All results were obtained at 4625MHz on an un-optimized Windows7 64-bit. These are our results, yours may vary so
only use these as a guideline for a similarly configured system.
Graphics Card
3DMark Fires
Strike
3DMark Fire Strike
Extreme
3DMark11
3DMark
Vantage
Catzilla: 1080p
HWBOT Heaven
Extreme
3361,51
PowerColor R9 290 OC
10631
5221
15814
50445
11637
1150/1450
Graphics:
11962
Graphics: 5365
Graphics:
16735
GPU Score:
50555
Hardware:
11682
AMD R9 290X
14837
48990
10700
14803
GPU Score:
48432
Hardware:
10723
9703
4887
14451
49382
12558
Graphics: 4965
Graphics:
14322
GPU Score:
49053
Hardware:
12628
9324
4676
14066
45927
10503
Graphics:
10274
PowerColor R9 290 OC
4GB
4935
Graphics: 5079
Graphics:
10528
EVGA GTX 780 Classified
9867
Graphics:
10959
Graphics: 4790
Graphics:
13820
GPU Score:
44687
Hardware:
10143
been shown to go the distance
under air and LN2 cooling quite
regularly. Not a fair comparison
as such but a valid one, because
it is typical of what most users
would buy when they consider
purchasing a GTX 780 as
reference cards comparisons
are for the most part irrelevant.
At $550 it is significantly more
expensive but for that you do get
better performance. This was
what surprised us, more than
anything. As we read through
the first batch of reviews for the
R9 290, the numbers that we
observed were slightly different
than those that were reported
on several sites.
For instance, there wasn’t
a single benchmark that we
ran where the R9 290 was
faster than the classified.
The PowerColor card was
between 4 to 7% slower,
Catzilla withstanding, where
the NVIDIA GPUs have proved to
be particularly adapt. With that
said, we have to be mindful of the
price difference between these
two cards before we come to any
conclusion regarding the value
of this card. $400 means that if
that’s all you have for investing in
a graphics card, you’re looking at
this card or a GK104 based GPU.
Against the R9 290, there is no
GK104 GPU that can match it.
It’s just not going to happen and
this is where the real value of
the R9 290 is. It’s what it offers
at the price.
For us as enthusiasts and
overclockers who regularly buy
GPUs priced above the $500
mark, it is easy to forget that
for most people, this is as far
as their budgets will allow. Yet
this kind of performance at this
price was unheard of prior to
the R9 290.
Overclocked, the PowerColor
card obviously produced even
better numbers, exceeding
those of the R9 290X (als o
reviewed in this issue) which
retails for as much as the
Classified card. Attaining
these clock speeds however
means turning up the fan
speed and thus having to deal
with the excessive noise issue,
however it isn’t anything that
an aftermarket cooler cannot
fix (you may for example opt for
the Prolimatech MK-26 Black
Edition which is reviewed in
this issue). However do keep
in mind that you’re going to be
spending another $90 to $100 on
this depending on the cooler you
opt for. However, even at $500
you’re still getting some brilliant
performance because once
again, nothing else will be faster
at that price.
In a competitive overclocking
context, virtually everyone who
has bothered with the Hawaii
GPUs has gone with the 290X,
so there isn’t much we could
report on for the overclockers
on the 290, but suffice to say
it should scale in exactly the
3105,931
3025,615
2824,9
same way as the 290X and
have the same mods as it is
identical to the 290X. (So much
so that some 290 cards have
“unlocked” to 290X cards via a
simple BIOS flash).
In closing, the R9 290 OC may
not be the fastest graphics card
money can buy, but it does offer
unquestionable value for money.
Thermals and the rest aside,
you’re not going to find better
value in any other high end card.
Thus, if the PowerColor R9 290
OC is deserving of any praise
from us, it is the Value award.
$400 has never delivered this
much power before.
[ The Overclocker]
Summary
PowerColor has given us
a reference R9 290 card
with a slight overclock
but has not charged extra
for it. If you’re going to
be buying an R9 290 card
you may as well purchase
this one as there aren’t
any others that can claim
to be faster. At $400 it’s a
steal for the performance
that you get.
Would you buy it?
Sure. Its value roposition
is phenomenal.
Issue 27 | 2013 The OverClocker 27