[msi]GTX 970 GAMING 4G vs R9 290X LIGHTNING ?

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Ransley Tong

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Hi guys thanks for looking at this post
I was wonder which of these are better in terms of performance and future proof (eg:upgrading to 4k)

For the pricing they are almost same at here as R9 is having promotion here.
And if GTX 970 needed 4k gaming do i need to do sli ? How many ways?
What about the R9 290X ? Single of it already can do 4k gaming? or need crossfire?


Sorry im a noobie
Thanks guys
 
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maxalge


for CF 290x's 1000w+.

For a single 290x 750w.


Your motherboard will need 2 pcie slots capable of 8x/8x.
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Anonymouselite5

Anonymouselite5

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For 4k gaming you don't need to do SLI or Crossfire, but the extra performance from it may be beneficial.

Both of these cards will still struggle at 4k gaming on ultra, but at medium they'll both do well.
Although personally to me the lighting is a much better cooler and custom PCB. The 970 actually beats the 290x in performance.

I would go for the 970 over the 290x, more performance for 4k and better SLI scaling with 2 or more cards.

-good luck
 
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TopLuca

TopLuca

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For 4K CFX R9 290X ( in the future ) beats even the gtx 980 in some cases . I am afraid Crossfire scales better than SLI in 4k especially in more modern games.

From Hardocp :

SLI and CrossFire Smoothness

This is an important topic when talking about SLI and CrossFire. In the past, AMD was the one in the hot seat with terrible CrossFire scaling, performance and smoothness. A lot has changed over the last couple of years, AMD now has a frame pacing technology as well as its new XDMA technology. These technologies combined have turned the tables and now CrossFire feels smoother than SLI. It still feels smoother even when compared to NVIDIA's new GTX 980 cards in SLI. While overclocked GTX 980 SLI is faster in framerate, the actual feeling and smoothness in games feels better on AMD Radeon R9 290X. AMD currently has the upper hand in this arena.

There also seems to be some games that scale better on AMD CrossFire. Watch Dogs is a prime example of a game that works great with AMD CrossFire, but for some reason is completely dropping the ball under SLI. In our previous evaluation we also found better CrossFire scaling in Alien: Isolation.

Full Review ( Non Overclocked 980s lose to R9 290Xs at 4K ) : http://www.hardocp.com/article/2014/11/11/nvidia_geforce_gtx_980_sli_overclocked_gpu_review/7#.VGsbnPmUcm8

My Conclusion : If you're going to be playing on anything higher than 1440p then the R9 290X is a clear winner.
 
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Novuake

Novuake

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Crossfire is still a bit cringy at times, SLI still is a lot better even when I last used it back in GTX260 days. This coming from Dual HD7950s in my main gaming rig. I can not speak fro Watchdogs though.

Anyway, personally I would still say go fro dual GTX970s.
Reasoning :

The power consumption is really SOOOO much less.
Less heat.
SLI is a little friendlier.
Overclocking is a dream on it, but this is just my own fetish. :)
Performance difference is negligible if you consider the radical performance differences in games between SLI and Xfire.

For clarity, for reliable high settings performance in 4K, Xfire R9 290s or GTX970s really is needed.


@Anonymouselite5.

Wel come to the forum, think you are our 6th brony that I am aware of. :p
 
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Ransley Tong

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Can I crossfire r9 290x with other card or it must be identically same r9 290x
FYI,the R9 290x lightning is nearly 100$ cheaper to that of gtx 970 gaming 4gb twin froz .
Really struggling which one is better nvdia.Or Radeon
 
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Novuake

Novuake

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For that large a price difference, the LIGHTNING is definitely the better purchase.

Just make sure your PSU and motherboard is up to the task.
 
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maxalge

maxalge

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Performance wise in 1080p they are the same.

If the 290x is 100 cheaper then go for that. You will need a QUALITY 750w power supply though.



 
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Novuake

Novuake

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Dude, no...

GEEZ a bit much, don't you think?

AT MOST that is the card consumption.

power_maximum.gif


Source : http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/R9_290X_Lightning/22.html
 
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Anonymouselite5

Anonymouselite5

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You'll need to look at what amperage the 12v rail is set at, and if you have more than one 12v rail. I beleive a single r9 290x wants atleast 48A on the 12v rail to be safe. 2 of them (unless you have a second rail) will need double that.
What is the exact model of the psu you have?

@Novuake

Thanks~ ;)
 
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maxalge

maxalge

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Actually 290x's have massive power spikes.

You need the higher quality components to hang with the stresses.

http://www.overclock.net/t/1441118/290x-psu-power-output-tests#post_21156921


Most of the time a quality 650w would be sufficient, but you would give up overclocking potential.

Under higher end gaming it will probably not be enough.

 
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Novuake

Novuake

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Sigh, spikes do not warrant a higher wattage PSU. Most quality PSUs can provide more than rated wattage for short periods of time.
That threads testing method is horribly unreliable.

He even says "This is the first time I have done a power out put test, if I have made errors in my calculations please correct me."

Stick to reliable sources, not someone posting on a forum without any backup.

Just read this : http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-card-power-supply-balance,3979.html

 
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