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.