Sapphire Readies Radeon R9 290X with 8 GB Memory

[btarunr]

Here it is, the first consumer (non-professional) graphics card with a staggering 8,192 MB (8 GB) of video memory. Sapphire is giving final touches to the Radeon R9 290X Toxic, which features 8 GB of memory across the GPU's 512-bit wide GDDR5 memory interface. In addition to that, the card is said to feature a massive factory-overclock, which could give it a shot at the performance crown from NVIDIA's GTX TITAN Black. The card features a large vapor-chamber equipped cooling solution in sexy black + yellow. The Toxic isn't going to be Sapphire's only R9 290X cards with 8 GB memory. There's also the R9 290X Vapor-X 8 GB, which goes easy on the factory-overclock, and probably OC headroom, but features the same cooling solution as the one on the Toxic, albeit with a different color scheme. Sapphire could launch the two on the backdrop of GDC.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Tonduluboy]

$1000 ?

 

[btarunr]

$1000 ?

With Litecoin epidemic, quite possible. Then again, there's quite some depreciation in crypto-currency after the bitcoin crash. It should calm down VGA prices gradually, but not right now. Now is the worst time to buy a high-end VGA.

 

[MxPhenom 216]

With Litecoin epidemic, quite possible. Then again, there's quite some depreciation in crypto-currency after the bitcoin crash. It should calm down VGA prices gradually, but not right now. Now is the worst time to buy a high-end VGA.

For AMD fans.......

 

[happita]

With Litecoin epidemic, quite possible. Then again, there's quite some depreciation in crypto-currency after the bitcoin crash. It should calm down VGA prices gradually, but not right now. Now is the worst time to buy a high-end VGA.

I disagree, in the case of AMD cards that is of course. I've seen some pretty nice prices on the egg in the last day or 2. However the majority of competitors have yet to follow

MSI R9 290 Gaming - $469.99
XFX R9 290 Double D - $519.99
Gigabyte R9 290X Windforce - $629.99
Powercolor R9 290X PCS+ - $649.99

 

[Ali bakhshi]

1000$?? I would buy a GTX 780Ti For less!!

 

[Relayer]

For AMD fans.......

$700 for a 3gig 780 ti is no bargain either.

 

[Ali bakhshi]

$700 for a 3gig 780 ti is no bargain either.

yeah you are right.but for Gaming i would choose 780Ti rather than an 8GB r9 290X...

 

[Relayer]

Any GK110 or Hawaii once O/C'd is going to give you the same max playable settings 99% of the time. I'd actually opt for either a custom 780 or 290 (nonX) for <$500. These "hyper-cards" are slick kit though (Titan Black, 290X Toxic).

 

[zzzaac]

The 290X Lightning is already $919 where i'm from. I'm dreading to seed how much this will cost

 

[GreiverBlade]

For AMD fans.......

sadly true, still it's the worst phrase i ever saw today (lucky that i just woke up now )

With Litecoin epidemic, quite possible. Then again, there's quite some depreciation in crypto-currency after the bitcoin crash. It should calm down VGA prices gradually, but not right now. Now is the worst time to buy a high-end VGA.

i have found some 290 (new) for 415chf and under atm and seen some 290X at 440chf (but and the one who sell 10 of them at that price say he used them for a mining test and "they produce 990kh/s")

while the price is nice, i don't know how much time the "test" was ... so basically a 200chf economy, buy date 12.2013 so still 20 month warranty coverage, but what is manufacturer warranty if the card is on the verge to break and nearly fubar (ok it is a bit extreme... but since the guy doesn't give more info about the thermal environment, was is 3 of them crippled on a mobo or 6 on a riser setup with a adequate airflow or about time of use for mining...) i am used to buy 2nd hand for a good bargain and have no problems but mining kinda set me off for these

yeah you are right.but for Gaming i choose 780Ti rather than an 8GB r9 290X...

also 8gb hum ... i would take a new 290 4gb over a 780/780Ti since a 780/780Ti doesn't offer much for the cost added (not mentioning that Geforce driver don't get along well with AMD All in one driver... i wonder if it is on purpose )

 

[Ali bakhshi]

sadly true, still it's the worst phrase i ever saw today (lucky that i just woke up now )


i have found some 290 (new) for 415chf and under atm and seen some 290X at 440chf (but and the one who sell 10 of them at that price say he used them for a mining test and "they produce 990kh/s")

while the price is nice, i don't know how much time the "test" was ... so basically a 200chf economy, buy date 12.2013 so still 20 month warranty coverage, but what is manufacturer warranty if the card is on the verge to break and nearly fubar (ok it is a bit extreme... but since the guy doesn't give more info about the thermal environment, was is 3 of them crippled on a mobo or 6 on a riser setup with a adequate airflow or about time of use for mining...) i am used to buy 2nd hand for a good bargain and have no problems but mining kinda set me off for these



also 8gb hum ... i would take a new 290 4gb over a 780/780Ti since a 780/780Ti doesn't offer much for the cost added (not mentioning that Geforce driver don't get along well with AMD All in one driver... i wonder if it is on purpose )

i prefer Nvidia Drivers.... and i would wait for Nvidia's Maxwell for upgrade.

 

[AsRock]

I disagree, in the case of AMD cards that is of course. I've seen some pretty nice prices on the egg in the last day or 2. However the majority of competitors have yet to follow

MSI R9 290 Gaming - $469.99
XFX R9 290 Double D - $519.99
Gigabyte R9 290X Windforce - $629.99
Powercolor R9 290X PCS+ - $649.99

XFX all so have the 1050 core clock DD for $650 too and last time i looked the ASUS one dropped to $630 i believe.


Whats the point in this 8GB version anyways ?.

 

[LeonVolcove]

Sapphire R9 290X 8GB = 6 eyefinity Monitor WITHOUT A SWEAT

 

[GreiverBlade]

i prefer Nvidia Drivers.... and i would wait for Nvidia's Maxwell for upgrade.

not really a plus (drivers) since, unless multi gpu, both brand does fine, but true on maxwell still i have to work with no USB 3.0 or SMbus driver on my main rig, because of what? because of nV drivers 1 month and 3 week to wait till i can take a new card talk about sabotage ... (hence the "i wonder if it is on purpose" )

with what i see from the 750/750 Ti i think Maxwell will be a huge step up ... for power consumption not for perf, but who really knows ... wait and see


(i would be really pissed off if the future 780 class Maxwell offer 10% above previous gen and charge a Titan price on it ... at this time i would still take a 290 4gb over it: 35% more perf would not be worth it )

 

[micropage7]

i just think why they never give other solution like upgradable ram for vga

 

[Aquinus]

i just think why they never give other solution like upgradable ram for vga

It's more profit for them if you have to upgrade the entire GPU. Also replacable parts makes it more expensive to implement. Also consider the size of the DIMMs and their connectors versus just soldering memory ICs to the PCB. It takes up a lot more space.

 

[n0tiert]

i just think why they never give other solution like upgradable ram for vga

Well there was in da old days , i'll remember that i had to wait 3 month for my Matrox mystique RAM upgrade

But by that Time a vga Card last 5+ years lol

 

[GreiverBlade]

i just think why they never give other solution like upgradable ram for vga

aahhhh it was sweet the time where graphic card had a slot or pin for a memory addon ... Matrox Millenium/G200/Mystic, some ati rage series and some others

 

[Prima.Vera]

i just think why they never give other solution like upgradable ram for vga

You mean like S3 Virge DX/GX used to have? ))))

 

[AsRock]

You mean like S3 Virge DX/GX used to have? ))))

hehe with it's massive 1/2 \ 1MB addon chips lol.. They removed that later on too lol.

The Matrix cards hard card slots for the ram kinda like plugging the ram in to a laptop

 

[micropage7]

Well there was in da old days , i'll remember that i had to wait 3 month for my Matrox mystique RAM upgrade

But by that Time a vga Card last 5+ years lol

yeah, at least you can make it last longer before buying a new card if you just need more ram
more profitable maybe if we replace it and buy a new one

 

[Tyrael]

Oh come one Sapphire! Give everyone a chance just to change colour scheme for their build. I wish you kept it BLACK! Yellow is okay, but it ruins the build if you have something like 70% RED / 30% Black....

 

[SIGSEGV]

i prefer Nvidia Drivers.... and i would wait for Nvidia's Maxwell for upgrade.

meh...

 

[GreiverBlade]

yeah, at least you can make it last longer before buying a new card if you just need more ram
more profitable maybe if we replace it and buy a new one

well 4gb or 8gb is pointless unless you are a multi 4k monitor freak, i mean 8gb .... 4 gb is the new "standard" like 1gb and 2gb was before 3gb was never a real step since only 7950/7970/280/280X and some 580 had it (wait a sec ... and 780 Ti... pfaaaaaaaahh!)

1gb still suffice at 1080p but is a bit on the edge, 2gb is a minimum to be comfortable 4gb is the norm but not an obligation, 6gb and 8gb are for hum... oh well fortunate freak with 6 4k monitor ... let says
or just a way to push the price up and make user think it is really a essential upgrade. (think about the GT610 4gb DDR3 )