R9 290 (Ref) or GTX 770 or ...

[thexcuriousxwanderer]

So I want to get a new GFX for my new rig, and have a chance to buy some of these at a good price. I'm wondering which is the better buy. They are as follows (for now):

1. Asus Radeon R9 290 (Reference Model) Brand New $236
2. EVGA GTX 770 4GB SC ACX, One year warranty left $200
3. Asus R9 280x, Two years warranty left, $200
4. MSI R9 290 + Kraken G10 + H55 + Gelid VRM Cooling, Without warranty, $180

If you guys have any other suggestions in this price range which is better, pls let me know! Thanks a lot. I'm assuming a good 600W (I was thinking of getting 500W PSU actually) will power these cards without problems? Iwill be using an i5 4460.

 

[maxalge]

Any opinions on this?

it not even close performance wise, the 290 is far stronger.

You would also need a good 650w power supply though.

tier 1 or 2 unit in 650w or better:

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/id-2547993/psu-tier-list.html



if that helps you make a choice.


also, if that card from msi comes with the stock cooling stuff that would be the easy win


so as long as you put it back together again, the warranty still applies. they base it on card manufacturing date.

3 years i believe.

 

[thexcuriousxwanderer]

Which 290 would you go for and why? I checked out the PSU forums and they said 500-550W is way more than enough though ...

 

[Finkledbody]

The R9 290 is a good card. Although 500w to 550w may be enough, I agree with Maxalge. A 600w - 650w teir 1 or 2 PSU would compliment your new rig the best.

Consider it

 

[thexcuriousxwanderer]

Haha ok it the forum have speaketh I will probably do it!
That said how bad is a reference model compared to a normal one? I don't have more budget to get more cooling, and not sure how the second hand card will be at the moment. How much warranty should it have beforey ou think it's a good buy, assuming it's been treated properly?

 

[thexcuriousxwanderer]

Got myself a FSP AURUM 80+ 600W! Now to mull over which r9 290 to get ... any idea how bad the reference model is wrt cooling?

 

[maxalge]

Got myself a FSP AURUM 80+ 600W! Now to mull over which r9 290 to get ... any idea how bad the reference model is wrt cooling?

the reference cooler is actually decent, BUT it sounds like this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlQokQsbKlc

 

[thexcuriousxwanderer]

Holy sht that's some snow in there. After browsing more I'm having some second thoughts about buying such a decent card, thinking of saving some money since all I will play on this PC is Heroes of the Storm, and some other RPGs like Divinity Original Sin and Pillars of Eternity. Also my monitor is dated, it's just an old 1920 x 1080. You guys still think it's worth getting the 290? (I have an option of getting a brand new Sapphire R7 260x at 110, that's half the price!)

 

[unknownofprob]

The R9 290 is only worth it depending on how long you are considering putting off another upgrade, how long would that be? Depending on what games you may want to play later on, you may want higher-end titles with max AA which then the R7 260X will be pushing it @ 1080p, which in some games that card is already being pushed. The R9 290 is worth double the cost of the R7 260X as well.

Antec/Seasonic/XFX/Corsair with at least an 80+ BRONZE certification and a minimum of 5 years warranty is a quality PSU, along with the wattage at or above 600W, as you always want that extra headroom. That would be a quality unit, and of course there are also other quality units.

 

[thexcuriousxwanderer]

Yeah, I don't know for now it seems to meet all my gaming requirements, but that said I don't play any of those first person games that are heavy on 3D rendering. I prefer the top down RPGs like Divinity original Sin and Pillars of Eternity, as well as MOBAs. With the discount I'm getting I can get the Sapphire R7 260x as low as less than 100 bucks, which makes the R9 290 more than 2 times more expensive. Maybe I can do an upgrade in 2-3 years time. I'm also going to get an i5-4460 along with this.

As for PSU I've already ordered the FSP Aurum S 600W 80+ Gold (which should be a tier 1 PSU right?), so I'm sure that's enough regardless of what choice of GPU i make now, and probably good for future upgrades too.

 

[Suzuki@1473780084@1473780163]

Buy the newer R9 390/380, preferably Sapphire or MSI cooler on it, if you want AMD. It's always wise to buy mid end GPU's, rather than low end, much more for your money my friend. The i5 4460 is an excellent choice, I recommend a good B85 motherboard, such as the B85M E45, or maybe even a H97. If you're starting from scratch (except PSU), then tell us what your budget is and where you're buying from. You have some very experienced builders that may be able to help you.

 

[unknownofprob]

The PSU choice is great, and is capable of supporting future upgrades for sure, as long as it is within reason.

"preferably Sapphire or MSI cooler on it"

whats so special about those two only? - There are other brands that are arguable better that are board partners with AMD, Asus and Gigabyte are the other two. That said there is nothing wrong with Sapphire or MSI.

If money is of a main concern, the choice of the R7 260X won't be a problem, as with the games you mentioned there wont be a problem. Only unless you are considering more advanced games, a more powerful GPU would be the suggested, otherwise your choice you have already can be final.