R9 290x Buy or wait?

[LTC8K6]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202144

$359.00

 

[SteveGrabowski]

Yeah,nothing special. These prices are more than 6 months on market,but thx anyway

Nothing special? That's almost GTX 970 performance for $240.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

To add to Steve's comment:

$220 PowerColor 290

He also linked XFX R9 290X for $270. That's a great deal if someone wants lifetime warranty.

The cheapest good GTX970 I can find is $315 USD.



Because of tarnished image of R9 200 series, you won't find a better deal than the Sapphire Tri-X R9 290 for $199 or PowerColor PCS+ R9 290 for $199 - both deals available around Black Friday 2014. It's going to take 6+ months before we see R9 390 or GTX970 drop to $199.

I only remember the PowerColor Turbo Duo selling for $199 around Thanksgiving. But I think the PCS+ was like $220, as was the Tri-X, which were both incredible steals. GTX 970 performance for GTX 960 prices. But even now $240 is what a 4GB GTX 960 costs, and an R9 290 destroys a 4GB 960.

I'd be surprised to see the 390 drop to 290 prices since that extra 4GB of VRAM isn't free and AMD wasn't making much money on their 290s after the aggressive price cuts. And 8GB just seems like a waste at 1440p or 1080p, and for 4k I'd much rather get a 980Ti or Fury X.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

One year ago today $250 bought you a GTX 760 with 2GB VRAM and midrange performance. Now it buys you an R9 290 with strong upper midrange performance and 4GB VRAM. I can't believe people don't think this is a good deal relative to what GPU prices are now.

 

[yacoub]

It's really just a return to where prices should be.

 

[RussianSensation]

One year ago today $250 bought you a GTX 760 with 2GB VRAM and midrange performance. Now it buys you an R9 290 with strong upper midrange performance and 4GB VRAM. I can't believe people don't think this is a good deal relative to what GPU prices are now.

If you read the R9 300 series thread, it seems people must have had some insane expectations then, like R9 390X beating 290X by 30-50% and Fiji beating Titan X by 20-30%. I don't know really because they did defend 960 despite that card beating 760 by just 10% more than 1.5 years later and being 50% slower than a $50 more expensive after-market 290. So it's difficult to say what people's expectations are, but I guess there is a huge double standard for NV vs. AMD cards.

 

[VirtualLarry]

We already know "what's what" with the 390 series. Best Buy is selling the cards (even though technically they're not supposed to) and we've got a reasonable amount of hard data now. They are Hawaii rebrands with an unnecessary memory clock boost and an even more unnecessary 8GB of RAM.

If you want a Hawaii card, just buy a 290/290X now. It'll be cheaper. But personally, I would be reluctant to reward AMD's dishonest business practices.

Better specs, more VRAM, even though it's either a straight-up re-brand, or a re-spin, and selling for a little bit more... and you call that dishonest? If that's dishonest to you, then what do you consider the 970 memory fiasco? Equivalent to murder?

 

[LTC8K6]

Better specs, more VRAM, even though it's either a straight-up re-brand, or a re-spin, and selling for a little bit more... and you call that dishonest? If that's dishonest to you, then what do you consider the 970 memory fiasco? Equivalent to murder?

Could we stop saying that the 390X has more vram, please?

The 290X is sold in 4gb and 8gb versions.

 

[WhoBeDaPlaya]

Which incredible deals are you talking about? Please provide some links

Just gotta keep an eye out
I got my two XFX 290 @ 290X (both unlocked easily) for ~$180 each a few months ago (after a small rebate, coupon code, selling off the game codes, etc.)

Sold my previous two MSI 780s to some sucker on eBay and got paid to upgrade to the dual 290Xs

 

[StinkyPinky]

Doesn't really seem a huge difference between a 290x and 390x apart from an overclock you can do yourself and extra vram that is pointless imo. Kinda disappointing.

 

[guskline]

Better specs, more VRAM, even though it's either a straight-up re-brand, or a re-spin, and selling for a little bit more... and you call that dishonest? If that's dishonest to you, then what do you consider the 970 memory fiasco? Equivalent to murder?

VirtualLarry, That's funny!

 

[guskline]

It seems obvious to me that the 300 series cards are improved versions of the 200 series cards. Not a dramatic improvement, but let's get real. AMD has focused on Fury. At least they appear to have taken the time to address the hue and cry of the reviewer naysayers when the reference 290x, then 290 dropped. TOO HOT, Lousy reference cooler.

Price has probably gone up some at MSRP but wait until the market adjusts.

I like AMD and have purchased a number of Nvidia cards also but the GTX970 fiasco has caused me concern about about candor vs marketing technique.

The GTX980TI appears to be a really solid card, but for the price.

Nonetheless, the real interest for me is the Fury.

 

[guskline]

If you read the R9 300 series thread, it seems people must have had some insane expectations then, like R9 390X beating 290X by 30-50% and Fiji beating Titan X by 20-30%. I don't know really because they did defend 960 despite that card beating 760 by just 10% more than 1.5 years later and being 50% slower than a $50 more expensive after-market 290. So it's difficult to say what people's expectations are, but I guess there is a huge double standard for NV vs. AMD cards.

Once again RS, you nailed it!

 

[Flapdrol1337]

If you read the R9 300 series thread, it seems people must have had some insane expectations then, like R9 390X beating 290X by 30-50% and Fiji beating Titan X by 20-30%. I don't know really because they did defend 960 despite that card beating 760 by just 10% more than 1.5 years later and being 50% slower than a $50 more expensive after-market 290. So it's difficult to say what people's expectations are, but I guess there is a huge double standard for NV vs. AMD cards.

Aftermarket 290's are 90 euros more over here. r9 285's have the same price as the 960 and the 280 is only 10 euro's cheaper. I wouldn't say amd's deals are any better at that pricepoint. Especially last month when you got the witcher 3 with a 960.

I guess the aftermarket 290 is still the best value for money, especially compared to the 280X, which is only 50,- eu less.

I don't get it, they should be dumping the 280 and 280x's to make room for 285 (or rebrand) and a full tonga, but if the rumors are anything to go by we're not even getting a full tonga yet with the 300 series.

 

[boozzer]

Better specs, more VRAM, even though it's either a straight-up re-brand, or a re-spin, and selling for a little bit more... and you call that dishonest? If that's dishonest to you, then what do you consider the 970 memory fiasco? Equivalent to murder?

:thumbsup: you will be attacked, be prepare. and you were, just 1 post down

 

[monstercameron]

Buy

 

[Temuka]

To add to Steve's comment:

$220 PowerColor 290

He also linked XFX R9 290X for $270. That's a great deal if someone wants lifetime warranty.

The cheapest good GTX970 I can find is $315 USD.



Because of tarnished image of R9 200 series, you won't find a better deal than the Sapphire Tri-X R9 290 for $199 or PowerColor PCS+ R9 290 for $199 - both deals available around Black Friday 2014. It's going to take 6+ months before we see R9 390 or GTX970 drop to $199.

Yeah I know what you are talking about.... I'm just waiting since january to buy tri-x version for reasonable price ( without rebates and selling game codes cause i don't live in usa) :'(
I mean 290 for about 220-230$ or 290x tri-x for 250-260$ but no price changes for 6 months... ((

 

[LTC8K6]

Doesn't really seem a huge difference between a 290x and 390x apart from an overclock you can do yourself and extra vram that is pointless imo. Kinda disappointing.

Except the 390X doesn't have more vram than 290X.

 

[flopper]

Better specs, more VRAM, even though it's either a straight-up re-brand, or a re-spin, and selling for a little bit more... and you call that dishonest? If that's dishonest to you, then what do you consider the 970 memory fiasco? Equivalent to murder?

Nvidia should been sent to jail all of them for that lie.

 

[Atreidin]

Except the 390X doesn't have more vram than 290X.

For the lifetime of the 290X the vast majority sold have been 4GB, and the reference design has 4GB. Repeating that 290X can have 8GB, while technically correct, isn't relevant to the vast majority of people who didn't go out of their way to find one of the few 8GB models. 4GB was basically standard on the 290X, and now 8GB is standard on 390X, and that is what people mean. Perhaps omitting that extra explanation is due to laziness with language but it gets tiring having to repeatedly explain minute details that everyone in the discussion implicitly understands just so the discussion isn't derailed due to a technicality.

 

[jackstar7]

Except the 390X doesn't have more vram than 290X.

It has double the reference design and most of the non-reference designed models. To state it that 290X has 8gb (rather than stating that it CAN have 8gb) is disingenuous, if I'm being generous.

 

[LTC8K6]

The 390X, right now, before launch, does not have more vram than the 290X.

The 290X has been available with 8gb of vram for over 6 months, and 8gb versions were shown to the public in January of 2014.

Sapphire launched theirs in November at $430.00 msrp.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sapphire-vapor-x-r9-290x-8gb,3977.html

 

[jackstar7]

The 390X, right now, before launch, does not have more vram than the 290X.

The 290X has been available with 8gb of vram for over 6 months, and 8gb versions were shown to the public in January of 2014.

Sapphire launched theirs in November at $430.00 msrp.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/sapphire-vapor-x-r9-290x-8gb,3977.html

Sorry, it's worth continuing to fight on this point?

To what end?

It's not false for people to state that ref 390x has double the VRAM of the ref 290X.

 

[LTC8K6]

Sorry, it's worth continuing to fight on this point?

To what end?

It's not false for people to state that ref 390x has double the VRAM of the ref 290X.

IIRC, you are the first person to specify "reference".

Be that as it may...

I read it as a reason to purchase the 390X over the 290X.

You are right about the argument, though.

People will still celebrate the 8gb 390X as if the 290X never had more than 4gb.

I won't be able to hold back that tide.

 

[3DVagabond]

Who cares what it ends up vs an EOL card from the same company? It's going to have 8GB vs 4GB against it's main competitor in the market place.