Is choosing the AMD Radeon R9 290X over the GTX 970 a no-brainer for me?

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msattam

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So here are my current specs:

Processor AMD A10-5700 APU with Radeon(tm) HD Graphics
Manufacturer AMD
Speed 3.4 GHz
Number of Cores 4

Video Card AMD Radeon HD 7660D
Manufacturer ATI
Chipset AMD Radeon HD 7660D
Dedicated Memory 1.0 GB
Total Memory 4.0 GB

Memory 8 GB installed but only 7.43 GB usable

Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Edition Service Pack 1 (build 7601), 64-bit

Monitor I play on a 1920 x 1080 single monitor.

Initially, I was thinking of choosing the GeForce GTX 970 because of all the praise it's been getting. But now, after doing some research, apparently the R9 290X is a better choice.

http://www.techspot.com/review/958-battlefield-hardline-beta-benchmarks/page2.html#allcomments

Also, I found out about Mantle and how it is supposed to help my not-so-great cpu by lowering it's possible bottleneck. I think that's huge in my case. Or am I wrong?

I only have a 300W power supply right now and I think the necessary PSU needs to be 650W for the R9 290X. Is there any benefit in going over (not even sure what extra wattage does)? if someone could provide me a good PSU buy I'd greatly appreciate it.

I've also heard about how big the R9 290X is. Here's how the inside of my case looks right now.

mkcfbp.jpg


So is the R9 290X an obvious choice for me? What is the difference between the R9 290 and the R9 290X? There was a substantial difference between the two in the link above.

For some of you that have the R9 290X, how does mantle work? Does it just install when you start up the GPU after you put it together?
 
Solution
DasHotShot
First things first...on a standard 1080p monitor it doesn't matter which one you get as you will only see a limited amount of what the cards produce anyway. That is your bottleneck.

If you were to go for a 290x, a 650w PSU (something by Seasonic, XFX, EVGA or Corsair, maybe Antec EDGE) would be fine. The more devices you connect, which draw power, the more you need. Yours system with the 290x wouldn't really get much above 450watt i don't think, however it is smart to stay within the 60-80% mark in terms of actual wattage used.

The 290x is vastly faster than the 290 for the same reasons as the links you have read about it describe. I can't add much to that. it is like saying a Ford Mustang Shelby is quicker than the stock car because...
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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First things first...on a standard 1080p monitor it doesn't matter which one you get as you will only see a limited amount of what the cards produce anyway. That is your bottleneck.

If you were to go for a 290x, a 650w PSU (something by Seasonic, XFX, EVGA or Corsair, maybe Antec EDGE) would be fine. The more devices you connect, which draw power, the more you need. Yours system with the 290x wouldn't really get much above 450watt i don't think, however it is smart to stay within the 60-80% mark in terms of actual wattage used.

The 290x is vastly faster than the 290 for the same reasons as the links you have read about it describe. I can't add much to that. it is like saying a Ford Mustang Shelby is quicker than the stock car because it has a supercharger, more horsepower, better suspension, better gearbox etc.

The rest of your system will act as a bottleneck too tough on top of your monitor having limited capabilities. This is worth considering too.

I might suggest you go for something like a 960 or a 280x, as it will cost far less and meet your needs.
 
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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It is because I will guess here...it has a 60Hz refresh and runs on 1080p.

That means you need 60 frames per second on 1920x1080...anything more your monitor won't be able to display, leading potentially to tearing, leading to you turning vsync on, leading to your monitor and card agreeing on only producing/showing 60 fps no more no less.

This all leads to a 970 or 290x to be lightly jogging instead of Usain Bolt sprinting. Meaning you just don't need that power. You will get EXACTLY the same results (and by this i mean noticeable) by getting a cheaper card qwhich can also produce the same FPS at the same resolution at the same settings in games.
 
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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Mate, stop giving crap advice when you are not at least EXPLAINING what you are recommending. A one liner like that helps nobody.

The size of the monitor has NOTHING to do with it, when it has 1080p res and 60Hz refresh. it could 50inches and not matter.

Please only post when you know the facts behind your answer and can lay them out.
 
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msattam

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Can you link me to a single monitor that will be able to produce what the r9 290x can give me?

What if I use like a TV.
 
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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TV's are really bad for pc gaming as they aren't set up to work as monitors. There are issues with refresh rates, lag etc. I advise against this from my own experience and knowledge.

This link has very good suggestion, otherwise I would look for something like a 120 or 144Hz refresh monitor which will let you display all those great frames the card is producing. You can go 1440p too which looks really cool.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/top-best-computer-monitors,review-33059.html
 
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msattam

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You're right. My monitor only has 60 hz. But there is this thing I have called amd vision engine control center that will "configure displays and settings for my AMD GPUs"

Any knowledge about it?
 
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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It won't change the facts I outlined though. Many people think the CPU or other parts will "bottleneck" their system, when in reality, their SLI builds or 980 GTX cards can only show off half of what they are capable of on average monitors.

The Hz and res are dictated by the monitors hardware much like in a pc. So no manner of optimization here will help. There are overclock able monitors, that is a different story though.'

Something to consider. Get the card you want (I still recommend a 970, but that is a personal choice) with the aim of upgrading the monitor.

Until then you will get the absolute max you can now and then when you do upgrade you will see the difference and have the right hardware in place already.

But I would make a plan for upgrading the display, otherwise the card you buy will wilt away and it will be money lost.
 
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msattam

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You don't think the r9 290X is a good choice for me with an upgraded monitor and the cpu I have? I should be thankful for Mantle in my case.
 
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coozie7

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Without swapping the case for something bigger and much better ventilated I'd steer well clear of the R9 series altogether and look for this instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127842 It's a little over 9.5" long and looks as if will fit the case, but use a tape measure to check first! If it's too long there is this option, which is about 7" long: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125772

Mantle works by being able to access the graphics hardware more directly that either DirectX or OpenGL which reduces the CPU workload, freed of this 'overhead' the CPU can devote more of its time to other tasks like calculating physics or AI behaviour.
Mantle only works on a few games because each game has to be written to take advantage of it and very few are. I very much doubt older games will be rewritten to use it unless the modding community does so but with the recent release of the SDK and source code it's a possibility.
In short: Don't get too excited about Mantle.

You will need to upgrade the power supply first, 300Watts isn't going to drive a strong graphics card and it looks as if the current unit has no PCI-E leads, although your photo is a little fuzzy. With such a small enclosure and such limited ventilation I strongly advise you to go for a modular design of 500 Watts or so, a fully hardwired unit will clutter the case with redundant cabling which will stifle its already limited airflow.
Again, check with a tape measure that any upgraded part will fit the case but this isn't too expensive for a gold rated (efficiency, not quality) semi modular unit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151124
 
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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WIth an upgraded monitor of course, it will be a fine choice. However the timing is bad.

Soon they will release a 390x which is better in every way and will drive the 290x price down. I know you can forever wait for parts as they improve quickly, however in this case that card is around the corner.

So I would wait if I was you.
 
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msattam

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Ok I'll wait. Thanks for the help. But the guy above you is worrying me about the ventilation. Do you think my case will be fine with the r9 290x and a 650W power supply?
 
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DasHotShot

DasHotShot

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He makes a good argument in that specific card's case. It is another reason to await the 390x, as this will have FAR better thermal performance (hopefully) and not give you that headache. As for the PSU 650w is totally ample for a single card.
 
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