An old argument 970 or 290x

[Negativelead]

A year ago I bought a 970 and after installing it my machine would not boot past the POST.
Man was I bummed. I returned the card and got a 280x (after 3 weeks of RMS's)

So now, after building a new machine I've come full circle to the verge of getting another 970. My biggest question is this:

I have an FX 8350. My only question is if you think the 8350 would work better with the r9 290x instead of the 970? I've considered going intel, but buying a whole new board and CPU can't be worth it.

 

[Martell1977]

What was the issue determined to be with the original 970? What PSU do yo have? Are you looking at the R9 290X or 390X?

The 290X uses more power but is faster. Same with the 390X however, the 390X has 8gb of GDDR5 which will give you more longevity The 390X performs closer to the 980. The 970 is more power efficient, not quite as fast but does a good job.

CPU's have no preference on GPU, either should work, assuming you know what went wrong before with the 970 and the issue was resolved.

 

[Negativelead]

What was the issue determined to be with the original 970? What PSU do yo have? Are you looking at the R9 290X or 390X?

The 290X uses more power but is faster. Same with the 390X however, the 390X has 8gb of GDDR5 which will give you more longevity The 390X performs closer to the 980. The 970 is more power efficient, not quite as fast but does a good job.

CPU's have no preference on GPU, either should work, assuming you know what went wrong before with the 970 and the issue was resolved.

Ya, I just got done looking at the 8 G version of the MSI 390x and will probably go with that.

The first 970? Nvida told me that the BIOS on my gigabyte angelica board was not sophisticated enough for the card. But I found a web site that specs each board with the 970 and my MOBO was on the list with bench marks. I may have just got a bad unit In the end I built a new system around my 8350 CPU(ASUS M5 A97 R2.0 MOBO) and went with the 280x b/c it came with a free version of BF4.........which I played about 4 times.

Yes, I wish I would have gone with an Intel board. But I don't think with a high end GPU I'm going to see more then 5 fps bottleneck

I have a Corsair CX 750 PSU

 

[Negativelead]

So I'm trying to figure out what 390x to get

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011D7AAEE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1JOHC1US9FQIG&coliid=IWIV8M12M7VO8

http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Version-PCI-Express-Graphics-11241-00-20G/dp/B00ZGL8CFI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1448863667&sr=1-2&keywords=390x

Neither has the memory speed of the 970. But the ASUS doesn't list the memory speed.

 

[Martell1977]

So I'm trying to figure out what 390x to get

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011D7AAEE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1JOHC1US9FQIG&coliid=IWIV8M12M7VO8

http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Version-PCI-Express-Graphics-11241-00-20G/dp/B00ZGL8CFI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1448863667&sr=1-2&keywords=390x

Neither has the memory speed of the 970. But the ASUS doesn't list the memory speed.

Both are really nice cards. I personally would go with the Sapphire due tot he price. My go-to brands are Sapphire, ASUS and XFX for AMD cards and choosing between them depends mostly on who has the best price.

Don't put too much importance on memory speed. While it is important, the GPU's between the 970 and the 390X use the bandwidth with difference efficiency. The 970 has 3.5gb of fast memory and 0.5gb of crippled memory, but this only impacts performance if you max out the memory. Actual performance is the best way to judge a GPU.

 

[Negativelead]

So I'm trying to figure out what 390x to get

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B011D7AAEE/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1JOHC1US9FQIG&coliid=IWIV8M12M7VO8

http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-Version-PCI-Express-Graphics-11241-00-20G/dp/B00ZGL8CFI/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1448863667&sr=1-2&keywords=390x

Neither has the memory speed of the 970. But the ASUS doesn't list the memory speed.

Both are really nice cards. I personally would go with the Sapphire due tot he price. My go-to brands are Sapphire, ASUS and XFX for AMD cards and choosing between them depends mostly on who has the best price.

Don't put too much importance on memory speed. While it is important, the GPU's between the 970 and the 390X use the bandwidth with difference efficiency. The 970 has 3.5gb of fast memory and 0.5gb of crippled memory, but this only impacts performance if you max out the memory. Actual performance is the best way to judge a GPU.

The ASUS Jumped up 100$ over night. I thought it would come down. I found it on New Egg for about the same price, and about an hour after ordering it I called back to ask new egg if I could switch it to the Sapphire before the order shipped (no go).Upon closer inspection the reviews suggest that the tri-fex fans make the Sapphire run cooler. Some people complained of the noise on the ASUS, but my research says it runs tops about 60 dB (which is equivalent to a kittens purr).

I have a good Corsair Case with great cooling, and my fans run about 60 dB as of now. So as long as I can keep it cool I'll be happy with my choice. I kind of wish I would have ordered the Sapphire because it supports multiple monitors. But I'll have to live with my decision.

I know this is probably a preposterous question, but do your think Matching an ASUS GPU & ASUS MOBO helps in anyway?I wouldn't think so, but it's one of those questions you might be able to throw rhetoric at.

 

[Martell1977]

The ASUS Jumped up 100$ over night. I thought it would come down. I found it on New Egg for about the same price, and about an hour after ordering it I called back to ask new egg if I could switch it to the Sapphire before the order shipped (no go).Upon closer inspection the reviews suggest that the tri-fex fans make the Sapphire run cooler. Some people complained of the noise on the ASUS, but my research says it runs tops about 60 dB (which is equivalent to a kittens purr).

I have a good Corsair Case with great cooling, and my fans run about 60 dB as of now. So as long as I can keep it cool I'll be happy with my choice. I kind of wish I would have ordered the Sapphire because it supports multiple monitors. But I'll have to live with my decision.

I know this is probably a preposterous question, but do your think Matching an ASUS GPU & ASUS MOBO helps in anyway?I wouldn't think so, but it's one of those questions you might be able to throw rhetoric at.

Matching brands like that makes no difference, it comes down to quality and customer service. I have used ASUS products for years now and they are great. Of all the items I've had, only one didn't last 5 years or more. in fact I still have a motherboard from 2001 from ASUS.

As for the fans being loud, it's not impossible to get a defective card, plus, you never really know the conditions where they had the issue.

Don't worry about having ordered the ASUS, it supports multiple monitors. This one is good for 5 monitors:
http://www.asus.com/us/Graphics-Cards/STRIXR9390XDC3OC8GD5GAMING/specifications/

I was trying to get an ASUS R9 390 earlier and it sold out before I decided to get it. Ended up getting a Sapphire R9 390 and am glad to have it. Newegg was selling out toms of stuff today.

 

[Negativelead]

The ASUS Jumped up 100$ over night. I thought it would come down. I found it on New Egg for about the same price, and about an hour after ordering it I called back to ask new egg if I could switch it to the Sapphire before the order shipped (no go).Upon closer inspection the reviews suggest that the tri-fex fans make the Sapphire run cooler. Some people complained of the noise on the ASUS, but my research says it runs tops about 60 dB (which is equivalent to a kittens purr).

I have a good Corsair Case with great cooling, and my fans run about 60 dB as of now. So as long as I can keep it cool I'll be happy with my choice. I kind of wish I would have ordered the Sapphire because it supports multiple monitors. But I'll have to live with my decision.



I know this is probably a preposterous question, but do your think Matching an ASUS GPU & ASUS MOBO helps in anyway?I wouldn't think so, but it's one of those questions you might be able to throw rhetoric at.

Matching brands like that makes no difference, it comes down to quality and customer service. I have used ASUS products for years now and they are great. Of all the items I've had, only one didn't last 5 years or more. in fact I still have a motherboard from 2001 from ASUS.

As for the fans being loud, it's not impossible to get a defective card, plus, you never really know the conditions where they had the issue.

Don't worry about having ordered the ASUS, it supports multiple monitors. This one is good for 5 monitors:
http://www.asus.com/us/Graphics-Cards/STRIXR9390XDC3OC8GD5GAMING/specifications/

I was trying to get an ASUS R9 390 earlier and it sold out before I decided to get it. Ended up getting a Sapphire R9 390 and am glad to have it. Newegg was selling out toms of stuff today.

I got the card today. I was very surprised on how fast it arrived. New Egg said it would take 4 to 7 business days and it took 1!
So far I've only tried it on AC Unity and Fallout 4. I was stunned to see the FPS on ACU with the gorgeous scenery of the environment (its such beautiful game so its a shame its riddled with so many bugs.
I'm really happy with a lot of the cards features. GPU Tweak 11, XSplit. It offers a in game recording option without the need of any additional software.

But I'm experiencing in awful lot of crashes. I fear I may have to send the card back. I read somewhere that there was an issue with this cards drivers. So I'll have to do some research into that as a possible cause.

Thank You for your advice and eyes along the way Martell

 

[Negativelead]

The ASUS Jumped up 100$ over night. I thought it would come down. I found it on New Egg for about the same price, and about an hour after ordering it I called back to ask new egg if I could switch it to the Sapphire before the order shipped (no go).Upon closer inspection the reviews suggest that the tri-fex fans make the Sapphire run cooler. Some people complained of the noise on the ASUS, but my research says it runs tops about 60 dB (which is equivalent to a kittens purr).

I have a good Corsair Case with great cooling, and my fans run about 60 dB as of now. So as long as I can keep it cool I'll be happy with my choice. I kind of wish I would have ordered the Sapphire because it supports multiple monitors. But I'll have to live with my decision.

I know this is probably a preposterous question, but do your think Matching an ASUS GPU & ASUS MOBO helps in anyway?I wouldn't think so, but it's one of those questions you might be able to throw rhetoric at.

Matching brands like that makes no difference, it comes down to quality and customer service. I have used ASUS products for years now and they are great. Of all the items I've had, only one didn't last 5 years or more. in fact I still have a motherboard from 2001 from ASUS.

As for the fans being loud, it's not impossible to get a defective card, plus, you never really know the conditions where they had the issue.

Don't worry about having ordered the ASUS, it supports multiple monitors. This one is good for 5 monitors:
http://www.asus.com/us/Graphics-Cards/STRIXR9390XDC3OC8GD5GAMING/specifications/

I was trying to get an ASUS R9 390 earlier and it sold out before I decided to get it. Ended up getting a Sapphire R9 390 and am glad to have it. Newegg was selling out toms of stuff today.

Is there a way to determine if my PSU is causing the card to crash? I have a Corsair CX 750w PSU. Someone bought for me as a gift, so I never researched it, but someone mentioned passingly to me that it was a cheap PSU. I'm going to blue screen when I I put a load on the card and the computer restarts.

The blue screen is covered with messages and numbers, but it pretty much says on the top that windows has shut the machine down to prevent damage to the computer and at the bottom is several numbers indicating a physical memory dump.

 

[Martell1977]

The CX series is a lower end PSU. They are Ok on a tight budget and if you don't push them, but they are cheaply made and when pushed can cause a lot of problems. You have a high end card, you should replace that PSU ASAP.

Here is the PSU list:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
The CX series is Tier 4...of 5, 5 being horrible. When you replace it, try to stick to Tiers 1 or 2, if your budget is tight, Tier 3 should be Ok, but it's preferable to keep in 1 or 2. The PSU in my signature is a Tier 2 and has served me well, I have no worries for when my R9 390 arrives.

Be careful about pushing that PSU until you can replace it, you don't want it to take out your other components. In the meantime, try reseating the card and the 2 power connections to it, just to be sure that everything is secure.

 

[Negativelead]

The CX series is a lower end PSU. They are Ok on a tight budget and if you don't push them, but they are cheaply made and when pushed can cause a lot of problems. You have a high end card, you should replace that PSU ASAP.

Here is the PSU list:
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html
The CX series is Tier 4...of 5, 5 being horrible. When you replace it, try to stick to Tiers 1 or 2, if your budget is tight, Tier 3 should be Ok, but it's preferable to keep in 1 or 2. The PSU in my signature is a Tier 2 and has served me well, I have no worries for when my R9 390 arrives.

Be careful about pushing that PSU until you can replace it, you don't want it to take out your other components. In the meantime, try reseating the card and the 2 power connections to it, just to be sure that everything is secure.

I was thinking of getting this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139141

So you don't think it could be a driver issue? The PSU is 750w. What makes one 750w better than the next?

 

[Martell1977]

I was thinking of getting this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139141

So you don't think it could be a driver issue? The PSU is 750w. What makes one 750w better than the next?

What you describe sounds more like a hardware issue rather than software. When you stress the card, the clocks go up and it draws more power, at that point it is very likely that is when the PSU shows it's weakness.

As for what defines a good or bad PSU, that list I linked before has a definition of each tier as to why those PSU's are on that tier. Things like thin gauge wiring, sub-standard capacitors, etc. When you have a high wattage PSU for a really low price that isn't on sale or a holiday blowout, that is a good indication that there will be issues with quality.

The one you linked is a Tier 2 unit and has been found to be of good quality, it should serve you well.

 

[Negativelead]

I was thinking of getting this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139141

So you don't think it could be a driver issue? The PSU is 750w. What makes one 750w better than the next?

What you describe sounds more like a hardware issue rather than software. When you stress the card, the clocks go up and it draws more power, at that point it is very likely that is when the PSU shows it's weakness.

As for what defines a good or bad PSU, that list I linked before has a definition of each tier as to why those PSU's are on that tier. Things like thin gauge wiring, sub-standard capacitors, etc. When you have a high wattage PSU for a really low price that isn't on sale or a holiday blowout, that is a good indication that there will be issues with quality.

The one you linked is a Tier 2 unit and has been found to be of good quality, it should serve you well.

Every time I buy a PC component I cant live with my decision. I found a PSU that I feel may be a better deal.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207021&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

It's not so much the watts, but I noticed that the Corsair PSU I bought doesn't support crossfire. I have never crossfired, but down the road to do 4k gaming I feel I may need to, and I just don't want to buy another PSU again. The reviews on the xfx are not all that great though. I hate RMA's, but Newegg is pretty good about getting money back to you.

 

[Martell1977]

Every time I buy a PC component I cant live with my decision. I found a PSU that I feel may be a better deal.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207021&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

It's not so much the watts, but I noticed that the Corsair PSU I bought doesn't support crossfire. I have never crossfired, but down the road to do 4k gaming I feel I may need to, and I just don't want to buy another PSU again. The reviews on the xfx are not all that great though. I hate RMA's, but Newegg is pretty good about getting money back to you.

I'm pretty sure that is an error in the listing, with 6x PCIe power conections, it should be able to handle crossfire and SLI, but depending on which cards. The other you picked looks nice and could probably let you crossfire/SLI higher end cards. Either is a good choice considering that the next gen GPU's should be more power efficient on both sides.

 

[Negativelead]

I was thinking of getting this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139141

So you don't think it could be a driver issue? The PSU is 750w. What makes one 750w better than the next?

What you describe sounds more like a hardware issue rather than software. When you stress the card, the clocks go up and it draws more power, at that point it is very likely that is when the PSU shows it's weakness.

As for what defines a good or bad PSU, that list I linked before has a definition of each tier as to why those PSU's are on that tier. Things like thin gauge wiring, sub-standard capacitors, etc. When you have a high wattage PSU for a really low price that isn't on sale or a holiday blowout, that is a good indication that there will be issues with quality.

The one you linked is a Tier 2 unit and has been found to be of good quality, it should serve you well.

I jumped on it man. I couldn't find a reason not to. On all the other sites I check it was north of 200$, it was rated a tier one in the list you linked to, its more watts than the RMX, its got a 5 year warranty. I couldn't take the chance of it going back up.

If it seems too good to be true it general is. It's 10$ cheaper (after rebate) than the Corsair. I tried as hard as I could to spot something in the jargon of the big name that would indicate its not really the Pro Series Black Edition. But I couldn't find anything.

My money's tied up, but that's ok. So I have two PSU's coming. Now its just a matter of which one to send back?

 

[Negativelead]

Every time I buy a PC component I cant live with my decision. I found a PSU that I feel may be a better deal.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207021&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-PCPartPicker,%20LLC-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

It's not so much the watts, but I noticed that the Corsair PSU I bought doesn't support crossfire. I have never crossfired, but down the road to do 4k gaming I feel I may need to, and I just don't want to buy another PSU again. The reviews on the xfx are not all that great though. I hate RMA's, but Newegg is pretty good about getting money back to you.

"I'm pretty sure that is an error in the listing."

I didn't see you last answer before I posted.I figured that may be the case, because I don't know anything about cross fire. There is still a chance that a may keep the Corsair, based soley on the fact that I I don't want to open it before sending it back and I do want to get to enjoying this 390x (the xfx will take a few more days to get here. )

Which one would you take?

 

[Martell1977]

"I'm pretty sure that is an error in the listing."

I didn't see you last answer before I posted.I figured that may be the case, because I don't know anything about cross fire. There is still a chance that a may keep the Corsair, based soley on the fact that I I don't want to open it before sending it back and I do want to get to enjoying this 390x (the xfx will take a few more days to get here. )

Which one would you take?

Honestly, since both are on the way, I'd keep the XFX. It is a Tier one, so has been found to be very high quality and the price isn't a issue, there is no good reason not to. Plus, should you someday wish to crossfire, you wont even have to think twice about the wattage, Amps on the +12v rail or the quality. With the Corsair, the wattage might present an issue with the highest end cards...especially the ones in AMD's current line-up. Basically, there is just no reason or downside to keeping the XFX.