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R9 280 or GTX 960

TravisTea
By TravisTea
in Graphics Cards
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I have a friend looking at getting triple monitor setup soon and was wondering which card would be better for this type of setup? I'm leaning towards the R9 280 but have always had nVidia cards so I'm trying to be unbiased, if that makes sense? I want to get him the best card for the cash. He has an i5 4460, 8gb of ram, 800w psu, and only have one pci-e slot, so at the moment xfire/sli isn't an option, though down the road that could always change, if needed. Current budget is UP TO $300, but preference is less, if possible. Thanks!

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I have a friend looking at getting triple monitor setup soon and was wondering which card would be better for this type of setup? I'm leaning towards the R9 280 but have always had nVidia cards so I'm trying to be unbiased, if that makes sense? I want to get him the best card for the cash. He has an i5 4460, 8gb of ram, 800w psu, and only have one pci-e slot, so at the moment xfire/sli isn't an option, though down the road that could always change, if needed. Current budget is UP TO $300, but preference is less, if possible. Thanks!

300 usd? 3 monitors can be a lot or either of these cards to handle depending on games if gaming. of those 2 280

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280 or look for used 290

My Rig  

 
PCPartPicker part list: http://ca.pcpartpicker.com/p/kGNksY

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($379.00 @ shopRBC) 

CPU Cooler: RAIJINTEK THEMIS 65.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler  ($34.99 @ NCIX) 

Motherboard: MSI CSM-H87M-G43 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($78.83 @ DirectCanada) 

Memory: Kingston HyperX 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($139.99 @ Memory Express) 

Storage: Kingston Fury 120GB 2.5" Solid State Drive  ($71.34 @ DirectCanada) 

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($92.95 @ Vuugo) 

Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card  ($298.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Case: Fractal Design Define R4 w/Window (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($125.98 @ Newegg Canada) 

Power Supply: Corsair CX 600W 80+ Bronze Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply  ($66.99 @ NCIX) 

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 - 64-bit (OEM) (64-bit)  ($116.00 @ shopRBC) 

Case Fan: Cougar Turbine 120 (4-Pack) 60.4 CFM 120mm  Fans  ($23.99 @ NCIX) 

Monitor: HP 22xi 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($187.11 @ Amazon Canada) 

Monitor: HP 22xi 60Hz 21.5" Monitor  ($187.11 @ Amazon Canada) 

Keyboard: Logitech G710 Wired Gaming Keyboard  ($114.99 @ NCIX) 

Mouse: Razer DeathAdder 2013 Wired Optical Mouse  ($76.99 @ Amazon Canada) 

Headphones: Kingston HyperX Cloud Pro Headset  ($78.98 @ DirectCanada) 

Total: $2074.22

Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when availableGenerated by PCPartPicker 2015-04-10 15:33 EDT-0400Build log http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/303263-the-dell-from-hell/#entry4121100 

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I have a friend looking at getting triple monitor setup soon and was wondering which card would be better for this type of setup? I'm leaning towards the R9 280 but have always had nVidia cards so I'm trying to be unbiased, if that makes sense? I want to get him the best card for the cash. He has an i5 4460, 8gb of ram, 800w psu, and only have one pci-e slot, so at the moment xfire/sli isn't an option, though down the road that could always change, if needed. Current budget is UP TO $300, but preference is less, if possible. Thanks!

I would get the Maxwell card. Full DX 12 support vs Basic features only. I always go with the newer tech.

You can't be serious.  Hyperthreading is a market joke?

 

 

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280.

 

Or, R9 290s, which would be his best bet, can be found for around $220-$250.  I think an R9 290 is a much better purchase than an R9 280, and well worth the extra ~$100.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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Up to 300$? 290, if you want to save then 280

 

~halp

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How much better is a 290 vs 280 for standard 1080p? Apparently I misunderstood what he wants to do. He'll use one monitor for gaming, the others will be for productivity. I guess he's looking at learning game development for fun, but nothing serious. He doesn't like the surround gaming so the third monitor may be optional? Would a r9 280 be able to handle something to that extent? Maybe use that cash for a decent sound card or second hard drive/ssd. Medium to high settings would be fine for him.

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How much better is a 290 vs 280 for standard 1080p? Apparently I misunderstood what he wants to do. He'll use one monitor for gaming, the others will be for productivity. I guess he's looking at learning game development for fun, but nothing serious. He doesn't like the surround gaming so the third monitor may be optional? Would a r9 280 be able to handle something to that extent? Maybe use that cash for a decent sound card or second hard drive/ssd. Medium to high settings would be fine for him.

280 wouldn't be fantastic for surround. If he can, tell him to get a used (or even new) 290. DO NOT GET A SOUND CARD.

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R9 280 slightly faster and the 3gb ram can help with modern games like shadow of mordor, however if you like power efficiently is paramount because electricity is expensive where you live then go with the gtx 960

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280 wouldn't be fantastic for surround. If he can, tell him to get a used (or even new) 290. DO NOT GET A SOUND CARD.

 

He won't be doing surround gaming. Only one monitor will be dedicated for gaming. The second, and possible third, would be for multitasking. I think I'll tell him just to get two monitors instead of three unless he insists.

 

 

R9 280 slightly faster and the 3gb ram can help with modern games like shadow of mordor, however if you like power efficiently is paramount because electricity is expensive where you live then go with the gtx 960

 

Power efficiency really doesn't matter. We're in the central U.S. so it's no biggie.

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Why is everyone saying 280 when they trade blows in performance, but the 960 is much newer technology.

You get a lot of the newest features on top of a new architecture plus the full DX12 support.

However in that price range you can get a 290, which would destroy both.

CPU: Ryzen 3 3600 | GPU: Gigabite GTX 1660 super | Motherboard: MSI Mortar MAX | RAM: G Skill Trident Z 3200 (2x8GB) | Case: Cooler Master Q300L | Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 250G + Samsung 860 Evo 1TB | PSU: Corsair RM650x | Displays: LG 27'' G-Sync compatible 144hz 1080p | Cooling: NH U12S black | Keyboard: Logitech G512 carbon | Mouse: Logitech g900 

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Why is everyone saying 280 when they trade blows in performance, but the 960 is much newer technology.

You get a lot of the newest features on top of a new architecture plus the full DX12 support.

However in that price range you can get a 290, which would destroy both.

DX12 support?  Do some research bro-beans.

 

The R9 280 costs $50 less, and as you already said, at around $200, you can be patient, and wait for the R9 290 to hit $220, which it does once a month on NCIX, for a really good model, the Windforce R9 290.

 

The R9 280 does trade blows, and wins over the 960 in a lot of games, and is much better positioned for the future because games are starting to require more VRAM.  By going with only 2GB of VRAM, you are handicapping yourself.  You have to play at a lower graphical setting from the onset of the purchase, and it reduces the useful life of the GPU.

 

Read through these benchmarks an R9 280 is basically an R9 285 with more VRAM.

 

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This is just one game, but we are seeing a shift in games starting to ask for more VRAM even at 1080p.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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DX12 support? Do some research bro-beans

I just rechecked and a lot of places say it will support dx12.

About the 2GB ram, I guess it does begin to hold it back. Personally I'd get the 290 and nothing below.

CPU: Ryzen 3 3600 | GPU: Gigabite GTX 1660 super | Motherboard: MSI Mortar MAX | RAM: G Skill Trident Z 3200 (2x8GB) | Case: Cooler Master Q300L | Storage: Samsung 970 EVO 250G + Samsung 860 Evo 1TB | PSU: Corsair RM650x | Displays: LG 27'' G-Sync compatible 144hz 1080p | Cooling: NH U12S black | Keyboard: Logitech G512 carbon | Mouse: Logitech g900 

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I just rechecked and a lot of places say it will support dx12.

About the 2GB ram, I guess it does begin to hold it back. Personally I'd get the 290 and nothing below.

Of course they will both support DX12! It's not a matter of supporting it, it shouldn't even factor into your decision making.

"I genuinely dislike the promulgation of false information, especially to people who are asking for help selecting new parts."

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I see Nvidia has a press conference tomorrow? I'll see what they show off, if anything, and see if that may factor into anything, as well. Its tough playing the waiting game, especially when you have a backlog of games lol. Any idea when the new AMD line will launch? I see Q2 of this year but when does Q2 officially begin? April or May, right?

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