970 or 290x

[REX.exe]

There isn't really a normal price... always fluctuating. It was on sale for $329 right after I bought mine.

It's $830 at CPL Online.

[Vexzarium]

Oh, and by the way, OP... my vote is for the 290x. And this is totally unbiased. Here's why:

 

Price:

300: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvn970g1gaming4gd

 

240: http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-video-card-r9290xedbd

[AliveGhost13]

290X any day, trades blows with 970 at 1080p and faster at 1440p and above. Fast 4GB VRAM, the "hot and takes too much power" argument is completely irrelevant.

The Matrix is an incredible card

[Guest]

290X any day, trades blows with 970 at 1080p and faster at 1440p and above. Fast 4GB VRAM, the "hot and takes too much power" argument is completely irrelevant.

The Matrix is an incredible card

 

How is hot and takes too much power irrelevant? 

[AliveGhost13]

How is hot and takes too much power irrelevant? 

 

Because it's way over-exaggerated. Yes. it'll likely take a bit more power but there was a test somewhere and it only costs a few dollars extra a year at full load

Heat, with any good cooler the 290X will be comparably only in the ball park of 5c hotter, and the matrix has a very good cooler

Of course it depends on your electricity bill per kWh, but it's barely noticeable as the 290X is a cheaper card anyway

 

Ok, irrelevant may be the wrong word to use, but over-exaggerated by a LOT

[Guest]

Because it's way over-exaggerated. Yes. it'll likely take a bit more power but there was a test somewhere and it only costs a few dollars extra a year at full load

Heat, with any good cooler the 290X will be comparably only in the ball park of 5c hotter, and the matrix has a very good cooler

Of course it depends on your electricity bill per kWh, but it's barely noticeable as the 290X is a cheaper card anyway

 

I was more concerned about whether 600w would be enough, rather than the cost of electricity. Okay, when i meant heat i was mainly meaning noise levels. Generally, the hotter the card, the louder the cooler. But looking into it, i don't know if i should get the Matrix and save £50. I'm going to need to decide in the next hour or so, so i can cancel my order on the 970. 

[AliveGhost13]

I was more concerned about whether 600w would be enough, rather than the cost of electricity. Okay, when i meant heat i was mainly meaning noise levels. Generally, the hotter the card, the louder the cooler. But looking into it, i don't know if i should get the Matrix and save £50. I'm going to need to decide in the next hour or so, so i can cancel my order on the 970. 

 

600W is just fine, 550W is more than enough for a 290X tbh

 

The Matrix is a really brilliant cooler, and won't be all that loud, probably as loud as a lower-tiered 970 cooler

[Guest]

600W is just fine, 550W is more than enough for a 290X tbh

 

The Matrix is a really brilliant cooler, and won't be all that loud, probably as loud as a lower-tiered 970 cooler

 

Honest opinion, cancel the 970 and get the Matrix, saving £50? Or, stick with the GTX 970 Gigabyte G1 Gaming?

[AliveGhost13]

Honest opinion, cancel the 970 and get the Matrix, saving £50? Or, stick with the GTX 970 Gigabyte G1 Gaming?

 

My honest opinion is get the 290X yes. Others would say 970, but for me it's 290X all day every day.

[Guest]

My honest opinion is get the 290X yes. Others would say 970, but for me it's 290X all day every day.

 

Or Asus Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II 4096MB for £230... https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-364-AS

 

Such a hard decision  :mellow:

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

Or Asus Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II 4096MB for £230... https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-364-AS

 

Such a hard decision  :mellow:

 

If there ever were a 290x Lightning in consideration I would take it over any 970. But the Matrix is around Lightning tier, I would personally avoid the normal DCU II card. 

[Guest]

If there ever were a 290x Lightning in consideration I would take it over any 970. But the Matrix is around Lightning tier, I would personally avoid the normal DCU II card. 

 

So Matrix for £250 or Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970 for £290?

[Whorax]

Ya'll are fallin' in love with a beat up street hag... here's true beauty:

This.

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

So Matrix for £250 or Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970 for £290?

 

Though choice this is. Do want a stealthy efficient card? Or do you want a pure brute?   

Do you like AMD or Nvidia features? 

[Guest]

Though choice this is. Do want a stealthy efficient card? Or do you want a pure brute?   

Do you like AMD or Nvidia features? 

 

I want quiet mostly. Never had a Nvidia card, although looking at the features they do appeal to me. 

[Kinda Bottlenecked]

I want quiet mostly. Never had a Nvidia card, although looking at the features they do appeal to me. 

 

Well the G1 is one of the loudest 970s , Asus on the other hand has one of the quietest fans I know. 

 

Check out the DCU II fans as compared to others ( At full speed)  http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-280x-third-party-round-up,3655-6.html

[Weirdybeardyman]

I recently got the 970 with the reference cooler from overclockers.co.uk and I have to say it is beautiful and so well built and would reccomend it over the g1. It was just a little bit of a performance upgrade over my 460.

[Guest]

I recently got the 970 with the reference cooler from overclockers.co.uk and I have to say it is beautiful and so well built and would reccomend it over the g1. It was just a little bit of a performance upgrade over my 460.

 

Interesting, was considering it actually but was put off by the noise level of reference coolers. 

 

Could you kindly tell me what temps you experience and the noise levels...? 

[Vexzarium]

Interesting, was considering it actually but was put off by the noise level of reference coolers. 

 

Could you kindly tell me what temps you experience and the noise levels...? 

The Asus 290x is not loud at all. If you want the perfect 290x, the Lightning is hands down the best 290x.

 

I'd say save the cash and pick up the 290x, you wont be disappointed. I jumped all over the G1-970 and it was a good card, when I switched to the 290x Lightning, I was truly blown away. My benchmarks all picked up 5-10fps, Valley, Heaven, and Fire Strike picked up 2000 overall points. In game, I range from 2-10 fps better than I did with the G1-970. I did, however, prefer Nvidia features over AMD's. But I', a big brute, play as a big brute in every game I play, and prefer raw power over features. 290x is a more powerful card.

 

P.S. I switched because I wanted to make sure I was getting the most for my money, and at the time, the G1-970 and the 290x Lightning were the exact same price. Like I said, for the same dollar, I picked up a lot of performance.

[DimasRMDO]

(I also do hope you know that the interview is fake )

Damn....

[Wirerat]

970 gets my vote. Performance is about the same but the 970 wont dump near as much heat in the case.

[xAcid9]

If there ever were a 290x Lightning in consideration I would take it over any 970. But the Matrix is around Lightning tier, I would personally avoid the normal DCU II card. 

Nope, the 290x Matrix is inferior to the Lightning, heck even 290x Vapor-X is better. 

 

Check both DCU and Matrix heatsink cooler, both was design for the larger GK110. 

 

Matrix

 

DCU

 

 

 

So Matrix for £250 or Gigabyte G1 Gaming 970 for £290?

Is that the cheapest 290x you can find?

 

Well the G1 is one of the loudest 970s , Asus on the other hand has one of the quietest fans I know. 

 

Check out the DCU II fans as compared to others ( At full speed)  http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-r9-280x-third-party-round-up,3655-6.html

 

That's for 280x. Tomhardware tested the 290x DCU cooler perform pretty badly in closed case scenario. http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/r9-290x-case-performance,3710-2.html

[Vexzarium]

Nope, the 290x Matrix is inferior to the Lightning, heck even 290x Vapor-X is better. 

 

Holy crap, I'd say the Lightning is superior. My highest temp of all time is 72c during Heaven Benchmark with a nasty overclock on it. Well, nasty-ish: 1225/1575 on MSi Afterburner. (AKA: 1225mhz/6300mhz)

 

Actually caught my highest temp of all time in a screenshot:

[Sam Z Man]

May I suggest the R9 290X windforce I have one and it's cooler is really good when the box says the cooler is rated at 450 watts there not joking.

And for £266 it's a good price http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr929xoc4gd

[Weirdybeardyman]

Interesting, was considering it actually but was put off by the noise level of reference coolers.

Could you kindly tell me what temps you experience and the noise levels...?

The cooler is silent at idle, I can't hear it over case fans and my 212 evo even at load, and my temps do not exceed 55 running unigine heaven in a loop for 30 mins.

In my judgment an even better perk to the noise is that is has special capacitors and other features to prevent or reduce coil whine which is a bit of a problem with other 970's.