rolli59 :
The 2 x280X is more powerful where CF works. I personally would not buy the 290X until it starts appearing with better cooling solutions from the AMD partners.
wanderer11 :
Well a 290x with a better cooler will actually make the inside of your case hotter because it will be transferring more heat energy away from the gpu, unless you get a blower style cooler that exhausts the heat out of the back of the case. Conservation of energy, that heat has to go somewhere.
I have a nice amount of 8 fans now, all 140mm/120mm, and its like a windtunnel, so Heat isn't a major issue. I just need the 290x to run less hot than 95 degrees stock . . . If an aftermarket can get the card stock down under 80 degrees, I'll be alright. I am not a "cool freak", just don't want overheating issues. I have every part for a beast new machine in a box right now, even an OS. Just need GPU(s)
New dilemma:
single more affordable, (but still beats 780) R9 290 for $500 w/ aftermarket cooler and OC boost (jumps 10fpsd in benchmarks with factory OC!), with new 512bit bus, trueaudio, and 4gb vram for performance in titles in the future (Games are starting to require more Vram already)
or
dual 280x's slightly OC'd, aftermarket coolers, and 30-50fps faster performance, but possibility of outdating with 3gb vram and possible crossfire issues?
Is it worth giving up new future driven architecture for the FPS now? I plan on 1440p/1600p as soon as they hit the affordable market, I'd love to still keep a good 60fps on high-ultra.
I could always add a second 290 in 2 years when the nexdt AMD series is released for cheap and skip the next generation or two completely, while 280x's may not sit as high up as they are technically mid-cards now.
So many positives and negatives, dunno which equal out. I'm personally sick of asking this, and feel like a nitpick right now. I would really appreciate as much help as I can get. You've all helped me a lot, and I'm sorry if I'm annoying. Know that an extra $600 takes me 12-18 weeks to earn.