The Cause Of And Fix For Radeon R9 290X And 290 Inconsistency

[qubit]

Reading this article, I so wouldn't get a reference 290x/290. You're forever getting short-changed on the clock speed and it runs so damned hot and noisy. TPU's reviews pointed out the shortcomings of the stock cooler, so it's not just me saying it.

Those 290x/290 third party coolers can't come soon enough, then we'll see what that Hawaii GPU can really do.

We first observed differences between the Radeon R9 290X cards that AMD sent out for review and the ones being sold online just before our R9 290 coverage went live. After additional testing, we have answers, feedback from AMD, and more questions.

Leading up to the Radeon R9 290X launch, I had two cards in the lab, both supplied by AMD. They ran at slightly different core frequencies in single-card configurations. No big deal, right? That was just PowerTune doing its job. But paired up in CrossFire, even with plenty of space between them, heat build-up forced the pair to drop to even lower clock rates. Right away, I was able to establish that AMD’s Hawaii GPU operates within a range of clock rates, determined by a number of variables. For R9 290X, that range starts at 727 and ends at 1000 MHz. As an aside, I do have an issue with vendors simply advertising this as a 1000 MHz GPU.

The discussion that so badly requires clarification, however, is a derivative of Hawaii’s inherent behavior. Because the GPU is always trying to run as fast as possible, and then adjusting down to obey certain power, temperature, and fan speed settings, every card is going to be just a little bit different. This is expected, and applies also to Nvidia’s GPU Boost-capable cards. But when I got my hands on a retail card purchased from Newegg, it was way slower. Like, 20% slower in many cases.

So that left me wondering: were the press boards just lower-leakage parts able to sustain higher clocks? Without a definitive answer, and with AMD insistent that my results couldn’t be right, I approached the Radeon R9 290 review much more cautiously, presenting data from both the sampled and store-bought 290X cards.

Read the rest at Tom's Hardware

 

[buildzoid]

Just buy an aftermarket cooler like the MK-26 you can use it again on your next GPU and it beat any of the custom cooling solutions that come out. Or you can zip tie a AIO water cooler to the core. And if you have a WC loop you can get a water block(universal or full cover) and an extra radiator.
I'd rather have a hot card with a VRM good for the next 10years and unlocked voltage than a cool card with an explosive VRM and locked voltage. Because you can fix the cooler yourself but you can't fix a crap VRM (GTX 590 insta kill at 1.2v, GTX 680 insta kill at 1.5v, GXT TITAN insta kill at 1.5v, GTX 780 insta kill at 1.5v, GTX 780Ti insta kill at 1.5v).
BTW the voltage of instant death is just a few percent higher than the voltage of rapid degredation. There are cases of people running reference GTX 780s at 1.35v and frying them up in a few days so at 1.25-1.3v the cards will survive 2 years at best.

I'm sorry to say it, but NVIDIA cards really are a lot better in terms of build quality, features and overall performance. Not surprising they cost significantly more.

Really better quality? I had a GTX590 that would shut down from overheating. I RMAed it and all that happend is that it now has a louder fan profile. I'm considering replacing the cooler and paralleling the VRM so it doesn't blow up when I try to OC it.
The reason Nvidia cards are pricier is because Nvidia has much better PR(That's the reason I own a GTX 590).

 

[EarthDog]

I'm sorry to say it, but NVIDIA cards really are a lot better in terms of build quality, features and overall performance

Do tell...

How can you determine build quality?
What features do they have that AMD does not that actually matters?
Overall performance? Really?

Please explain in more detail your assertions...

EDIT: BZ hit it on the head really. This was mentioned in damn near every review and everyone that has half a clue simply says to buy an aftermarket cooler or put them under water. What new things is this thread mentioning that the others have not already.

 

[RCoon]

Do tell...

How can you determine build quality?
What features do they have that AMD does not that actually matters?
Overall performance? Really?

Please explain in more detail your assertions...

I think he just prefers the magnesium alloy reference cooler.
Also AMD stating 1000mhz core on their cards (which they don't do), and doing weird and wonderful things for review cards and retail cards so they appear to perform better than they did for customers day 1. I think he's irritated because review cards performed considerably better than retail cards, which puts shame to AMD.
All in all, AMD reference is terrible, wait for AIB partners.

 

[Fourstaff]

I'm sorry to say it, but NVIDIA cards really are a lot better in terms of build quality, features and overall performance. Not surprising they cost significantly more.

I am still waiting for my replacement of the borked 8xxxM graphics card. So much for build quality.

 

[EarthDog]

I take exception to them listing the 1GHz core clock as well. Outside of that, NVIDIA cards work the same way (throttle under temperature and power). This is a simple cooler issue to me. It is an issue, a good one, but just a wait for 3rd party type situation as was mentioned earlier.

If they handed out samples that perform better, than shame on them. On the flip side, what if the retail sample they bought is extraordinarily leaky?

Good one fourstaff, because one GPU, that isn't even based off the same core (Aren't 8xxx Oland based GPUs?), makes the story true.

 

[Fourstaff]

Good one fourstaff, because one GPU, that isn't even based off the same core (Aren't 8xxx Oland based GPUs?), makes the story true.

Counterexamples are needed to refute OP

 

[RCoon]

I take exception to them listing the 1GHz core clock as well. Outside of that, NVIDIA cards work the same way (throttle under temperature and power). This is a simple cooler issue to me.

If they handed out samples that perform better, than shame on them. On the flip side, what if the sample they bought is extraordinarily leaky?

Good one fourstaff, because one GPU, that isn't even based off the same core (Aren't 8xxx Oland based GPUs?), makes the story.

Pffft took NVidia 3 months to replace my GTX 780 which i accidentally tore the inductor off after glue-pasting a heatsink to it and using pliers to get it off. If only they were velcro'd on.

 

[Fourstaff]

Pffft took NVidia 3 months to replace my GTX 780 which i accidentally tore the inductor off after glue-pasting a heatsink to it and using pliers to get it off. If only they were velcro'd on.

Isn't that Gigabyte's fault?

 

[EarthDog]

RMA replacement is another story... has nothing to do with build quality, your user error.

Isn't that Gigabyte's fault?

Perhaps coffee is in order? How it is the MFG fault that this dude glued a heatsink to an inductor and in the process of trying to remove it pulled off a part?

Maybe I need some java... am I missing something there?

 

[RCoon]

Isn't that Gigabyte's fault?

Yeah, NVidia actually forced Gigabyte to RMA it.

RMA replacement is another story... has nothing to do with build quality, your user error.

That's the point I was making sarcasm could have been more obvious I admit.

 

[EarthDog]

That's the point I was making

Ok, good, that is what I thought...ish. .

I didnt catch the sarcasm...written word and all. Probably missed it in Fourstaff's too! Im going to get some coffee...

 

[RCoon]

Ok, good, that is what I thought...ish. .

I didnt catch the sarcasm...written word and all. Probably missed it in Fourstaff's too! Im going to get some coffee...

Back to the point in hand, if you direct yourself to the final page in OP's reference (I assume people read it?), you can see how the review card performed, how the day 1 retail card performed, and how the retail card + new driver (100rpm fan increase) performed. Kinda made me a little bit irritated, but then I never buy reference unless I intend to watercool/SLIXfire.

 

[EarthDog]

Either way... waiting for the OP to stop thanking people and back up his own assertions here...this is like the news articles all over again... LOL!

(sorry, everything is coming out WAY more grumpy from me than it needs to be. To me the issue has been mentioned in many reviews and is a problem mostly everyone knows about, so that point ((and this thread)) is a complete rehash of the long arse threads on the 290 and 290x reviews).

 

[RCoon]

Either way... waiting for the OP to stop thanking people and back up his own assertions here...this is like the news articles all over again... LOL!

I don't visit GPU reviews or GPU news articles anymore. It's bad for my health, like passive smoking.

 

[qubit]

Im going to get some coffee...

Oh no, don't get this coffee junkie going!

 

[v12dock]

I have had equal problems with Nvidia and AMD cards

 

[AsRock]

I would just get a reference XFX card being in the US with it's lifetime warranty and just put 3rd party cooler on it..

Having to wait anyways till next year i guess i will see if the non ref are better or not.

 

[brandonwh64]

Everyone remember fermi? Those cards ran hot as hell! My 7970 on stock cooler and clocks ran super hot to the point it throttled. After getting a aftermarket cooler it runs no more than 56 deg with an OC. Yes the 290 runs hot cause for one its a reference card and the reference cooler is quite crap! I remember 4870's run hot as hell on stock coolers.

 

[fullinfusion]

Do tell...

How can you determine build quality?
What features do they have that AMD does not that actually matters?
Overall performance? Really?

Please explain in more detail your assertions...

EDIT: BZ hit it on the head really. This was mentioned in damn near every review and everyone that has half a clue simply says to buy an aftermarket cooler or put them under water. What new things is this thread mentioning that the others have not already.

We all know qubit is an nvidia fan boi, 690 this 690 that lol. To each there own.. at least amd don't get snap crackel pop haha. Just having fun with the op
I thought it was a good read till I seen toms hardware link :/

 

[the54thvoid]

AMD rolled out a fan speed driver fix for the 290's. Anandtech did i review of it and i posted the link in another thread.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/7501/amd-changes-290-series-fan-algorithms

Basically, reference 290x gets louder but has more stable clocks. The 290 is largely unchanged as it had higher fan rpm anyway.

On a decidedly relevant front, I'll be sticking with my Titan for quite some time, unless something awesome happens from the 290X or 780Ti (Lightnings or Classifieds that go really high.)

I recently checked Afterburner after a couple of hours of BF4 and it had hit 2.9Gb memory usage at peak. Obviously not a concern on 6GB memory but on a £550-£600 ($700) card the 780Ti should have been given more memory.

I've swung back to preferring the 290X, given that in my world, I'd slap a water block on either card. I think for people on higher resolution (1440p or above), it would be worth thinking about the Vram after all.

I guess at 1600p (i'm at 1440p) there will be cases that the 3GB will suffer. But yeah, who has 30" monitors anyway.

 

[Recus]

qubit, don't compare Nvidia and AMD in treads where AMD has problems.

 

[qubit]

qubit, don't compare Nvidia and AMD in treads where AMD has problems.

Wot?!

 

[EarthDog]

We all know qubit is an nvidia fan boi, 690 this 690 that lol. To each there own.. at least amd don't get snap crackel pop haha. Just having fun with the op
I thought it was a good read till I seen toms hardware link :/

I could care less where his loyalty is at the moment. I would just like to see some support of the points I mentioned... still nada.......... :shadedshu

AS it stands... Recycled recycle bin material here.

 

[RejZoR]

I never had any problems with AMD cards apart from HD5850 ratling of the blower fan. That's why i prefer WindForce 3X and TwinFrozr III+ coolers. I hated the Vapor-X Toxic thing on Sapphire card. It was pathetic and noisy.