Sapphire Radeon R9 290 Tri-x OC vs. Sapphire Radeon R9 290x

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
V

Vizour

Honorable
Aug 4, 2013
43
0
10,530
Hi there,
I need to chooce a graphics card for a gaming PC that I am planning to build. I am choosing between Sapphire Radeon R9 290 Tri-X OC and R9 290X. I found them for an excellent price, but is R9 290X with just one fan really more powerfull? I am planning to play on three monitors on the highest details for some years. I've read that R9 290X has more stream processors, but what does it mean? I know, that more stream processors is better, but why?

Thanks for your answers :)
 
Sort by date Sort by votes
Rapajez

Rapajez

Distinguished
Jul 17, 2014
1,087
2
19,665
You should look at the 970 and 980 just launched this week, as both outperferm the AMD counterparts and use less than half the power.

That said, it depends on the vendor and heatsync for the R9's, but in general, the R9 290X is only 5% faster than the R9 290, and isn't worth the money in my opinion. You definitely don't want any "1 fan" models, as the heat will cause them to run "throttle" and be slower than the cheaper, well-cooled models.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rapajez

Rapajez

Distinguished
Jul 17, 2014
1,087
2
19,665
Also, keep in mind that for 3-screens at high detail (assuming you mean gaming on all 3 at once), you're probably looking at a dual-GPU setup. Imagine you're rendering 3x as much content as someone with 1 monitor.

Maybe 2x R9 290 or 2x 970.

I get "playable" framerates with my 2 GTX 560's, but that's after lowering a lot of the details. (depending on the game).
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
hotter-than-Vishera

hotter-than-Vishera

Reputable
Jun 12, 2014
199
0
4,760
I had the choice between an aftermarket R9 290 or a reference R9 290X. I chose the aftermarket 290 simply because I wouldn't have to modify it, I could practically plug and play. That having been said, if I had more time, I would buy the reference 290x and put on a waterblock to liquid cool it later.

Now since the 970/980 came out, Nvidia has significantly dropped their prices, particularly on the GTX 780s which are ARGUABLY equal to the R9 290. For example, the Asus Republic of Gamers Poseidon GTX 780 Platinum Edition is selling for $360 whereas it used to be $600. It's the same with many other GTX 780 cards. If you want to spend more, the GTX 980 is also a very viable option. At this exact time, I'd have to say Nvidia has better deals going than AMD, but AMD would still be a viable option.

I would recommend the GTX 780 cards to you. If you don't like an Nvida, get an aftermarket R9 290. I haven't done much research on GTX cards other than the Poseidon, but I can tell you now that Sapphire makes the best R9 cards with their Vapor-X cooler. I picked a worthy, rare adversary, the Club3d R9 290 Royal Ace. It isn't as good as the Vapor-X but I got it for $40-70 cheaper so I felt out was a better buy.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Rapajez

Rapajez

Distinguished
Jul 17, 2014
1,087
2
19,665
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom