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R9 290X and 290 Owners Club

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ivanlabrie

ivanlabrie

Member
​
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Location
Buenos Aires, Argentina
This is a thread for all the owners of a new and shiny Radeon R9 290X or 290.
Be it ref or non ref, feel free to post your benchmarks and experience with the card in question.

Here you can find different bios files you can flash to your 290X (and 290 as well) to get voltage control using a modded Gputweak:

  • Stock Asus reference 290X bios - has voltage control, stock vdroop, stock powertune and llc.
  • Modded Asus PT1 bios - has voltage control, stock llc and vdroop but no throttling. This is the ideal bios for cards under water, while still being somewhat safe.
  • Modded Asus PT3 bios - This one is the most extreme bios of the lot, no vdroop, no throttling, voltage control, and modded llc. It allows for higher voltage but sometimes it makes it spike higher than what you set. Use at your own risk!

Overclocking programs:

Memory checker:
This is a really useful program that let's you know which type of ram ICS are in your card. (I'll add the link in a while)

I'll do weekly updates to the owners list, I don't have much free time currently but we needed this kind of thread here. I'll upload my submissions as soon as I receive a 290 logically... :attn:

Google drive owners spreadsheet. Soon I'll add a ranking system for 3dm graphics scores...Please post a submission with this format:

User id: ivanlabrie
GPU type: 290X =)
Brand and model: Asus R9 290X ref
GPU-Z validation: *link*
3D Mark 11P link: *link*
3D Mark 11P graphics score: 0
3D Mark Firestrike link:
3D Mark Firestrike graphics score:

For those that want non-ref and don't want water, this cooler is cheap and does a great job: http://www.gelidsolutions.com/products/index.php?lid=1&cid=17&id=52
 
Last edited:
I have a 290x and a water block on order. I will submit my results when everything is set up.
 
User id: BugFreak
GPU type: 290 (non X)
Brand and model: MSI reference
Cooling: Stock (for now)
GPU-Z validation: GPU-Z
3D Mark 11P link: 3DMark 11P link
3DMark 11P Graphics Score: 13361 (stock speed)
3DMark: Fire Strike 7527

No problems with a black screen yet. *knocks on wood*


I had to drop my watercooling until I upgrade some parts so I can cool this beast but so far I'm very pleased after upgrading from my old 460gtx. I'll get some benchmarks up as soon as I get everything back to o/c and stable.

Do you have any links to where people confirm they have used the 290X bios on 290(non X)? I've been wondering if this is possible...

EDIT: You might also want to add a line for type and make of cooling so people can get an idea of whats out there.
 
Last edited:
Will do, and will update the spreadsheet now...

EDIT:

"I tried to bypass the ASUS GPU Tweak 1412 mV voltage limit by flashing my Sapphire 290 with PT1 and PT3 bioses.

My results are the following :

PT1 :
Advantages :
- no voltage limit (2V !)
- 3DMark vantage enhancements : on the feature tests 3, 4 and 6, the gains are respectively 4, 3 and 11 % compared to the ASUS normal bios.

Drawbacks :
- since there is no 2D mode, the GPU Tweak selected voltage is applied in 2D : if you choose 1400 mV, this voltage is applied even if a bench or a game has not been launched. It is dangerous because 1.4 V in 2D is too high even with a GPU temperature of 30°C. And since I want to apply more than 1412 mV, using PT1 is forbidden if I don't want to damage my card.

PT3 :
Advantages :
- no voltage limit (2V !)
- 3DMark vantage enhancements : on the feature tests 3, 4 and 6, the gains are respectively 4, 3 and 11 % compared to the ASUS normal bios.
- no surprise : the GPU Tweak selected voltage is applied in 2D and 3D. Consequently, the overclocking is more trnasparent since one knows the voltage precisely.

Drawbacks :
- the card is heating much because I am forced to apply a higher voltage, compared to a dynamic voltage : +4°C for the GPU and +10°C for the VRMs (measured at 1250 mV and f GPU = 1220 Mhz on 3DMark Vantage). Such a VRM temperature increase will limit the max overclock.
- no 2D mode : 1.3 V in 3D is applied in 2D. Quite stressing for the card in the long run.

PT3 does not satisfy me. The ideal bios would be the PT1 one including a 2D mode.

I flashed my 290 card with the Asus290x bios but no gain, no difference.

So, now, I am limited to 1412 mV." From OCN's user overclockFrance.
 
Last edited:
Will get some numbers posted up soon for my 290X. I'll post the stock numbers and how far I can take it on stock cooling.

User id: Janus67
GPU type: 290X
Brand and model: MSI R9 290X ref
Cooling: Reference
GPU-Z validation: *link*
3D Mark 11P link: *link*
3D Mark 11P graphics score (stock speed): P13532
 
Janus, I've lost the train of thought on the driver update regarding AMD's fan controller issue; you'd said you'd install and post back. Where's that thread.....confused here. And how did it go?
 
I ordered the ek copper and acrylic one. I figured it would be best for a maintenance standpoint, not really for looks.
 
Robert17 said:
Janus, I've lost the train of thought on the driver update regarding AMD's fan controller issue; you'd said you'd install and post back. Where's that thread.....confused here. And how did it go?
Click to expand...

I guess it may be a bit different, I personally just have it set to max at 100%
 
On a side note, have any of you cranked up the fan to 100%? I know these things are supposed to be loud but WOW I thought my pc was about to take off! I must be spoiled by all these years of w/c.
 
No, the stock blowers are just ridiculously loud. I stopped it at 80% and even there I heard it through my Cooler Master Sirus headphones. Granted they weren't turned up loud, but the fan was audible.
 
I don't think I can get it to hit 100%... well actually I bet if I had it at 95C and then set max temp to like 50C it may kick up that loud. I may have to do it just to see what my sound meter says, although I'm afraid to.
 
I know that my 7970 at 100% was insanely loud. I can't imagine it can be much worse than that. but the internet tells me that it is.
 
It's just a loud blower, like all of them...I heard it's actually quieter than the previous gen blower by AMD :p

EDIT: Janus, you need to up your game man...

"3Dmark 11 Performance -- Sapphire r9 290 -- 1150/1500 -- stock bios/volts -- stock cooling -- i7 3820 @ 4.5ghz

Gpu score of 16718

http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/7474528"

I can't wait to get mine...really.
 
That's a lot more clocks over stock that I'm running ([email protected] and GPU at 1000/1400 [I think on the memory]). So like I said, running at stock right now.
 
Janus, I forced mine to 100% fan in Afterburner just to hear it. In games it never went above 50% from what I can tell and that's BF4 running with mostly ultra on for about an hour.

Based on everything I'm reading these 290(no x) need at least 50% fan to keep up with what the initial reviews said. Mine seems to need 55%, probably because of the temps at the house. This probably explains why my initial 3DMark score was lower than expected. Regardless I can't wait to get this thing under water. Speaking of that...What radiator size are you guys planning on adding/using for the 290s?
 
I have a 180x2 for CPU and GPU. If temps are not adequate then I have room for an addional 120x2.
 
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