R9 290 series specifications

[ShintaiDK]

So now be a man and admit you were wrong on nearly everything you stated despite and everyone else here who told you so:

You seem to have problems seperating stock and factory OC. Not to mention all your other flaws liek using a site that reuses old numbers with old setups, versions and drivers.

Anyway, let me help you:

Is the stock HD7970GE faster than the stock 280X? Yes or no?

Was I right? Absolutely! The stock HD7970 is faster than the stock 280X.

 

[caswow]

280x 250€ in germany according to pcgh and computerbase. might be possible for even lower prices after its release

 

[ShintaiDK]

I haven't encountered a single game that I can't play at boost clock indefinitely. If the card loses its boost it means it overheats, to counteract this you can simply set temperature target higher or ramp up the fan, but completely stock that's correct, you may end up playing games with your titan clocked at a measly 836mhz.

Thats completely wrong. Boost depends on alot more than just temperature. Also why boost is so unreliable.

Example with AMDs powertune:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6025/radeon-hd-7970-ghz-edition-review-catching-up-to-gtx-680/2

 

[Skurge]

You seem to have problems seperating stock and factory OC. Not to mention all your other flaws liek using a site that reuses old numbers with old setups, versions and drivers.

Anyway, let me help you:

Is the stock HD7970GE faster than the stock 280X? Yes or no?

Was I right? Absolutely! The stock HD7970 is faster than the stock 280X.

You were right. 280X is 3FPS slower than 7970GE, but it isn't cheaper as you claimed. It is a lot more expensive.

You were also wrong about boost.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7400/the-radeon-r9-280x-review-feat-asus-xfx/20

Although I don't expect you to admit that you were you wrong.

 

[ShintaiDK]

You were right. 280X is 3FPS slower than 7970GE, but it isn't cheaper as you claimed. It is a lot more expensive.

You were also wrong about boost.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7400/the-radeon-r9-280x-review-feat-asus-xfx/20

Although I don't expect you to admit that you were you wrong.

You obviously didnt read what they wrote:

We also have a quick look at clockspeeds while gaming, although there’s little to report here. Without the ability to see the intermediate clockspeeds on 280X we can only tell whether it’s boosting or not. In every game on both 280X cards, these cards are always in a boost state.

If it ran at 874Mhz it would report 1000Mhz. And you need prolonged testing to see if FPS remains stable as I already proved. The GTX780 as I also showed started to change performance behaviour after a few minutes.

 

[blackened23]

I have to disagree with you here again; you cannot hide boost states or clockspeeds if you know how to find them. There are utilities that allow you to dynamically see the clockspeeds of GPUs in real time - You can see the precise clockspeed through MSI Afterburner's OSD which has direct hardware access to mull clockspeeds. In fact, I don't believe you were aware of this but you can easily view this in action with a Kepler card. Kepler generally always boosts far higher than advertised but may adjust downward 1-2 bins (13-26mhz) if temps or TDP are too high. As an example, my GTX 780 has an advertised 1020mhz boost; when I fire up a demanding 3d game it will automatically shoot higher than 1100 if the game requires the power. If my temps go beyond 80C and/or the TDP target is too high, it will adjust downward by 13mhz. I have never seen my GTX 780 adjust by more than 1 bin downwards (13mhz) EVER in any game, even after hours upon hours of gaming in a hot humid environment. The ingame boost speeds will always be higher than advertised boost with the Kepler GPU, it's a beautiful system. As well, let me re-iterate: software utilities have direct GPU access to report clockspeeds dynamically, on screen, on a OSD. Similarly, in demanding 3d applications AMD cards will always be in the boost state. EVGA precision and MSI afterburner both do real time monitoring of clockspeeds and boost states.

All that said, it does appear that some models of the 280X are slower than the 7970GE - and that is disappointing. What is confusing is that the XFX model has slower clockspeeds than the GE, while the Asus model has higher clockspeeds. That doesn't make sense to me, really - AMD, if anything, should have forced everyone to have a higher than GE clockspeeds because nobody wants a performance regression. I don't see why certain models of the 280X should be slower than the GE while others are faster, I don't get that at all.

The entire issue with the 280X is AMD lowered the boost clockspeeds by 50mhz, which is confusing to say the least. It isn't a boost issue. It's an AMD issue, and i'm not sure why they did that. Probably AMD being typical AMD with poor decisions.

 

[Face2Face]

All that said, it does appear that some models of the 280X are slower than the 7970GE - and that is disappointing. What is confusing is that the XFX model has slower clockspeeds than the GE, while the Asus model has higher clockspeeds. That doesn't make sense to me, really - AMD, if anything, should have forced everyone to have a higher than GE clockspeeds because nobody wants a performance regression. I don't see why certain models of the 280X should be slower than the GE while others are faster, I don't get that at all.

The XFX is using AMD reference speeds. The stock boot clocks on the 280X are 1000Mhz vs. the 7970 GHZ @ 1050Mhz

For $10 more the Asus is the better deal, but I gotta say that XFX is quite sexy..

 

[blackened23]

Yeah, I still don't understand why AMD did that. A slight performance regression on the 280X doesn't make much sense, even if many 280X models are factory overclocked beyond 7970GE levels.

NV, for their part, improved the 770 over the 680 despite it being a re-badge. An ever slight improvement, but nonetheless an improvement. I appreciate that the 280X is a heck of a value, a great value, even - but the regression from the 7970GE for some models of the 280X is confusing to say the least.

 

[Face2Face]

Yeah, I still don't understand why AMD did that. A slight performance regression on the 280X doesn't make much sense, even if many 280X models are factory overclocked beyond 7970GE levels.

I agree. I would think they would try to beat the GTX 770 from a performance and price perspective. But looking at Anand's review it looks like the XFX card is voltage locked and the ASUS card is not, but the Asus card can only hit 1110Mhz with 1.263v. I know every card is different, but that is pretty weak for the voltage. I also read in another review the Asus card has the ability to go to 1.4v using their tweak tool. Not sure if the stock cooler could cope with the added voltage though. Could be nice for some watercooling.. assuming Tahiti could even handle 1.4v 24/7 without degrading rapidly..?

 

[caswow]

280x is way cheaper than the 770.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

Anyone else going to be shocked when this "new" tech sells out the first day to uninformed buyers?

 

[blackened23]

Anyone else going to be shocked when this "new" tech sells out the first day to uninformed buyers?

Eh? What would stop a buyer, informed or otherwise, from buying? As far as I see it, the only thing that matters it the performance you get for the price regardless of the underlying technology. The fact of the matter is, re-badges happen with both brands so that is nothing new. I don't like it, but that is just the nature of the business due to the situation with TSMC. Heck, if I were on the market for a new GPU (and i'm not since I have a 780, obviously) I would give the 280X a consideration, most likely.

At 300$ the 280X is still a great deal despite being a re-badge, IMHO. I don't like that the 280X isn't a progression over the 7970GE, but it is what it is. It is still great performance for the 300$ price range, and it definitely obliterates the 760 from NV (which occupies a 250$ price spot). We can only hope that NV will follow through on a 770 price cut as well.

 

[n0x1ous]

Anyone else going to be shocked when this "new" tech sells out the first day to uninformed buyers?

Dont worry. You are getting that awesome PS4 to "console" you about these rebrands.

 

[caswow]

both are rebranding its nothing new?

 

[blackened23]

Dont worry. You are getting that awesome PS4 to "console" you about these rebrands.

The PS4 has a rebranded 7850. Those jerks!

 

[AnandThenMan]

 

[RussianSensation]

And once again, someone doesn`t know how to read reviews.

Here, to correct you again RussianSensation
That 7970GHz and R9 280X is looking amazing right?
Here is a hint: Try looking at the efficiency of R9 280X and GTX 770...

I just do not believe that a 21W power consumption difference is worth paying $90-150 more for a GTX770 2-4GB card over an R9 290X to make a case strong enough that GTX770's superior efficiency justifies the pricing premium.

MSI Gaming GTX770 4GB = $465
MSI Gaming GTX770 2GB = $399
vs.
MSI Gaming R9 280X 3GB = $310

It's interesting how suddenly people are bashing a $299 card with a level of performance of NV's $399-449 card but when GTX760 came out, it was hailed as a success against 7950 V2s by the same people and forced AMD to drop prices a bit. I was hoping PC gamers would actually realize that NV continues to rip them off and expect price drops from NV but instead all I am reading lately are justifications for why NV's cards should command $100-150 premiums over similarly performing AMD cards. :\

If it ran at 874Mhz it would report 1000Mhz. And you need prolonged testing to see if FPS remains stable as I already proved. The GTX780 as I also showed started to change performance behaviour after a few minutes.

You do not ever admit you are wrong, do you?

Radeon R9 280X Average Clockspeeds (Reported)
Asus DCUII advertised boost clock = 1070mhz
Asus DCUII actual boost clock in all games tested by AT = 1070mhz
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7400/the-radeon-r9-280x-review-feat-asus-xfx/20

AMD is offering more performance than GTX680 and is undercutting 770 by $90-150 with after-market R9 280X cards such as MSI Gaming, Asus DCUII models and so on.

If you are unhappy that these cards are largely re-brands, at least acknowledge that NV's cards are overpriced and NV needs to come down to earth.

Anyway, let me help you:

Is the stock HD7970GE faster than the stock 280X? Yes or no?

Was I right? Absolutely! The stock HD7970 is faster than the stock 280X.

It has been reiterated to you on many occassions that there was no such thing as a reference 7970Ghz. There is also no such thing in retail as a reference R9 280X which again has been pointed out to you prior to R9 280X's launch but you still ignore this:

"AMD has put together some reference boards utilizing a newly restyled cooler for testing and photo opportunities, but these reference boards will not be sampled or sold. "
http://www.anandtech.com/show/7400/the-radeon-r9-280x-review-feat-asus-xfx/5


You are 100% wrong because you are now going back and twisting all the statements you made. You are now solely focusing on a reference R9 280X and conveniently ignoring $310 after-market R9 280X, yet when we pointed out to you that no one cares about reference R9 280X cards as they will never be sold in retail; and that after-market R9 280X cards will have equal or higher clocks for a small $10-20 premiums, you continue to ignore them. You also made false statements about those cards costing $400 USD.

Because you won't admit that you were wrong, you are now focusing on 7970Ghz vs. reference R9 280X on purpose and ignoring the awful value of 770s. In a matter of weeks after-market R9 280X cards will be $299 and you'll have no argument at all. No one in their right mind will buy a reference R9 280X card when you can get 1050-1070mhz R9 280X cards with superior coolers for $10 more.

It's mind-boggling that when it suits one's agenda, he/she ignores the existence of after-market AMD cards, yet weeks before claims that R9 290X cards should be compared against after-market 780s in reviews. The amount of double standard is incomprehensible.

Asus R9280X-DC2T-3GD5

The first card was Asus’ R9 280X DirectCU II TOP, an overclocked board with a GPU capable of up to 1070 MHz and GDDR5 memory at 6400 MT/s. According to Asus, it’ll sell this variant for $310, bundled with a power adapter and CrossFire cable.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-280x-r9-270x-r7-260x,3635-2.html

Admit you guessed wrong about after-market R9 280X cards wrt to pricing & their performance relative to 7970Ghz and move on.

 

[n0x1ous]

I just do not believe that a 21W power consumption difference is worth paying $90-150 more for a GTX770 2-4GB card over an R9 290X to make a case strong enough that GTX770's superior efficiency justifies the pricing premium.

MSI Gaming GTX770 4GB = $465
MSI Gaming GTX770 2GB = $399
vs.
MSI Gaming R9 280X 3GB = $310

It's interesting how suddenly people are bashing a $299 card with a level of performance of NV's $399-449 card but when GTX760 came out, it was hailed as a success against 7950 V2s by the same people and forced AMD to drop prices a bit. I was hoping PC gamers would actually realize that NV continues to rip them off and expect price drops from NV but instead all I am reading lately are justifications for why NV's cards should command $100-150 premiums over similarly performing AMD cards. :\

280X is epic win over GTX 770 at current prices. I think we are just bored by having another Tahiti spin.

 

[GlacierFreeze]

It's interesting how suddenly people are bashing a $299 card with a level of performance of NV's $399-449 card ...

I was hoping PC gamers would actually realize that NV continues to rip them off and expect price drops from NV but instead all I am reading lately are justifications for why NV's cards should command $100-150 premiums over similarly performing AMD cards. :\

Blind fanboyism knows no bounds.

 

[Grooveriding]

Who cares about nonsense like 20W, 30W when you are building a gaming rig. Give me a break. My 780s probably consume upwards of 400W.. don't care. They're fast.

$400 770 vs $300 280X, same performance, oh no, one consumes a dime more in power every week... irrelevant. 770 is horribly overpriced, it's a GTX 680 with some new RAM.

My guess is once the 290 & 290X are released then we will hear the announcements of further pricecuts, especially on the 770, and quite likely the 780.

 

[n0x1ous]

Who cares about nonsense like 20W, 30W when you are building a gaming rig. Give me a break. My 780s probably consume upwards of 400W.. don't care. They're fast.

$400 770 vs $300 280X, same performance, oh no, one consumes a dime more in power every week... irrelevant. 770 is horribly overpriced, it's a GTX 680 with some new RAM.

My guess is once the 290 & 290X are released then we will hear the announcements of further pricecuts, especially on the 770, and quite likely the 780.

Agreed - Hoping for $399 R9 290 (non X)

 

[Elfear]

Agreed - Hoping for $399 R9 290 (non X)

That would be awesome.

Frankly it doesn't make a whole lot of sense to have such a huge a gap in their lineup if rumored R9 290 prices are correct ($299 --> $449). The R9 290 at $399 and the R9 290X at $499-549 would make more sense.

 

[RussianSensation]

Blind fanboyism knows no bounds.

Even if one only purchased NV branded GPUs, AMD releasing cheaper cards with similar performance is a good development. Hopefully this will force NV to drop prices and/or release faster products. Ironically, the more AMD one-ups NV, the more pressure it puts on NV to innovate, and vice versa. In the end, this benefits both NV and AMD users alike.

In less than 2 years we went from $499-549 7970/680 to a $299 R9 280X with faster performance. That's not amazing if you grabbed HD7970Ghz for $290-310 but it's not too bad if we look at it from Spring 2012 time frame. :thumbsup:

 

[el etro]

My thoughts on the second, third, fourth and fifth tiers 2xx series review:

1- What a disappointment! They did the same Nvidia did and come with the cards six months later!

2- I will not more make my conclusions by Techpowerup reviews. Enough of that site reviews.

3- Get out of here AMD-bashers!

 

[BrightCandle]

No doubt the 280X getting into this price means that the 770 as a competitor needs to drop in price. I still wouldn't want to crossfire 2 280X's (dx9 games and higher frame times even with frame pacing working). But for single card users there is no real way to recommend the 770 over and above the 280X, its just so much cheaper.