My MSI R9 390 Review
Installation - 9/10
Installation was very simple. The card has a nice backplate, so the card is well protected and has many areas to grab it. Installing it into the PCIex16 slot was easy as always. It requires one 8-pin VGA power cable, and one 6-pin VGA power cable. Installation was a breeze, the box was attractive, the card even more, and the card was secure in an anti-static bag and was surrounded in dark foam and protected in the box. The only thing is, since the card is quite heavy, it is a wee-bit lopsided due to the weight.
Performance - 10/10
I am on a 1440p monitor. Coming from a 750Ti, the performance is a huge gain! The game I have played so far is Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. It is important to note that Black Flag is specifically programmed not to use more than 2GB vRAM ever. On the 750Ti, I had to play on all lowest settings and got about 30-40FPS in nature areas and towns, 60FPS at sea. Now with the R9 390, I can play on max settings (exception of Vsync off and anti-aliasing on low) and maintain a stable 60FPS everywhere in the game. At first is was quite laggy, but turning vSync off tripled performance shockingly. I am extremely satisfied with the performance of the card, and is as great performing as I expected.
Heat - 10/10
You may think I'm going overboard with a 10 rating, but I am not. The card's fans only kick on when it reaches 60C. Right now I am not gaming, so my fans are off which makes the card absolutely silent. With no fans, the card idles at about 45C. When gaming, the card never goes higher than 70C under 100% load and 40% fan speed. I am highly impressed with the temperatures this card is getting. My processor stays cool and never goes over 50C under 100% load, so the heat from the card has played no role in changing the processor temperatures.
Drivers - 10/10
I am giving this a 10 because I have not experienced any driver problems yet. Drivers are very stable, gameplay was very stable, too. The driver installation was a breeze and worked. No more to it than that.
Noise - 8/10
The fans are quiet. You can hear them, but they are by no means loud. Also, I think some of the noise I heard was my case fans speeding up while gaming anyway, so the card really is not too noisy. It is not distracting in any manner, and should not be noticeable with the game volume. However, it's not quite as silent as my EVGA 750Ti, and because it is audible I am giving it an 8.
Conclusion - 9/10
Everything I keep hearing about these cards, such as the immense heat, the noise, the not-worth-the-money I consider false. The card is simply fantastic, I love it, and am fully satisfied my purchase. This card is a rebrand, but it is one heck of a rebrand, and is performing above my expectations. I recommend to all that when you consider buying the graphics card, don't turn it down just because it is a rebrand. This card has the looks, the cool temperatures, and the performance to satisfy anyone on a 1440p monitor.
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