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Need a bit of extra information about these two GFX cards

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  • Graphics Cards
  • MSI
  • PowerColor
  • Graphics
Last response: in Graphics & Displays
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August 19, 2014 9:09:26 PM

I'm planning on getting a new Graphics card within one to two weeks from now and I've narrowed it down to two cards. A MSI R9 270X 2GB and a Powercolor R9 280 3GB. The Powercolor card is a open box item but the MSI card has free shipping and $20 Rebate along with it. I just want to know which is the best card since numbers aren't entirely definitive. That and I've never really heard of Powercolor before.

FYI: My budget is $200, not including tax.

More about : bit extra information gfx cards

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a c 334 U Graphics card
August 20, 2014 8:40:12 PM

The R9-280 is a step above the R9-270X. And if you game at 1080p, the 3GB VRAM will take you to the next generation of games as they keep improving textures. And Anti Aliasing also uses quite a bit of VRAM. Although for now, 2GB is still sufficient at 1080p. Just be sure you have a good quality 600W or better PSU for the 250W R7-280 or 550W for the 180W R9-270X.

Powercolor has been around for a long time. So has MSI. This Sapphire is around your budget and would be the faster for gaming than the R9-270X.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
How does it compare with the open box R9-280?
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August 20, 2014 9:49:56 PM

clutchc said:
The R9-280 is a step above the R9-270X. And if you game at 1080p, the 3GB VRAM will take you to the next generation of games as they keep improving textures. And Anti Aliasing also uses quite a bit of VRAM. Although for now, 2GB is still sufficient at 1080p. Just be sure you have a good quality 600W or better PSU for the 250W R7-280 or 550W for the 180W R9-270X.

Powercolor has been around for a long time. So has MSI. This Sapphire is around your budget and would be the faster for gaming than the R9-270X.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
How does it compare with the open box R9-280?


Hmm...I think I'll take your suggestion and get the Sapphire R9-280. Powercolor is just a brand I'm not familiar with. The majority of graphics cards I've owned have been MSI so I do trust them to put out good products. I also know Sapphire puts out pretty good products since we use ITX motherboards and graphics cards made by them in class. I'm planning on getting a Cougar CMX 1000w PSU. I understand that the number of 12V rails is a important factor to consider and this one says it has 6 of them. Plus, its modular and 80+ Bronze rated.

Also, though this is off topic but I just need a quick tip, where's a good place to get older AM2+/AM3 motherboards? I need to replace the one in my other system. The CPU is a Phenom II X4 940. I'd like to get a 790GX or 790FX board.
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a c 334 U Graphics card
August 21, 2014 10:22:51 AM

The number of +12V rails isn't as important as the amperage and total wattage available to those rails. Some folks swear by a single rail over multiple rails. Either way, the PSU you plan on getting should be way more than necessary. But for that much money, you could get a slightly smaller, better quality unit. Here is a tiered PSU chart if you want to check it out: https://community.newegg.com/eggxpert/computer_hardware...

Finding a NEW AM2+/AM3 board now is getting kinda hard. Much less being able to pick and choose the chipset. If you want it for the PhII X4, why not get a modern AM3+ board. Then it will be capable of using the newer FX processors if you feel like upgrading in the future. And it will be easier to sell.
Since you apparently want a high end chipset (ala the older 790GX/FX), look for the boards with the 990FX chipset: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=E...
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August 21, 2014 3:52:42 PM

Oh god, I'm am idiot xD I completely forgot that am3+ and am3 were the same socket. I'm getting a 990FX board for my computer so I'll pass the Gigabyte 970 chipset board from that one. I'm not using the phenom II 940 as a gaming computer anymore, though I do sometimes but not often, I use it as a DVR/Movie box. Other than the motherboard, I'm looking for a small bench/desk top case over a tower so it doesn't take up alot of space. Ironically, the link you sent me for the board is the same board I'm gonna get. xD
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a c 334 U Graphics card
August 21, 2014 4:47:23 PM

If you need the board for a small case, like a mATX, you won't find a 990FX chipset in that size board. That has been a complaint for years. No one produces a mATX board with high-end specs for the AM3+ socket like they used to do with the AM3 K10 architecture.
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August 28, 2014 7:33:08 PM

Yeah, I am looking for a mATX board so I'll just swap my Gigabyte 970 out for a 990FX because my gaming tower is a full tower and that DVR/Guest computer is in a Antec Skeleton. Actually, that one does fit full sized boards too. Not that I'd really need a ultra high-end board for a computer I don't use often. I mostly use it to emulate most of my games on there cause I can upscale them to 1920x1080 and use my four xbox remotes to play with friends cause online is overrated, lol. Anyways, thanks for the advice. I'm gonna order that Sapphire R280 after I pay for my books for this semester.
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