r9 280x or somthing else?

[tangodown549]

Ive been looking at getting the r9 280x for sometime and i just want to see if there is a better card out there before i buy it i don't care if its one care or two cards i just want to get the most for my money.

Thank you for your time

 

[Karadjgne]

GTX 770 or 780, depending on budget. All 3 cards are very good, but the gtx will require a quality 550w or better PSU, the r9 slightly less

 

[photonboy]

Consider the GTX780, such as the EVGA 967MHz model (ACX cooler) for about $500. That's more expensive but roughly 20% to 25% more powerful.

The GTX770 is also worth considering. The ASUS version I like is $330.

R9-280X:
Be very careful as there's a BIG DIFFERENCE between cards. The PRICE ranges between about $330 and $500. Don't get one if it's $450 or more because you are better off with a GTX780.

Also don't get a CHEAPER one which may have cooler, or quality issues.

Here's a random benchmark but it's a SUMMARY. Keep in mind the GTX780 shown is reference. The EVGA I mention is a lot better: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/R9_280X_OC/26.html

EVGA 780 OC/SC:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/EVGA/GTX_780_SC_ACX_Cooler/26.html

*If you crunch the numbers, then the EVGA 780 SC/OC is about 24% faster than the Gigabyte R9-280X card linked above so factor that into VALUE.

Other considerations:

AMD-> Mantle
(I don't think this is going to end up a huge deal overall now that we know Microsoft has been working on DX12 to improve its performance. Game devs will want to stick with that for cross XBOX ONE/PC support.)

NVidia:
- PhysX
- Shadowplay
- Streaming (to Shield, and upcoming HDTV interface)
- G-Sync (requires new monitor).

Also, SLI is superior to Crossfire overall. Crossfire is improving though.

Summary:
Carefully consider all the above when buying a card. Again:
a) relative VALUE (benchmarks)
b) Quality (see reviews/customer feedback on any card you consider buying)
c) Some R9-280X overheating issues on some models (reduces performance)
d) Other features (mantle, PhysX etc...)

 

[envy14tpe]

Depends on pricing. I'd also look into the 770. As mentioned, the 770 can be run on a less power PSU (guessing around 50W less). The 770 and 280x are head to head comparisons and I'd lean to whichever is a better deal.

Where I live the 770 is overpriced compared to the 280x. Ex. 280x models sell for around $330usd, whereas the 770 is around $400. Had the situation been reversed I would have bought the 770. Also, you get a free copy of BF4 with the 280x, which is nice since it is worth around $30.

What do you need the GPU for?

 

[tangodown549]

Depends on pricing. I'd also look into the 770. As mentioned, the 770 can be run on a less power PSU (guessing around 50W less). The 770 and 280x are head to head comparisons and I'd lean to whichever is a better deal.

Where I live the 770 is overpriced compared to the 280x. Ex. 280x models sell for around $330usd, whereas the 770 is around $400. Had the situation been reversed I would have bought the 770. Also, you get a free copy of BF4 with the 280x, which is nice since it is worth around $30.

What do you need the GPU for?

i need it for gaming I want to run most games on ultra around 50-60 fps

 

[Karadjgne]

best card for that in your budget range is the gtx 780. it'll run ultra on anything, and most games you'll be limited by your monitor to 60fps anyways (most 1920x1080 monitors are 60Hz), so the only time you'll notice fps is when the framerates actually drop below 60fps.

 

[tangodown549]

Here are some of the cards Ive been looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130945

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121803

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133495

 

[tangodown549]

best card for that in your budget range is the gtx 780. it'll run ultra on anything, and most games you'll be limited by your monitor to 60fps anyways (most 1920x1080 monitors are 60Hz), so the only time you'll notice fps is when the framerates actually drop below 60fps.

Yeah but 780s are around $500 and the highest ill go is $450

 

[envy14tpe]

Since you want gaming under $500 then get a 770. It'll max out all games at 1080p.

 

[photonboy]

Since you want gaming under $500 then get a 770. It'll max out all games at 1080p.

Depends what you mean by "max out" as there are PLENTY of games it can't. I have a GTX680 (Asus 3-slot) which is basically the same thing and have to drop the quality on several games to keep 60FPS. I have at least THIRTY games (too many thanks Steam sales) that need settings dropped to maintain 60FPS.

If I "max" the quality on Crysis 3 or Metro 2033/LL for example, I could be at 15FPS though I don't have the exact numbers. AC4 is another example you'll want to drop the quality on to keep a good frame rate.

Having said that, I'm in no rush to upgrade as I can TWEAK the quality settings of the games and they look nearly as good while maintaining 60FPS (I use VSYNC but tweak with it off first).

There's also several games I don't use PHYSX at all because it's too demanding (BTW, dedicated PhysX cards often bottleneck things).

At about $330 USD the Asus GTX770 is my recommendation. If you decide you might want something that can do a little better in some games (and be more "future proof") then consider a GTX780 such as the EVGA 967MHz model for about $500. It also has 3GB (versus the 770's 2GB) which isn't a big deal today but might be in the future depending on how long you keep the card.

I'm not upgrading for another year at least and intend to get a Maxwell GTX880, GTX980 or similar. I'm also curious about the onboard ARM CPU on the higher end-models which might possibly be useful for PhysX calculations though there's nothing official.

 

[photonboy]

Update:
I should add to NOT use Geforce Experience unless you then turn VSYNC OFF. It applies settings to try to get you to an average 40FPS, however you should never have VSYNC ON while running below the monitor refresh rate or the game doesn't run smoothly.

Better to avoid it completely and either game with VSYNC OFF at 50FPS+, or tweak to rarely drop below 60FPS (for most) with VSYNC ON. I suggest Adaptive VSYNC for anyone using VSYNC (force per game with NVidia Control Panel).