XFX R9 290x

[DoubleA7]

Is it a good card? my friend wants one, I keep telling him that other cards perform better and can be overclocked higher

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150696

 

 

I told him that other cards come overclocked higher, and since I've never used an XFX GPU, are the fans good? How is the overclock-ability? 

 

Any other information about them?

[Manny Calavera]

They improved a little over older xfx duble d but you cant expect massive overclocks. Only buy if its alot cheaper than other cards.

 

It outputs lots of heat the card.

[Recon-UK]

Nothing wrong with XFX at all, i use 2 7770 Hydro Cell editions.

[DoubleA7]

How is it against ASUS or MSI or Sapphire cards?

[Manny Calavera]

Nothing wrong with XFX at all, i use 2 7770 Hydro Cell editions.

they got bad reputation with temperatures and noise on old duble D design. any card above 7870 has worse temps even when not overclocked.

[Recon-UK]

they got bad reputation with temperatures and noise on old duble D design. any card above 7870 has worse temps even when not overclocked.

Ahh ok.

 

I have mine clocked to 1.2ghz, heat... they usually max around 72c at 30% fan.

[Manny Calavera]

How is it against ASUS or MSI or Sapphire cards?

come to think of it 500$ is pretty good deal even if it doesnt overclock well.

[nj4ck]

I have the 290 DD with that same exact cooler. At first sight the cooler doesn't seem that bad, the fans are so good that you can easily ramp them up a little and get some pretty good overclocks out of the card without it getting loud at all. But when you open up GPU-Z and take a look at the VRM temps, you'll notice that they go above 100°C on stock voltage, which is catastrophic.

 

I discovered the reason for this when I installed a waterblock on mine, VRM cooling is practically non-existent. 

 

this is the VRM "cooling". It makes no contact with the actual cooler and the thermal pad is so thick it probably acts more like a thermal insulator.

 

 

 

I don't recommend the card, unless you plan to watercool it. VRMs will go as high as 115°C if you OC it with the stock cooler.

[Recon-UK]

Oh shit, scrap the XFX.