R9-280X Crossfire vs GTX 780 ti

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Apr 28, 2010
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Hi All

The subject says it all. Which would be better, Crossfired Asus R9-280X or Asus GTX 780 ti DC2OC?

I'm getting conflicting info across the net, so i'll put it to you lovely folk to help with the decision.

Thanx
StraightJacket
 

EmileS

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Hmmmmm.... For stability I'll go GTX 780 ti (also due to the fact that they are easier to get and less powerdraw). Performance wise the R9 280Xs will be the best. I you think of it in another way, the resale value of the R9 280X will be a lot better than the GTX 780 ti, due to all them miners...
 

XmanDZA

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For compatibility probably the 780ti as some games scale better or worse than others with crossfire setups, but for outright performance get the 280x's, its just going to draw more power from your system, keep that in mind
 

Chevron

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Hi All

The subject says it all. Which would be better, Crossfired Asus R9-280X or Asus GTX 780 ti DC2OC?

I'm getting conflicting info across the net, so i'll put it to you lovely folk to help with the decision.

Thanx
StraightJacket

What would be better would be to get 1x 280x now, and save the rest of the cash to get a 380X next year.
 

Rickster

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Hi All

The subject says it all. Which would be better, Crossfired Asus R9-280X or Asus GTX 780 ti DC2OC?

I'm getting conflicting info across the net, so i'll put it to you lovely folk to help with the decision.

Thanx
StraightJacket

780Ti, But dont get the Asus one rather get this one.
 

Rickster

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You are recommending a more expensive 780ti with a stock blower over a DCII asus?

Much higher base/boost clock and a higher memory clock, and yes the External Exhaust is better than Asus' setup.
 

HDS

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Much higher base/boost clock and a higher memory clock, and yes the External Exhaust is better than Asus' setup.

woooops nevermind the link. Those overclocks are nothing you can't do yourself, and I don't know how you can say the stock blower is better than the DC2 cooler. That's just stupid. Nevermind the noise.
 
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Thank you all for your input. I'm still undecided. It seems like the majority is in favour of the 780. But I heard somewhere today that the Radeon cards will be better for Battlefield 4 with some update coming up. how true is this?

And finally, if it comes down to it, which will run better with ALL games? That's all I need to know.
 

Chevron

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Thank you all for your input. I'm still undecided. It seems like the majority is in favour of the 780. But I heard somewhere today that the Radeon cards will be better for Battlefield 4 with some update coming up. how true is this?

And finally, if it comes down to it, which will run better with ALL games? That's all I need to know.

Yeah Mantle will huge. Remember AMD is in the consoles this time around.
 

Nikkel

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I'd milk the 280X by selling it to a miner add some cash and go crossfire 2 x R9 290's

The price just seems to make more sense than getting 780 or 780ti...?
 
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So now the Radeon range seems better option. Problem is they are not easy to come by. Specially cuz i'm specifically looking for Asus. Can someone tell me what the REAL difference is between r9 280x dc2 top and matrix editions? Which will give better performance? Maybe i should sell my dc2t to a miner for a little extra and get 2 matrix crossfired?
 

CataclysmZA

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The subject says it all. Which would be better, Crossfired Asus R9-280X or Asus GTX 780 ti DC2OC?

I'm getting conflicting info across the net, so i'll put it to you lovely folk to help with the decision.

If you have the budget for it, get the GTX780 Ti. Two R9 280X cards won't have the same stability as a single card.

Also, have you considered a Radeon R9 290X? Its cheaper, has more memory, is just as fast as the GTX780 Ti and will perform pretty well for 4K gaming.

But I heard somewhere today that the Radeon cards will be better for Battlefield 4 with some update coming up. how true is this?

The Mantle update does help performance a bit, but it's in the region of 10-15% improvements on higher-end rigs. Where Mantle helps is to reduce CPU bottlenecks on systems with slower CPUs, a la Core i3 or the FX-4300. It won't make much of a difference to you now, but may sway your next purchase decision after this one.

Specially cuz i'm specifically looking for Asus. Can someone tell me what the REAL difference is between r9 280x dc2 top and matrix editions?

Matrix versions are binned better and generally you're going to find that they overclock better and may have higher stock clocks as well. Like MSI's Hawk and Gigabyte's Windforce 3x editions, these cards have some non-standard customisations and keep their resale value for longer.

That said, if you were looking at a Matrix R9 280X already, you may as well be buying a R9 290 or a 290X, both are way better choices from the AMD camp.
 

Nikkel

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If you have the budget for it, get the GTX780 Ti. Two R9 280X cards won't have the same stability as a single card.

Also, have you considered a Radeon R9 290X? Its cheaper, has more memory, is just as fast as the GTX780 Ti and will perform pretty well for 4K gaming.



The Mantle update does help performance a bit, but it's in the region of 10-15% improvements on higher-end rigs. Where Mantle helps is to reduce CPU bottlenecks on systems with slower CPUs, a la Core i3 or the FX-4300. It won't make much of a difference to you now, but may sway your next purchase decision after this one.



Matrix versions are binned better and generally you're going to find that they overclock better and may have higher stock clocks as well. Like MSI's Hawk and Gigabyte's Windforce 3x editions, these cards have some non-standard customisations and keep their resale value for longer.

That said, if you were looking at a Matrix R9 280X already, you may as well be buying a R9 290 or a 290X, both are way better choices from the AMD camp.

Basically boils down to what I mentioned previously about crossfire 290's...?

Sure Crossfire is not too stable at the moment with Mantle but I'm sure AMD will release drivers that'll sort this out, sorta same as me with 280X and 14.1 beta drivers don't support my GPU yet (260X and 290X at the moment only cos of their new architecture)

Other wise as @NAG - Wesley said, the 290X makes much more sense.
 
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Thank you all for your input. My decision came down to a spot of luck. Guy on carbonite had a R9 280x for decent price. So I end up only buying the second card and dont have to go through the selling process to get the cash for the 780. And i can spend the extra cash on a cooler or something if i wanna push my rig a bit. Thanx again everybody for input. I am now REALLY happy withy rig.
 

CataclysmZA

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Basically boils down to what I mentioned previously about crossfire 290's...?

That's assuming OP has enough money to buy two R9 290 cards. He only mentioned a single GTX780 Ti, which means he could have something like R4000 spare somewhere (hence the question about Xfired 280X). Plus, two GPUs are overkill for many people and only worth it for a handful of specific scenarios. Power draw, heat and airflow all needs to be looked at carefully for dual GPUs - single card systems, not so much.

Sure Crossfire is not too stable at the moment with Mantle but I'm sure AMD will release drivers that'll sort this out.

They'll do it, but it's going to take a loooooong time for the Mantle drivers to go into WHQL status. AMD only just, just managed to get the 14.1 beta ready on time for reviewers and for a release close to the BF4 update. They have so much on their plate right now that I don't expect it to go out of beta before 2H 2014. In the meantime, though, frame pacing and Crossfire will see a few more improvements for the niche users.

Thank you all for your input. My decision came down to a spot of luck. Guy on carbonite had a R9 280x for decent price. I am now REALLY happy with my rig.

Good job, just make sure the deal goes through! I'm sure you'll be happy with it.
 
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