R9 290 - Which manufacturer should I go for?

[Constantine]

Hey guys,

 

I'm shopping around for a good gfx card that I intend to last for a while so I've decided I'll go for the R9 290 (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1575&vk_sort=1). Now before the everyone says it, I'm from Australia so we don't get affected by the mining craze and the R9 290 is still $100 below the 780. Now because I'm in Aus, I'm looking for something that's reliable and with pretty good warranty support. At first I was looking at the XFX reference model but a couple of searches showed up that they don't have a branch here and the lifetime warranty doesn't apply. I'll be looking to watercool the card with a G10 but I'm curious to everybody's experience with these manufacturers.

[AlwaysFSX]

I'd get an ASUS or Gigabyte card if you can.

[SAV1OUR]

anything that isnt stock

 

 

id go for asus because they have a nice cooler and good warranty 

[DIV1D3]

Sapphire, MSI, Asus or Gigabyte, probably in that order too. 

[-rascal-]

My vote goes to either the ASUS DirectCUII or Sapphire Tri-X.

Due to the poor cooling design on the XFX cards - stay the hell away from XFX GPUs (for now).

[GamerDude]

Sapphire Tri-X, Asus DCU II and basically any R9 290 from good board partners with 3rd party cooling.....

[Jamdude]

The Sapphire Tri-X has the best cooling, then the Gigabyte Windforce, MSI Gaming and lastly the Asus DCUII.  I'd go for the Sapphire Tri-X but the card is still rather loud.

[POCOLOCO]

The MSI GAMING has the added benifit of being the shortest R9 290 available. I would consider the Powercolor PCS+ or HIS IceQx2 if you can find one.

[tautviux1668]

You should go for SAPHIRE edition with TRI-X cooler

[rentaspoon]

The MSI GAMING has the added benifit of being the shortest R9 290 available. I would consider the Powercolor PCS+ or HIS IceQx2 if you can find one.

And they are very quiet cards

[Prokart2000]

he said he wants to watercool so its the customer support not the cooling

[maazster]

MSI Lightining, if they bring it out, otherwise just get an Asus DCUII

[Lord_Kitty]

MSI Lightining, if they bring it out, otherwise just get an Asus DCUII

No don't.

Please, everyone, stop recommending Asus' R9 290/X card. Their implementation of the cooler is not good and does not offer optimal heat trasfer.

Still good for other cards though.

[maazster]

No don't.

Please, everyone stop recommending Asus R9 290/X card. Their implementation of the cooler is not good and does not offer optimal heat trasfer.

Still good for other cards though.

THe MSI lighting is the best cooler on any card I have seen, watch tiny tom logon's review on the r9 290x lightining

[SkilledRebuilds]

Please, everyone stop recommending Asus R9 290/X card. Their implementation of the cooler is not good and does not offer optimal heat trasfer.

That is old news, and no doubt fixed now by Asus.

Just like Gigabyte's batch of 290's were screwed, yet now fixed.

 

 

@Constantine

I have the Gigabyte 290-OC, MSY @ $579 (And its gone down since)

Pleasant card, awesome performance @ 1080p with stock clocks, frame drops mean NOTHING now.., using a custom fan curve to keep her around 70-75*c @ 70-80% fan speed. staying @ 35% until 65*c, then it jumps as I wanted it to. It Idles @ 40*c

Have overclocked mine for one night (see sig) for test purposes and have left it @ stock levels since that one night, and no game has destroyed the FPS to low levels yet.

 

*From Adelaide, referencing ambient weather, 25-35*c in my room midday-afternoon.

Some of those really hot evenings with 34*c and my cards heat from BF4,.. fans were hitting 90-100% and I believe that 100% fan speed its not as loud as the leaf blower 290 originals.

Max temp I've seen is 80-85*c on these higher than 30*c nights. FYI - I almost always exclusively use closed ear headphones with loudness on and 40-80% volume, and do not hear the cards 80% fans or less.

 

So in true Straya form, I'm loving it mate, its the tits.

Anything else you wanna know, tag/quote me your query.

[Virgule]

Hey guys,

 

I'm shopping around for a good gfx card that I intend to last for a while so I've decided I'll go for the R9 290 (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=193_1575&vk_sort=1). Now before the everyone says it, I'm from Australia so we don't get affected by the mining craze and the R9 290 is still $100 below the 780. Now because I'm in Aus, I'm looking for something that's reliable and with pretty good warranty support. At first I was looking at the XFX reference model but a couple of searches showed up that they don't have a branch here and the lifetime warranty doesn't apply. I'll be looking to watercool the card with a G10 but I'm curious to everybody's experience with these manufacturers.

If you're planning on watercooling it, I suppose you're going to buy a reference model. Go with Asus or MSI, both of which don't void the warranty if you replace their cooler. 

 

If you want a good aftermarket air cooler, Asus' DCUII is total crap on this instance of gpu. It's just awful. I'd go with MSI gaming or Sapphire tri-x. I wouldn't go with Gigabyte's Windforce too because they are probably voltage locked, like more of Gigabyte's cards.

[Virgule]

That is old news, and no doubt fixed now by Asus.

Just like Gigabyte's batch of 290's were screwed, yet now fixed.

 

It's not fixed. Their DCUII cooler is the same since the start of the 290/290x implementation and it will remain that way. Why? Because they've chosen to use the same cooler than their 780's DCUII, which is too wide for the Hawaii chip. There's a ton of criticism on Asus' 290/290x DCUIIs and they shouldn't be ignored.

[GamerDude]

If water cooling is what the OP is aiming for ultimately, then why waste extra cash for third party cooled R9 290's? I knew I was going to water cool my R9 290X, so I'd gotten a pair of Sapphire reference R9 290X and ran them with stock cooling for a while. When I felt that the cards were free from defects, I'd an open loop installed on them with some XSPC and EK parts. No point getting third party cooled 290's, might as well save a little and go with stock 290 first. Maybe I'm cheap thinking this way, but why not save some cash with a reference 290?

 

BTW, if you're planning to use the Kraken, be sure to get extra ramsinks for the extra modules of RAM......btw, does the Kraken effectively cool the VRM's as well?

[Virgule]

.btw, does the Kraken effectively cool the VRM's as well?

They do with the integrated fan. You could add small vrm heatsinks on the components to add to that air cooling.

[rentaspoon]

If you're planning on watercooling it, I suppose you're going to buy a reference model. Go with Asus or MSI, both of which don't void the warranty if you replace their cooler.

Are you sure with msi? I have a warrenty void sticker on my card bolts and with the 6 year warrenty I didnt want to void it.

[Virgule]

Are you sure with msi? I have a warrenty void sticker on my card bolts and with the 6 year warrenty I didnt want to void it.

Yes I'm sure I got this info from one of the top moderators on their forums. Go and check it out for yourself.

[mc141]

ASUS!!!!!

[Clinicall_eh_PC]

Fwiw: tri-x r9 290 appears to be discontinued infavor of the 290x tri-x

[carolkarine]

They do with the integrated fan. You could add small vrm heatsinks on the components to add to that air cooling.

 

one thing you can do to avoid permanently adding heatsinks with thermal paste (it hardens and actually adheres the heatsinks) is to get a piece of copper, use a dremel to get it to be the right shape, use the existing screw holes on the card, and then secure the heatsinks with that, and thermal pad underneath. it'll take another 20 dollars or so and a dremel, but it makes it much easier to go back to stock if you ever plan on doing so. I'm going to do this with my 7970 when the copper sampler from amazon gets here. (15 dollars)

[BirdyTheMighty]

r9 290 MSI lightning edition if it ever comes out they aready have the lightning edition for the 290x coming i think