Need Help Choosing---Sapphire 290x or EVGA GTX 970

[ahedgpe]

Hello all,

I am in the market for a new video card. I'm currently running a Sapphire HD 7870XT that I got a couple years ago. I've narrowed down my search to these two cards. It appears either will be a good upgrade. From what I read, the two cards have comparable performance. The 290 runs hotter and is better at resolutions higher than 1080p. I will NOT be using it at higher resolutions which makes me lean more toward the 970. I play some open-world games, space/sim games and some of the newer Total War games. Is there anything I'm missing or other recommendations at the same price-point?

Sapphire Radeon VAPOR-X R9 290
http://www.amazon.com/Sapphire-VAPOR-X-PCI-Express-Graphics-11227-04-40G/dp/B00JJJW4Z2/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1424626600&sr=1-3&keywords=sapphire+radeon+r9+290x

or

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Super Clocked
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-Super-Clocked-Graphics/dp/B00NVODXR4/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1424627009&sr=1-1&keywords=gtx+970

Current Setup:
Windows 7 Ultimate
I5-4670K @ 3.4ghz
GA-Z87MX-D3H mobo
8gb Corsair DDR3
Sapphire HD 7870XT w/Boost 2gb

 

[StalkerIsComing]

Well,the r9 290 vapor-x has higher a higher memory interface (512 compared to 256) but in the other hand,the gtx 970 has a higher core clock (1165 to 1030) and higher memory clock speed (7010 to 5600).Personally I've got good previous experience with gtx gpus but the r9 290 should work just fine.

 

[ingtar33]

I'll say it this way~

Though I abhor nvidia's deceptive marketing of the gtx970, that said it would be dishonest of me to tell you otherwise, but the GTX970 would be a better card for your stated needs (1080p gaming, rome total war is definately an nvidia favored title, as is WoW... that said both cards are 100% guaranteed to land you 60fps at 1080p full settings).

if you're unfamiliar with what i'm speaking about, here is a good summery of the situation, I'll leave it up to you to decide if you wish to reward nvidia for their false advertising practices. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2887234/nvidia-hit-with-false-advertising-suit-over-gtx-970-performance.html

 

[rockie_]

EVGA GeForce GTX 970 Super Clocked ACX 2.0
Great choice for 1920x1080 resolution

 

[Alex Kelly]

Yeah I agree, 970. Make sure to get the SSC or FTW+ though as they have an improved cooler compared to the older ones.

 

[Karadjgne]

You are running a single 1080p monitor so resolutions are moot
You are running a single 1080p monitor so vram is moot
You are playing semi intensive graphics games so that's moot too
What you are left with is only a few variables. Heat, sound, preference and budget.
Heat: The 290 does run a higher exhaust heat. If you have a limited case airflow, this can create problems. Heat from the gpu under extensive graphics situations raises case temps, which lowers effectiveness of not only the gpu cooler, but also the cpu cooler. With good or adequate airflow, any excess heat is exhausted out before this becomes a recirculation problem.
Sound: The 290 uses 3x fans vrs 2x larger fans on the 970, this adds to audible volume under stress conditions, so is slightly louder. For some, this is not a concern, for others who insist on a silent pc, it is.
Preference: AMD vrs nvidia. Some prefer the nvidia software, that includes such things as Shadow Play and some prefer the greater optimization ability of AMD software. It's a personal thing.
Budget: Regardless of any of the above, the 290 costs less than the 970, for very similar performance, of which at 1080p 60Hz, you won't see the upper limits anyways, as regulated by the monitor.

For the average user, who isn't bothered by a little more volume, who isn't bothered by a few degrees of heat on the cpu, who has no need for all the tweaks and gimmicks if software, who just wants to play games at ultra settings easily, the 290 is the better value, simply based on budget alone.

 

[coozie7]

My base rig is practically the same as yours.
I did have a GTX970 but it was a total bast*** in my setup, an RMA got it returned with 'no faults found' but I was able to return it for refund later and have swapped over to a Sapphire Tri-X OC R9 290.
Which probably makes me uniquely positioned.
Frankly, they're very evenly matched for raw performance with the GTX970 just acing the R9 290 with both at stock speeds.
Noise isn't much of an issue for either, neither of the cards I've used/am using could be called noisy, even under the savage loading Furmark can produce neither card could clearly be heard over my Corsair AF120SP case fans.
Temperatures were/are excellent with neither card exceeding 75C, again under Furmark loading but heat and power are different, the GTX970 scores a resounding plus here but I'm seeing no heating issues in my system (Corsair Spec 03 case 2x120m.m. front 1x120m.m. rear AF120SP fans, top vent covered over, no side vent) with the R9 290.
The big plus of the GTX970 for me would be: Smoother gameplay, more software goodies like DSR and Shadowplay, better/more AA options.
The big plus for the R9 290 is its lower cost.
I had the option of getting another GTX970 to replace the previous one, I went AMD instead.

 

[ahedgpe]

Thank you all for these great answers and perspectives! I really have no preference between AMD or Nvidia as I have had good experiences with both. I can get a 970 for only $10-$15 more at this point.