Monday, July 13th 2015

You Can Pair an R9 300 Series GPU with an R9 200 in CrossFire

Jul 13th, 2015 05:03 Discuss (37 Comments)

With AMD unifying the driver between the R9 300 series and the older R9 200 series GPUs, it's now possible to pair a Radeon R9 300 series graphics card with one based on a similar-spec chip from the R9 200 series. At launch, the R9 300 series and R9 Fury series had a separate driver branch from the remaining lineup, which was unified with Catalyst 15.7 WHQL. Now, you may pair an R9 390 or R9 390X, with an R9 290 or R9 290X.

You may even create a 4-way CrossFire setup with one each of the four cards. You should even be able to combine R9 380 with R9 285. AMD allowed similar cross-generation pairings in the past, such as those between the R9 280 series and HD 7900 series, and between the R9 270 series and HD 7800 series. The company's newer GPUs feature XDMA CrossFire, which does away with bridge cables, for increased flexibility.

Source: VideoCardz

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37 Comments on You Can Pair an R9 300 Series GPU with an R9 200 in CrossFire

Frick

Fishfaced Nincompoop

300 and 79/8xx possible?

btarunr

Editor & Senior Moderator

Frick300 and 79/8xx possible?

The only condition is that the silicon should be the same. The cards may have different core configurations, clocks, memory amounts, or even SKU names. Hawaii and Grenada are the same silicon down to the last transistor, because they share the same device IDs.

So R7 370 with HD 7800 and R7 360 with HD 7790 are possible.

APEKS

btarunrThe only condition is that the silicon should be the same. The cards may have different core configurations, clocks, memory amounts, or even SKU names. Hawaii and Grenada are the same silicon down to the last transistor, because they share the same device IDs.

So R7 370 with HD 7800 and R7 360 with HD 7790 are possible.

How would that work though because the old cards had crossfire fingers didn't they or have AMD been using the pci-e lanes for a while now?

Sempron Guy

APEKSHow would that work though because the old cards had crossfire fingers didn't they or have AMD been using the pci-e lanes for a while now?

that would only be for the Fury series, R9-300/R9-290, and R7-360(afaik)

comperius

Does anyone know if you can paid R9 270/270X with and of R9 3xx cards? Because that would be extremely useful for mainstream users.

W1zzard

comperiusDoes anyone know if you can paid R9 270/270X with and of R9 3xx cards? Because that would be extremely useful for mainstream users.

Not the same GPU, so no

buildzoid

W1zzardNot the same GPU, so no

The R7 370 is a R7 265 and IIRC the 265 can CFX with the 270(X) so the 270(X) and 370 should work.

W1zzard

Sorry I misread, I thought you wrote R9 39x.
What Buildzoid said is correct

Cataclysm_ZA

APEKSHow would that work though because the old cards had crossfire fingers didn't they or have AMD been using the pci-e lanes for a while now?

The HD7790 can use XDMA over PCI-E, it just was never enabled in the drivers. The R7 260X and R7 260 can do it as well.

#10

RejZoR

Pairing of different GPU's will be available with DX12 games.

#11

jamesdunn

OK great to know, but I have an question, I have an MSI R7 260X with an MSI 970 chipset motherboard. I wonder what of the new R 300 card that I can crossfire that with or just stay with my R7 260X crossfire setup as it is?

#12

Cataclysm_ZA

jamesdunnOK great to know, but I have an question, I have an MSI R7 260X with an MSI 970 chipset motherboard. I wonder what of the new R 300 card that I can crossfire that with or just stay with my R7 260X crossfire setup as it is?

Nothing for now. You'll have to wait for a Radeon R7 360X to surface which will pair up with the R7 260X.

#13

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

any idea whats compatible with a 7970/280x? i'm in warranty right now with my 280x, and after 3 faulty cards they may be willing to upgrade me.

#14

suraswami

I wish the drivers allow cross fire R9 290 4GB with 7950 3GB, that way I don't need to sell the 7950 for throw away price!!

#15

bubbleawsome

Musselsany idea whats compatible with a 7970/280x? i'm in warranty right now with my 280x, and after 3 faulty cards they may be willing to upgrade me.

Nothing R9 3xx. The place where Tahiti would be in the lineup is replaced by tonga.

#16

c12038

So Is it possible to CrossFireX a R7 370 and R9 270 as they are both the same GPU Pitcairn

can someone read this www.pcworld.com/article/2947402/amd-catalyst-157-drivers-secretly-unlocked-crossfire-support-between-r300-and-r200-radeon-gpus.html and clarify above comment

#17

Caring1

c12038So Is it possible to CrossFireX a R7 370 and R9 270 as they are both the same GPU Pitcairn

can someone read this www.pcworld.com/article/2947402/amd-catalyst-157-drivers-secretly-unlocked-crossfire-support-between-r300-and-r200-radeon-gpus.html and clarify above comment

The 370 is basically a rebrand of the 270, so it should be possible

#18

c12038

Caring1The 370 is basically a rebrand of the 270, so it should be possible

But would I need the CrossfireX bridge cable to do it

#19

Caring1

c12038But would I need the CrossfireX bridge cable to do it

It's my understanding that any of the new generation "R" series do not need the crossfire bridge.

#20

RealNeil

Sempron Guythat would only be for the Fury series, R9-300/R9-290, and R7-360(afaik)

R9-285 is also included in that list.

#21

KainXS

Caring1The 370 is basically a rebrand of the 270, so it should be possible

the 370 is a rebrand of the 265

and I think you do still need a crossfire bridge, the 370's still have the connectors for it, and you probably could crossfire with a 270 since its a pitcairn but I'm guessing sp's would get disabled on the 270 unless its one of those 1024sp 270's that came out later.

#22

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

bubbleawsomeNothing R9 3xx. The place where Tahiti would be in the lineup is replaced by tonga.

balls. i'm stuck with faulty, ever failing gigabyte 280x's then :(

#23

RealNeil

Musselsballs. i'm stuck with faulty, ever failing gigabyte 280x's then :(

My 280X cards are all working great. No problems at all with all three of them. Sorry to hear that your's don't work right.

#24

Mussels

Freshwater Moderator

RealNeilMy 280X cards are all working great. No problems at all with all three of them. Sorry to hear that your's don't work right.

i've got a really bad gigabyte one, from a known bad series. third RMA in two months - the thread title here got me hopeful i could ask for a 3x0 card to pair it with and avoid the issues.

#25

Caring1

KainXSthe 370 is a rebrand of the 265

and I think you do still need a crossfire bridge, the 370's still have the connectors for it, and you probably could crossfire with a 270 since its a pitcairn but I'm guessing sp's would get disabled on the 270 unless its one of those 1024sp 270's that came out later.

My 270X has the crossfire connector, but I can still Xfire (no bridge) with another 270X, dependent on OS and Motherboard support.

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You Can Pair an R9 300 Series GPU with an R9 200 in CrossFire

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