SLI GTX 660 or R9 290

[privatesenuta]

i have palit gtx 660 oc installed in my pc.
1) if i'll go with r9 290 (about 300$) it may not get into my current case (30$ for new one), i'll have to sell my gtx 660 (150$) and get a new psu (60$). in this case i'll spend 240$ of my initial budget. plans for the future include getting another r9 290 and new mobo to make crossfire.
2) if i'll go with another gtx 660 (150$) i'll have to get suitable mobo (much better than mine) which costs extra 75$ and replace my psu anyway (60$). 285$ total. plans for the future upgrade are to sell them and get maybe gtx 860 or whatever, for you guys to get the idea.
power consumption is the same, in terms of performance both variants are close to each other, but sli is known to have more compatibility problems.
so that's it, need help, maybe any other variants, thanks in advance.

 

[RobCrezz]

Go for the 290. 660 SLI is great, but not worth it if you need a new mobo too.

 

[praveenalienstar]

You should definitely go with the AMD r9 290 as it is newer and more powerful. Just get a good rated psu and big case with lots of cooling options and you will be easily able to get a better performance from one card rather than two 660s in SLI. Moreover in future, you can crossfire r9 290 with a higher end card or replace r9 290 at a better price.

 

[robinhoodes]

- Nvidia has better software (geforce experience, shadowplay, gsync if you care, etc...)
- Nvidia you also get a new mobo
- AMD no sli/crossfire problems
- AMD leaves room for future upgrade

If you don't want to go through the hassle of selling your gpu, then I would go with the r9 290.
If you want a new mobo now, then go with the sli 660, my experience is that Nvidia drivers are a little better than AMDs.

If you go with the r9 290 now, you can upgrade your mobo later, maybe along with a new cpu upgrade.

 

[privatesenuta]

290's are rather hot and noisy and to get one i'll have to sell my 660. but 290 looks much more solid in terms of gaming performance.
let's say i sold my 660, are there any better variants from nvidia rather than 2 660's? they are cooler and more psu-friendly, so i'll probaly won't have to buy new one.

 

[RobCrezz]

The 780 is Nvidias competition to the 290.

The 290 is hot a loud in reference form, but if you get one of the 3rd party cooler versions they can be cooler and quieter like: Sapphire Tri-x, Asus Direct CU II, MSI Twin Frozr etc