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GTX 970 or R9 290 upgrade question

XiandreX

XiandreX

Golden Member
My concern is power supply requirements.
My system is in sig below. The 550W XFX I have is supposed to be a quality unit.
However I am nervous to choose the 290 if I am pushing the power supply too close to the limit (for long term use).

Pricing in South Africa is steep and pricing will be similar for both cards. I game at 1080P with no intent to move to a higher resolution in the near future.

Small Edit... I do plan to overclock if that helps, not crazy amounts but something solid, heat permitting.
 
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If pricing is similar, got for the 970 no doubt. MSI Gaming and Gigabyte Windforce versions are good. Your PSU is perfectly fine for HD7990, nevermind a 290.
 
If power is an issue then go with the 970, but I still think you should upgrade your PSU.

The 970 does consume less power then the 290 on average (~65W), but the power spikes are more or less the same on both cards. This last point could lead to problems (freeze, crash, etc...), especially when overlocking.
 
Sulaco said:
Would you choose both of those brands over the EVGA 970 SSC?
Click to expand...

Yes, EVGA dropped the ball on the cooler. It's both louder and less efficient. If you are not overclocking, then I guess the SSC's higher boost clocks are a consideration. If you are overclocking, the other 2 cards are better.
 
NeoLuxembourg said:
If power is an issue then go with the 970, but I still think you should upgrade your PSU.

The 970 does consume less power then the 290 on average (~65W), but the power spikes are more or less the same on both cards. This last point could lead to problems (freeze, crash, etc...), especially when overlocking.
Click to expand...

See this is the part that I am questioning. Some people say I am fine others say I need to replace Power supply.
I have seen websites running a 290 + similar components pulling around 450W draw during benchmarking...
This is my concern.
 
XiandreX said:
See this is the part that I am questioning. Some people say I am fine others say I need to replace Power supply.
I have seen websites running a 290 + similar components pulling around 450W draw during benchmarking...
This is my concern.
Click to expand...

Unless you apply extra voltage to an R9 290, you simply cannot exceed 400W with your system. With the 970, you'll be under 300W.

Your PSU is fine.
 
Termie said:
Unless you apply extra voltage to an R9 290, you simply cannot exceed 400W with your system. With the 970, you'll be under 300W.

Your PSU is fine.
Click to expand...

Our of curiousity what sort of voltage would push the power draw too high for a 290?
 
XiandreX said:
Our of curiousity what sort of voltage would push the power draw too high for a 290?
Click to expand...

Any amount of extra voltage will increase power use significantly. Some people have gone as far as to apply an extra .2V in order to hit 1200MHz, which will increase power use nearly 100W. That would likely be too much for your power supply. Then again, that is not the kind of overclocking you referred to above.

Again, don't worry about the PSU. And if you're getting the 970, don't even spend another moment thinking about it.
 
Termie said:
Any amount of extra voltage will increase power use significantly. Some people have gone as far as to apply an extra .2V in order to hit 1200MHz, which will increase power use nearly 100W. That would likely be too much for your power supply. Then again, that is not the kind of overclocking you referred to above.

Again, don't worry about the PSU. And if you're getting the 970, don't even spend another moment thinking about it.
Click to expand...

Ok thanks. Guess I just need to be patient for stock availability and pricing.
Now just need choose which one to get. :biggrin:
 
If they are the same price get the 970.

The (non reference) 290 is fairly close to the 970 but the only compelling reason to choose it would be a lower price, or if you go all out on resolution with crossfire.
 
Termie said:
Any amount of extra voltage will increase power use significantly. Some people have gone as far as to apply an extra .2V in order to hit 1200MHz, which will increase power use nearly 100W. That would likely be too much for your power supply. Then again, that is not the kind of overclocking you referred to above.

Again, don't worry about the PSU. And if you're getting the 970, don't even spend another moment thinking about it.
Click to expand...
I don't think he is going to oc if he already has power limit issues.
 
boozzer said:
I don't think he is going to oc if he already has power limit issues.
Click to expand...

I want to overclock but nothing crazy. If I can hit 1400 on the core that would be fine by me. This is referring to the GTX 970 of course.
My Cpu overclock is very mild anyways.

Edit... If I have to get a beefier power supply to cover high overclocks on the GTX 970 so be it.
I would prefer to not if possible.
 
Who is telling you that your PSU is not sufficient? I have seen people run dual HD7970s on a 550W Corsair VX. You can max overclock a 290 or a 970 on that PSU without a problem. There are uninformed PC users who think you need a 750-800W PSU because companies like Sapphire put these nonsensical disclaimers. I ran a 7970Ghz Max overclocked 24/7 on a 520W and it uses more power than a stock 970.
 
wand3r3r said:
If they are the same price get the 970.

The (non reference) 290 is fairly close to the 970 but the only compelling reason to choose it would be a lower price, or if you go all out on resolution with crossfire.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%

970 is a safer bet given your concern unless you can get a 290 for less
 
Even tho the R290 is a powerful card,if the dollars are close I'd recommend the GTX970.
Just the fact that it is new and more elegant would be reason enough along with its good performance and efficiency,why get the older card?
 
I would get a GTX970. But considering you already have a HD 7950, I would just overclock it and wait another 5 months for next generations of cards from both companies.
 
The GTX 970 is faster and more efficient. If the cost is the same there's no reason to get the R9 290.
 
RussianSensation said:
Who is telling you that your PSU is not sufficient? I have seen people run dual HD7970s on a 550W Corsair VX. You can max overclock a 290 or a 970 on that PSU without a problem. There are uninformed PC users who think you need a 750-800W PSU because companies like Sapphire put these nonsensical disclaimers. I ran a 7970Ghz Max overclocked 24/7 on a 520W and it uses more power than a stock 970.
Click to expand...

I must have misread I guess. I thought I read somewhere that a system running a 290 plus goodies was pulling around 450W. However I don't recall how overclocked the system was.

KaRLiToS said:
I would get a GTX970. But considering you already have a HD 7950, I would just overclock it and wait another 5 months for next generations of cards from both companies.
Click to expand...

The reason I am doing this is because a friend of mine wants a card for his system and rather than him paying for a new much lower card, it makes more sense to buy mine (at a very fair price) and I throw in the rest to upgrade. Its how I am justifying the purchase. :biggrin:
 
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