Advice on crossfire R9 290s

[Guest]

So, ever since the recent price drop for R9 290's I have been thinking about getting a second one for my system. I have a few questions for people with crossfire systems in general and especially CF R9 290(X) owners:

 

Is the additional heat a problem? As far as I know there aren't really any blower-type coolers for this card (except the reference one, or am I missing something here?) and another open design card would pump way more heat into my case. I have one 230mm fan blowing directly at the card(s), one 230mm intake at the front, one 230mm exhaust at the top and one 140mm exhaust fan at the back. My current temps are 70°C max on the GPU, and 55°C max on the CPU. With another Tri-X cooled card, would this be a problem? Both the GPU and CPU can obviously take more in terms of heat, but I would not feel comfortable if any of the 2 would run insanely hot. The PCIe slots are spaced out farly well on my sabertooth Z87 so the first card should still get some fresh air and hopefully not choke to death. I can deal with a bit more noise under load, but I would like to have similar noise levels in idle if possible.

 

Power consumption: I would probably need a new PSU, my current 680W unit could take SLI 770s but with 2 R9 290s and an overclocked CPU it's probably not enough. 800W - 850W should be fine, so that will be another expense (minus the money I get from selling my current PSU).

 

Performance/Support/Microstuttering: That's the big fear I have, how well is crossfire supported these days? With AAA games it shouldn't take too long to get a crossfire profile going, or am I wrong here? How well does crossfire with 2 cards scale in most games? Will my CPU (i5 4670k at 4.4GHz) be a bottleneck earlier than I expected when I step up to 2 cards? How bad is microstuttering these days, or is it basically a non-issue? I've heard vastly different opinions on these things and I would really like the input from people who own a crossfire setup.

 

Those are the fears of someone who has been really happy with his switch to AMD so far but doesn't really have a clue about dual GPU setups. Opinions and experiences with similar situations are greatly appreciated.

[Cheddle]

So, ever since the recent price drop for R9 290's I have been thinking about getting a second one for my system. I have a few questions for people with crossfire systems in general and especially CF R9 290(X) owners:

 

Is the additional heat a problem? As far as I know there aren't really any blower-type coolers for this card (except the reference one, or am I missing something here?) and another open design card would pump way more heat into my case. I have one 230mm fan blowing directly at the card(s), one 230mm intake at the front, one 230mm exhaust at the top and one 140mm exhaust fan at the back. My current temps are 70°C max on the GPU, and 55°C max on the CPU. With another Tri-X cooled card, would this be a problem? Both the GPU and CPU can obviously take more in terms of heat, but I would not feel comfortable if any of the 2 would run insanely hot. The PCIe slots are spaced out farly well on my sabertooth Z87 so the first card should still get some fresh air and hopefully not choke to death. I can deal with a bit more noise under load, but I would like to have similar noise levels in idle if possible.

 

Power consumption: I would probably need a new PSU, my current 680W unit could take SLI 770s but with 2 R9 290s and an overclocked CPU it's probably not enough. 800W - 850W should be fine, so that will be another expense (minus the money I get from selling my current PSU).

 

Performance/Support/Microstuttering: That's the big fear I have, how well is crossfire supported these days? With AAA games it shouldn't take too long to get a crossfire profile going, or am I wrong here? How well does crossfire with 2 cards scale in most games? Will my CPU (i5 4670k at 4.4GHz) be a bottleneck earlier than I expected when I step up to 2 cards? How bad is microstuttering these days, or is it basically a non-issue? I've heard vastly different opinions on these things and I would really like the input from people who own a crossfire setup.

 

Those are the fears of someone who has been really happy with his switch to AMD so far but doesn't really have a clue about dual GPU setups. Opinions and experiences with similar situations are greatly appreciated.

 

I used crossfire r9 290's - spacing is a must...

 

ULPS disables the second card at idle, it is literally turned off... so no extra noise at idle.

 

power supply - I ran mine on a good quality 750watt psu - this was borderline acceptable, I wasn't willing to push the core voltages at all.

 

support/microstutter: this is the kicker... I had terrible microstutter in Alien isolation and CS:GO - I had flickering headlights and 10 fps in menus on Grid Autosport, Farcry 3 was unplayable and Civ 5 wouldn't even launch... this was with the 14.4/14.7/14.9 driver releases... each was a little better but not perfect... AC4 was a bit poor as well

 

but when a game worked well... like Tomb Raider or Crysis 3 maaaaan it was prime, 60 fps flat @ 4k... at least 25% more performance than my gtx980.

 

That said... one of my cards was a reference card. it was loud and hot... my case was a mATX so it was tiny... the heat coming out the back of the case was intense lol.

 

TLDR;

For me it was too hit and miss with what games would work and what wouldn't, I also had issues with ULPS and had to reinstall windows twice getting AMD drivers to update. I decided a single card it the way to go and that AMD was not for me.

[Guest]

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There's enough spacing on my Mobo and my case should provide enough airflow from what I could tell.

 

That seems like a neat feature and eliminates one possible complaint.

 

I found the EVGA 850W G2, jonnyguru gave it a 10/10 across the board, basically. And it's not that expensive either.

 

Hmm, that is a bit disheartening. I gues I'll do a bit more research and see how other games fare with crossfire. If CS or CIV 5 don't work with it then I don't really care, it's not like those games need the extra horsepower. I guess it depends on the games I still have in my library and the games that'll come out soon.

 

Wow, they actually ran in an mATX case without throttling? Then I'm fairly confident that my full tower can take it.

 

I really want to try it since I've never had a dual GPU setup before and because the price is just too tempting..... More research and more user experience is needed.

[Sdot]

 

power supply - I ran mine on a good quality 750watt psu - this was borderline acceptable, I wasn't willing to push the core voltages at all.

 

Pardon me Nohrellas, I'd just like to ask him a question.You used a 750w for crossfire? I was looking at a R9 290 on newegg and it said 750w minimum for a single card. I have a 700w and I was wondering how accurate that was.

[Guest]

Pardon me Nohrellas, I'd just like to ask him a question.You used a 750w for crossfire? I was looking at a R9 290 on newegg and it said 750w minimum for a single card. I have a 700w and I was wondering how accurate that was.

 

Manufacturers vastly exaggerate the "minimum" power supply wattage. They just want to cover their asses and make sure that the card works even on a really crappy PSU. My R9 290 works flawlessly on a 680W PSU, this 680W PSU could also take SLI gtx 770s without a problem. An R9 290 would work just fine on a decent 550W PSU with an intel CPU and a bunch of harddrives. Just look at the actual power consumption from review websites, an R9 290 alone needs ~250W under full load. Your CPU will most definitely be <150W, the rest (mobo, ram, fans and harddrives) doesn't require more than 70W. You're more than fine with a decent 700W PSU and a single R9 290.

[Sdot]

Manufacturers vastly exaggerate the "minimum" power supply wattage. They just want to cover their asses and make sure that the card works even on a really crappy PSU. My R9 290 works flawlessly on a 680W PSU, this 680W PSU could also take SLI gtx 770s without a problem. An R9 290 would work just fine on a decent 550W PSU with an intel CPU and a bunch of harddrives. Just look at the actual power consumption from review websites, an R9 290 alone needs ~250W under full load. Your CPU will most definitely be <150W, the rest (mobo, ram, fans and harddrives) doesn't require more than 70W. You're more than fine with a decent 700W PSU and a single R9 290.

Thank you kind sir.

[Cheddle]

Pardon me Nohrellas, I'd just like to ask him a question.You used a 750w for crossfire? I was looking at a R9 290 on newegg and it said 750w minimum for a single card. I have a 700w and I was wondering how accurate that was.

 

My psu has quite good 12v rails for a 750w

 

[Guest]

I thought there were more people with crossfire or SLI setups on the forums. After some more research I'm actually pretty close to pulling the trigger on the new PSU and the second R9 290, but a bit more input and user experience would be awesome.

[Cheddle]

I thought there were more people with crossfire or SLI setups on the forums. After some more research I'm actually pretty close to pulling the trigger on the new PSU and the second R9 290, but a bit more input and user experience would be awesome.

 

worst case if you dont like it then you can always sell the cards... you will be down a little cash but the experience and to know for sure either "yes i love sli/crossfire" or "no, a single card is the way for me" is worth it - better than always wondering if you should have gone crossfire

[rcarlos243]

A single r9 290 dumps an insane amount of heat. Doing an r9 290 crossfire would make your room like an oven and your power bill would be insane (you're like literally running a 1kw heater).

[Guest]

A single r9 290 dumps an insane amount of heat. Doing an r9 290 crossfire would make your room like an oven and your power bill would be insane (you're like literally running a 1kw heater).

 

Literally 1kW? Erm, no.... A single R9 290 pulls ~260W from the wall (just like a 780ti, by the way).

[rcarlos243]

Literally 1kW? Erm, no.... A single R9 290 pulls ~260W from the wall (just like a 780ti, by the way).

 

Where did you get that figures?

 

a single R9 290 consumes about 400w and a crossfire config about 700~750w and that is without overclocking the cards or have any additional stuff like multiple hdd, ssd, and fans.

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7457/the-radeon-r9-290x-review/19

http://www.legitreviews.com/xfx-radeon-r9-290-crossfire-video-card-review-at-4k-ultra-hd_139418/11

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/5991/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-4gb-in-crossfire-video-card-review/index23.html

[Guest]

Where did you get that figures?

 

a single R9 290 consumes about 400w and a crossfire config about 700~750w and that is without overclocking the cards or have any additional stuff like multiple hdd, ssd, and fans.

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7457/the-radeon-r9-290x-review/19

http://www.legitreviews.com/xfx-radeon-r9-290-crossfire-video-card-review-at-4k-ultra-hd_139418/11

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/5991/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-4gb-in-crossfire-video-card-review/index23.html

 

......... All of those are "total system power consumption", why do so many people make that mistake? Here is an estimate for the card alone: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/radeon_r9_290_review_benchmarks,10.html

 

260W, just like a 780ti. Not a big deal if you ask me.

[Cheddle]

Where did you get that figures?

 

a single R9 290 consumes about 400w and a crossfire config about 700~750w and that is without overclocking the cards or have any additional stuff like multiple hdd, ssd, and fans.

 

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7457/the-radeon-r9-290x-review/19

http://www.legitreviews.com/xfx-radeon-r9-290-crossfire-video-card-review-at-4k-ultra-hd_139418/11

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/5991/sapphire-radeon-r9-290-4gb-in-crossfire-video-card-review/index23.html

 

400 watts isnt too bad my amazing efficient hacks super gtx980 uses 340 watts..

[rcarlos243]

......... All of those are "total system power consumption", why do so many people make that mistake? Here is an estimate for the card alone: http://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/radeon_r9_290_review_benchmarks,10.html

 

260W, just like a 780ti. Not a big deal if you ask me.

 

yeah because you could totally run an r9 290 with a 260W psu.

 

that number is totally meaningless as you would need to power other stuff on a real system such as cpu, hard drives, fans, etc...

 

When determining a power supply wattage, you measure the whole system unit power consumption not a single component.

[SkilledRebuilds]

Overclocked then maybe 400w lol (And if taken that value from a review, sure it isn't the OC power taken?

My R9 290 @ 1040Mhz Core (GPUZ states) 250-280w /w some spikes to 295-300w

^Spikes could be not happening on all cards, but likely that it does randomly swing past 260w a lot.

[Tacitus]

Which case do you use and which r9 290 do you have at present?

 

A YouTube video I saw by some guy having issues with two Gigabyte 290s in a H440 was showcasing the Air 540. The improved airflow dropped his temperatures from 95 degrees to around the 80 mark, so that's a significant factor. I'd also add that you'll have fewer troubles if you've got a Sapphire or PowerColour model.

 

As for support, I had considered crossfire myself for a long while before maxwell launched, and it seems to have vastly improved over the past year or so. r9 290s scale on average extremely well - better than anything Nvidia have, and virtually all big-budget games support the technology. 

 

You will indeed need a bigger PSU. With an intel CPU 750W minimum.

[Guest]

Which case do you use and which r9 290 do you have at present?

 

A YouTube video I saw by some guy having issues with two Gigabyte 290s in a H440 was showcasing the Air 540. The improved airflow dropped his temperatures from 95 degrees to around the 80 mark, so that's a significant factor. I'd also add that you'll have fewer troubles if you've got a Sapphire or PowerColour model.

 

As for support, I had considered crossfire myself for a long while before maxwell launched, and it seems to have vastly improved over the past year or so. r9 290s scale on average extremely well - better than anything Nvidia have, and virtually all big-budget games support the technology. 

 

You will indeed need a bigger PSU. With an intel CPU 750W minimum.

 

I own a sapphire R9 290 Tri-X (buying another one of those), and my case (CM HAF 932 advanced) should in theory provide pretty good airflow (230mm fan blowing air directly inbetween the 2 cards, 230mm intake at the front, 140mm exhaust at the back and 230mm exhaust at the top). I'm probably getting an EVGA Supernova G2 850W just for the extra headroom. From what I've seen crossfire on R9 290s seems to scale surprisingly well. 70-ish percent across many different games, and no mention of microstutter whatsoever. I'm really tempted to get one now with the never settle bundle.....

 

yeah because you could totally run an r9 290 with a 260W psu.

 

that number is totally meaningless as you would need to power other stuff on a real system such as cpu, hard drives, fans, etc...

 

When determining a power supply wattage, you measure the whole system unit power consumption not a single component.

 

Yes, but you don't double the whole system when you go crossfire. 400W + 260W = 660W. With extra headroom you'll end up with a 750W unit as a minimum. That still doesn't mean that the system will pull 1kW from the wall.

 

Overclocked then maybe 400w lol (And if taken that value from a review, sure it isn't the OC power taken?

My R9 290 @ 1040Mhz Core (GPUZ states) 250-280w /w some spikes to 295-300w

^Spikes could be not happening on all cards, but likely that it does randomly swing past 260w a lot.

 

I've already decided on an 850W PSU if I go crossfire, so 2x 300W + 200W for the whole rest of the system (which is vastly exaggerated) would still leave me with some headroom.

[rcarlos243]

I own a sapphire R9 290 Tri-X (buying another one of those), and my case (CM HAF 932 advanced) should in theory provide pretty good airflow (230mm fan blowing air directly inbetween the 2 cards, 230mm intake at the front, 140mm exhaust at the back and 230mm exhaust at the top). I'm probably getting an EVGA Supernova G2 850W just for the extra headroom. From what I've seen crossfire on R9 290s seems to scale surprisingly well. 70-ish percent across many different games, and no mention of microstutter whatsoever. I'm really tempted to get one now with the never settle bundle.....

 

 

Yes, but you don't double the whole system when you go crossfire. 400W + 260W = 660W. With extra headroom you'll end up with a 750W unit as a minimum. That still doesn't mean that the system will pull 1kW from the wall.

 

 

I've already decided on an 850W PSU if I go crossfire, so 2x 300W + 200W for the whole rest of the system (which is vastly exaggerated) would still leave me with some headroom.

 

go figure:

 

 

with overclocked gpu, it could consume close to 1kw

 

[Guest]

go figure:

 

 

with overclocked gpu, it could consume close to 1kw

 

Well, not everybody OCs everything they have to high heavens. I certainly won't because everything will be aircooled after all. Also, most sites use an overclocked 6-core CPU for their test benches, my moderately overclocked i5 with only 2 sticks of ram will consume less power. 750W peak seems pretty accurate and is basically what I've been saying for the last 2 or 3 posts. And that's still nowhere near 1kW.

[Tacitus]

I own a sapphire R9 290 Tri-X (buying another one of those), and my case (CM HAF 932 advanced) should in theory provide pretty good airflow (230mm fan blowing air directly inbetween the 2 cards, 230mm intake at the front, 140mm exhaust at the back and 230mm exhaust at the top). I'm probably getting an EVGA Supernova G2 850W just for the extra headroom. From what I've seen crossfire on R9 290s seems to scale surprisingly well. 70-ish percent across many different games, and no mention of microstutter whatsoever. I'm really tempted to get one now with the never settle bundle.....

 

Yeah, I saw some benchmarks of SLI 970s and one of the comparisons was crossfire 290s. When all's said and done, the 290s scaled better and made the two comparable, despite the ~15% edge the 970 has.

 

Makes me kind of regret buying a 970 instead, when I plan to go SLI in a few months. I'd have saved £180 across two cards

[Guest]

Yeah, I saw some benchmarks of SLI 970s and one of the comparisons was crossfire 290s. When all's said and done, the 290s scaled better and made the two comparable, despite the ~15% edge the 970 has.

 

Makes me kind of regret buying a 970 instead, when I plan to go SLI in a few months. I'd have saved £180 across two cards

 

Well you do have way lower power consumption on both cards (I needed to buy a new PSU for the second card), and heat-wise you should also fare better. I just really wanted to switch to AMD after a while and it turns out that the R9 290 actually closes in and outperforms the gtx 970 at higher resolutions as well (which is nice since I play at 1440p). I really hope that temps will be fine with my case, that's basically the only concern left.

[Tacitus]

Well you do have way lower power consumption on both cards (I needed to buy a new PSU for the second card), and heat-wise you should also fare better. I just really wanted to switch to AMD after a while and it turns out that the R9 290 actually closes in and outperforms the gtx 970 at higher resolutions as well (which is nice since I play at 1440p). I really hope that temps will be fine with my case, that's basically the only concern left.

 

What you say is true, but I'd have been more than happy dealing with the power consumption and heat output given I bought a PSU and a case that can handle two of them. About a fortnight after I got my 970 I saw a sale where r9 290s were down to like £175 each - two of them for £50 more than my single 970... I'd have taken that any day.

 

S some buyers remorse, but I can't deny the fact that the 970 is a beast