7950 upgrade?

[Loxa]

@shankly1985

What Msi r9 290s do you run the gaming edition? What is the fan noise like.

 

[Devrij]

As an xfire 7950 user, I can highly recommend it! Runs my 1440p games just grand. Prepare to find yourself cpu limited (a rare and hateful position, but negated by the prospect of piling on AA without penalty)

 

[shankly1985]

@shankly1985

What Msi r9 290s do you run the gaming edition? What is the fan noise like.

Yeah two gaming edition. There very quite both never pass 70c

 

[Loxa]

Yeah two gaming edition. There very quite both never pass 70c

Ohhhhh ok, I have been looking in to the R9 290 series a lot and do not see many reviews of the MSI ones it is normally Tri-x or Vapor-x. But none of them would match my system colour scheme as it is red/black.

 

[james.miller]

7950 prices have crashed, good time to upgrade to or pick up a 2nd now that they can be had for under a ton.

 

[Defy Belief]

get a 2nd 7950. Trust me, no single card, unless it's incredibly aggressively overclocked, will touch the performance of 2 7950s in crossfire.

A 290 is pretty much there or thereabouts.

 

[shankly1985]

Ohhhhh ok, I have been looking in to the R9 290 series a lot and do not see many reviews of the MSI ones it is normally Tri-x or Vapor-x. But none of them would match my system colour scheme as it is red/black.

There superb but temperature can be a pain in crossfire to maintain. I sorted mine with keeping the far apart from each other. Using Asus p8z77 ws I have one gpu in top slot and other in bottom slot. https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...uthkey=!ABLP3R5o7I5anDE&v=3&ithint=photo,.jpg

 

[drs101]

So would it be worth adding another at x4?

My mb supports this


1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (blue) *1
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode, black)
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1

 

[shankly1985]

A 290 is pretty much there or thereabouts.

Yeah you correct compare a stock to stock cards a single 290 is very close to xfire 7950

Xfire
http://www.3dmark.com/fs/511684

Single 290
http://www.3dmark.com/fs/1564161

 

[shankly1985]

So would it be worth adding another at x4?

My mb supports this


1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (blue) *1
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (x4 mode, black)
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1

You will bottleneck the bottom gpu. On other words you won't get the best out of the card.

 

[drs101]

You will bottleneck the bottom gpu. On other words you won't get the best out of the card.

Ok cheers

 

[Loxa]

There superb but temperature can be a pain in crossfire to maintain. I sorted mine with keeping the far apart from each other. Using Asus p8z77 ws I have one gpu in top slot and other in bottom slot. https://onedrive.live.com/redir?res...uthkey=!ABLP3R5o7I5anDE&v=3&ithint=photo,.jpg

Yeah that would be a problem for me as the only slots I have are close together.

 

[Defy Belief]

Sell it and go single 290 IMO.

For 1080p a single card will be a much more pleasant ownership. I have a 290 which runs everything at 2560x1080 perfectly.

 

[shankly1985]

Sell it and go single 290 IMO.

For 1080p a single card will be a much more pleasant ownership. I have a 290 which runs everything at 2560x1080 perfectly.

Not completely true. 60hz sure 120hz+ nope

 

[Five.Stars]

Exactly. It's not hard to find a cheap second hand 7950. Or I'm sure the 280 also crossfire with a 7950. Correct me if I'm wrong.

A 280 or a 280X will CF fine with a 7950/70 buddy.

 

[Defy Belief]

Not completely true. 60hz sure 120hz+ nope

With the negligible difference between the two either way it won't make a huge difference if he CF'd or went with a more powerful single card.

Compatibility/drivers are less likely to have problems is what I was mainly thinking.

 

[shankly1985]

With the negligible difference between the two either way it won't make a huge difference if he CF'd or went with a more powerful single card.

Compatibility/drivers are less likely to have problems is what I was mainly thinking.

Yeah good point.

 

[TonyTurbo78]

A 290 is pretty much there or thereabouts.

no, it really isnt, not even 1 290X can match 2 7950s

 

[shankly1985]

no, it really isnt, not even 1 290X can match 2 7950s

See above stock for stock a 290 is very close to xfire 7950. I know I have owned both.

 

[Defy Belief]

no, it really isnt, not even 1 290X can match 2 7950s

It is though, the performance difference isn't much at all plus it's always better to have a single card solution if it's available,