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When AMD released their flagship R9 290X back on October 30th there was no doubt in my mind that the company had delivered an incredibly capable graphics card. Unfortunately I was forced to conclude the review by delving into negative points around their reference cooling solution. Cooler issues dominated the review, which was doubly frustrating as the performance was very satisfying.
To say the R9 290/X reference cooler was ‘ill performing' would be a massive understatement. In my view AMD completely destroyed their own launch by not spending more research and development time creating a decent reference cooler from the ground up, or by working with their partners to bring custom solutions to market immediately.
Instead of potentially dominating the market with a competitively priced flagship graphics card, many AMD followers ended up waiting for custom R9 290/X solutions to hit the market. They have been waiting for almost two months.
AMD gamers will definitely be pleased with the new Sapphire R9 290 and R9 290X solutions. We have already reviewed the Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X earlier this week and I left the review with positive thoughts in my mind. The Sapphire Tri-X cooler has been one of the best technology advances in 2013. The change in construction and the adoption of triple high grade fans, with huge 10mm heatpipes has ensured that Sapphire have ended the year on a very high note.
The R9 290X we reviewed today is an exceptional video card. Sapphire have addressed all our concerns which we detailed extensively in October. Please do read this page, if you missed them first time around.
So how is Sapphire's R9 290X Tri-X OC better than the AMD reference R9 290X?
Well it thankfully doesn't sound like a lawnmower when loaded for hours. The thermal curve has also been reduced significantly. Most importantly, the cooler is able to ensure that the core won't down clock at any time.
AMD may still claim it is fine to run at 95c all the time but on launch day KitGuru argued the point with our own indepth analysis. We know PR spin when we hear it, and we make sure you guys always know our honest feelings. Luckily for us all, Sapphire agreed with Kitguru and they have dropped load temperatures from 95c to 68c – a staggering 27c.
Sapphire's R9 290X Tri-X does not suffer from thermal throttling and we aren't forced to spend ages in the Catalyst Control Center, trying to find a half way ground between minimal throttling and the lowest possible fan noise. Sapphire's solution? Just put the card in the system, install the drivers and play games. Very simple, and the way it should have been right from the start.
Without any throttling problems the overclocked R9 290X is able to perform at a very high level indeed, and while it is not as fast as the new Nvidia GTX780 Ti, it can outperform the GTX780 Lightning Edition from earlier in the year and often outperform the GTX Titan, depending on the game engine and settings. It is a fantastic solution for 1600p and Ultra HD 4K resolution gaming, but if you are using a 1080p monitor then we suggest you save some money and opt for the non X version (Or Sapphire R9 280X Toxic Edition) – which is still going to give you plenty of future proofing for upcoming Direct X 11 titles throughout 2014.
Overclockers UK have listed the Sapphire R9 290X Tri-X ‘Battlefield 4' edition for £489.95 inc vat. It may not be quite at the same performance level as the latest overclocked GTX 780 Ti cards from the likes of Asus or Palit, but considering the £140 savings, it will certainly be difficult to ignore.
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Pros:
- very competitive price point.
- 27c cooler than the AMD reference R9 290X.
- no throttling.
- low noise.
- 10% core headroom available on our sample.
- superb Ultra HD 4K performance.
Cons:
- At the price, none.
Kitguru says: The best AMD based gaming card yet.
Ordering one, but I doubt OCUK will get them in on the 27th, will be first week in 2014 I reckon.
Good value really considering the price of GTX780 Ti, which ive seen for £650. AMD have the price right and finally the right card. two months after launch day though? what a complete fuc*ing mess they made of such a good card.
About bloody time, longest wait for a fixed 290X ever.
I have to ask, why the Titan is never overclocked in these tests ?
Great card, a little power hungry but it’s worth it looking at these results.
OC.uk actually have gigabyte R9 290X windforce in stock now….I bought one this morning….8 left.
“At the price, none”. my first time seeing it. LOL. Nice card, really. Now if only it available in my country i will definitely buy it
Well thats impressive by any stretch of the imagination. 27c cooler than AMDs part and no need to balance fan speeds against noise.
Im tempted in January now, dont think OCUK will have stock in until the new year anyway
I don’t understand whats with the fuss about the heat on R9 290/x cards. I have been using MSI OC Edition GTX 670 previously, and they run 97c most of the time while I do gaming. It’s not a big deal to me, as I understand that the cards has been designed to run hot because they eventually will with a load on them.
I can understand the noise issue ONLY if you crank up the fan settings to 100%, but that won’t be necessary. I run the card, with custom fan profie from inside MSI after burner for 55% max fan speed, the card was quite to me. Maybe because of my big case, but really, I don’t see the what’s with the fuss all about.