like now is the time.

I used to do graphics QA, so I've been working with the DP technology for quite some time. It's a mixture of the display implementation and the video card implementation, maybe I'm just too picky.

No, you're not being picky. The DP problem affects both AMD/Nvidia, people were complaining about it here as well. I don't blame you for switching, I'd be using DVI (BNC<->DVI) if I had space for my CRTs.
 
There's only one HDMI port on both the 290X and the 980 Ti... :confused:

Why use DVI when you can use DP?

Bit of a short sighted reply.

Because I dont want to buy a new display, I'm happy with the one I have thanks.
Also AV systems and projectors dont use DP.

The 980ti doesnt give me any problems using DVI for HDMI and audio
Only the 290x gave me a poor experience with DVI, and it had 2 of them!
 
OP: You made the right decision. I can't believe that AMD would underclock a 290X to save power! It's a gaming card, not a HTPC, low watt card. AMD was too cheap to put a RAMDAC onto the 290s and 290Xes, and now, they've even decided to not put DVI ports. These days, going AMD is never worth saving $50. And I say this as a 7970 owner and long-time AMD fan. After the 7970, AMD stopped being competitive. All they want is to make cheap cards that underclock themselves and can't even be connected to a lot of monitors. Sure, they might have the same performance, at least in theory, but you'll never get that in reality.
 
Bit of a short sighted reply.

Because I dont want to buy a new display, I'm happy with the one I have thanks.
Also AV systems and projectors dont use DP.

The 980ti doesnt give me any problems using DVI for HDMI and audio
Only the 290x gave me a poor experience with DVI, and it had 2 of them!

You have to buy a new display. Didn't you read? Nobody uses DVI any more unless they have an FW900.
 
Bit of a short sighted reply.

Because I dont want to buy a new display, I'm happy with the one I have thanks.
Also AV systems and projectors dont use DP.

The 980ti doesnt give me any problems using DVI for HDMI and audio
Only the 290x gave me a poor experience with DVI, and it had 2 of them!

Actually there are projectors that do use DP, but I'm guessing you just don't want to upgrade to those either.

You have to buy a new display. Didn't you read? Nobody uses DVI any more unless they have an FW900.

Ancient tech is inferior tech except the FW900.
 
Actually there are projectors that do use DP, but I'm guessing you just don't want to upgrade to those either.
Considering I have exactly the projector I want, I cant see it makes any sense.
Explain why I need to change to DP and how it would benefit me?
 
Yes, upgrade all the things because the new physical cable/interface is better...oh wait, not its not.
 
Considering I have exactly the projector I want, I cant see it makes any sense.
Explain why I need to change to DP and how it would benefit me?

You haven't explained your setup aside from using Monitor / AV / Projector so I don't understand why you are using DVI in the first place (aside from those problems you listed above, which seems like user error than anything)

I'm guessing:
Video Card: DVI <-> Monitor
Video Card: HDMI <-> AV
Projector HDMI: <-> AV

Yes, upgrade all the things because the new physical cable/interface is better...oh wait, not its not.

Are you implying that DP isn't superior? Wow. :confused:

You guys can cling on to DVI as long as you want, but I'm guessing the cut off is what... 2017? 2020? Time's ticking... everyone will be on DP and HDMI sooner or later.
 
You haven't explained your setup aside from using Monitor / AV / Projector so I don't understand why you are using DVI in the first place (aside from those problems you listed above, which seems like user error than anything)

I'm guessing:
Video Card: DVI <-> Monitor
Video Card: HDMI <-> AV
Projector HDMI: <-> AV

Precisely, you are giving bogus advice when you have no idea whether it is of any use.
I have no need to tell you my setup as I have no problems and have not sought advice from you other than to see why you are spamming this thread.
 
To be honest I have more connectors used know than my last 25 years of using computers. I do have 980tis now but never had an issue with really any connector. That really sucks op that you dealt with that shit for so long. Glad you found a solution.
 
Precisely, you are giving bogus advice when you have no idea whether it is of any use.
I have no need to tell you my setup as I have no problems and have not sought advice from you other than to see why you are spamming this thread.

Because

AMD badly need to sort their drivers, the hardware was fine.

when

I had numerous issues but the one that kept biting me and stopped me even wanting to install drivers was when monitors were detected as DVI despite being on HDMI and being HDMI.
When detected has DVI, there is no sound available, yet the same display device when detected as HDMI has sound fully working.
Same using the DVI port, when the device attached was detected as DVI, no sound, but still using the DVI port, when the same device was detected as HDMI, sound worked.

is 100% anecdotal. There are various users that have no problems using a 290X with DP + HDMI with an HT setup, me included. I'm glad switching to DVI has worked for you, but just because you had issues with it doesn't mean AMD drivers were the root of the problem.

But you're right though, I should have just kept my mouth shut, didn't think so many people are stuck in 2010.
In December 2010, Intel, AMD, and several computer and display manufacturers announced they would stop supporting DVI-I, VGA and LVDS-technologies from 2013/2015, and instead speed up adoption of DisplayPort and HDMI.

Good luck in your endeavors.
 
Last edited:
is 100% anecdotal. There are various users that have no problems using a 290X with DP + HDMI with an HT setup, me included. I'm glad switching to DVI has worked for you, but just because you had issues with it doesn't mean AMD drivers were the root of the problem.
Yes, peoples experience is anecdotal, you actually made me laugh :)
I'm surprised you know how to type because you cant read.
Switching to DVI didnt fix my issue.
Switching to NVidia did.

But you're right though, I should have just kept my mouth shut, didn't think so many people are still stuck in 2010.
Yes you should, you are determined to give crap advice.
Your troubleshooting skills are awful, unless you are saying AMDs driver team are stuck in 2010.
 
Yes, peoples experience is anecdotal, you actually made me laugh :)
I'm surprised you know how to type because you cant read.
Switching to DVI didnt fix my issue.
Switching to NVidia did.


Yes you should, you are determined to give crap advice.
Your troubleshooting skills are awful, unless you are saying AMDs driver team are stuck in 2010.

Says the guy that couldn't fix his display connection problems with a 290X.

I'm glad you're switching to insults now, you fit right in.
 
Says the guy that couldn't fix his display connection problems with a 290X.
I put up with it for 1.5 yrs and despite a few different OS installs to test the problem and tons of drivers the same problems persisted.
I made AMD aware of the issue and they did not address it.
After having enough I changed back to NVidia and have not seen the problem since.
I'm happy with the result now, seems you arent.

I'm glad you're switching to insults now, you fit right in.
I stated what you did.
If you dont like it, dont do it.
 
I understand DP is a new standard, it has many benefits, and on *paper* it's absolutely superior in every aspect. However, until all vendors -> GPU / cables / displays get aligned and have a well working end-to-end solution I can't see why staying with DVI is an issue.

In fact I find HDMI to be a much more reliable solution than DP, but it just wasn't designed with the overhead for multi display PC consumption.

I look forward to the day where I can ditch bulky DVI cables, use a single DP hub and connect all my panels, just like AMD and their GPU's/Driver's until these industries/companies get everything aligned there's no need to spend my money for a "semi-working" solution.
 
Lol, enjoy nvidia bricking your HDD with their terrible QC. Releasing drivers that reset your machine in the middle of a game.
Then you're on Intel :p

Worst driver experiences for myself have been with team green. But I didn't rant on forums in dramatic fashion
 
There's only one HDMI port on both the 290X and the 980 Ti... :confused:

Why use DVI when you can use DP?

A lot of people have TV's that don't have DP.

I think the performance of the 290X is really good, but compatibility with some features could be better. Another issue with the card is it doesn't support HDMI 2.0, so 4K gaming is capped at 30FPS
 
This is a mini rant, and I am definitely not hating, this is with reason but I wanted to share my experience with fellow enthusiasts. I have always favoured the underdog, I've been using AMD graphics for 14+ years - Radeon 8500/HD 5770/HD 5870/HD 6970/HD 6990/R9 290X.

Of course I have used nVidia cards in the past - TNT/TNT2/Geforce 6600GT/Geforce 8800 GTX/Geforce 8800 GT/Geforce GTX 260.

I have been happily using my R9 290X with 2x 1080p panels on DVI for 2+ years and with my recent monitor purchases my experience has gone downhill and I'm not the only one.

Here is a summary:
-When 2x 1440p monitors are connected to DVI, it doesn't work
-Both monitors work in BIOS but when Windows 10 loads secondary panel goes blank
-Contacted Club3D, they asked AMD, and said second panel will only work up to 1080p on DVI - this is not true for me
-I connected secondary panel to DP, and both work at 1440p
-Plot twist - flickering and underflow corruption because 2D clocks are too low 300core/150memory
-Overclocking to force a profile doesn't seem to work, disabling ULPS doesn't work, disabling PowerPlay doesn't work
-Many users are reporting issues on the AMD forum about this (290/390 series of cards)
-It's unacceptable that I can't browse the web or use my file explorer without seeing massive tearing and flickering

I finally gave up bought a Gigabyte GTX 980 Ti, connect both panels to the DVI, and boots into Windows without issues, install the drivers, both panels come up, and a reboot isn't even required. I was simply left speechless and at the same time sadden at the quality of the AMD solution. I've contemplated a long time before getting a Geforce, I looked at R9 390X and Fury X, but I really want a dual DVI connection because in my experience that's just the most stable connection. DP does blank out sometimes requiring a power cycle (this is true for AMD and nVidia solutions). Also, I don't want to risk having issues just browsing the web and using Excel.

I know not everyone will agree with me, but I wanted to share my experience. I actually tweeted Roy and wrote posts on the AMD Support Forums without much resolution, I was not the only user seeing the corruption issues, and the display limitation is just sad for me.

I will always be looking for a reason to jump back to AMD, AMD just needs to give me a reason to.


There's no reason for you to favor an underdog because neither of these companies provide the hardware to you for free. Go with what works best for you and in this case it happens to be NVIDIA.
 
Lol, enjoy nvidia bricking your HDD with their terrible QC. Releasing drivers that reset your machine in the middle of a game.
Then you're on Intel :p

Worst driver experiences for myself have been with team green. But I didn't rant on forums in dramatic fashion

Not forgetting they will soon be paying for hotfix drivers.
 
I know what your saying OP. I ran into the exact same problem when my XBOX 360 Elite didn't come with composite video. There was nothing wrong with my SD TV.
 
Would be nice if we had a third choice in manufacturers. Then there would be more incentive to fix what's wrong instead of ignoring those issues.

Oh those were days, when there actually was good competition... Sigh...
 
Having couple more players in the game would definitely spice things up.
 
No issue with 290x using DP for 3440x1440p and DVI for 2560x1440p. Initial issue with DP was the monitor on the desktop would blank out- on and off after a period of time - this was cured by down loading drivers from Dell on the Ultra Wide Screen. I can use Eyfinity with the two screen as well but that is only good for giving me a headache.

I would say now with the 290x and two monitors that it is flawless. I also use profiles for single monitor or dual.
 
No issue with 290x using DP for 3440x1440p and DVI for 2560x1440p. Initial issue with DP was the monitor on the desktop would blank out- on and off after a period of time - this was cured by down loading drivers from Dell on the Ultra Wide Screen. I can use Eyfinity with the two screen as well but that is only good for giving me a headache.

I would say now with the 290x and two monitors that it is flawless. I also use profiles for single monitor or dual.

Hi, what drivers and OS are you using? When you're browsing/sitting in Windows Desktop is your 290X clocks at 300/150?

When I was using 2x2560x1440 on DVI+DP, Windows 10 and release Catalyst drivers, I was getting terrible underflow corruption.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top