8 replies to this topic

[o0cipher0o]

Hello there, i'm looking to buy a new graphics card, and after some researches, it comes out that i have basically two choises:

• Sapphire R9 270x 2GB dual-x 158€ (179$);
  
• Sapphire R9 280 3GB dual-x 188€ (213$).

Now, i know both these cards have been around for like 3 years, and are based on old rebranded chips, but, right now, they seem to be the best for my budget of 200€. I've been waiting for the new AMD 3xx cards, but it looks like even the 370x, the cheapest one, will be in the 250€ price range, way over my budget. And nVidia will never see another euro from me, i've got three nVidia cards in a row with serious flaws, so, no more nVidia.

So, between those two cards, i'm leaning towards the 280, as with only 30 euros of difference, i'd get 50% vram, 50% memory bus, almost 50% more shaders, and so on. My only concern, is that in less than two years i might have to change the card. Now, i'm not interestend in playing with all the settings maxed, and i'm good with 1080p, so, no 2k/4k in the near future. For example, i'm good with being able to play MWO @1080p with medium settings and an average of 50 FPS.

So, do you guys think the r9 280 will be able to get me to play with medium settings for the next couple of years, at least, even with new games? Or i'll find myself with performance similar to that of my current r7 250 real soon?

[Oderint dum Metuant]

o0cipher0o, on 03 February 2015 - 05:33 AM, said:

Hello there, i'm looking to buy a new graphics card, and after some researches, it comes out that i have basically two choises:

• Sapphire R9 270x 2GB dual-x 158€ (179$);
  
• Sapphire R9 280 3GB dual-x 188€ (213$).

Now, i know both these cards have been around for like 3 years, and are based on old rebranded chips, but, right now, they seem to be the best for my budget of 200€. I've been waiting for the new AMD 3xx cards, but it looks like even the 370x, the cheapest one, will be in the 250€ price range, way over my budget. And nVidia will never see another euro from me, i've got three nVidia cards in a row with serious flaws, so, no more nVidia.


So, between those two cards, i'm leaning towards the 280, as with only 30 euros of difference, i'd get 50% vram, 50% memory bus, almost 50% more shaders, and so on. My only concern, is that in less than two years i might have to change the card. Now, i'm not interestend in playing with all the settings maxed, and i'm good with 1080p, so, no 2k/4k in the near future. For example, i'm good with being able to play MWO @1080p with medium settings and an average of 50 FPS.

So, do you guys think the r9 280 will be able to get me to play with medium settings for the next couple of years, at least, even with new games? Or i'll find myself with performance similar to that of my current r7 250 real soon?

I would hang fire and wait for the 3** series cards, the pricing may surprise you or at the very least reduce the prices of the current models and might make a 280X come into your bracket.
Alternatively if you can't wait see if you can find a second hand 280X

[Lord Letto]

DV McKenna, on 03 February 2015 - 06:00 AM, said:

I would hang fire and wait for the 3** series cards, the pricing may surprise you or at the very least reduce the prices of the current models and might make a 280X come into your bracket.
Alternatively if you can't wait see if you can find a second hand 280X

This. also, What CPU do you have? MWO is way more CPU Heavy than GPU, granted odds are that 250 is the Bottleneck.

Also, have you Looked @ Nvidia? looking @ http://de.pcpartpicker.com/ to get prices in Euros, shows there's a 960 for 218.74 Euro: http://de.pcpartpick...d-gvn960ixoc2gd
Toms Hardware GPU Hierarchy for February got it placed on the same level as the 280: http://www.tomshardw...iew,3107-7.html

[o0cipher0o]

Cpu is an old i3 2100, that i'm also going to change in the next months. So, even if it's a bottleneck for now, it will be replaced during the year.

As for the nvida, as i said, no more nvidia cards for me, i had way too many bad experiences with the brand. Also, the 960 is only a 128bit card, where the r9 is a 384bit card, 3x the bus size is a no brainer. And it's still 30 euros more expensive than the r9. so, 2-0 for the r9 280.

As for used cards, with electronics i prefer to get first hand items, even if it means i have to buy something less capable. Having the full 2 years of warranty is something i don't want to lose.

Edited by o0cipher0o, 03 February 2015 - 07:28 AM.

[Oderint dum Metuant]

o0cipher0o, on 03 February 2015 - 07:16 AM, said:

As for the nvida, as i said, no more nvidia cards for me, i had way too many bad experiences with the brand. Also, the 960 is only a 128bit card, where the r9 is a 384bit card, 3x the bus size is a no brainer. And it's still 30 euros more expensive than the r9. so, 2-0 for the r9 280.
.

Maxwell uses a new compression system making that 128bit Bus lane stronger than people think.

[Goose]

o0cipher0o, on 03 February 2015 - 07:16 AM, said:

Cpu is an old i3 2100, that i'm also going to change in the next months. So, even if it's a bottleneck for now, it will be replaced during the year.

You are basically the first person to have admitted they use a desktop i3, and as such, you can do a lot more for us then we can for you, I'm afraid.

If I could get you to install the stuff here, then make some before-and-after log files around the tweaks in this post, you'd be doing a service for the community.

[o0cipher0o]

Goose, on 03 February 2015 - 08:57 AM, said:

You are basically the first person to have admitted they use a desktop i3, and as such, you can do a lot more for us then we can for you, I'm afraid.

If I could get you to install the stuff here, then make some before-and-after log files around the tweaks in this post, you'd be doing a service for the community.

Will do in a couple hours, always available for everything that can help the community. Do you need the results posted in one of those topics or do i post the results here?

[Goose]

What's this?! Fore-though and Organization from a Hardware Forum participant? Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Teh Gate of Hell have cracked open!!eleven!

http://mwomercs.com/...formance-tests/ seems the most logical place.

Thanks!

[o0cipher0o]

Goose, on 03 February 2015 - 11:31 AM, said:

What's this?! Fore-though and Organization from a Hardware Forum participant? Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Teh Gate of Hell have cracked open!!eleven!

shhhh, do you want us to get caught by the inquisition?

Quote

http://mwomercs.com/...formance-tests/ seems the most logical place.

Thanks!

Will do, even if i mostly don't know what i am doing .