R9 390 and 390X coolers

[Codyman125]

So I've been looking at graphics cards a lot lately for friends who are building PCs. One thing I've noticed is that... the sexy reference cooler AMD designed for the R9 3xx re-badges is NOWHERE to be found. sure there are the one off ones made by AMD themselves, but why are reference cards by companies like XFX still using the old design?

 

(Pictures related)

[App4that]

Because blower style coolers suck? Literally?

[Codyman125]

Because blower style coolers suck? Literally?

Oh yeah, I don't disagree at all, but they're still usually out there. I've seen tons of 290& 290xs using blower style, and am surprised to see that isn't the case on 300's anymore.

[Clear17Mud]

Ik the stock 300 series coolers look bad a but I believe they are only renders. The only ones with the stock cooler are the nano and the fury x.

[App4that]

Oh yeah, I don't disagree at all, but they're still usually out there. I've seen tons of 290& 290xs using blower style, and am surprised to see that isn't the case on 300's anymore.

No reason for them, pure and simple.

[DrtyDiesel]

Show me a reference cooler for the 390 that can keep it at 64°C at full load at 1440p and 54°C at full load at 1080p, and I'll buy one.

[Codyman125]

Ik the stock 300 series coolers look bad a but I believe they are only renders. The only ones with the stock cooler are the nano and the fury x.

I thought the same, but they are out there! They're only available in these stupid bundle deals direct from AMD though.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814105039&ignorebbr=1&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-PC-_-pla-_-Desktop+PC-_-N82E16814105039&gclid=Cj0KEQiAzai0BRCs2Yydo8yptuIBEiQAN3_lFjZtSQkaTWfAA6YOF3pFWyl8Vtb1jv4mHHs6I-hu1mEaAhKM8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Codyman125]

No reason for them, pure and simple.

Reference PCB design for watercooling though. I have a ref 980Ti under water and it is hard to find blocks for non-ref cards.

[Codyman125]

Show me a reference cooler for the 390 that can keep it at 64°C at full load at 1440p and 54°C at full load at 1080p, and I'll buy one.

like I said, the cooler itself sucks, but it looks damn sexy if you're waiting to do a custom water loop like I did.

[App4that]

Reference PCB design for watercooling though. I have a ref 980Ti under water and it is hard to find blocks for non-ref cards.

Then you should research who

Makes the PCB, might surprise you

[Clear17Mud]

-snip-

Because bitcoin mining on GPUs has passed... Also your SIG should just say ¢ustom £oops ar€ $$$$$$$$$$$$

Jk love the SIG...

[DrtyDiesel]

like I said, the cooler itself sucks, but it looks damn sexy if you're waiting to do a custom water loop like I did.

I do like the way the sapphire 390 NITRO looks in my case. Though I can see the appeal of the reference style cards.

I bought a Fury X to replace my 390, I get it from FedEx tomorrow. That's about as much water cooling as I do lol

[Clear17Mud]

Show me a reference cooler for the 390 that can keep it at 64°C at full load at 1440p and 54°C at full load at 1080p, and I'll buy one.

Once you stick a water block on it... Don't need to pay for metal and fans that aren't being used...

[Tagiau]

Reference PCB design for watercooling though. I have a ref 980Ti under water and it is hard to find blocks for non-ref cards.

They were fairly difficult to find. Then companies started to make more and more non-ref blocks. For reference pcb's on the 300 series you will have to get xfx. I do believe they are still using a reference pcb in both their blower style cards and their dd cards. Or the amd bundle, which if the powersupply is from a good company it isn't a bad deal. 

[Codyman125]

I do like the way the sapphire 390 NITRO looks in my case. Though I can see the appeal of the reference style cards.

I bought a Fury X to replace my 390, I get it from FedEx tomorrow. That's about as much water cooling as I do lol

 Those NITRO Cards look sexy. I still recommend them when I get the chance. hope the fury X serves you well!

[Codyman125]

Once you stick a water block on it... Don't need to pay for metal and fans that aren't being used...

That's true, but Nvidia's ref design is way overkill then. 

[Codyman125]

They were fairly difficult to find. Then companies started to make more and more non-ref blocks. For reference pcb's on the 300 series you will have to get xfx. I do believe they are still using a reference pcb in both their blower style cards and their dd cards. Or the amd bundle, which if the powersupply is from a good company it isn't a bad deal. 

my only experience looking for a non-ref block has been on a PNY GTX 780, there was one made by EK for like a month. now it's gone and nobody seems to have one.

[ivan134]

Oh yeah, I don't disagree at all, but they're still usually out there. I've seen tons of 290& 290xs using blower style, and am surprised to see that isn't the case on 300's anymore.

That's because even if you were going to watercool them, they still need to release a product that works as advertised. Hawaii/Grenada cannot be cooled by those measly things. GCN 1.2 cards (Tonga/Antigua/Fiji) should have had them though. Not really sure why they don't exist.

[Najuno]

The reference coolers of my Titan X cards are amazing... in the glass cabinet, watching my cards being cooled by EKWB fullcover blocks .

[-rascal-]

The R-300 series reference coolers are only found on OEM GPUs.

OEM as in only found in systems from companies like DELL, Alienware, HP, etc.

 

Here is a R9-370 a guy was selling on my local classifieds (I tried to get a hold of it, but someone beat me to it).

BTW, the R9-370 (OEM only) is simply a factory overclocked R7-370 (consumers can buy...on like NewEgg)

 

http://linustechtips.com/main/gallery/album/3629-r-300-series-oem-amd-reference-cooler/

This particular R9-370 was pulled from a brand-new DELL XPS 8900 system.