XFX R9 290X Double Dissipation Overclocking Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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XFX R9 290X Double Dissipation Overclocking Review - We have already reviewed the XFX R9 290X DD. It is now time to see how far we can overclock the XFX R9 290X Double Dissipation Edition video card. We will be looking at single card performance advantages as well as CrossFire performance advantages by overclocking two XFX R9 290X video cards.
 
Received mine today. Kudos for all the great effort and info that influenced my purchasing decision.

Highly looking forward to tomorrow's ~40% BF4 Mantle fps improvement with the subtle "2/25" hints.

Couldn't have been happier. Great performance, relatively low GPU and VRM temps, quiet, classy looks, ~10% OC headroom and Mantle boost tomorrow. Don't feel bad anymore about paying ~6% over MSRP. :cool:
 
These look like great cards and would have been my first choice for the R9 290 series. Because of the prices though, I ended up going with a pair of 780Ti's. I got a really good deal on reference EVGA's so I actually picked them up for substantially less than 290x's would have cost me. Being that gaming is my thing, it made more sense in my case.
 
Tomorrow might change your mind when you don't need to SLI two 780s.
 
Sad that the price is so high. I was kinda hoping to sell my off my Titans and pick up two of these bad boys. Oh well, I am still happy...but this is one sweet fucking card.
 
hehe... yeah maybe... but I don't play BF4 so for the time being it won't hurt too bad ;-)
 
Amazon is set to ship my XFX DD 290 I ordered back on the 16th tomorrow for $499 which seems to be retail on them now. ShopBLT seems to get them in stock too.
 
Just for reference. Catalyst 14.1 are broken for overclocking, they throttle immensely with any kind of additional voltage.

My R9 290X
14.1 Betas Max OC: 1090 without voltage increase, 1120 with voltage increase but throttling actually drops clocks to ~850
13.12 WHQL: 1090 without voltage increase, 1230 with voltage increase to 1.56mV

For some reason the 14.1 betas seem to have a TDP limit that kills overclocking.

In short, 14.1 betas are broken for overclocking = review invalid.
 
ICDP said:
Just for reference. Catalyst 14.1 are broken for overclocking, they throttle immensely with any kind of additional voltage.

My R9 290X
14.1 Betas Max OC: 1090 without voltage increase, 1120 with voltage increase but throttling actually drops clocks to ~850
13.12 WHQL: 1090 without voltage increase, 1230 with voltage increase to 1.56mV

For some reason the 14.1 betas seem to have a TDP limit that kills overclocking.

In short, 14.1 betas are broken for overclocking = review invalid.
Click to expand...

This is false. I started overclocking on the 13.12 driver and switched to the 14.1 driver when I got it, the results were the same. The results match our testing on the ASUS card, also done before 14.1 was released. The XFX card overclocked better than the ASUS card with 14.1 driver.

When I overclocked the two XFX cards in CrossFire in this very review they are using 13.12 driver and the throttling and behavior in relation to voltage behaved exactly the same as with 14.1 driver. If what you say was true, I would have had a better overclock in CrossFire with 13.12, but this was not the case. It behaved the same as with 14.1. Please do not post fud.
 
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Kyle, driver 14.2 beta arrives today and haves Crossfire support for Mantle in BF4.

Do we have any chance of you doing the crossfire test with 14.2b+Mantle in BF4-MP results?
 
el etro said:
Kyle, driver 14.2 beta arrives today and haves Crossfire support for Mantle in BF4.

Do we have any chance of you doing the crossfire test with 14.2b+Mantle in BF4-MP results?
Click to expand...

Eventually we will, this is not the last time we'll look at CrossFire / Overclocking / BF4 Mantle. Our full evaluation on Mantle is going to include 290X CrossFire in Mantle with this new driver. I'm working on another article right this moment on something that just came out to get a preview up.
 
Brent_Justice said:
This is false. I started overclocking on the 13.12 driver and switched to the 14.1 driver when I got it, the results were the same. The results match our testing on the ASUS card, also done before 14.1 was released. The XFX card overclocked better than the ASUS card with 14.1 driver.

When I overclocked the two XFX cards in CrossFire in this very review they are using 13.12 driver and the throttling and behavior in relation to voltage behaved exactly the same as with 14.1 driver. If what you say was true, I would have had a better overclock in CrossFire with 13.12, but this was not the case. It behaved the same as with 14.1. Please do not post fud.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the way my post came across, I should not have been so dismissive of the article. Apologies for that, but my own experience is totally different with 14.1 and 13.2 when using voltage to overclock.

Having said that it's not FUD for me, it is a completely repeatable test for me. Clearly your experience is different but that does not mean my own experience and report is FUD. Installing 14.1 = serious throttling with any voltage increase. Re-install 13.12 and overclock = stable right up to +200mV. This is with a single R9 290X Sapphire Tri-X. I also tried it with an XFX R9 290X and a Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X (all in single card mode). Every single card showed the same problem with the 14.1 beta drivers. They would throttle massively with any voltage increase.
 
I watercooled my two reference MSI 290X cards when I bought them.

I can run higher voltage and clocks than the XFX cards, have no noise, and cooler temperatures.....46C at full load.

I thought I was crazy, when I spent the initial 559 then 130 for the block......but at the currently insanely inflated prices, I got the best deal around.:D

Regardless, these XFX cards, at their current ridiculous price, are not worth it, it's too bad because the 290X is a great card.

Thanks for the review.
 
I still want to know why XFX gimped the 290 DD so bad, other than to make people just buy the 290x.
 
102c on vrm with 100% fan and 50mV + ? what a joke lol!!!!

Get PCS + or Tri x, thank me later.
 
psyside said:
102c on vrm with 100% fan and 50mV + ? what a joke lol!!!!

Get PCS + or Tri x, thank me later.
Click to expand...

It was stock voltage only +5% powerlimit.

I would have gotten a TriX if I could have found one not gouged to hell.

I might just grab two 270X's heh
 
ICDP said:
Just for reference. Catalyst 14.1 are broken for overclocking, they throttle immensely with any kind of additional voltage.

My R9 290X
14.1 Betas Max OC: 1090 without voltage increase, 1120 with voltage increase but throttling actually drops clocks to ~850
13.12 WHQL: 1090 without voltage increase, 1230 with voltage increase to 1.56mV

For some reason the 14.1 betas seem to have a TDP limit that kills overclocking.

In short, 14.1 betas are broken for overclocking = review invalid.
Click to expand...
ICDP said:
Sorry for the way my post came across, I should not have been so dismissive of the article. Apologies for that, but my own experience is totally different with 14.1 and 13.2 when using voltage to overclock.

Having said that it's not FUD for me, it is a completely repeatable test for me. Clearly your experience is different but that does not mean my own experience and report is FUD. Installing 14.1 = serious throttling with any voltage increase. Re-install 13.12 and overclock = stable right up to +200mV. This is with a single R9 290X Sapphire Tri-X. I also tried it with an XFX R9 290X and a Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X (all in single card mode). Every single card showed the same problem with the 14.1 beta drivers. They would throttle massively with any voltage increase.
Click to expand...


I have had the same experiences with 14.1 vs 13.12 with my Tri-X 290. Although in my case the throttling was mild (1150 down to 1000 with some variation). Any voltage above stock using 14.1 caused clock throttling regardless of power limit or temp, very repeatable. Will have to try 14.2.

Not saying this review is affected but FUD his comments are not imho.

Thanks for the review.
 
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psyside said:
102c on vrm with 100% fan and 50mV + ? what a joke lol!!!!

Get PCS + or Tri x, thank me later.
Click to expand...

Trix is the best so far, no doubt. PCS + definitely looks good, but I haven't seen any reviews on it to confirm.
 
DracoNB said:
So the VRM runs warm, but still 25c under max spec and you assume its complete trash?

XFX has a lifetime warranty, so if it does die you'll get a replacement (and heck maybe even an upgrade to the next gen)
Click to expand...

I've had a XFX 7950 DD die on me with VRM's at 105c in 3 days, just because the VRM's can take 125, doesn't mean the PCB and anything around it can handle the sustained heat. Not to mention, 100% fan to run 84f on stock volts is also pretty terrible.

I also take it, you've never had to RMA anything, ever.
 
Sodapopjones said:
I've had a XFX 7950 DD die on me with VRM's at 105c in 3 days, just because the VRM's can take 125, doesn't mean the PCB and anything around it can handle the sustained heat. Not to mention, 100% fan to run 84f on stock volts is also pretty terrible.

I also take it, you've never had to RMA anything, ever.
Click to expand...

And just because yours died doesn't mean every video card that hits 105c will die. Do you even know if that was the cause of the issues or was it something else?

I've had to RMA a lot of things, including video cards (EVGA, Sapphire)
 
DracoNB said:
And just because yours died doesn't mean every video card that hits 105c will die. Do you even know if that was the cause of the issues or was it something else?

I've had to RMA a lot of things, including video cards (EVGA, Sapphire)
Click to expand...

Do you even know how does efficiency rating on average quality inductor looks at 105c? :rolleyes:
 
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