Just ordered 290

B

bigbeard86

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
291
I just bought two, 290's.

I had a 780 I bought 4 weeks ago from microcenter...with tax, it cost me $726. I returned it 2 days before the 30 day limit for a full refund.
The total cost of these two 290's was 799.98
For $74 more dollars I got a massive performance increase.
I was going with the 780ti...but to buy a $700 card with 3 gig ram is just stupid...planned obsolescence.

One question I have...on my mobo, the 2nd pcie port is right below the first. the third slot is pcie2.0, not 3.0, like the others. where would you recommend I place the second card?
 
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bigbeard86 said:
I just bought two, 290's.

I had a 780 I bought 4 weeks ago from microcenter...with tax, it cost me $726. I returned it 2 days before the 30 day limit for a full refund.
The total cost of these two 290's was 799.98
For $74 more dollars I got a massive performance increase.
I was going with the 780ti...but to buy a $700 card with 3 gig ram is just stupid...planned obsolescence.

One question I have...on my mobo, the 2nd pcie port is right below the first. the third slot is pcie2.0, not 3.0, like the others. where would you recommend I place the second card?
Click to expand...

Resolution/monitor?
 
TroyX said:
Resolution/monitor?
Click to expand...

1080p @ 120hz, for now.

don't get me wrong, the 780 was an awesome card. I would've went with a 780ti had this 290 not been such a killer price/perf deal. I don't feel too bad paying ~70 more than I had originally spent to get ~twice the performance.
 
why do we have so many noobs posting seemingly flamebait threads about the new Radeons?
 
As of the articles available from most review sites, most cards arent specing out the entire PCI3.0 bandwidth and can be successfully run on pci2 without to big of hit (there are some exceptions)
 
J Macker said:
why do we have so many noobs posting seemingly flamebait threads about the new Radeons?
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the only one flaming here is you man, coming in here trying to start trouble. just get out of the thread if you don't like it.
 
TroyX said:
PCI 2.0 wont make any difference.

Just install it on PCI 3.0 since you have two.
Click to expand...

ok, thanks. I was just wondering that maybe spacing them further apart might be better off, since they generate a lot of heat.
 
J Macker said:
why do we have so many noobs posting seemingly flamebait threads about the new Radeons?
Click to expand...

I fail to see any flaming, and I have a good nose for it.

I think you just mad at his wallet.
 
what kind of thermals are you looking at currently. I would test out both to see how your setup does with them.
 
bigbeard86 said:
ok, thanks. I was just wondering that maybe spacing them further apart might be better off, since they generate a lot of heat.
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They will be blowing out the heat outside the case so the difference will be minimal.
 
samm said:
what kind of thermals are you looking at currently. I would test out both to see how your setup does with them.
Click to expand...

I have a big case with good airflow. I had my evga 780 sc running at 1.2ghz (blower-style cooler) with full load temps of 55c. I suppose ill just use the two nearer slots and see what happens from there. they should be here Friday; if I get them by then, ill up update the thread with my personal thoughts, along with numbers such as temps and any oc's.
 
bigbeard86 said:
I just bought two, 290's.

I had a 780 I bought 4 weeks ago from microcenter...with tax, it cost me $726. I returned it 2 days before the 30 day limit for a full refund.
The total cost of these two 290's was 799.98
For $74 more dollars I got a massive performance increase.
I was going with the 780ti...but to buy a $700 card with 3 gig ram is just stupid...planned obsolescence.

One question I have...on my mobo, the 2nd pcie port is right below the first. the third slot is pcie2.0, not 3.0, like the others. where would you recommend I place the second card?
Click to expand...

Man this is one time i actually agree with someone trading in there 780 lol.Smart move on your part imo
 
Well, you paid 50 bucks less for those 290's than I did for my 2 open box EVGA 780 ACX's at Microcenter (I didn't really have much of a choice anyway since I was exchanging 600$ 760 GTX's with 4GB 9 days over the return date, though).

Dunno, I could still go take my 780's back and probably exchange them for the 290's when Microcenter gets them in, but... I dunno if it's really worth it saving 50 bucks for a minor increase in performance, huge watt usage, the heat, and the ridiculous noise. I specifically put Noctua's in my case to get rid of noise...
 
TroyX said:
I fail to see any flaming, and I have a good nose for it.

I think you just mad at his wallet.
Click to expand...

Nope, I'm not mad at his wallet at all. You're talking to a guy who spent $6000 on video cards this year.

Haven't you noticed all the noobie threads about the 290 & 290x & 780?
 
StoleMyOwnCar said:
Well, you paid 50 bucks less for those 290's than I did for my 2 open box EVGA 780 ACX's at Microcenter (I didn't really have much of a choice anyway since I was exchanging 600$ 760 GTX's with 4GB 9 days over the return date, though).

Dunno, I could still go take my 780's back and probably exchange them for the 290's when Microcenter gets them in, but... I dunno if it's really worth it saving 50 bucks for a minor increase in performance, huge watt usage, the heat, and the ridiculous noise. I specifically put Noctua's in my case to get rid of noise...
Click to expand...

Factor in the tax..newegg does not charge tax in most states. Tax was another $60 add-on on my 780. So you will be saving more.
 
J Macker said:
Nope, I'm not mad at his wallet at all. You're talking to a guy who spent $6000 on video cards this year.

Haven't you noticed all the noobie threads about the 290 & 290x & 780?
Click to expand...

how is he still flaming in your mind after he posted evidence that he made the purchase?:rolleyes:

and how did you manage spending $6k on video cards this year?
 
why are people in such a rush to buy things when they first come out?...the 290 series in particular will get a BIG boost from non-reference cooling cards...plus prices are dropping every day it seems...be patient
 
TroyX said:
how is he still flaming in your mind after he posted evidence that he made the purchase?:rolleyes:

and how did you manage spending $6k on video cards this year?
Click to expand...

I think J Macker is doubting that the OP is genuine and that it could be marketing. Whenever I see a new account making such posts, I get a little suspicious as well. I just don't call it out because you never really know.
 
TroyX said:
how is he still flaming in your mind after he posted evidence that he made the purchase?:rolleyes:

and how did you manage spending $6k on video cards this year?
Click to expand...

I never said the op was flaming. I said this seemed like a flameBAIT thread.

It helps to read & think before you post.


19x Radeon 7950s + a 7870 Tahiti = $6k.
Though I sold two cards only kept 18 of them. They're all running in my house right now.
 
The only flame bait here is gonna be this guys house when it goes up in flames from the heat these cards are gonna put out. Unless you were running those 780's stock, you just traded down for $40 more and a blast furnace in your box.

If you're happy with them though, more power to ya (pun totally intended). On the bright side, you won't have to even turn on the central heat/air this winter. You and you're woman can snuggle up in front your PC with a nice cup of cocoa. You won't even have to talk to her...because you won't be able to hear each other over the sound of your space heaters desperately trying to keep from having a core meltdown. Okay, okay, I'm just being mean now, lol.

Seriously though, I hope you enjoy the new cards. I'm just being ornery.
 
bigbeard86 said:
19x Radeon 7950s + a 7870 Tahiti = $6k.
Though I sold two cards only kept 18 of them. They're all running in my house right now.
Click to expand...

Buying cards for mining rigs is supposed to be for profit, it's not really the same as buying them for gaming.

Plus there's nothing illegitimate about what he said. (2) 290 is a lot faster than a 780 for, in his case, $100 more. If he were a shill there'd be no point in taking this tact as the 780 is no longer $700.

bigbeard86 said:
One question I have...on my mobo, the 2nd pcie port is right below the first. the third slot is pcie2.0, not 3.0, like the others. where would you recommend I place the second card?
Click to expand...

Put them as far apart as possible as long as the PCI slot isn't 2.0 x4. As Mining-Rig-Guy will tell you, you can shave off about 20 degrees with a 3 inch gap vs a 1 inch gap.
 
B2BigAl said:
On the bright side, you won't have to even turn on the central heat/air this winter. You and you're woman can snuggle up in front your PC with a nice cup of cocoa. You won't even have to talk to her...because you won't be able to hear each other over the sound of your space heaters desperately trying to keep from having a core meltdown.
Click to expand...

I lol'd.

This is an interesting time. I'm having a hard time deciding what to upgrade my GTX580 to or if I should just wait another generation.
 
My cards are arriving tomorrow. I will let you guys kniw how they perform in crossfire, probably sometime tomorrow night. I have metro, bf4, bf3, arkham origins, and call of duty ghosts.
 
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bigbeard86 said:
My cards are arriving tomorrow. I will let you guts kniw how they perform in crossfire, probably sometime tomorrow night. I have metro, bf4, bf3, arkham origins, and call of duty ghosts.
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what does the rest of your system look like?
 
You guys really should sit back and get the non ref's. I know the OP had a 30 day return but these cards really need an unlocked voltage to get them up in ocing.

Either way, nice setup bro. Interested in some BF4 Benches with Xfire.
 
hey guys...I just finished installing my two 290's.

took me a while because I had to also add in my new psu.

so far, everything is great.

I was playing bf4 multiplayer on ultra. I was getting between 160 (minimum) to 200fps. the game seems capped at 200fps. average was around 180fps. the performance is unreal.

Now, I need your help. I have been using NVidia for years, so I have no idea how to use catalyst control center. I need someone to help me learn all the features.

I made a separate profile for bf4 in CCC, and am using 16xEQ with "supersampling" aa quality. I am also using 16xAF, with "high" af quality.

Now, what is the difference between 16x and 16xEQ? or any non eq vs eq for that matter.

second - amd overdrive. how the heck do I use this? I set max fan speed to 100%, but cards didn't go above 50 - I wanted to see how loud it is. trust me when I tell you, the cards at 50% fan speed ARE NOT LOUD. I cant believe so many people complained about this.

Next...when I use gpuz, one of my video cards is running almost 1gig, while the other is only running 400mhz...is this normal? its not heat, as the slower one is running very cool. the card running full speed has temps of 90c.

You guys do not want any other cooler for these cards other than a blower style. a massive amount of heat is blown out...the air is very hot. I cannot imagine having that heat blown into your case.

When I am playing games, how can I be 100% sure crossfire is working right? how can I check?

can I just use msi afterburner rather than the amd program?

- I want to add.. is it normal for msi to show temp of only 1 card? why is this? it shows gpu usage on both, both temp for only one, also, msi shows bf4 was using 3.7 gigs mem - I was using ultra with 16x af and 16xaaEQ...is this possible, 3.7 gigs memory?
 
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bigbeard86 said:
1080p @ 120hz, for now.

don't get me wrong, the 780 was an awesome card. I would've went with a 780ti had this 290 not been such a killer price/perf deal. I don't feel too bad paying ~70 more than I had originally spent to get ~twice the performance.
Click to expand...

1080 doesn't need CF. You may consider upgrade to 1440p.
 
skcnina said:
1080 doesn't need CF. You may consider upgrade to 1440p.
Click to expand...

He said 1080 at 120hz. Which absolutely benefits from CFX and SLI if you're going for 120fps minimums in demanding titles with eye candy and AA enabled. And at 1080 you definitely want high AA levels.
 
NukeDukem said:
He said 1080 at 120hz. Which absolutely benefits from CFX and SLI if you're going for 120fps minimums in demanding titles with eye candy and AA enabled. And at 1080 you definitely want high AA levels.
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120fps minimums is never going to happen in many many games without a cpu from the future.
 
cannondale06 said:
120fps minimums is never going to happen in many many games without a cpu from the future.
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Very true which is why I said "if you're going for 120fps mins", never said you would actually get there. I was just pointing out that it is inaccurate to state 1080p can't benefit from multi GPU setups. With 120hz monitors becoming more popular its a relevant issue for many 1080p users, while you will be CPU bound you still want plenty of GPU grunt.
 
cannondale06 said:
120fps minimums is never going to happen in many many games without a cpu from the future.
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I should let you see how bf4 is running. im using 16xaaEQ supersampling and 16xAF highest quality, with all ultra in bf4. the lowest absolute fps drop was 120fps, the average was 170-180, with an in game cap of 200fps. so I think you should retract your statement. this is in multiplayer by the way; I haven't had time to benchmark single player (not that I even care).
 
bigbeard86 said:
I should let you see how bf4 is running. im using 16xaaEQ supersampling and 16xAF highest quality, with all ultra in bf4. the lowest absolute fps drop was 120fps, the average was 170-180, with an in game cap of 200fps. so I think you should retract your statement. this is in multiplayer by the way; I haven't had time to benchmark single player (not that I even care).
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retract my statement? lol.

even if you did stay above 120 fps in BF4 that is one game and does not change what I said about many games not being able to stay above 120 fps.
 
Ok, a few more updates.

Batman arkham origins gets around 120fps with 16xaa eq amd 16xaf, all highest settings.
Metro LL gets 80-90fps with all max except for 2xaa..using 4x aa gives me almost 60fps. My 780 at 1.2 ghz was getting under 30fps on those same settings. For some reason, 4xaa just kills perf in that game.

I also kept the settings the same in bf4 as my previous post, but set the scale to 125%...ended up with fps not droppingbelow 100, averaging at 110.

I took pics with my ipad, but something is wring with my email account and it will be locked for another ~8 hours (cant post pics from ipad).

I also have state of decay, maxed ingame settings, plays it +120fps. I tried adding more eye candy through CCC, but the textures in the game went haywire...the game is still in its infatile stage, so maybe it's just not ready yet for that.


Going back to an earlier point i made...at 125% scale resolution in bf4, msi AB showed 4.5 gigs of ram usage. This is impossible, so i am assuming afterburner is still not fully ready to read the 290 properly.
 
polonyc2 said:
why are people in such a rush to buy things when they first come out?...the 290 series in particular will get a BIG boost from non-reference cooling cards...plus prices are dropping every day it seems...be patient
Click to expand...

Do you think reference card prices will drop once non-reference cards are released? Or will they stay around the $400 mark? Right now, Egg is the only shop flaunting the cards at this price. As far as I can tell most are charging $500, with the exception of one at $420. Actually today, with a 5% discount at Egg the cards left in stock come to $380. That's a pretty good deal if you ask me.

Also, what do you think about the OP's opinion (after installation) that the blower design is actually preferable, due to the excessive heat of these cards leaving the case?
 
another thing to add...the temps on these cards are overblown. both of my cards are running below 75c under full load after an hour of gaming. I set up a custom fan profile, which does not go above 65%. The custom profile helped a lot...when I first installed the cards with the default fan profile, they were running 90c.

also, I just did a very modest OC to 1000mhz core and 1300mhz memory (not that I need it) - there is 0 throttling due to normal temperatures.

here are some pic I took yesterday...took them with my ipad, so thye came out bad.

photo_1.jpg

photo_2.jpg



there are two front intake fans and one bottom. one rear and two top exhausts.
 
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