# SAPPHIRE Announces the Radeon R9 290X/290 Tri-X Graphics Cards



## Cristian_25H (Dec 19, 2013)

SAPPHIRE Technology has just announced two new models of its top of the range R9 290 and R9 290X graphics cards. Both models feature the SAPPHIRE exclusive Tri-X triple fan cooler, enhanced clocks and dual BIOS.

The SAPPHIRE R9 290X Tri-X features the latest GCN (graphics core next) architecture from AMD with 2816 stream processing units and an enhanced engine clock of up to 1040 MHz. It is equipped with 4 GB of the latest high performance GDDR5 memory on a 512-bit interface and now clocked at 1300 MHz (5.2 GHz effective) delivering higher bandwidth than the reference design. The SAPPHIRE R9 290 Tri-X has 2560 stream processing units and an engine clock of up to 1000 Mhz. It is also equipped with 4 GB of the latest high performance GDDR5 memory on a 512-bit interface and clocked at 1300 MHz (5.2 GHz effective).



 

 

 



Both models are based on reference design pcbs with custom cooling developed by SAPPHIRE. The SAPPHIRE Tri-X cooler, first introduced on the R9 280X TOXIC edition to great acclaim, uses three fans with dust repelling bearings and aerofoil section blades to deliver highly efficient airflow at low noise levels, and the fan cowling is designed to ensure the airflow is routed across the hottest areas of the card.

Cooling is especially important in the R9 290 series because performance is capped by the system as the GPU temperature reaches higher levels. Therefore, by providing better cooling, maximum performance levels can be raised. SAPPHIRE has also tailored the fan speed profiles on the Tri-X models to a transitional linear mode which the company believes achieves the best sustainable performance with lower GPU temperatures. Internal testing has shown the Tri-X cooler can achieve operating temperatures much lower than the reference design.

With support for Ultra HD (4K displays) and AMD Eyefinity multi-screen technology, the SAPPHIRE R9 290 series maximises the visual experience for work or play with superior image quality and high resolution displays. It uses the PCI-Express 3.0 interface and supports multiple cards in AMD CrossFire natively without the need for bridge cables.

The SAPPHIRE R9 290 series is also equipped with the new AMD TrueAudio technology which brings a heightened level of audio immersion, surrounding gamers with realistic audio environments whether it is through stereo headsets or speakers. A dedicated audio processor in the GPU enables the SAPPHIRE R9 290 series to deliver a richer and deeply immersive soundscape, including true to life echoes, convolution reverbs and incredibly realistic surround sound environments.

In addition to superior cooling and performance, SAPPHIRE has also implemented DUAL BIOS on the Tri-X models, ensuring that the cards boot and deliver maximum performance in systems with both UEFI and legacy BIOS implementations.

SAPPHIRE Tri-X models are in production now and will be available from SAPPHIRE's usual etail and retail partners. Retail products will also include specially packaged models with a promotion for a free copy of the highly successful game, Battlefield 4.

*View at TechPowerUp Main Site*


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## MxPhenom 216 (Dec 19, 2013)

Orange on Sapphire cards. That's uhhhh.........different.


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## ZetZet (Dec 19, 2013)

Hey, atleast not blue pcb.


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## TheDeeGee (Dec 19, 2013)

Pretty sure it's more towards Yellow.

Maybe you need to calibrate your monitor


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## dj-electric (Dec 19, 2013)

MxPhenom 216 said:


> Orange on Sapphire cards. That's uhhhh.........different.



Just borrowing some colors from their cousin


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## vega22 (Dec 19, 2013)

Svarog said:


> Pretty sure it's more towards Yellow.
> 
> Maybe you need to calibrate your monitor



i think they are more orange than yellow dude, these aint the best pictures of them i have seen.


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## Eagleye (Dec 19, 2013)

Review here:

*Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X OC Review (1600p, Ultra HD 4K)*
http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...ire-r9-290-tri-x-oc-review-1600p-ultra-hd-4k/


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## Nihilus (Dec 19, 2013)

Eagleye said:


> Review here:
> 
> *Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X OC Review (1600p, Ultra HD 4K)*
> http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...ire-r9-290-tri-x-oc-review-1600p-ultra-hd-4k/



Whoa didn't realize until the end that this was a non-x review.  It hangs right there with the reference 290x with lower noise, way lower temps, and about $100 cheaper.  The bar has just been raised.


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## HD64G (Dec 19, 2013)

Easily and by the best high end GPU when price is considered. And that's the proof about the faulty reference cooler. Some have said that the core cannot be frozen. Eat your words with 68C in 30mins gaming load with Crysis 3...


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## qubit (Dec 19, 2013)

Yellow?

They're trying to look like Zotac.


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## buildzoid (Dec 19, 2013)

qubit said:


> Yellow?
> 
> They're trying to look like Zotac.



They're both subbrands of PCpartner so I guess Zotac ordered too much yellow plastic and Sapphire borrowed it


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## Sempron Guy (Dec 19, 2013)

Just read the 290 tri-x oc review. Performance shines even brighter with a good cooler slapped on it. I wish they'd ditch the color scheme though. I like the old Sapphire theme much better.


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## qubit (Dec 19, 2013)

buildzoid said:


> They're both subbrands of PCpartner so I guess Zotac ordered too much yellow plastic and Sapphire borrowed it


Sapphire is PC Partner? One learns something new every day, lol.


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## Tallencor (Dec 19, 2013)

Oh hells yeah! Finally. Been waiting for the Sapphires. Been using them since my 5770 Vapor x. Now how long do I have to wait to get one.


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## Behemot (Dec 19, 2013)

This not gonna work. Just got their R9 280X with the same monstrous cooler sitting at open and mining, it heats like oven with fans hitting maximum speed. They want to add extra 50 watts? No way. It will melt.


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## Casecutter (Dec 19, 2013)

Cristian_25H said:


> Both models are based on reference design pcbs.


I think I'd go with someone's that has something more to the components and PCB, if having to ante-up up $30 for just a cooler.



Behemot said:


> This not gonna work. Just got their R9 280X with the same monstrous cooler sitting at open and mining, it heats like oven with fans hitting maximum speed. They want to add extra 50 watts? No way. It will melt.


I'd say the 280X isn't the identical same as these they afix to the 290's.


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## Behemot (Dec 19, 2013)

You saying I am blind? Got the card right here. Orange rims, three fans, long like hell. Has sligthly different bracket because of different connectors, maybe some tiny difference here and there but overall pretty much the same. Stock cards have about 50 watts difference so it will be +- the same here. That means way over 300 watts, jeez. And people wonder why such cards barely survive warranty period…


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## Xzibit (Dec 19, 2013)

Behemot said:


> You saying I am blind? Got the card right here. Orange rims, three fans, long like hell. Has sligthly different bracket because of different connectors, maybe some tiny difference here and there but overall pretty much the same. Stock cards have about 50 watts difference so it will be +- the same here. That means way over 300 watts, jeez. And people wonder why such cards barely survive warranty period…



Looks to work pretty well


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## Divide Overflow (Dec 19, 2013)

So is Tri-X replacing the Vapor-X marketing lineup of Sapphire cards?


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## Casecutter (Dec 19, 2013)

Behemot said:


> You saying I am blind? …


Wow don't take it so personal... Using just the pictures above there's no way to see the subtle differences; like differences in H-P layout (5 vs 3), or if these use a vapor chamber.  Just look at the KitGuru pic’s he's reviewed the Sapphire 280X you'll see huge differences like the VRM cooling.

While look at even his pictures of the two shrouds, completely different but the colors are the same.  Even the end of the 290's seems bulge more.  Sometimes even though fans size and appearance are similar they could be different spec fans, although not always the case but could be.

Before chastising this cooler as your 280X, or even me for that fact you should open your mind a little and get some facts.

http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...e-r9-290-tri-x-oc-review-1600p-ultra-hd-4k/2/
http://www.kitguru.net/components/g...pphire-r9-280x-toxic-edition-oc-3gb-review/2/


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## Tatty_One (Dec 19, 2013)

Divide Overflow said:


> So is Tri-X replacing the Vapor-X marketing lineup of Sapphire cards?



No it's just model dependent.... well heat dependent really..... Tri X, Dual X and VaporX lol, not confusing really, Tri's for the toasty 290's, dual's and Vapors for the 280's downwards it seems.


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## Ravenas (Dec 19, 2013)

The Vapor-X models are constantly sold out. I except that these Tri-X models will follow the same trend.

EDIT:

Oh I also wanted to mention something about the coil whine the Vapor-Xs have been experiencing... I hope they work that out.


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## Behemot (Dec 20, 2013)

Casecutter said:


> Wow don't take it so personal... Using just the pictures above there's no way to see the subtle differences; like differences in H-P layout (5 vs 3), or if these use a vapor chamber.  Just look at the KitGuru pic’s he's reviewed the Sapphire 280X you'll see huge differences like the VRM cooling.



That vapor-something is just BS, no improvement over HP. Besides, there is HOT air coming from the fins, you think there is some problem with heat transfer from the core to air? NO. It just cannot handle. We are talking about bloody 300 watts…


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## happita (Dec 20, 2013)

Cristian_25H said:


> Both models are based on reference design pcbs with custom cooling developed by SAPPHIRE.


 
Why are they still using reference pcb designs for these? I'll be sure to look past these and probably get myself a different brand of R290 that has improved power circuitry.


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## Xzibit (Dec 20, 2013)

Behemot said:


> That vapor-sopmething is just BS, no improvement over HP. Besides, there is HOT air coming from the fins, you think there is some problem with heat transfer from the core to air? NO. It just cannot handle. We are talking about bloody 300 watts…



Well considering you said you own a 280 Toxic and most reviews have it around 75C in FurMark & 65C while gaming.

Besides if you bother looking at the card you can tell its not the same cooler.

I'm going to have to call BS on you and your setup.


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## Behemot (Dec 20, 2013)

Xzibit said:


> Well considering you said you own a 280 Toxic and most reviews have it around 75C in FurMark & 65C while gaming.
> 
> Besides if you bother looking at the card you can tell its not the same cooler.
> 
> I'm going to have to call BS on you and your setup.








Oh yeah, barely noticeable plastic cover shape difference and one fan 5mm larger (the one with least importance). Yes sir, it is _sooooooooooooo_ different it will cool 15-20% more heat not only to the same, but even lower temperatures! _Oh, wait…_


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## progste (Dec 20, 2013)

Behemot said:


> That vapor-something is just BS, no improvement over HP. Besides, there is HOT air coming from the fins, you think there is some problem with heat transfer from the core to air? NO. It just cannot handle. We are talking about bloody 300 watts…


why is everyone freaking out for the 300 watts when the 780 and 780-ti consume about the same? (and the 580 was even more)


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## Behemot (Dec 20, 2013)

I haven't said those _are not_ just about the same bloody ovens, have I?


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## Frick (Dec 20, 2013)

Where are the TPU reviiewwwwws????


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## Eroticus (Dec 20, 2013)

Behemot said:


> You saying I am blind? Got the card right here. Orange rims, three fans, long like hell. Has sligthly different bracket because of different connectors, maybe some tiny difference here and there but overall pretty much the same. Stock cards have about 50 watts difference so it will be +- the same here. That means way over 300 watts, jeez. And people wonder why such cards barely survive warranty period…



*Power Consumption of my 5870 Crossfire about 500~600w*

*i got these cards already 5 years.*


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## a_ump (Dec 20, 2013)

Behemot said:


> I haven't said those _are not_ just about the same bloody ovens, have I?





Behemot said:


> Oh yeah, barely noticeable plastic cover shape difference and one fan 5mm larger (the one with least importance). Yes sir, it is _sooooooooooooo_ different it will cool 15-20% more heat not only to the same, but even lower temperatures! _Oh, wait…_



have you done the basic checks on your card? took heatsink off to see what kind of contact with the board but mainly GPU its getting? could be 1/8" of TIM in there and you not know it. just a thought.


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## Behemot (Dec 20, 2013)

You noticed I said hot air is coming from it? It would be cold if there was bad thermal joint with core, right?


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## Xzibit (Dec 20, 2013)

Behemot said:


> You noticed I said hot air is coming from it? It would be cold if there was bad thermal joint with core, right?



You also said.



Behemot said:


> This not gonna work. Just got their R9 280X with the same monstrous cooler sitting at open and mining, it heats like oven with fans hitting maximum speed. They want to add extra 50 watts? No way. It will melt.



Which reviews from several sites have proven wrong already...

Here is another with a quote







> Despite being significantly cooler than reference, the R9 290 Tri-X is also less noisy during use. It isn't the quietest graphics card we've ever used, and in truth we didn't expect it to be, but it keeps temperatures in check without having to massively ramp-up fan speed. During our own gaming benchmarks, *fan speed never rose beyond 40 per cent (roughly 2,000RPM)*.



So definitely something wrong with your card or setup if your have to have your fans at max.


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## Behemot (Dec 20, 2013)

There is also HD 5850 I think, 4 slots from it. Got window opened on it right now but it's still quite noisy. And I am in cold here as the hot air goes above me 

What setup they use? I got it on table and it's not good. Consider how many people are not able to cool their case at all.


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## Xzibit (Dec 20, 2013)

Behemot said:


> There is also HD 5850 I think, 4 slots from it. Got window opened on it right now but it's still quite noisy. And I am in cold here as the hot air goes above me
> 
> What setup they use? I got it on table and it's not good. Consider how many people are not able to cool their case at all.



What people are unable to cool their cards ?

All you done is post a few comments without any proof, not even of your own experience.

Trolling much ?


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## Nihilus (Dec 21, 2013)

He just wants a hug! 

   It seems most of the custom coolers like MSI and HIS are targeting the 290x.  Sapphire was smart to get the non-reference 290 going.  If availability is good, this will be very tough to beat!  Looking forward to reviews.


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## Ravenas (Dec 21, 2013)

Nihilus said:


> He just wants a hug!
> 
> It seems most of the custom coolers like MSI and HIS are targeting the 290x.  Sapphire was smart to get the non-reference 290 going.  If availability is good, this will be very tough to beat!  Looking forward to reviews.



Getting a hold of Sapphire's cards with the new coolers is very frustrating. The 280x is constantly out of stock.


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