Wait for 390x or jump on a 290/290x?

C

Coldblackice

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Aug 14, 2010
Messages
1,152
Any thoughts on whether to wait for the impending 390x release vs. getting a 290/290x now?

I usually buy a generation behind, so I most likely won't be getting the new series, I'm just wondering if 290's and 290x's used/resale prices will fall much with the new release.

Bonus: I've seen other posts regarding this, but while we're on the subject, is it worth going 290x over 290? I remember reading that 290's overclock to right near 290x's, just like previous generations of 6950->6970, 7950->7970, etc.
 
It really depends on what you consider valuable? what games do yo play? what resolution do you play at?

EG the 970 is a better option for 1080p gaming, same performance, less power / noise / heat, however more expensive.

the 290x is better at 1440p and up, less expensive, better/close performance, more power and heat

kind of thing :)

So the 390x will probably be faster @ all resolutions, but with a hefty price tag.
 
The 290x is a STEAL. They can be had for $225-250 used and are a powerhouse.

However, it is loud and guzzles power. A gtx 970 will run you more, but will offer about the same in performance.

The 390x will push the 290x down, it is just a question of how much. The 290x has been out for a very long time and the performance and price of the 390x will determine a lot. A 390x that beats a gtx 980 at a reasonable price will push a lot of things down as Nvidia will likely counter with a price cut and gtx 980ti. This will have cut prices on the used market as well.

I'm in the same boat. You've been rocking that 7950 long enough where a few more months won't hurt. Wait for the 390x to drop and see what happens to prices.
 
You know, the speculation is that the 290/290x will live again as a rebrand.
Seems to my short memory that the 7970's did drop a little bit more when the 280's came out but it wasn't by a huge amount so, I don't see them getting much cheaper.

Look at the H for reviews to see if the 290X made an appreciable difference in playable settings at your resolution. I seem to remember that they agree with what Digital Viper said which is that at 1440P and below, there really wasn't a scenario where the 290X allowed for a significant difference in playable settings.
 
doug_7506 said:
The 290x is a STEAL. They can be had for $225-250 used and are a powerhouse.

However, it is loud and guzzles power. A gtx 970 will run you more, but will offer about the same in performance.

The 390x will push the 290x down, it is just a question of how much. The 290x has been out for a very long time and the performance and price of the 390x will determine a lot. A 390x that beats a gtx 980 at a reasonable price will push a lot of things down as Nvidia will likely counter with a price cut and gtx 980ti. This will have cut prices on the used market as well.

I'm in the same boat. You've been rocking that 7950 long enough where a few more months won't hurt. Wait for the 390x to drop and see what happens to prices.
Click to expand...

I doubt we will see the 290x drop any more than it has in the forseeable future.
 
Quix said:
It'll drop (and disappear) as soon as the 380x comes out. The 380x will be a slightly faster, cost-reduced version of the 290x.
Click to expand...

Really? I can still find 7970 GHZ cards, they're within 5% of 280x cards in terms of price.
 
The prices aren't going to drop that significantly. I think you'll be fine if you were to get a 290 or 290x now.
 
The 290 is the way to go. They can be had for $230 on sale fairly often. I recently snagged a Tri-X 290 refurb for $215 shipped from the egg. Can't beat that IMO.

I've had 4 970's, a 290x Lightning and a few others within this performance range. The 290 at $230 is the bang for buck champ IMO.
 
iRUSH said:
The 290 is the way to go. They can be had for $230 on sale fairly often. I recently snagged a Tri-X 290 refurb for $215 shipped from the egg. Can't beat that IMO.

I've had 4 970's, a 290x Lightning and a few others within this performance range. The 290 at $230 is the bang for buck champ IMO.
Click to expand...

I had nothing but trouble with used R9 290X cards, including a Newegg refurb that would die at random times and a card from fleabay where the previous owner, having lost half the screws to the stock heatsink, tried to compensate by using thermal compound as glue before gently tossing the card in an empty box for shipping.
 
290 or 290x is a good bang for the buck. You really can't beat that for the price you pay.
 
Coldblackice said:
Any thoughts on whether to wait for the impending 390x release vs. getting a 290/290x now?

I usually buy a generation behind, so I most likely won't be getting the new series, I'm just wondering if 290's and 290x's used/resale prices will fall much with the new release.

Bonus: I've seen other posts regarding this, but while we're on the subject, is it worth going 290x over 290? I remember reading that 290's overclock to right near 290x's, just like previous generations of 6950->6970, 7950->7970, etc.
Click to expand...

Just go for the 290x/290.

AMD's basically said new cards are not coming out until july or q3 of this year.

The price of the 290 is pretty much as low as it will go and I doubt the 390x is going to price at parity with the performance jump. E.g If it 390x is 50% faster its going to cost more than 50% more.
 
I've just added my third 290X, to go with a 4K monitor purchase, probably unneeded, but with the current price of them second hand, I figured it was a no brainer
 
Made the same decision in Feb. Wait or go for 290x/290? Decided that I didn't want to wait and prices were low enough and ended up getting an XFX 290. Was $195 after rebate and Amex deal. Very good price for the performance it runs everything I throw at it really well. 390 will be expensive and I'm at the point in my life where I don't game as much and have other things I want to spend on. You mentioned you like to buy a gen behind so I'd say get a 290 used or wait for a good board with custom cooler for less than $230.
 
Thanks for the input -- decided to bite on a 290 Vapor-X. Just my luck, it's graphically artificating like nobody's business after just a couple days (no overclocking, not even any gaming yet).

I'm guessing this means it was probably purchased by someone else before me, and either overclocked to damage or bios-modded.
 
I'm seriously thinking about getting a 290x i still have a 5870 ! seems like a 290x can run BF4 eyefinity on high pretty well.

leaning towards xfx black DD @ 289 AR, or i can get powercolor pcs+ for $10 more, heard the cooler is better, what do you guys think
 
dezertrat said:
I'm seriously thinking about getting a 290x i still have a 5870 ! seems like a 290x can run BF4 eyefinity on high pretty well.

leaning towards xfx black DD @ 289 AR, or i can get powercolor pcs+ for $10 more, heard the cooler is better, what do you guys think
Click to expand...

XFX does run hot, but other than having to sandbag my OC because of it, I haven't had any major issues.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top