GPU Value Comparisons

Hey guys was just skimming through the last few pages here as im also looking to upgrade my 560ti with something more current.

I see the recommendations for the R9280 is that still kinda the best thing to go for?

The 750ti is about R2100, R9280 is about R3300 and the 960 is also about R3300. Then i see the 760 is also about 3300. Flip ive lost touch since the last upgrade really have no clue what would be best value.

Help please :)

Busy making the same choice:

R9 280 and 960 is very similar in performance. 960 uses less power and is built on a more modern process. Personally I'm taking the r9 280 as I think the extra ram makes it more future proof.
 
Busy making the same choice:

R9 280 and 960 is very similar in performance. 960 uses less power and is built on a more modern process. Personally I'm taking the r9 280 as I think the extra ram makes it more future proof.

No doubt the RAM gives you more headroom, but its the 384-bit memory bus that makes the difference (assume you mean the powercolor OC'd one). Read this review on the 960 to put it in perspective.
 
Which is better Gigabyte R9 280x for R2250 or Asus GTX 680 DCii for R2800?

BTW, do you think the R9 280x will be fine with a 550w power supply. Running a typical system and not over clocking, i7 3770, 1HDD, 1SSD, 1fan.

Agree with GTX Gaming - 550W is good enough if its a reliable brand...make sure its 80plus bronze certified.
I built a custom rig that's been running flawlessly without breaking a sweat (about a year now). Gigabyte Greenmax 550W running an i5-3570k with powercolor R9-280x. But dude, why only one fan? Is it pushing or pulling? I suppose 1 fan could work, but at least try to improve the CPU cooler to something like this. Those Haswell processors run kinda hot; i wouldn't risk it.
 
Busy making the same choice:

R9 280 and 960 is very similar in performance. 960 uses less power and is built on a more modern process. Personally I'm taking the r9 280 as I think the extra ram makes it more future proof.

Thing is is the GPU actually powerful enough to handle all those higher textures, antialiasing etc etc without bogging the fps and ending up playing at 40fps?

I've got the gtx960 but in all honesty I can't see it performing better with more memory as at 1080p gaming it already runs full load load with antialiasing turned down to lower settings using about 70-75% of memory. Turning up the antialiasing & post processing results in lower fps (40+) and higher mem usage. With antialiasing set to fxaa etc and mostly max settings you get 80-200fps in games. I could max everything out but higher fps just feels better than playing at 40fps max settings.

If one looks at the various benchmarks there's not much diffrence, some you win some you lose but you use less power and generate less heat with the 960.
 
Last edited:
Thing is is the GPU actually powerful enough to handle all those higher textures, antialiasing etc etc without bogging the fps and ending up playing at 40fps?

I've got the gtx960 but in all honesty I can't see it performing better with more memory as at 1080p gaming it already runs full load load with antialiasing turned down to lower settings using about 70-75% of memory. Turning up the antialiasing & post processing results in lower fps (40+) and higher mem usage. With antialiasing set to fxaa etc and mostly max settings you get 80-200fps in games. I could max everything out but higher fps just feels better than playing at 40fps max settings.

If one looks at the various benchmarks there's not much diffrence, some you win some you lose but you use less power and generate less heat with the 960.

That does not make me overly comfortable :-(

Problem is the next step up is the gtx970 at a min of R5200 and that's a lot of extra cash for a casual gamer like myself. Don't play FPS but enjoy driving sims where 40fps may not be too much fun.

Guess I have some more reading to do...
 
That does not make me overly comfortable :-(

Problem is the next step up is the gtx970 at a min of R5200 and that's a lot of extra cash for a casual gamer like myself. Don't play FPS but enjoy driving sims where 40fps may not be too much fun.

Guess I have some more reading to do...

Go read some more reviews, look at benchmarks and some comparative youtube videos.

If I was not using Linux and had to pick between the gtx960, r9 280 & r9 280x I would go with the r9 280x I reckon.
 
Go read some more reviews, look at benchmarks and some comparative youtube videos.

If I was not using Linux and had to pick between the gtx960, r9 280 & r9 280x I would go with the r9 280x I reckon.

I see the pricing on the R9 280 cards are getting ridiculous again, since December they climbed with $100. In December you could still get an R9 280x at around $199-249 and now they are back at $299-349, this with the R9 3xx? series around the corner… The 960 and R9 270x is now around the same price.

Pending on models. I will also go with the R9 280x.
 
I see the pricing on the R9 280 cards are getting ridiculous again, since December they climbed with $100. In December you could still get an R9 280x at around $199-249 and now they are back at $299-349, this with the R9 3xx? series around the corner… The 960 and R9 270x is now around the same price.

Pending on models. I will also go with the R9 280x.

Fortunately the Wootware Powercolor 280x still sells for R3.3k, http://www.wootware.co.za/powercolo...it-pci-express-3-0-desktop-graphics-card.html

This is what I would have got if it was not for amds crappy linux drivers.
 
Fortunately the Wootware Powercolor 280x still sells for R3.3k, http://www.wootware.co.za/powercolo...it-pci-express-3-0-desktop-graphics-card.html

This is what I would have got if it was not for amds crappy linux drivers.

I'm really glad that Wootware has a good partnership with AMD and Powercolor.

We hardly purchase cards locally, except when the suppliers has given us the opportunity to grab while available at a good price, but then every dealer grabs simultaneously. We also don’t keep stock… However we have partnerships with suppliers in Canada and the US, we are hoping to expand these channels to SA keeping the warranties and supplier terms intact, this won’t happen soon, but it would be very nice.
 
So there I was about to spend R3,400 on a R9 280x - thanks to the lot of you I now ended up buying a Galax GTX 970 for R4,900 :-) R9 290 was also an option but had some concerns about heat and power with my 620w PS.

More than I planned to spend but figured I did not not give up gaming for 7 years (young children) to play Skyrim with details turned down. The voucher for the Witcher 3 thrown in also helped twist my rubber arm ;-)
 
Last edited:
I'm eyeing the GTX 960, specifically http://www.rebeltech.co.za/geforce-...-960-96nqh8dve9ex-exoc-edition-4gb-128bi.html

Been doing LOTS of reading, the R9 280/5/X seems to be based on quite an old GPU and prices are not worth it in my opinion. The 960 from Rebeltech seems to be very good for the 4GB version. Kind of buying the card for GTA5 :P

Just wondering if anyone knows of better prices out there?

no stock... I asked today...

ended up getting the 4gb GTX 970 instead
 
I'm not exactly sure how long it will take, but it may also be worth waiting the the R93xx to come to our shores.
I know we're generally quite a bit more then the Dollar amounts associated with most cards, but some seem to be priced fairly competitively.

That, and for those still wanting R92xx cards, prices should hopefully drop? Although it is currently being argued that most of the R93 range is just more ram on a R92 card...

Edit:
no stock... I asked today...

ended up getting the 4gb GTX 970 instead

Oops... didn't read the last post, sorry.
 
Although it is currently being argued that most of the R93 range is just more ram on a R92 card...

Except for the r9 390 I think the rest are all rebrands of existing cards with more ram chucked in as you said.
 
Except for the r9 390 I think the rest are all rebrands of existing cards with more ram chucked in as you said.

IIRC only the Fury and Fury X is not a rebrand.

R9 390x has what seems to be 10-15% performance increase over a 290x. Which is meh considering the 290x launched in 2013.
 
Ok, I'm going to sell my GTX960 this week and will buy a R3 390 when it becomes available on Wootware next month. I'm done with Nvidia. It's full of S. AMD here I come!
 
Ok, I'm going to sell my GTX960 this week and will buy a R3 390 when it becomes available on Wootware next month. I'm done with Nvidia. It's full of S. AMD here I come!

R9 390 seems like a winner ,gtx 970 price for almost the performance of a 980.

And it comes "real" 8GB vram ,unlike the 4gb on the 970 :P
 
IIRC only the Fury and Fury X is not a rebrand.

R9 390x has what seems to be 10-15% performance increase over a 290x. Which is meh considering the 290x launched in 2013.
Whoooopppssss.... Rebrands for days!

Benchmarks just released and the R9 300 and 200 series are 95% the same. No real performance increase at all.

If anyone is considering a new GPU. It's best to look at price/performance of the day.
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X