AMD Radeon R9 290 Video Card Review @ [H]

pcjunkie said:
People that use a 290x, 780, Titan or sli/xfire don't have a right to bitch about power consumption to begin with. If you want green go APU...noise will be taken care of with after market coolers...haters gonna hate. :rolleyes:
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I think you are missing the point here.

AIB coolers dont exhaust heat like blowers, they dump it in the case.

I already struggle to keep my case cool, another 20 degrees in there is going to be a pita.

I have owned AMD since the 9700pro, so theoretically im an AMD fanboi.

These cards while being exception performers for the price, are HOT, LOUD, and POWER HUNGRY.

christ, the apologists in this thread are almost as bad as the Nvidia fanbois...

There is no debate here, these are facts.
 
some people just make excuses for everything and don't want to hear anything negative at all. It's amazing and it just boggles my mind that people can only see what they want to see despite no matter how much even reviewers complain and complain and pulling out the glaring negatives of this card. It's a great card for the money and there is no doubt about that but stop acting like it's perfect because it's nowhere near it if heat power consumption and noise matter at all.
 
The Mac said:
I think you are missing the point here.

AIB coolers dont exhaust heat like blowers, they dump it in the case.

I already struggle to keep my case cool, another 20 degrees in there is going to be a pita.

I have owned AMD since the 9700pro, so theoretically im an AMD fanboi.

These cards while being exception performers for the price, are HOT, LOUD, and POWER HUNGRY.

christ, the apologists in this thread are almost as bad as the Nvidia fanbois...

There is no debate here, these are facts.
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Where do you get another 20 degrees from? The cards have a quiet mode, yes? Are you going to be folding 24/7? Most of the time it will be idling and in quiet mode not drawing all that power as you say...WTF are you talking about apologists...haters gonna hate. :rolleyes:
 
As someone who needs a new card in the coming month, I thought I should share my opinion, so here it is:

I am rather new here on [H] and I've been out of the PC building community since the 9800Pro series. Incidentally that was my last GPU purchase. I was an XBOX user for the past few years, but consoles are just not for me.

Recently (about 2 months ago), I decided that I want to get back into PCs, and to be more exact - PC gaming. I have acquired everything, but a GPU.

i5-4670K
MSI z87 - GD65 Gaming
ASUS VS239H-P eIPS Monitor
Corsair Dominator 2x4GB @1866 1.5V
Samsung Pro 256GB
Corsair H100i
Cooler Master Gold v850 PSU (seasonic unit)
Corsair Vengeance c70 Mid-Tower Case w/ 1 AF120 and 4 SP120 fan upgrades

Before the R9 series came out, I was looking at a 770 4GB. Then the prices came down and I almost immediately decided I want a 780 Lightning. Still I waited, and the 290 vanilla came out. While I absolutely agree that the 290/290x have incredible raw power, to me they look unrefined and not fully thought out.

Is the 780 still too high in price? Absolutely, but that doesn't make it a bad card. Lowering the card another $20-$50 will be perfect in my opinion. With the OC room, better cooling and lower power consumption, this card feels more refined and well thought out product to me.

As someone who is looking for a solution that will hold me over for a while, I am still considering both, the 780 Lightning and the 290(not the X). I will be staying @ 1080p for at least the next year.There is something that just raises a flag in my head and makes me think that the 290 is just inefficient and that is something that doesn't sit well with me. This is just an opinion of an outsider who is trying to make the best possible decision.

Props to AMD for putting a fight up and bruising up NVIDIA (they were getting too Apple-esque in pricing IMHO). With that said, I will wait another 1-2 weeks to let the market settle a little more, before making a decision. I have a feeling Price War 2013 isn't fully over yet...
 
pcjunkie said:
Where do you get another 20 degrees from? The cards have a quiet mode, yes? Are you going to be folding 24/7? Most of the time it will be idling and in quiet mode not drawing all that power as you say...WTF are you talking about apologists...haters gonna hate. :rolleyes:
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my 7970 @1ghz runs 75 degrees, the 290/x is designed to run at 95 degrees.

95-75=20, basic math.

there is no quiet mode on the 290. only on the 290x, and who in their right mind is going to intentinally gimp performance on a high end card? thats just silly.

and before you start with the fan nonsense, these are maximums, of course they dont operate at those temps 100% of the time.
 
cannondale06 said:
I was saying that the 780 uses way less power than the 290 and they almost match each other for the most part in performance. And I was saying that even an overclocked version of the 780 does not use a lot of power.
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You compared the overclocked 780 to the stock 290 ("a 780 will match or exceed the 290 while usins less power."). This means that your comment about matching performance is invalid.
cannondale06 said:
Congratulations on not comprehending that
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Classy.
 
Why does everyone argue over the pros and cons of graphic cards? It just doesn't make any sense. Sure the 290 cards are loud and put our a lot of heat. Everyone can see it in all of the reviews, so arguing with each other about less power or overclocking is pointless. That was the trade off AMD made so it would be able to compete with the 780 and Titan. If that doesn't bother you then buy it and enjoy it. If it does then buy a 780 or Titan or wait until the custom coolers arrive. However, arguing about it on a public forum is childish. Sometimes I think [H]ard|OCP should pass bibs and pacifiers to some of the posters on this forum.
 
chithanh said:
You compared the overclocked 780 to the stock 290 ("a 780 will match or exceed the 290 while usins less power."). This means that your comment about matching performance is invalid.
Classy.
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again you fail to comprehend. He was talking about you need more power to be a faster card. I said the factory over clocked 780 is faster than the 290 while still using less power.
 
The Mac said:
I think you are missing the point here.

AIB coolers don't exhaust heat like blowers, they dump it in the case.

I already struggle to keep my case cool, another 20 degrees in there is going to be a pita.

I have owned AMD since the 9700pro, so theoretically im an AMD fanboi.

These cards while being exception performers for the price, are HOT, LOUD, and POWER HUNGRY.

christ, the apologists in this thread are almost as bad as the Nvidia fanbois...

There is no debate here, these are facts.
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Well...

Not all AIB cooling solutions are the same... some blow, some dump.

Sounds like you need to review your existing choice of case/fan configuration.

------

Hot (95c by design) Loud* (Not according to [H]) Power Hungry yup they do use a lot.

*Anand's review had the 290 at 57.8dbA which is 10dbA or 17.5% more than ANY other reviewer. Hence his 'do not buy' recommendation. Personally, if I were him, I'd be looking into why my sound measurements were so much more than anyone elses. It would be a reputational thing.
 
Borocay said:
Why does everyone argue over the pros and cons of graphic cards? It just doesn't make any sense. Sure the 290 cards are loud and put our a lot of heat. Everyone can see it in all of the reviews, so arguing with each other about less power or overclocking is pointless. That was the trade off AMD made so it would be able to compete with the 780 and Titan. If that doesn't bother you then buy it and enjoy it. If it does then buy a 780 or Titan or wait until the custom coolers arrive. However, arguing about it on a public forum is childish. Sometimes I think [H]ard|OCP should pass bibs and pacifiers to some of the posters on this forum.
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then what would be the point of having the forums? might as well just post a review and allow no commenting. not everyone is going to agree with everything so of course there will end up being arguments but that's true for everything in life.Lol
 
The Mac said:
I think you are missing the point here.

AIB coolers dont exhaust heat like blowers, they dump it in the case.
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This is less of an issue if you have a case with excellent airflow. RV02/FT02 comes to mind.
 
fingerbob69 said:
Well...

Not all AIB cooling solutions are the same... some blow, some dump.

Sounds like you need to review your existing choice of case/fan configuration.

------

Hot (95c by design) Loud* (Not according to [H]) Power Hungry yup they do use a lot.

*Anand's review had the 290 at 57.8dbA which is 10dbA or 17.5% more than ANY other reviewer. Hence his 'do not buy' recommendation. Personally, if I were him, I'd be looking into why my sound measurements were so much more than anyone elses. It would be a reputational thing.
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obviously loud is relaive to the listenener. But they are louder than the last series anyway.

all AIBs that are not blowers dump in the case. That is how they function. The whole point form a design point is that its easier the vent the case of excess heat, than it is to try to force it all through the tiny grill on a double-wide pcie slot. certainly some of it goes out the slot grill, but a majority of it stays in the case.

The only AIB blower that i am aware of is HIS IceyQ.

the loudness is not an issue for me, as my case is under my desk. Heat however is.

Back to my original point, optimally for this card to avoid the excess heat dumped into the case by AIB coolers, a high performance blower would be ideal. I dont want to have to vent it out of my case, i would prefer it go right out the back.
 
The Mac said:
my 7970 @1ghz runs 75 degrees, the 290/x is designed to run at 95 degrees.

95-75=20, basic math.

there is no quiet mode on the 290. only on the 290x, and who in their right mind is going to intentinally gimp performance on a high end card? thats just silly.

and before you start with the fan nonsense, these are maximums, of course they dont operate at those temps 100% of the time.
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Holy carp that is not how actual heat output works? Are you freaking kidding me...

Designed to run at is an argument now vs real heat output? Put your finger on 75 or 95 degrees and its hot no matter what....wow :eek:

Thank god at least you somewhat understand fan noise output.
 
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I essentially agree. The HIS Ice-Q on a 290 could be the ideal solution.

When it comes to the sound issue, of course it's subjective... from no issue at all to do not buy! The disparaity between the two, from different review sites is what's interesting ....as must be their methodology.

(guru3d seem to have best sorted - closed case measured from 75cm away)
 
[H] offers reviews of "real" game performance, which I love, and this is a great article. Is there any chance we can get a "real" sound performance test in here as well?

I don't care what the card sounds like at 12" with a case side off - no one actually games like that (that I know of anyway). I want to know what the card sounds like (dB(a) rating) at appx 54" with the computer on the floor, case side on, while wearing a headset. The ideal test scenario would probably be something like a sound probe stuffed inside a pair of Corsair 1500s on someones head for the test. I'd bet that the fan isn't even audible in that kind of real world test....
 
pcjunkie said:
Holy carp that is not how actual heat output works? Are you freaking kidding me...

Designed to run at is an argument now vs real heat output? Put your finger on 75 or 95 degrees and its hot no matter what....wow :eek:

Thank god at least you somewhat understand fan noise output.
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i was over simplifying, the reality is design spec is 95, no matter how cool the cooler keeps the chip, the that heat is still present.

You cant create or destory energy, you can only change its state. You may be able to wick away an additional 10 degrees to keep the chip at 85, but that extra 10 degrees is still inside the case. It hasnt gone away. All youve done is increase the ambient temp inside the case by the same amount.

It will need to be exausted from the case, and cooler air taken in for the ambient air to be able to absorb more heat.

Inorder to maintain heat transfer form the Heatsink to the ambient air, the air in the case must be LESS than the temp of the heatsink. Once the ambient temp reaches the same temp as the heatsink, no heat transfer can occur as heat always moves from highest gradiation to lowest gradiation.

(for those of you interested and dont already know: heat is transfered from the heatsink to the air surrounding it. The closer to saturation the air becomes, the slower the transfer occurs so a greater delta between the ambient air, and the sink, the faster transfer can occur. once it reaches saturation, no more heat can be absorbed.. The purpose of the fans it to move cooler air into the space that the saturated air previously occupied to continue thernal transfer. The more air that can be moved over the surface area of the sink (and or the greater the temperature delta), the faster the transfer can occur as its further away from the saturation point. This is why is crucial for good airflow in the case, so there is always cooler air for heat transfer to occur. Other materials have a greater capacity to absorb heat. Water for example has a greater capacity than air, then you move into refrigerants wich can absorb massive amounts, etc)

oh boy, all that thermaldynamics has finally come in handy

lol
 
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nHanS said:
AMD is the clear winner this generation.
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Define "this generation", though. Are you including the R9 line in the same generation as the GTX 7xx series? If so, AMD was very late to market, but they did eventually win the performance crown.

If you consider the R9 to be next generation, then Nvidia is late to market, since Maxwell isn't out yet, and it's impossible to say who won yet.
 
Kyle and Brent,
I've been reading reviews from all over the web and the coomon theme is fast best bang for buck but loud (too loud). Now most of us seem to be waiting on the aftermarkets to buy.

I would really like a quick video of the card in action. I did a quick search but couldn't find any that were of very poor quality. I want a subjective video on a decent mic that shows a 290 at full load. Then walk a few feet across a room. Im looking for the whine chatter or hum that is subjectively different. Let the readers decide if it's a deal breaker with our ears. The reviews have highlighted it now I want to make my choice.

I remember hearing a 5800 after all and it was worthy of the hype. Then I heard a 480 and was more meh. Please show us inside a case in a realistic setting. We know some are better than others. The open bench with the camera touching the case video I saw was rediculous and not realistic. If this video is already out there I'd appreciate a link. Thanks!
 
undercoverDrunk said:
Kyle and Brent,
I've been reading reviews from all over the web and the coomon theme is fast best bang for buck but loud (too loud).
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Except that it is not, in "Quiet Mode."

Uber Mode is more debatable, but even 55% is only moderately loud, IMO.

I don't hear it as being loud until its at 65%, and that's only by manually setting CCC higher. The default operation, and default setting, is of course "Quiet Mode."
 
Brent_Justice said:
Except that it is not, in "Quiet Mode."

Uber Mode is more debatable, but even 55% is only moderately loud, IMO.

I don't hear it as being loud until its at 65%, and that's only by manually setting CCC higher. The default operation, and default setting, is of course "Quiet Mode."
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I thought reviews were saying there was only one fan setting on the 290 and that it was quite a bit louder than the 290X in quiet mode
 
hes talking about the 290x, but they both use the same cooler.

quiet mode on the 290x=40%
cap on 290 pro =47%

basically hes saying, the fan cap at 47% on the pro is not loud
 
The Mac said:
oh boy, all that thermaldynamics has finally come in handy
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If you care about thermodynamics you won't make comparisons based on degrees Celcius, which is for temperature, but Watts since that translates directly into heat.

The 7970GE will use about 250w. Same as the R9 290X. So actual heat out put won't change irregardless of temperature of the GPU itself. Total power usage for the R9 290 is supposed to be about 230w BTW.
 
i could also go into thermal capacities, heat cooefficients, surface areas, caloric transfers and BTUs (not watts) and wind shear.

but i wont.

my explaination was sufficient for our discussion.
 
This is the card I was waiting for. Now I'm tempted to ditch the plans of getting PS4 and get this puppy. (especially with none to little PS4 games at launch, and I can get better deals next year :p). I'm waiting though for custom cards in late November.

It really shows the progres we made in like 2 years. For the price of 290 I got my 670, which is totally outclassed by this piece of hardware. Competition is good :)
 
In your review, you stated "Fan noise at 47% is negligible, we heard the fan, but it was nowhere near annoying or loud while gaming. Even when we increased it to manual of 100% it did not increase much beyond 50% while gaming."

Fan noise nowhere near annoying? I have a 290x with the same fan and at both the 40% and 55% speed it is unbearable! Please tell me, what case are you testing your 290 in? I'm running mine in a Corsair 800D that sits on the floor about 3.5 feet to my 10 o'clock position.

I had to pick up an aftermarket cooler (Arctic Accelero Xtreme III) in order to keep the noise down.
 
Getting closer to deciding on new cards. Just the 780ti review and a Mantel review to go... this has been fun hasn't it? For me it's been the most fun reading forums in ages. LOL... Good times, good times... :)
 
Max9R said:
Getting closer to deciding on new cards. Just the 780ti review and a Mantel review to go... this has been fun hasn't it? For me it's been the most fun reading forums in ages. LOL... Good times, good times... :)
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I don't usually upgrade every generation. I tend to skip one to two generations but I may make an exception this time for the 290.
 
lowstandards said:
Please tell me, what case are you testing your 290 in? I'm running mine in a Corsair 800D that sits on the floor about 3.5 feet to my 10 o'clock position.
.
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you should take it the case off the carpet that stuff kills case airflow. :p
 
cannondale06 said:
I thought reviews were saying there was only one fan setting on the 290 and that it was quite a bit louder than the 290X in quiet mode
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Erm, I think that's the default BIOS setting but you can of course adjust things yourself - you can create your own quiet mode with a fan slider, i'd assume? I'd personally keep it at 50%+ though if I were using it.
 
Who said anything about carpet in my spare bedroom (compute room)? I live in Phoenix and have tile...got to keep the inside of the house as cool as possible.
 
darkstarcow said:
No shit, considering the 290x blew Nvidias offerings out of the water then spit on their graves, it really boggles my mind that people are still trying to come up with any kind of argument against these cards possible. I guess seeing your favorite company get beat down like a little bitch does that though.
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Lol, fanboys like you are fucking hilarious, AMD or Nvidia, you're all morons.
 
You can't tell me that even with the AC on blast, when you walk into your computer room where you're gaming rig has been providing you with hours of gaming goodness that the temp in that room isn't noticeably warmer? I've been in 5 apartments, and in my 2nd home here in the valley and my computer room is always warmer than the rest of the house.

Sodapopjones said:
I live in Tempe, when your AC runs 98.32113% of the time, it doesn't matter whats in your computer.
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lowstandards said:
You can't tell me that even with the AC on blast, when you walk into your computer room where you're gaming rig has been providing you with hours of gaming goodness that the temp in that room isn't noticeably warmer? I've been in 5 apartments, and in my 2nd home here in the valley and my computer room is always warmer than the rest of the house.
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It's fun in Texas, too, when you add humidity to it :). You want a cool computer room? Get a window unit :).
 
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