XFX is joining the crowd with its custom Radeon R9 290 series graphics cards by releasing the Radeon R9 290 Double Dissipation and Radeon R9 290X Double Dissipation cards. They carry the model numbers R9-290A-EDFD and R9-290X-EDFD, respectively.
The graphics cards feature a non-reference PCB as well as a non-reference cooler. The cooler is the most noteworthy part, as it is designed to make the cards run considerably quieter and cooler. Reported numbers are 32 dB under load (vs 57 dB for the reference design) and idle noise levels between only 15 and 20 dB. Also, the 'XFX' text on the cooler is said to light up for those who want some extra bling.
The cards' clock speeds remain at reference clocks, meaning that the R9 290 will have a GPU clock speed of 947 MHz, and the R9 290X will run at 1000 MHz. Both cards will feature a 5.0 GHz effective memory clock speed.
XFX intends for the cards to have street prices identical to that of the reference models.
