The new R9 280 is a Radeon HD 7950, right down to the tips of its toes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the price gap between the Radeon R9 280X (aka the Radeon HD 7970) and the new R9 280 is surprising. When these cards were new, the 7970 retailed for $550 while the 7950 was $450. Now, the Radeon R9 280X sells for a $300 MSRP officially, while the R9 280 is $280.
AMD’s PR release makes it sound as though this launch is partly a response to the cryptocurrency inflation we’ve seen in recent weeks. The company states that, “Following the exceptional demand for the entire R9 Series, we believe the introduction of the R9 280 will help ensure that every gamer who plans to purchase an R9 Series graphics card has an opportunity to do so."
AMD Announces new R9 280 Graphics Card
