MSI GPUs at CES 2014: Massive R9 290X Lightning

~Mike~ · 6 Jan 2014 at 15:58

Into that mix, MSI is releasing a gigantic R9 290X with their triple-fan and triple-slot GPU. The R9 290X Lightning should have the cooling capacity to keep the Hawaii cores running at maximum performance, but the drawback of course is that running more than two such cards in a single case will prove problematic at best. For those who are looking for the performance of the R9 290X without the noise, however, this may be the perfect solution.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7625/msi-gpus-at-ces-2014-massive-r9-290x-lightning-and-more

That is huge. :eek:

LtMatt · 6 Jan 2014 at 16:03

Nice. That will be a powerful card. Interested to see what difference it makes to temps.

Rasch · 6 Jan 2014 at 16:09

I want to see how they binned the gpus and the oc potential with that extreme pcb.

Marine-RX179 · 6 Jan 2014 at 16:22

Rasch said:
I want to see how they binned the gpus and the oc potential with that extreme pcb.

Also I think I read a while ago that it is gonna use Samsung memory? That alone is worth paying the premium for considering it would most like be able clock to 1700MHz+ without black screen issue, unlike the Elpida and Hynix memory used on most of the 290s at the moment. The Elpida memory for my 290x seem to be max stable at 1400MHz (5600MHz), and any higher would result in black screen. Can't say I'm happy with it, but at least I am luckier than those getting black screen even on stock clock 1250MHz or tinny bit higher.

LtMatt · 6 Jan 2014 at 16:27

Marine-RX179 said:
Also I think I read a while ago that it is gonna use Samsung memory? That alone is worth paying the premium for considering it would most like be able clock to 1700MHz+ without black screen issue, unlike the Elpida and Hynix memory used on most of the 290s at the moment. The Elpida memory for my 290x seem to be max stable at 1400MHz (5600MHz), and any higher would result in black screen. Can't say I'm happy with it, but at least I am luckier than those getting black screen even on stock clock 1250MHz or tinny bit higher.

On the plus side 1400mhz is 360gb of bandwidth. Both of my 290 Pro cards have no trouble doing 1400+mhz on stock volts.

Orangey · 6 Jan 2014 at 17:04

Why bother with a 3slot tbh... nobody in their right mind will have these on anything less than water.

Rasch · 6 Jan 2014 at 17:26

Orangey said:
Why bother with a 3slot tbh... nobody in their right mind will have these on anything less than water.

Exactly what i thought.

~Mike~ · 6 Jan 2014 at 19:02

Does anyone know if MSI will be doing a 290 Lightning or will it just be the 290X?

LtMatt · 6 Jan 2014 at 19:03

Mike306 said:
Does anyone know if MSI will be doing a 290 Lightning or will it just be the 290X?

Good question and not sure. I think Rofls wants himself a 290, especially after he seen the benchmark scores LT been pumping out.

Geeman1979 · 6 Jan 2014 at 19:14

It would only be based on there flagship model the 290X I would imagine.

psychas · 6 Jan 2014 at 20:16

that yellow small fan , so fugly , and spins differently from other two fans ;/

Nuclear Fusion · 6 Jan 2014 at 20:21

I imagine that it will be reserved only for the 290X, just as there was never a 7950 or 6950 lightning.

~Mike~ · 6 Jan 2014 at 20:36

Geeman1979 said:
It would only be based on there flagship model the 290X I would imagine.

Nuclear Fusion said:
I imagine that it will be reserved only for the 290X, just as there was never a 7950 or 6950 lightning.

It's what I was thinking, just asking as someone in our gaming community is hoping for a 290 Lightning.

psychas said:
that yellow small fan , so fugly , and spins differently from other two fans ;/

It does look fugly compared to previous Lightning's but I guess if you're water cooling it, it doesn't matter.

Orangey · 6 Jan 2014 at 21:06

If the rebadge 770 can get a Lightning then the 290 should get one no questions asked?

A 290 is just the fastest GPU from AMD with a few duff SPs... compare that to a rebadged mid-end chip masquerading as high-end... :|

LtMatt · 6 Jan 2014 at 21:08

Gibbo is probably the man to ask Rofls.

Scooby-DoobyDoo · 6 Jan 2014 at 21:44

Lightening, looks more like a daisy in the middle.

Avenged7Fold · 6 Jan 2014 at 22:08

Will be tempted to get one for Xfire. My current card can do quite well on the core but the limit is 1550 on memory. If i use the lightning and clock it past that as the primary card, would memory clock on the second card matter?

Marine-RX179 · 6 Jan 2014 at 22:56

Orangey said:
If the rebadge 770 can get a Lightning then the 290 should get one no questions asked?

A 290 is just the fastest GPU from AMD with a few duff SPs... compare that to a rebadged mid-end chip masquerading as high-end... :|

Yea. I bet the only reason why GTX770 Lightning existed was that MSI saw there's an opportunity for money to be made, as the GTX780 was sitting all the way up in the £550-£620, so there's a market for smacking £100 on top of the £330 GTX770 and fit nicely as a middle of the road card between the standard GTX770 and the GTX780

Nickolp1974 · 6 Jan 2014 at 23:03

Here's Hoping that MSI get this one right.....

Jumper118 · 6 Jan 2014 at 23:16

Nickolp1974 said:
Here's Hoping that MSI get this one right.....

Yeah the ram better be better than the stuff they used on the 780's