Crossfire or single GPU?

Tooommo · Aug 15, 2014

Just wondering if it would be more effective to run?

2 x Gigabyte R9 280 3G OC Windforce (6G vRAM in crossfire) or 1 x Gigabyte R9 290x 4G OC (4G vRAM)

thanks
-Tom

lightcloud · Aug 15, 2014

Do you have a budget? If not then it would be the Crossfire 280. However in gaming not many games will need to utilise SLI or Crossfire depending on the settings.

So if you want to spend less then it would be the 290x.

Hope this helps mate.

legend001523 · Aug 15, 2014

Your vram doesn't add up you know right? 2 3gb cards still means 3gb. Effectively wise, one single gpu as not all games support crossfire very well and I hear amd crossfire drivers aren't the best

xrhstos7003 · Aug 15, 2014

I would prefer Crossfire for these reasons:
1. More VRAM for high settings and big res gaming
2. The power would be near at double of the 290x at almost the same price
3. R9 290X is a HOT HOT monster. If you can cool it then you are a beast.
4. Cls (or something like that) support

I would take the 290X because:
1. Crossfire has no compability with games older than 2009
2. Cls (or something like that) support
3. Future DX12 support

The crossfire has more pros than the single, so it would be better, but is won't haven DX12 support, so you won't be able to play games after 2020.
In 2020, the power of YOUR gpu won't be able to run games, so this will not affect your gaming (the DX12 theme) and is not a con, so go forr the crossfire.

legend001523 · Aug 15, 2014

VRAM doesn't add up... and any good r9 290x will not be hot

xrhstos7003 · Aug 15, 2014

legend001523 :

1. 2 3GB cards in crossfire have 6GB in total and Double Procesing power
2. Games that doesn't support crossfire are older than 2009, no care about that
3. Crossfire drivers are in late beta stage. Don't know if there is a gamma stage, but in 6 months from now they will be pretty stable

_Epix_ · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo :

I would go for the R9 290X, 1 powerful GPU is better than 2 not-so powerful ones. And, I dont think that 2 R9 280 is better than one R9 290X.

Tooommo · Aug 15, 2014

From what I'm seeing the crossfire setup is the better option, it is also $50 cheaper than the 290x from my dealer

lightcloud · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo :

Is it? That's great. It will be a great benefit for the future. However do keep in ind you don't bottleneck your CPU and the Crossfire GPU can fit the case.

legend001523 · Aug 15, 2014

xrhstos7003 :

1. OMG... THEY DON'T ADD UP , YOU STILL HAVE 3
2. ESO, WItcher 3, Titanfall , to name a few
3. 6 months from now is a long time, by then the 800 series will have been released, so you're saying the Op will have to wait 6 months for good drivers? Whereas a single gpu now, will be okay
4.Crossfire will need a bigger psu
5.Crossfire will generate more heat as one card blocks the airway of the other, so unless the Op has good airflow, crossfire will not be in consideration

_Epix_ · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo :

Crossfire will also make things more hot in your PC and quite many games do not support Crossfire.

Tooommo · Aug 15, 2014

just did a little research and as legend001523 said vRAM doesn't stack, but if vRam doesn't stack what is the point of any SLI/Crossfire setup?

legend001523 · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo :

They increase performance as ythe gpu brings in more power, they still have 3gb of vram, but cause of some complicated stuff with timings etc. they don't add up, with a 280x you'd be looking at a 30-50% increase over a single 280x and maybe 10-20% increase over a single 290x

lightcloud · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo :

Of course they don't it is not 1+1=2 for dual GPU. It is a mirror. So what the hack is Joeteoh99 talking about?

Well I am saying the "memory doesn't add up, and each GPU use it only for itself. The whole memory is mirrored while running in CF or SLI mode, so each GPU could render the screen independently of the other one."

Tooommo · Aug 15, 2014

legend001523 :

Tooommo :

They increase performance as ythe gpu brings in more power, they still have 3gb of vram, but cause of some complicated stuff with timings etc. they don't add up, with a 280x you'd be looking at a 30-50% increase over a single 280x and maybe 10-20% increase over a single 290x

thankyou for the help!

legend001523 · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo · Aug 15, 2014

I think I'll get the 290x and if in future I want to, I'll crossfire it! Thanks for the help everyone!!

xrhstos7003 · Aug 15, 2014

Tooommo :

You can crossfire the 290X with the 280X because they have the same archtect

legend001523 · Aug 15, 2014

yes, that seems like a good choice

Computersloeber · Aug 15, 2014

I love how everyone is complaining that the R9 290X is a hot monster, because unless you are an overclocker/benchmarker it doesn't matter.
In games it doesn't run extremely hot and if you have the budget for an R9 290X case ventilation should not be a problem either.
Now with aftermarket versions the R9 290X is a even more viable option because now it runs quieter and cooler.
IMO the only problem on the R9 290X is that the stock coolers are lowd and the Vram runs hot. Both are fixed using a custom cooler or an aftermarket version.

The R9 290X it will give you a lot less trouble then Crossfire R9 280's.
If you want raw power R9 280 in crossfire, but then you won't be able to use them properly if the game doesn't support it or you are having problems.
If you want stability and still good performance the R9 290X would be the best.

Crossfire or single GPU?

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