Sapphire 285 vs MSI 280x Graphic cards.

[kieran1203]

So I was planning on buying a 280x but I saw the saphire 285 OC on Novatech for only 119.99! While the cheapest I can find the 280x was about £175. So I bought it.

So my question is, is there a significant difference between these 2 cards? I accepted the 285 isn't as good but now I've read people go on about how 3GB cards are so much better and in the near future thats what you'll need for every new game?

I was thinking I would keep the card (plan on building new PC on the 3rd of April when my brother comes back from uni so he can build it) and maybe just return the card if I have a lot of money left over and can easily buy the 280x or some stupidly cheap offer comes up? He's back in what is it 9 days? So if I don't open or use the card I'm sure I could return it for free?

So yes opinions please on the 2 cards and if anyone knows of some very accurate benchmarks between the two when the sapphires overclocked that would be great!

I just think that £55 less is pretty big but is it worth it?

http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/amdradeongraphicscards/amdr9285series/11235-03-20g.html

http://www.amazon.co.uk/MSI-280X-Graphic-384-Bit-DL-DVI-I/dp/B00FR6XPL8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427289470&sr=8-1&keywords=280x

Planned build!! https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

 

[Justin Millard]

From memory it can be a fair gap. Around eight frames per second difference in demanding games. However its a trade off between noticeably better performance and a card that is a lot more power efficient. The R9 285 is still a good card that outperforms the GTX 760. It is probably good enough for your needs and you should be able to safely stick with it for a couple of years.

I will hunt for a benchmark.

This video benchmark gives you a good idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNsht73C3Qs

 

[Eximo]

They trade blows depending on the game, screen resolution, and settings.

R9-285 only has 2GB of VRAM but has the faster, and newer, GPU.
R9-280X has 3GB of VRAM

At high resolutions and textures the 3GB of VRAM and higher memory bandwidth come in handy. At 1920x1080 I recall the R9-285 winning most benchmarks, but there are a few games where it was the opposite.

If it does what you want it to do, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[kieran1203]

They trade blows depending on the game, screen resolution, and settings.

R9-285 only has 2GB of VRAM but has the faster, and newer, GPU.
R9-280X has 3GB of VRAM

At high resolutions and textures the 3GB of VRAM and higher memory bandwidth come in handy. At 1920x1080 I recall the R9-285 winning most benchmarks, but there are a few games where it was the opposite.

If it does what you want it to do, I wouldn't worry about it.

hmm I see well after looking at the benchmarks from that video posted above

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-radeon-r9-285-review

285 OC seems pretty good for 119.99 and from what I've gathered sapphire make the best AMD cards so it could be slightly better than the 285 used for those benchmarks (just a little bit?)

I'll be using my samsung tv/monitor for gaming its just a normal 1080p so you're saying 2GB will be more than enough?

Are there any games out currently I wont be able to run with 2GB?

 

[Eximo]

A few games out there that will exceed 2GB. But that doesn't mean you won't be able to run them, just means it won't be able to perform as well as more powerful equipment.

 

[Justin Millard]

I think you are safe to just enjoy your new card without worrying about it. Its still a good card. At that price the winner is definitely you. You should be able to easily last another couple of years of good performance with that card until you need to consider an upgrade. Honestly if you have a decent card like a R9 280 series or GTX 760 then there is no real reason to upgrade until new technologies like 16nm and HBM start to appear in the mid range.

 

[Embra]

For the price I would go with the 285. What PSU do you have? Brand/Model?

Edit: Opps... just saw it. You are fine for the 285. The 280x you will be on the edge with the one listed.

 

[kieran1203]

For the price I would go with the 285. What PSU do you have? Brand/Model?

Edit: Opps... just saw it. You are fine for the 285. The 280x you will be on the edge with the one listed.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

general plan for my build.

 

[Justin Millard]

Buy Windows 8.1 direct from the Microsoft website and get the student discount. You will save yourself a few dollars.