Box Contents
PowerColor does not include many accessories. Its box contains one driver CD and a 6-to-8-pin PCIe power adapter. But why bother with accessories that most customers don't even need? I prefer an aggressive price tag to a big bundle every single time.
Lab Note about the Dimensions
The dimensions reported here don't necessarily match the manufacturer's official technical specifications. Rather, we measure them by hand to assure they're correct. The image and chart below should help illustrate what each measurement actually means. Auxiliary PCI Express power connectors are not included; they have to be added depending on the power plug and cable design.
Dimensions Comparison
While the PowerColor PCS+ R9 290X is a 2.5-slot card, and consequently requires that you set aside three expansion slots to accommodate it, the board's 4.3" height is the lowest we've ever seen from a Radeon R9 290X. The PCS+'s other dimensions confirm that this card is indeed massive, though.
| Models | Length (L) | Height (H) | Depth (D1) | Depth (D2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asus R9290X-DC2OC-4GD5 R9 290X DirectCU II OC | 11.3” | 5.6” | 1.5” | 0.16” |
| Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290X | 12.0” | 4.5” | 1.5” | 0.16” |
| Gigabyte GV-R929XOC-4GD R9 290X Windforce OC | 11.1” | 4.8” | 1.5” | 0.16” |
| HIS R9 290X IceQ X² Turbo | 11.7” | 5.3” | 1.4” | 0.16” |
| MSI R9 290X Gaming 4G | 11.0” | 4.7” | 1.5” | 0.24” |
| MSI R9 290X Lightning | 12.0” | 4.8” | 2.1” | 0.20” |
| PowerColor PCS+ R9 290X | 11.6” | 4.3” | 1.8” | 0.23” |
Weight
The weight of a card might be interesting if you're trying to figure out if any additional support is needed, or to calculate the amount of stress your motherboard might be under in a CrossFire-based setup. Compared to its impressive volume, however, the PCS+ R9 290X is actually quite light. In fact, only HIS' slim card is lighter.
| Models | |
|---|---|
| Asus R9290X-DC2OC-4GD5 R9 290X DirectCU II OC | 2.5 lbs |
| Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290X | 2.3 lbs |
| Gigabyte GV-R929XOC-4GD R9 290X Windforce OC | 2.3 lbs |
| HIS R9 290X IceQ X² Turbo | 2.2 lbs |
| MSI R9 290X Gaming 4G | 2.3 lbs |
| MSI R9 290X Lightning | 3.5 lbs |
| PowerColor PCS+ R9 290X | 2.24 lbs |


Well, since you are comparing a non reference GPU, you should take also a non-reference GPU to compare.
Tom's using Gigabyte's 780ti OC which costs the same as the reference card...
So even the non-reference models are on a different tier as well as their reference...
Typical translation errors, the original is in metric
http://www.tomshardware.de/powercolor-r9-290x-pcs-review,testberichte-241519-3.html4
I will clearify with Chris, that we use both in the future. Metric is worldwide more common
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_780_Ti_SC_ACX_Cooler/26.html
With such a HUGE difference in prices, quality, and performance on all top-end cards you really have to do your research.
The R9-290X prices vary from $550 to $780 USD!
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_780_Ti_SC_ACX_Cooler/26.html
With such a HUGE difference in prices, quality, and performance on all top-end cards you really have to do your research.
The R9-290X prices vary from $550 to $780 USD!
Thanks for the response! I thought I had seen reviews elsewhere that showed the 290 series really closing the gap, or even surpassing the 780ti at higher resolutions, but perhaps I was remembering wrong. I recently decided to upgrade to a dual-290 setup, but if I had gone with a single card, the 780ti was at or near the top of my list (until the 290x prices came crashing down, that is).
See these articles for after-market cooling options:
Air cooling:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/r9-290-accelero-xtreme-290,3671.html
Liquid Cooling:
How to:
http://www.pcper.com/reviews/Graphics-Cards/Using-NZXT-Kraken-G10-Watercool-Radeon-R9-290
And results:
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/radeon-r9-290-and-290x,review-32872.html
I was more wondering about the value of getting the 290x for $350. I could buy an after market cooler for $50-75. I'm just not sure if it is a worth while upgrade.
For total upgrade worthwhileness ( is that even a word/term? ) what kind of resolution are you going for? Most of the top-end cards are complete overkill if you're not playing above 1080p. If you're not using 1440p or triple displays, I wouldn't bother going above a GTX 770 / R9 280.
I am questioning Toms review about the temps. Temps on Hardwarecanucks are showing something entirely different giving the PCS+ the best temps of all the 290x cards offered. A wooping 63C... even mines have never reach up 67C...
Not to forget the only viable 4k option right now in Crossfire.