jeffd1324 :
Beezy :
rolli59 :
Go for the R9 290 there will then be no issues with crossfire support or frame pacing.
nevermind i forget my suggestion is twice your budget my bad.
Basically I have around $400 to spend on a graphics card so I could go for one $400 or 2 $200 cards.
Problem with 2 cards is that when you need to upgrade you start from scratch again. With 1 stronger card, when you need more performance you can get another same card and you can sli/crossfire them. Go with the R9 290.
arrpee