R9 290 (Vapor-X) vs R9 280x (Asus DirectCU)

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Cybernetic

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I've been waiting for the prices to come down on the R9s for quite a while now.

However, it's been enough time for me to start to reconsider if I want to spend around $500 USD on a graphics card with all the talk about 20nm next year.

In your opinions, would it be a better choice to buy a R9 280x (and try to upgrade in 20-24 months) or get Vapor-X R9 290 when it comes out (hopefully near the end of this month)?

I'm looking for something that will last me a while (Mantle + DX12 on the R9 290s was a big part of the reason I was considering them over the older HD7970/R9 280x). I plan to use it on a 1080p monitor with the intent to upgrade monitors in the future (as prices for 1440p and 4k come down).

Thank you.
 
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nikoli707
well the r9-280/gtx760 would have to drop to the $200ish price point as the 280x/770 go to the $280ish price point before the 290/780 would get into the $400 range. although this will happen sometime eventually, for now until maxwell comes out with a card faster than the 760 which "MAYBE" very late this year.... i doubt we will see any significant price drops until then and or thanksgiving/black friday deals.

some times of the year are strategic at predicting price drops but we would all play the waiting game forever and never spend our money and enjoy things in the now.

that said, the sapphire tri-x 290 is a great card and definitely cheaper but in stock form is a very good contender and still offers the highest levels of 1080p...
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Omegaclawe

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The R9 280x will handle 1440p quite well for some time. Sure, that extra horsepower is nice to have, but it honestly won't last much longer in terms of becoming outdated. As for 4k, the R9 290 isn't quite enough and by the time prices go down there'll be much cheaper, more capable options. The only reasons I would recommend the 290 over the 280X is for multi-monitor or scrypt-mining.

Note: I do own an R9 290X. I use it for triple-monitor gaming. It's powerful, but there are still some driver stability issues with the card.
 
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AlexSmith96

AlexSmith96

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In my view, you should buy a GTX 780 :
1) Its DirectX 12 Ready.
2) The Recent Driver Updates (337.50) push the performance better than Mantle.
3) It has a much higher overclocking headroom. On peak, its performance is comparable to 780Ti.
4) G-Sync Support - If that tech. catches your eye.

P.S. 290x VaporX will definitely not be cheaper coz Vapor Chambers are costly.
 
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Cybernetic

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My main deterrent from the R9 280x is that it's been around a while and it looks like this is the last generation it will be relevant. The R9 290s have the Mantle + DX12 support which the R9 280x does not and it might keep the card "future proof" (I use that word lightly). Thoughts?


I did consider the 780s a couple times and I always came back to the argument that the drivers have matured to the point that a large defining performance jump from the 780s are unlikely. DirectX 12 might be great, but it's also very far out (18 months?).

I've heard rumors that the recent drivers have been marketed with some very cherry picked benchmarks. I'm sure there is a definite performance gain, but not convinced it's as massive as it's being claimed.

The overclocking doesn't go to 780Ti performance on a reference design does it? At the price point of $500 for the reference, I don't think I could afford an aftermarket cooler that could.

In general, the G-Sync monitors are going to be more expensive and it's not a technology that interests me very much. I only know that it has to do with frame pacing for smoother gameplay.

I've read from a couple release posts that the price is supposed to be around the same price as the Tri-X (going for around $480 right now). If the reviews show that it's an even better cooler than the Tri-x (by a good margin), I'd be very tempted to get it. Most FPS benchmarks have shown the R9 290 to match or beat the 780 even with the reference design. Is there a particular reason you suggested the 780?

I'm sorry if I come across as anti-Nvidia. I'm just trying to get the best hardware for my money. I appreciate all the help.
 
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AlexSmith96

AlexSmith96

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I'm not at all offended bro. Just listen to me carefully.

In late 2013, I set out to buy a graphics card. (Upgrade to my 660Ti)
When the R9 290 first came, benchmarks showed it either under or in par with GTX 780 at price of $400.
Well, it was really cool, isn't it?

I read several of R9 290 and GTX 780 reviews and came to a conclusion : The 780 has a lot more overclocking headroom than 290.

Custom Manufacturers were confident enough to retail their cards with upto 19% overclock , while they could not do more than 10% for 290.

In short, a RE-overclocked Custom 780 is way faster than a RE- Overclocked R9 290.
I am a proud owner of MSI 780 Twin Frozr.
 
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nikoli707

nikoli707

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i have my classified 780 running 1.3ghz on the core with the stock max voltage, 1.212v... up from 1.150v, all while staying just under 80c on air. that is a full 45% increase over the reference 900mhz core clock of the 780. no gpu ever has had as much overclocking headroom as a binned gk110.
 
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Would you still recommend the 780 if the custom 290s fell under the reference 780 price of 500$ USD?


Could you link me a couple of the models that can do something like that? If they are close enough to my budget, I might be able to go for them.
 
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nikoli707

nikoli707

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as far as 780s go only the classified or the lightning are capable of going that high/higher due to their power delivery design and the best of the best binned gk110 2304 cores. their really designed to hit their limits once you put them under full water as they will hit dangerous thermal limits on stock air. unfortunately msi is using elpida ram in their lightning and although elpida runs well with tighter timings, the hynix and samsung ram that evga uses overclcoks much better. under water it seems all classifieds and lightnings can do 1.4ghz at the very least while 1.5ghz is usually near their limits. i can bench at around 1335mhz on the stock precision/afterburner voltage limit of 1.212v, though i did a quick run at 1.275v-ish(using the classified voltage tool which will go as high as 1.35v core) at 1375mhz to run heaven/valley benchies, 100% fan and still got to 85c. though admittedly here in california, i will very likely need to lower down to 1250mhz and a touch lower on voltage as summer creeps on us and ambients go up.

http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/63051-evga-gtx-780-classified-review-8.html
 
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Cybernetic

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Wow. That is a really nice card. It's going for about 510-530$ USD which is about 50$ more than the R9 290 Tri-x. I appreciate you bringing this card to my attention.

I do have another concern though. With the 880s being out next year/end of this year, how fast will this card depreciate in value? It already jumped from the $700 to $500 with the release of the R9s back in November. Will I regret spending the $530 now only for it to go down to $400 or lower in the next few months? Would it be better to wait longer for the 800 series and then pick up an 870 (as the 880 would undoubtedly be more than $500)?
 
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nikoli707

nikoli707

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well the r9-280/gtx760 would have to drop to the $200ish price point as the 280x/770 go to the $280ish price point before the 290/780 would get into the $400 range. although this will happen sometime eventually, for now until maxwell comes out with a card faster than the 760 which "MAYBE" very late this year.... i doubt we will see any significant price drops until then and or thanksgiving/black friday deals.

some times of the year are strategic at predicting price drops but we would all play the waiting game forever and never spend our money and enjoy things in the now.

that said, the sapphire tri-x 290 is a great card and definitely cheaper but in stock form is a very good contender and still offers the highest levels of 1080p gaming. stepping up to 1440p these cards still hold their own in all but a few games commanding the most demanding graphical detail.
 
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Cybernetic

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Thanks for all the help. I'm going to wait a few weeks just to see how the market changes.

Thanks again for bringing the EVGA GTX 780 Classified to my attention. It's definately going to hover in the back of my mind as a possible option.
 
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