Used r9 290's

[I_uKe]

So, I've seen used reference r9 290s listed on eBay for as low as $200 USD. I imagine that price will drop even further when AMDs next generation of cards come out.

 

I'm wondering if anyone has experience a failed 290. I know these things run extremely hot, and I'm just wondering if that would affect the longevity of the cards.

 

So is buying a used 290 worth it? You could always replace that terrible reference cooler with an aftermarket, which is what I'm considering.

[Johannes_Lazor]

As long as you dont pick up one that has the Reference cooler or DirectCUII you wont have any overheating issues exept if your case doesnt have enough airflow.
And they havent been used for mining for longer than between 1 and 3 weeks(The amount of time is really personal preference, How much stress it has had in comparision with the money you pay for it.

[SkilledRebuilds]

I recommend you DO watercool these with the many solutions out there that are better than the stock reference cooler.

I've had a few aftermarket ones fail, but not any of the three reference builds I've done.

[LamboLaddy]

You could grab a reference one and slap one of them NZXT coolers on it.

[MEC-777]

I had a 290 fail, but it was my old PSU that killed it.

 

Stay away from the reference and DCUII cards, unless you plan to water cool them (can be done for cheap with the Kraken G10 and any Asetek based AIO cooler). Otherwise, most of the rest of the 3rd party built 290s are fine and don't actually run that hot. Changing out the stock thermal paste for better stuff, if done properly, can yield as much as 10 degrees cooler under full load (by my own experience).

 

Even if they have been mined with, they should still perform just fine for gaming. Obvious, the less used and cleaner condition, the better.

 

Good luck on your hunt.

[TheMissxu]

I honestly liked how they opted for cheap coolers on their reference cards. That means I didn't have to spend ~$25-50 on a cooler I would just remove due to me water cooler. It also benefits people who purchased after market/third party cooled cards.

 

I exchanged my 7970 with a 290 during/just after the crypto-currency craze and the 290 has been running flawlessly since (plus I actually made a few dollars because I waited for prices to fall before purchasing the 290. I then used the extra dollars to get a water block).

[Briggsy]

Stay away from the reference and DCUII cards, unless you plan to water cool them (can be done for cheap with the Kraken G10 and any Asetek based AIO cooler). 

 

This ^^ 

 

I can't stress enough how much of a difference having a Kraken G10 makes for Hawaii. It's quite literally jaw dropping.

[SkilledRebuilds]

This ^^ 

 

I can't stress enough how much of a difference having a Kraken G10 makes for Hawaii. It's quite literally jaw dropping.

O thank god, because I'm probably getting mine delivered today

I have changed TIM, the Pads, and my Core still sits around 88*c under load,...fixing the pads, VRM1 dropped from 102*c down to 80-90*c variable with diff games.

The Core is still too hot for my liking, hence me ordering the G10. Since Vrm's are under control now, just trying to manage my Core temps.

I've done many TIM changes using multiple TIM's.

Before my changes even at 90% fanspeed, I was getting past the 90's on the core,.. I've taken the Windforce cooler apart and nothing seems wrong...

Got this 290X as a replacement for my dead 290, and it is 20*c warmer

Can't wait for the G10!!!

[Briggsy]

O thank god, because I'm probably getting mine delivered today

I have changed TIM, the Pads, and my Core still sits around 88*c under load,...fixing the pads, VRM1 dropped from 102*c down to 80-90*c variable with diff games.

The Core is still too hot for my liking, hence me ordering the G10. Since Vrm's are under control now, just trying to manage my Core temps.

 

Before my changed even at 90% fanspeed, I was getting past the 90's on the core,..

Got this 290X as a replacement for my dead 290, and it is 20*c warmer

Can't wait for the G10!!!

 

dont forget not to over-tighten bolts when installing the pump onto the card, and that keeping the radiator at about (+/- 6 inches) the same height as the pump will get the best resluts. 

[SkilledRebuilds]

dont forget not to over-tighten bolts when installing the pump onto the card, and that keeping the radiator at about (+/- 6 inches) the same height as the pump will get the best resluts. 

Cheers for the ProTips. Much appreciated.

[MEC-777]

O thank god, because I'm probably getting mine delivered today

I have changed TIM, the Pads, and my Core still sits around 88*c under load,...fixing the pads, VRM1 dropped from 102*c down to 80-90*c variable with diff games.

The Core is still too hot for my liking, hence me ordering the G10. Since Vrm's are under control now, just trying to manage my Core temps.

I've done many TIM changes using multiple TIM's.

Before my changes even at 90% fanspeed, I was getting past the 90's on the core,.. I've taken the Windforce cooler apart and nothing seems wrong...

Got this 290X as a replacement for my dead 290, and it is 20*c warmer

Can't wait for the G10!!!

 

Are you overclocking it? That cranks up the temps a few more degrees.

 

My HIS 290 was sitting at about 81-82 degrees under full load. Then I replaced the factory TIM and now I haven't seen it climb much beyond the low 70's. So about a 10 degree drop and that's with overclocking +150 on the core. 

[I_uKe]

This ^^ 

 

I can't stress enough how much of a difference having a Kraken G10 makes for Hawaii. It's quite literally jaw dropping.

 

Definately the cooler I'll go for, so freaking cheap and effective. It'll match my NZXT fans

[Briggsy]

Are you overclocking it? That cranks up the temps a few more degrees.

 

My HIS 290 was sitting at about 81-82 degrees under full load. Then I replaced the factory TIM and now I haven't seen it climb much beyond the low 70's. So about a 10 degree drop and that's with overclocking +150 on the core. 

 

Temps depend on the binning of the chip to some degree as well. My First 290 (Asus dcuii, which had memory issues and had to be replaced) had a high ASIC score and ran at just over 1 volt at load. temperatures without replacing the Tim would sit in the mid-high 70's under full load. The replacement card has a low ASIC score in the 74% range and with the same air cooler, even after replacing the TIM with TX-4, was running at stock in the mid 80-85 degree range under full load. I couldn't even overclock due to temperature stability, because Hawaii loses stability at an alarming rate as temperatures increase.

 

I guess what's also interesting is that my 2nd 290 I bought more recently (gigabyte) has a high ASIC score, runs really low voltage, great cooling etc. but having both under water and full load there is no temperature difference between them. running at 1100Mhz +50mv offset on both cards, the Asus card will often push past 1.3v under full load, while the gigabyte card barely breaks 1.1v under full load. Interesting how volatile air cooling is, while water cooling tends to even the odds.

[Aniallation]

I wouldn't get a used 290 off of eBay if it doesn't tell you it's past history. A card that's been used for mining when the hype was big, will have much more wear then a card that's been used for gaming.

 

A pickup truck with 50,000 miles of hauling it's full payload limit back and forth through the jobsite all day long vs the same truck with 50,000 miles of just highway cruising. Huge wear difference which regardless of how you use it will still have a negative effect on longevity later on.