7950 v 280x

[smeders]

Hi all,

quick question for you.

Currently have a Gigabyte 3GB 7950 OC which cost £123. I can get the Gigabyte 3GB R9 280x for £172 + £7.18 postage to return the 7950. Is the 280x worth the extra £56? Almost 1.5x what I paid for the 7950.

Thanks!

[ekamdeep]

280x is a 7970 so it is worth the upgrade

[watercooled]

Well it's not 50% faster, but it depends on what you're after: http://anandtech.com/bench/product/1033?vs=1041

[smeders]

Well it's not 50% faster, but it depends on what you're after: http://anandtech.com/bench/product/1033?vs=1041

Thanks for the replies! This is the issue, its not 50% faster but is 50% more cost wise. Thinking if i OC it up to 1100 core that will bring it into the 7970 ball park, just the memory will be running lower.

[smeders]

Basically need it for playing GTA 4 and 5 online and also some other games which are less demanding.

[shaithis]

Considerably better value to find a second-hand 7950 to crossfire. They must be going for £75 or less by now.

[smeders]

Looking at 80-100 on ebay. Would mixing brands be ok? I can get another identical Gigabyte 7950 from same supplier for £116-117. Will look into it if needed next month.

[Ulti]

If you don't mind buying from Pixmania you can get a R9 280 for £111.60 which is great value for money.

Link from HUKD: http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/vtx3...tockuk-2190500

[watercooled]

Just something to watch out for with ebay - Tahiti cards (i.e. those mentioned) were about the best for cryptocurrency mining so some of the second hand ones might have been maxed for a long time. It's hard to know if that's the case but one tell-tale sign would be a seller having a load of identical cards listed.

[smeders]

If you don't mind buying from Pixmania you can get a R9 280 for £111.60 which is great value for money.

Link from HUKD: http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/vtx3...tockuk-2190500

Ive read the the 280 is just a rebranded 7950 so little point. The 7950 i have is the Gigabyte Windforce OC'd one too.

[shaithis]

Looking at 80-100 on ebay. Would mixing brands be ok? I can get another identical Gigabyte 7950 from same supplier for £116-117. Will look into it if needed next month.

Seen some going on AV-Forums for £70. Mixing brands (and even editions) is fine as long as it is a 7950...although I have read of people Crossfiring 7950 + 280

[gupsterg]

Just something to watch out for with ebay - Tahiti cards (i.e. those mentioned) were about the best for cryptocurrency mining so some of the second hand ones might have been maxed for a long time. It's hard to know if that's the case but one tell-tale sign would be a seller having a load of identical cards listed.

+1, also check seller's feedback for past sales as at times cottoned on that way that it's a miner selling off cards.

[DanceswithUnix]

Ive read the the 280 is just a rebranded 7950 so little point. The 7950 i have is the Gigabyte Windforce OC'd one too.

Plus the 280 is replaced by the R9 285, which is around £140 and closer to the 280X in performance.

http://www.ebuyer.com/store/Componen...-R9-285-Series

[smeders]

Ok options are:

Gigabyte AMD Radeon R9 290 1040MHz 4GB - £190-200
Gigabyte AMD Radeon R9 280X 1000MHz 3GB - £172

285 is an option however I would ideally like 3GB+ for GTA 5

Performance on the 7950 is abit rubbish and you can't overclock it so its going back regardless!

[MrRockliffe]

The 290 will offer a significant performance boost over the 280x, especially for higher resolution textures like those in GTA. For an extra 20 pounds, I'd go with a 290.

[gupsterg]

290 IMO as well, Link:- Benchmarks on Hexus for Sapphire R9 290 Tri-X