R9 390x / R9 290X

[Nikht_Revan_S539]

What is the actual difference between these two cards? I know the 390x is a rebrand, but what is the performance difference between the two? (I know it's not much, but I'm curious.)

 

Anyways, on to the main point: What is this card supposed to compete with? Nothing I read or look into says what specific card that it's meant to go head to head with. Instead, all I see is that "It's priced competitively to X card, but it's more like card Y" or "NO, actually, it performs more like THIS card to this card" and my favourite "You should look at the 970 instead... AND SLI IT TOO!".  There's a million "benchmark tests" saying this and that, but nothing seems to enforce what the next person says. 

[MbV93]

It competes with the GTX 980, it seems like AMD really managed to squeeze a bit more performance while being even a bit more efficient. Here is a review: http://www.hardwarecanucks.com/forum/hardware-canucks-reviews/69646-amd-r9-390x-8gb-performance-review-7.html

[niofalpha]

It's pretty much a binned and slightly overclocked 290x 8GB.  290(x) is better value.

[TylerLovekeeper]

not much,  Linus said this in the last wan show  "if you want a 390x,  just buy a 290x and draw a 3 on it"

[Aphala]

Don't buy a 290X

 

Increased Tessellation and overall performance.

 

R290X doesn't have GCN 1.2 [Edit]: Only R9 2XX card to have 1.2 for GCN is R9 285/

 

Also better support for mantle/vulkan.

 

Anyone tells you otherwise needs a kick in the love spuds / love flaps.

[itachipirate]

not much,  Linus said this in the last wan show  "if you want a 390x,  just buy a 290x and draw a 3 on it"

That seemed pretty over-simplified and lazy of him to say IMO

[Nikht_Revan_S539]

It's pretty much a binned and slightly overclocked 290x 8GB.  290(x) is better value.

 

not much,  Linus said this in the last wan show  "if you want a 390x,  just buy a 290x and draw a 3 on it"

 

How so? I just took a look at the price of the two and the 290x is $419.99 while the 390x is $429.99. Just from what's been posted in this thread, the 390x seems like the more future proof option.

 

Here's where prices are:

 

R9 290x: http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Version-PCI-Express-Graphics-11226-17-20G/dp/B00TYF8N6K/ref=sr_1_cc_8?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1434837123&sr=1-8-catcorr&keywords=R9+290x&pebp=1434837148132&perid=0HJABN5M6J89433ZKHTS

 

R9 390x: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGL8CFI/ref=br_prlt_grdDy_pdt-26?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=1SDXSMAY36X1W29NHQQJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2107299262&pf_rd_i=11166464011

 

Please give information and not just say something.

[Nikht_Revan_S539]

Don't buy a 290X

 

Increased Tessellation and overall performance.

 

R290X doesn't have GCN 1.2 [Edit]: Only R9 2XX card to have 1.2 for GCN is R9 285/

 

Also better support for mantle/vulkan.

 

Anyone tells you otherwise needs a kick in the love spuds / love flaps.

Can you please provide a source?

[Speaker1264]

Don't buy a 290X

 

Increased Tessellation and overall performance.

 

R290X doesn't have GCN 1.2 [Edit]: Only R9 2XX card to have 1.2 for GCN is R9 285/

 

Also better support for mantle/vulkan.

 

Anyone tells you otherwise needs a kick in the love spuds / love flaps.

 

Increased tessellation and performance were from a driver update, which was confirmed when someone got the driver working for a 290x card.  It was all explained on the WAN show.

[Tacitus]

It's essentially an 8GB 290x with a higher pricepoint. It looks a good bit better in reviews than the 290x and closer to the 980, but mainly because drivers have improved and not, afaik, because it's actually any better.

 

If you can still get a 290/290x for a good bit cheaper than a 390/390x then do that.

[niofalpha]

How so? I just took a look at the price of the two and the 290x is $419.99 while the 390x is $429.99. Just from what's been posted in this thread, the 390x seems like the more future proof option.

 

Here's where prices are:

 

R9 290x: http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Version-PCI-Express-Graphics-11226-17-20G/dp/B00TYF8N6K/ref=sr_1_cc_8?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1434837123&sr=1-8-catcorr&keywords=R9+290x&pebp=1434837148132&perid=0HJABN5M6J89433ZKHTS

 

R9 390x: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZGL8CFI/ref=br_prlt_grdDy_pdt-26?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=1SDXSMAY36X1W29NHQQJ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=2107299262&pf_rd_i=11166464011

 

Please give information and not just say something.

The cheapest 4GB 290x is 276$. It will perform within ~10% of the 390x for ~150$ cheaper. 4GB isn't even fully used for gaming in 4K, so the extra 4GB is pointless. Yes, it is more "Future Proof". If you need 8GB, then get the 390x over the 290x 8GB but if you're not on Multi- 4K displays then get a 290x 4GB.

 

http://www.maximumpc.com/sapphire-amd-tri-x-r9-390x-review/

As shown here, the difference in performance is a 12% change (in those benchmarks @1080p). But the price difference between the cheapest 290x and the 390x on pcpartpicker is a 55.6% increase. The 290x will eventually likely get the extra performance which the drivers apparently added through a cracked bios.

[Nena Trinity]

390 is better and uses less power!

 

It is still a 290 but ya know better!

[Nikht_Revan_S539]

The cheapest 4GB 290x is 276$. It will perform within ~10% of the 390x for ~150$ cheaper. 4GB isn't even fully used for gaming in 4K, so the extra 4GB is pointless. Yes, it is more "Future Proof". If you need 8GB, then get the 390x over the 290x 8GB but if you're not on Multi- 4K displays then get a 290x 4GB.

 

http://www.maximumpc.com/sapphire-amd-tri-x-r9-390x-review/

As shown here, the difference in performance is a 12% change (in those benchmarks @1080p). But the price difference between the cheapest 290x and the 390x on pcpartpicker is a 55.6% increase. The 290x will eventually likely get the extra performance which the drivers apparently added through a cracked bios.

Sorry, I should have said this right off the bat, but I sent those link to amazon because that's where I buy all of my computer stuff. Should've said that sooner.

 

Moving on...

 

No, I don't NEED 8GB of vram, but only in the same why that I don't NEED a computer. The games I play are all games like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls games. I really like to mod 'em and seeing as just how many mods have sprung up for Skyrim... I just want a card that will give me the ability to mod the upcoming games like crazy and still run well. And seeing as to how NVIDIA played their vram game... I'm limited to just 4GB unless I want to pay the price of two 390x. While still not even getting 8GB of vram.

[Aphala]

Can you please provide a source?

If you were more specific, that would be great.

 

Increased tessellation and performance were from a driver update, which was confirmed when someone got the driver working for a 290x card.  It was all explained on the WAN show.

Are you sure....? Even though it was for DX12 which only Windows 10 has. Win7 doesn't have it nor does Win8/8.1 lol