AMD Radeon R9 295X2 Owners Thread

[Panos]

I didn't had a game to play with Mantle yet, so I cannot comment.

Beyond Earth comes out at the end of the month to give it a try, and I do not know if SC Arena Commander supports currently Mantle. (they say it will in the future).
But I will know later this week for this also, when I receive the AMD key.

Btw, you cannot imagine how much I am trying to hold off from buying another 290X and a 4K monitor, instead of waiting until the end of the year to see the curved 34" ones.

(since the budget is there, and both combinations costs the same)

 

[Panos]

No, it doesn't support Mantle yet (probably won't until much closer to release). Also, SLI/CF isn't supported yet because CryEngine with PBR (3.6.x) doesn't support it yet ... they're trying to get that in for v1.0 of Arena Commander though.

With games that don't support CF, we can try to ram it through and most of the time it works with custom profile.
I will let you know how it goes

EDIT

https://forums.robertsspaceindustries.com/discussion/comment/2668270/#Comment_2668270

Heh, they manage to make it work

 

[Panos]

I think my question has been asked before, but I don't think it's been answered.

With the 295x2 what's the current provided by the fan header?
I'm thinking of installing a fan splitter and running 2 non-stock fans in push/pull. My worry is that the fan header might provide enough amps and so 2 fans might overload the connector and cause damage.

Has anyone tried it?
Has anyone measured it (or did you find out the current from somewhere)?

I asked the vendor rep AMDMatt who told me to measure it with an ammeter (Which I don't have).

So can anyone be more helpful than AMD?

I replaced the fan with 2 Piranhas. I used a normal 4 PWM splitter from the motherboard Sysfan. Also the 2 Magmas I tried for a bit, used their normal PSU power connector.

Which fans you plan to use?

 

[Panos]

After some more tweaking/trial and error I have got my card to run at 1190 core 1650 memory in valley. To get it to work I had to un-sync the cards, so I could run the first at 45mv and the second at 70mv. Otherwise running both at 70mv would cause the system to hang due to too much power draw I believe.

How do you unsync the cards? I have Disabled UPLS if that is the case only.

I was gonna try those Silverstone fan rjkoneill has been on about. The ones that look a bit like Gentle Typhoons.

I could run them off a fan controller, but I'd like the 295x2 to be able to control the speed.

The SST-FN12? that one has only 0.91mm H2O.

The 295X2 gives full power to the stock fan rad all the time, it doesn't throttle it. Hence my big cheering that keeps the system quiet regardless if idle or under load.

 

[Panos]

Panos, go into settings of Msi afterburner, I think it's the first check box "Synchronise clocks..." just allows you to set core, memory, voltage differently on each card.

Cool thanks I will give it a try tonight

 

[Panos]

No, the SST-FQ121 FQ Series 1225

Out of interest, what static pressure does the stock fan have?
So it run it at full speed all the time? Not sure how that's quiet unless full speed is < 1000rpm.

OK Those will work

 

[Panos]

Contemplating upgrading these two 7990's to two 295x2's... looking at benchmarks should see increase... anyone running two of these?

Nope. Do not do it. Pointless upgrade imho. Wait for the next series of AMD ones (380/390)

 

[Panos]

Cannot comprehend that we are here discussing this.

Guys, how can you compare 2 card solution, with all the noise, and air flow considerations, compared to a single card, with only requirement been that needs the rad properly placed with cold air blowing at it?

Also the 970/980 came out just a week after most got the 295X2s. Surely if you wanted you could have returned the 295, for a small fee if used it, and get 2 970s.

However yes, indeed not even myself is happy with the new pricing of the 295X2. But the MSI is only £30 from the Sapphire one. And I would rather go with the Sapphire warranty at the end of the day, since they support custom watercooling, and doesn't void the warranty.

 

[Panos]

I agree callius & googaly on that.
The resale value of used 970s going to hit rock bottom in just 4-5 months. I foresee them at £100 each, when everyone will be flogging them to buy the 20nm version.

And tbh the 295X2 isn't the card that needs an upgrade at the moment. And cannot understand why someone will return it for the sake of returning it.
Is powerful, most a great clockers, not eating much energy , very quiet, single PCB and more important. VERY easy to cool.

 

[Panos]

Has anyone figure out how to turn off the red LED?
Without opening the card to remove it of course......

 

[Panos]

Well, seems like im getting some throttling issues in crisis 3. Maxed in eyefinity at 5760x1080 core 1 is hitting around 72c while the second core bounces around between 73-74 and throttles down. There's a pic of my current config above, the rad right behind 2 140 intakes, I wouldn't have thought it could ask for more airflow than that.

I've also noticed what appears to be a slight defect on the rad, right behind one of the screw holes a couple of fins appear to be bent in. No idea how that's occurred as the only screws I've used are the small ones with the washer provided and they're not nearly long enough to go that far down. .

Move the rad higher than the card to the other side.
Your temps going to be high because the rad is at the wrong place.

 

[Panos]

If anything I think that would make the rad even hotter as it would be not only exhausting heat from the gfx card it would also be sucking in hot air from the cpu cooler above it, fans have been switched to intakes since this was taken.

The ocuk Vesuvius system also has the rads mounted incorrectly according to amd's guidelines, tubing is meant to be along the bottom. From looking around having the rad higher seems to make minimal difference to temps.

http://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/z...-vesuvius-r9-295x2-quadxfire-system-review/2/

Think out of the box. That slot there doesn't have to push hot air out but can pull cold air IN. And use the front as exhaust. I have it like that on my new case. The fan is pushing cold air into the case, on that slot above the card. I have to heavily overclock it to 1190 to get to 70C while benching.

Also your case is watercooled. There is no reason to have much negative airflow (going out), because nothing generates heat, while the PCB fan is blower type and gets heat out of the case, and not in.
I have 2 case fans (front) blowing cold air IN. Also 2 Apache on the H100i are vertical set blowing cold air in (on the drive bay). The 295X2 rad fan is blowing cold air from the back, and there are 2 140mm fan on top of the case blowing cold air out. Ambient temp in case 17C, after 3 hours playing Alien Isolation just right now.

 

[Panos]

Might give it a try tomorrow but going by reviews I doubt it will make much difference, the 295x2 is billed as a 4k card yet even in eyefinity some games are pushing it to the 70c mark. If you factor in another 1080p display on top of the 3 for eyefinity id imagine that it will throttle regardless. Also the pcb blower is a centre based one so a lot of the heat is actually being dumped into the case, only some is going out the back and if you take into consideration the card has a lot of vents on it id wager more is going back into the case than exhausting, in terms of vrm temps at least.

I was intending to make the switch to 4k this year at some point but looking at things currently i'm doubting that this card would be able to maintain steady clocks at that res.

Theres also the fact that some fins are slightly damaged which is really getting on my nerves even thinking about it. £700 card and whoever assembled it seemed to have a slippery screwdriver but because of where the damage is its very hard to see.

On the last part I agree. It has some twisted fins where no screws are.

However, how did it went? Did you fit the card as I wrote before?

 

[Panos]

Guys, when you put the card on the read top slot, I hope you use it to blow cold air to the radiator not as an exhaust. Is pointless to blast warm air to the rad.

As for someone said positioning doesn't matter in general for AIOs, the H100 if put horizontal on the case roof top, generates +20C on my CPU compared to having it vertical hanging behind the drive bay.

Same applies to the 295X2 cooler. I never get more than 55C, while overclocked at 1100 after many hours on both GPUs working in Crossfire more at full load.

As for noise who someone mentioned, this card is dead silent under heavy full load.

 

[Panos]

Something to do with it not being doa in a certain period of time. I find it odd myself, I could understand the 7990 having to go back as it was eol. But they have stock of plenty of 295's, was considering paying the extra and switching to a pair of 980's as this is 2 flagship amd cards this year that have went screwy on me.

Waited over a month earlier this year for a refund, now I've another presumably long wait ahead.

Not at all happy about it, thought it would be a case of ok cards faulty, old one goes back new one gets sent out at the same time. =/

Remove the card and look if the little white connector showing behind the PCB fan is attached/connected. You will see earlier in this thread, some had same issue as you, and either that wasn't connected or some of the cables where cut off.

Given the issues you have, I would advice you to RMA it. Because believe me, mine with the stock fan never went above 50C when I placed it properly, without overclocking. Have you tried to replace the fan with an Apache or similar?

Is sad that you have such bad experience with yours, because is truly an amazing card when is working.

 

[Panos]

@Robzere31

You have positioned the rad on the correct place yes?

It is on higher level than the card, with pipes down, and blowing COLD air to it.

 

[Panos]

Yep, rad is positioned above the GPU (Exhaust) & pipes down.



Temps are around 68c so don't think temps are a problem.

EDIT -
Unparked cores, & run a couple of loops of Heaven @ ultra 1440p & seemed to run ok. Average 75fps. Temps 69c GPU CPU 55-60c
Will try out a few games later to see how it is.

What fan you are using there? Because it doesn't look like the stock one, nor one with high static pressure

 

[Panos]

Corsair SP120 QE, I've used it on several rad installations with no problems.
As I said, temps are around 68c so shouldn't be a problem.

Since unparking the cores, thing seem much better, Couple of loops of Heaven & Firesrike both ran well & 3x loops of Grid Autosport benchmark gave me an average 128fps on 1440p ultra.

It is not good enough fan. Use the stock or get one with higher air flow and static pressure. 37 CFM is not enough.

Even 2 Enermax Magma are better, or one Apache

 

[Panos]

However I'd recommend the SP120 High Performance Edition, of which I use

But he says he doesn't have temp issues

You quoted the marketing ad.

The QE has 37 CFM and 1.2 H2O static pressure. Which in real terms can be classed as pathetic fan.

 

[Panos]

I'd be putting 2x 1850RPM Gentle Typhoons on the rad of my 295x2, if i owned one. I'd use the Noctua Industrial 3,000 RPM fans (highest static pressure I've ever seen on fans ) but they don't play nice with fan controllers as they're four pin.

I used Piranhas, Apaches, and Enermax Magmas.

I had the best cooling - silence ratio with the Magmas, while working at 75% speed. At 1100 overclock it never gets more than 60C, while the system is silent.