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I play on performance mode with all low settings on 1080p and it uses 80-95% cpu but only 50-60% gpu how can i fix this

(This post might be a bit too long and detailed, but I don't want to be misunderstood and get mistaken advice, so bear with me. Thanks!) Hi. A few weeks back I was playing Black Mesa, when the game started to crash my PC, with the monitor displaying vertical stripes of 2 colours, each time having to hard reboot. Until after like the 6th time, the video card would simply not send a signal. Cleaned it and everything, and nothing. So I stored it away for about a week and used the PC with integrated graphics. When I tried again that week later, the card actually worked! But I realised that one of the 3 fans on the card was not working properly, so I assumed the card was originally failing due to overheating. This fan would turn a bit upon boot but then remain stationary. I installed Afterburner to test it a bit and found that it was behaving odd. It would only start spinning when I set the fan speed to about 85%, then when I lowered it, keeps spinning until 80%. So as of recently, I have not been doing any gaming with it. I tried Minecraft thinking that's safe, but it caused another fail (Luckily it rebooted no problem, but I wasn't gonna try it again). The Graphics Card I'm using is the Sapphire R9 280X Vapor-X Tri-X What should I do? Some seem to suggest replacing the fan, is that it? I've been using this setup for close to 5 years, but I currently don't have the money or motivation to upgrade anything, so if possible I'd like to keep using this GPU for a bit more and not pay too much. Thanks!

So i just got my new, second hand, AMD R9 280X Sapphire Dual X 3Gb graphics card and i finally (i don't have the fastest net around) installed Doom and im running it, eh, pretty okay i guess, i mean it looks pretty good but i know it can do better with Vulkan. So here's the issue, my old R7 240 could run Vulkan (although performance was even more dead then with OpenGL) but now everytime i choose the Vulkan API, Doom doesn't even want to start, only sends me a crash report. And the only things that changed since the time i tried running are the Doom version, my GPU, my PSU (obvious reasons) and the drivers. So i will appreciate whatever help i can get.

I just bought a R9 280X, which should have decent performance in most games at 1080p, but this isn't really the case. It seems to be a CPU bottleneck, but could there be anything else I can change to up my framerate? The Pc itself also becomes pretty hot in idle mode. Specs: CPU: AMD A10-9700 GPU: Asus R9 280X Direct CU II MOBO: Gigabyte A320M-S2H V2-CF RAM: 1x 8GB Corsair (At around 2600Mhz not sure) PSU: 650 Watt Cooler Master MWE White

I recently upgraded nearly every component in my rig and I'm starting to think that I've made a huge mistake by going for a bang-for-buck graphics card instead of shelling out the big bucks. I'm currently running an XFX R9 280X along an i5 4690K @OC 4.4Ghz, 8 GB of 1600Mhz DDR3 and a brand new SSD with my games on it. I chose the R9 280X mostly because it was cheap and looked like very good value on Benchmarks, but I get the feeling that it's bottlenecking my rig bad. I can play current games fine in terms of average FPS, but I'm having huge frametime spikes in nearly every game I play. The only games free from it are source engine games, older titles and generally anything that gets 100-200 fps without breaking a sweat. Hitman, Fallout 4, The Crew and DCS(to name a few) all exhibit totally okay average FPS with big, very noticeable frametime spikes every minute or so. I've tried every Vsync option I could find on both individual games and my driver, I've tried capping framerates with RivaTuner and even OC'd my GPU slightly. Nothing helps. To illustrate I've attached an image that shows my frametimes over about 15 minutes of DCS gameplay. I took them with Fraps so there's a bit of inaccuracy but the graph illustrates the issue quite well. Now, the solution I have in mind is simple: I'm getting a 980Ti delivered to my house some time next week. It's obviously not as much of a fix of the issue as it is brute-forcing right past it, so I'd like to know if there's anything I could've done to remedy this if I weren't upgrading so soon. I've heard a lot about frametime issues on AMD cards and AMD CPU overhead, but I don't really know and I don't have any comparison since I've never owned an Nvidia Card. Any help's greatly appreciated.

I've bought a 144hz 1440p Benq xl2730z and connected it to my sapphire r9 280x through mini displayport > displayport cable (cable bought separately). Monitor shows "No signal" when I choose 144hz 1440p or 144hz 1080p through amd drivers or Windows both(120hz 1440p and 1080p doesn't work either). Have windows 10 64bit and tried 16.1.1 beta, 15.12, 15.7.2 amd drivers. Using dual link dvi-d can only get 120hz 1080p or 60hz 1440p. System specs: I5-4460s 2.9mhz Sapphire r9 280x toxic 3gb 8gb Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600hz Asus b85m-g mobo 500 watt Corsair CX-500 PSU 120gb Samsung 850 EVO SSD 3tb 7200rpm WD green HDD

Hi, before anithyng i want to apologize my english, im still learning. i want to ask you some advices for this build, besides is my first one, im informed. 1. Budget & Location 500$ dlls, but i can go to 600$ dlls (usa), no more, (8500 pesos mexicanos mas o menos). 2. Aim Mainli for gaming, also movies and school but the most demanding gaming, dont care about video edition and those things, i would love to play 1080p on high for now but i really dont care if in a couple of years i have to play at 900p or even 720, but i want to still keep runing recently games 4. Peripherals no need, im gonna be playing on a full hd tv, is 22", and i already have keyboard and mouse 5. Why are you upgrading? i had a xbox one but i sold it because i really didn't have the money to keep buying games and xbox live subscription, (here mexico, games cost like 80 usa dlls), but i was happy playing on my laptop fifa, street fighter and dbz xenoverse (800x600) and then i reallize that pc gaming is way cheaper and also confortable Ok, then this is the build i'm thinking of cpu: fx 6300 gpu: r9 270x ram: 8gb ddr3 1600mhz hdd: 1tb mobo: asus m5a97 r2.o psu: corsair cx600m case: i dont really care, just something cheap to fit everything in haha i was thinking to put 4gb of ram now and upgrate to 8 later in order to bouy a better cpu, maybe a fx 8320/8350 or a better gpu r9 280x. (i really cant afort both) what do you think?? the 6300 would bottleneck the 280x??? the 270x wouldnt last too much?? as i said i'm new so all your advices would be grat thnks

Ok so the AMD crossfire chart says that an R9280x is compatible with a 7970 or R9280x, but also states that the 7970 is compatible with the R9280x, 7950, and 7950, and then says that the 7950 is compatible with the R9280x, 7950, and 7970. Can somebody please explain this to me as i was think about Crossfiring all these cards together, and if i can would you tell me what is the best way to crossfire these cards

ive got a good deal with a powercolor r9 280x 3gb gddr5 384bit. its price dropped by $100. should i grab it?? is this gpu good? i will be building my first pc in december. and i dont have any parts yet. if i buy this GPU, it'll be the first part ill have. and the deal is up until october only.. i'll pair it with an i5 and 8gb ram.

I have acer v193w monitor which has a vga and dvi-d pirt while my card gigabyte r9 280x only supports hdmi and dvi-i ... Which cable should i use?? dvi-d or a dvi-i to vga converter

Hello! I am upgrading my GTX 660 to an R9 280X and I want to know if my PSU will be alright with it. Here are what will be my specs: Intel Pentium G3258 @ 4GHz 2x4gb G.Skill DDR3 RAM R9 280X (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814202125 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150678 havent decided) Antec VP450F 450W PSU (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817371045) 1 HDD 1 SSD 5 Case fans, two with LEDS 1 Network Adapter The card needs an 8 pin but I would just use a molex to 8 pin, I have no problem with those. My PSU it apparently rated pretty well, but idk. I also looked at the different calculators and both said 430W for me. I would love some expert advice to make sure I'm not going to fry my system. A new PSU would set me back a month or two on the upgrade, but if I need it, then I guess its what it is.

Hi i'm wondering if anyone could help me, I have recently upgraded my Graphics Card and Power Supply in my PC (which I use for gaming), my gaming experience has vastly improved due to getting a MSI Twin Frozr R9 280x and a new CoolerMaster G750M PSU to power the system. The issue i'm having is unlocking the GPU's full potential. I am worried that my CPU may hold my GPU back? My Spec is as follows:- (not 100% sure on the brands of all parts) 2TB HDD (Seagate) 16GB Ram (DDR3) MSI TWIN FROZR R9 280X (stock speed) Windows 8 64bit 750w CoolerMaster G750M VIBOX Gaming Case Gigabyte 78LMT-USB3 Motherboard AMD FX6300 6 CORE CPU (STOCK SPEEDS) I'm playing on a 60Hz BENQ 1920x1080p monitor. Any insight or advice on this situation would be greatly appreciated Thanks!

Hello! First let me start off by saying that when compared to its competitors to price/performance, the GTX 960 doesn't seem that appetizing. It follows like so: GTX 960 trades blows with the R9 280 GTX 960 sometimes and sometimes does not edge out the R9 285 GTX 960 isn't as good as the R9 280X When someone asks the popular question at the moment, 960 or 280/85/80X, the answer always seems so clear. However there is one missing piece that people forget, bottlenecking and power consumption. Now before I go further, I went onto different forums and posted my specs (which ill say in a second) and the question of 960 to the R9's. The answer I got, was clear. Specs: G3258 OC'd to 4GHz MSI Z87-G41 MSI GTX 660 Antec 450W 80+ Bronze SSD and HDD Nearly everyone said that the R9's were easy choices. I did get some oddballs, like getting a locked i5 CPU, or getting a 760ti? But for the most part, everyone said the R9. Now when I brought up the question of PSU and bottlenecking, the answers I got were, to say the least, a little bit scary. A good amount of people said that my PSU would hold a 280X just fine. I beg to differ. I then asked about bottlenecking, and it was a little more welcoming, with people saying I would bottleneck. So my answer was this: get the R9 that i like, and upgrade my PSU to manage it. Seems simple right? Not so. Not only is replacing the PSU a bit of a hassle, its also more money I have to burn. It seems wasteful paying $50-$75 when I could buy a GTX 960, get an enjoyable experience, and not have to upgrade anything else. The bottom line: When people come out and ask the famous question, think about the choices above. Ask more questions if need be, like what will they be using the card for, and their specific budget and if its stretchable. Sometimes the GTX 960 will secure a swift victory, due to what the person will actually need the card for. Remember, bigger is not always better, and its about what OP needs, not what you want him to need. Cheers, Alex

Hi there. I'm going to buy a new graphics card and I am stuck between the MSI RADEON R9 280X GAMING 3G TWIN FROZR or the XFX RADEON R9 280X DOUBLE DISSIPATION BLACK EDITON. Thanks

A while back I bought an r9 280x from Msi with the Twin Frozr cooler on it. I never originally wanted to liquid cool my build but now i have decided to do so and would like to include my GPU in the loop. If someone could suggest a waterblock for my GPU prefferably the cheapest one available that would be great. It would also be great if the block could be copper so it will fit with the rest of my set up. Thanks a bunch for the help!

Hey!!!! so i am just now building my first ever pc. http://pcpartpicker.com/b/KZQV3C. so in the build i have the newegg bundle fx 8350 and 280x XFX GPU. so i was wondering if i still get the 3 free games that amd promises..... thanks!!!!

Hello Everyone! My question is what's the risk of purchasing a card Unlocked ? I never heard of Unlocking a 7970 to an R9 280X. Would it be worth getting ? I will post the link upon request! Thanks!

Hey guys, im currently using a MSI 660 OC edition and i'm wondering whether should i upgrade my GPU to an R9 280x. (I mainly play BF4, LoL and osu etc. BF4 most of the time). Im currently playingon a 1080p 60 hz monitor. I'm running a i5-4440 (3.1GHZ), MSI h87 g43 MOBO. PS: i got my 660 for 330SGD (its a year old now and yes i got scammed) and the r9 280x here cost 468SGD.

Hi was wondering if a 'true power 550W psu' will be enough to run a 'gigabyte r9 280x' and a 'i5 4670k'?

This is a really slick looking card. What are your thoughts?

Welcome to my guide about water cooling a R9 series GPU. This is aimed at giving you a short introduction on what you will need and why; to water cool a R9 series GPU. The basics in the will apply to water cooling all GPUs. Advantages of watercooling For those of you new to water cooling; it usually gives you a quieter system, a cooler system or preferably both. In the R9's case, however, it will also give you a performance boost. Your GPU will automatically over clock until it hits a limit, be that a thermal limit or a power limit. When water-cooling you will probably be hitting the power limit first, unlike air cooling where you would probably hit the thermal limit first. This of course means more performance from your card, along with the other advantages you get. It also means overclocking will be automatic and take far less effort. Buying a new loop If you are new to water-cooling and going from zero then I really recommend checking out the Water-Cooling 101 and FAQ . They will give you a full overview of most of the parts you will need to buy to water-cool a GPU. If you want a base loop that you can replace parts on or add to I have made a guide for a "Basic CPU Loop" guide complete with a parts list. If you have done all of this and constructed a base loop you should carry onto the next section. Adding a GPU to your loop You will need a couple of parts to add a GPU to your loop. This will be the same whether you are adding to a H220 or a custom loop. First off you need a GPU block. At the time of writing this there are no blocks out there for the newer cards. I will put in a section at the end for news on water blocks coming out for the R9 series so refer to that if you are looking for a block for that card. The most important thing when looking for a GPU block is to make sure you have a reference card. The easiest way to do this is to go to www.coolingconfigurator.com . Again, please note that the site needs to be updated for the newer GPUs and EK needs to release blocks first, however, if you are buying cards at launch you can expect it to use a reference design. This is the standard design that all "standard" GPU blocks will fit on. You can expect to spend around £100 on your GPU block. You will also probably need another radiator if you want to add another GPU to your loop. There is a lot of info on radiators in the FAQ, however, you should be looking at adding a 240mm radiator to your loop for a graphics card. A lot of people will tell you that a 120mm is enough. Well that is true but it really depends on how fast you want to run your fans. In my opinion, for a reasonable fan level you should be looking at a 240mm radiator for 1 GPU and an 360 radiator for 2 additional GPUs. This applies to most GPUs with exceptions the exception being lower end GPUs. You have to remember that more radiator space means you can run your fans at increasingly lower speeds. There is a point of diminishing returns, however, if you pass it you will be spending ridiculous amounts of money and will probably know about it. In addition to this you will also need fittings and tubing. You should make sure these with the rest of your current water cooling system. You will also need extra/new coolant. In conclusion you will need; GPU block Another radiator Fittings, tubing and extra/new coolant. Waterblocks List (10/October/13) "Because the Radeon R9 280X is based on a Tahiti XT GPU (the very same GPU used on the Radeon HD 7970 and HD 7950 graphics cards) and no prescribed reference design the majority of graphics card manufactured have simply re-used it's existing circuit board design - either the most commonly used design is a AMD reference design (109-C38637) or a proprietary design such as ASUS DirectCU II and MATRIX. As a result a lot of these graphics cards can be used with EK-FC7970 CSQ series water block or other water blocks from EK's portfolio such as EK-FC7970 DCII. In order to simplify the search for suitable and compatible water block EK has added more than 15 different Radeon R9 280X (as well as numerous Radeon R9 270X and -R7 260X series) graphics cards from various manufacturers to EK Cooling Configurator database and compatible graphics cards are being added to the list on daily basis." -EKWB (source) So it seems as if most 7970/50 blocks will fit future R9 cards. Please go to www.coolingconfigurator.com and check compatibility before you buy though! Expect non-reference R9 blocks in the future as well as blocks with R9 2#0X written on then as oppose to 79#0. ***************************** Thanks for reading. Let me know in this thread if something needs changing, adding, if you found this useful or if you have any questions. Also let me know if you know of any waterblocks that aren't on the list.

I am buying a Gigabyte R9 280X OC Windforce and really want a back plate for it. They are really long cards an i want to get a long use out of the card. so i figured a back plate would help with drooping and protecting the pcb. Windforce cards are typically longer an not close to reference cards. Can anyone point me to a back plate that will work?