Crossfire/CrossfireX?

[KingKrazed]

Okay so this is my first post usually just browsing around. but last week I was just shopping on eBay, and I "thought" I found the exact same gpu I have in my current system for only $100 so I was all hell ya! I get to try crossfire baby!!

 

Well I get the card and I plop it in the system. grab the fancy crossfire bridge and what do you know the card in my system doesn't have a connector to put it?!?! but the one I just bought does?!? did some searching and I guess there was a switch between crossfire and crossfire x and I now own one of each.

real question. is there anyway for me to crossfire these 2 cards? or did I just get a great deal on a fancy paperweight?  

 

eBay:XFX AMD RADEON R9 290 https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-Dissipation-R9290AEDFD-Graphic/dp/B00HHIPM5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536271936&sr=8-1&keywords=xfx+r9+290x&dpID=51D7NodKw2L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

In system: XFX AMD RADEON R9 290X https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Dissipation-R9-290X-EDFD-512-Bit-CrossFireX/dp/B00HHIPN5A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536272200&sr=8-2&keywords=xfx+r9+290x&dpID=41%2BfUSm%2BeDL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

Yes I know these cards are old as *%*& but I was hoping to get a little more life out of them as I finish my newest system build. (waiting on 1080's to take the 2080 release price drop)

thanks a bunch 

 

[riklaunim]

Not every AMD card uses external bridge for crossfire. Some do it via PCIe communication.

[KingKrazed]

5 minutes ago, riklaunim said:

Not every AMD card uses external bridge for crossfire. Some do it via PCIe communication.

that's what I have found with my research. but when I tried putting them both in they didn't seem to want to work together. the 290x didnt find the 290 andif I hooked into the 290 I couldn't find the 290x 

 

is this a bios issue? or were they just never made to both be put in same system?

 

 

 

[MoistStain]

3 minutes ago, KingKrazed said:

that's what I have found with my research. but when I tried putting them both in they didn't seem to want to work together. the 290x didnt find the 290 andif I hooked into the 290 I couldn't find the 290x 

 

 

It most likely won't work, as the 290x is designed for crossfire communication over the external bridge, and the 290 you linked is designed for it via PCIe. I would try to see if you can somehow return the 290 and see how much another 290x would (maybe). Remember for crossfire to work, they don't have to have the same cooler, company, or something like that. It is reported by some, however that two cards of the exact same type perform better due to memory speeds and other base/boost clocks.

[Ryujin2003]

3 minutes ago, KingKrazed said:

that's what I have found with my research. but when I tried putting them both in they didn't seem to want to work together. the 290x didnt find the 290 andif I hooked into the 290 I couldn't find the 290x 

 

 

I don't think they can be hooked together.

[The Blackhat]

11 minutes ago, MoistStain said:

It most likely won't work, as the 290x is designed for crossfire communication over the external bridge, and the 290 you linked is designed for it via PCIe. I would try to see if you can somehow return the 290 and see how much another 290x would (maybe). Remember for crossfire to work, they don't have to have the same cooler, company, or something like that. It is reported by some, however that two cards of the exact same type perform better due to memory speeds and other base/boost clocks.

Neither one was designed to use a bridge, it almost sounds like he recieved a 280X, as that is one of the closest cards that uses an external bridge, the 290 and 290X are both pcie based and should crossfire fine, as I’ve seen it and have 4 290X in crossfire (over pcie) myself

[The Blackhat]

27 minutes ago, KingKrazed said:

Okay so this is my first post usually just browsing around. but last week I was just shopping on eBay, and I "thought" I found the exact same gpu I have in my current system for only $100 so I was all hell ya! I get to try crossfire baby!!

 

Well I get the card and I plop it in the system. grab the fancy crossfire bridge and what do you know the card in my system doesn't have a connector to put it?!?! but the one I just bought does?!? did some searching and I guess there was a switch between crossfire and crossfire x and I now own one of each.

real question. is there anyway for me to crossfire these 2 cards? or did I just get a great deal on a fancy paperweight?  

 

eBay:XFX AMD RADEON R9 290 https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Radeon-Dissipation-R9290AEDFD-Graphic/dp/B00HHIPM5Q/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536271936&sr=8-1&keywords=xfx+r9+290x&dpID=51D7NodKw2L&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

In system: XFX AMD RADEON R9 290X https://www.amazon.com/XFX-Dissipation-R9-290X-EDFD-512-Bit-CrossFireX/dp/B00HHIPN5A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1536272200&sr=8-2&keywords=xfx+r9+290x&dpID=41%2BfUSm%2BeDL&preST=_SX300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

 

Yes I know these cards are old as *%*& but I was hoping to get a little more life out of them as I finish my newest system build. (waiting on 1080's to take the 2080 release price drop)

thanks a bunch 

 

Honestly, it sounds like what you recieved wasn’t a 290 at all, but may have been a 280/280X, as they both use bridges and are of a separate architecture. Could you link the exact ebay listing(I know it will say sold I just want to see it)

[MoistStain]

8 minutes ago, The Blackhat said:

Neither one was designed to use a bridge, it almost sounds like he recieved a 280X, as that is one of the closest cards that uses an external bridge, the 290 and 290X are both pcie based and should crossfire fine, as I’ve seen it and have 4 290X in crossfire (over pcie) myself

Thank you, I am sorry. I didn't realize the 290X did not have an external bridge. I assumed since he said it did, that it did. Maybe the part in his system is a 280X? OP? *Edited* I misunderstood. Yeah, the ebay seller could have definitely just sent you the wrong card. Was the card incredibly cheap? It could be flashed.

Edited September 6, 2018 by MoistStain

[The Blackhat]

1 minute ago, MoistStain said:

Thank you, I am sorry. I didn't realize the 290X did not have an external bridge. I assumed since he said it did, that it did. Maybe the part in his system is a 280X? OP?

He said the card in his system lacked a connector, so I assume he purchased a 280 or 280X, and I’d like to see the ebay listing or for him to check the “290” in something like GPU-Z or, hell, even radeon software/afterburner

[MoistStain]

7 minutes ago, The Blackhat said:

He said the card in his system lacked a connector, so I assume he purchased a 280 or 280X, and I’d like to see the ebay listing or for him to check the “290” in something like GPU-Z or, hell, even radeon software/afterburner

I edited my other comment, I misunderstood originally. Yeah I completely agree. OP may have thought he was purchasing the right thing, and the seller could definitely have lied about the card. It may be flashed

[The Blackhat]

4 minutes ago, MoistStain said:

I edited my other comment, I misunderstood originally. Yeah I completely agree. The seller could definitely have lied about the card. It may be flashed

$100 for a 280X sounds about right, and a 290 for $100 sounds like he got an unreasonable steal, so yeah, that’s a possibility 

[MoistStain]

Just now, The Blackhat said:

$100 for a 280X sounds about right, and a 290 for $100 sounds like he got an unreasonable steal, so yeah, that’s a possibility 

Agreed. OP should try GPU-Z or AMD drivers to check what kind of card it is like you suggested.

[The Blackhat]

2 minutes ago, MoistStain said:

Agreed. OP should try GPU-Z or AMD drivers to check what kind of card it is like you suggested.

He could also send an image of the card, and I can identify it for him if the software tells him it’s a 290 anyway. @KingKrazed mind sending a pic of that card? The one with the bridge connection that you bought on ebay, or just link me the ebay listing