AMD Radeon R9 285 specs, impressions, SA price

This card is more of a replacement for the 280 (non X) than anything else. It's a tad faster, with a revised APU and some new features (all the features the 290 and 290X have which the 280 and 280X don't). It is also a more efficient card (lower power draw, less heat) than the 280.

This won't be an upgrade for current 280 owners, but someone looking to upgrade from an older card and was thinking of buying the 280 might be better off getting the 285. It will depend on your VRAM requirements though. Gaming at 1080p? Then the 2GB of RAM on the 285 will be good enough. If you're gaming at 1440p then the 3GB or RAM on the 280 is a better bet.

Also the price will play a big role. It's supposed to be cheaper than the 280X (which is quite a bit faster). If the price difference is small enough though, it might be a difficult decision. It will be a case of do you want the extra features of the 285 or the extra performance of the 280X.
 
Comparing this to the GTX 760 is misleading, yes its better but the price is also higher.

I would like to see how it rates against the MSI GTX 770 at about the same price scale.
 
Comparing this to the GTX 760 is misleading, yes its better but the price is also higher.

I would like to see how it rates against the MSI GTX 770 at about the same price scale.

Well considering there is only 1 GTX770 that costs the same as this and the only reason it costs the same is because they are trying to shift stock because the GTX770 is going EOL in the next 2 weeks or so. Can't really compare the 2 on that point.

If you want to compare the GTX770 to something why not compare it to lets say a R9 290, because they are both in the same price bracket...The R9 290 completely trashes a GTX770.

Also worth noting that the R9 280/280x will also be going EOL with the new range of Nvidia and AMD gpu's launching in the next 2 months.
 
*sigh*

I'm back in the non-laptop PC gaming scene again for 2 months and I'm already getting excited for the new batch of GPUs... Darn it, I should just be happy with my 280x!
 
I know! That's what frustrates me... I get all giddy inside upon reading about new parts and tech and want to start upgrading a 2-month old PC that wasn't a budget build to begin with... I'll contain my excitement and stay put for at least a year. Might only add some cooling at some point to keep temperatures down, as the GPU reaches 95 degrees after gaming under load for an hour or so...
 
I know! That's what frustrates me... I get all giddy inside upon reading about new parts and tech and want to start upgrading a 2-month old PC that wasn't a budget build to begin with... I'll contain my excitement and stay put for at least a year. Might only add some cooling at some point to keep temperatures down, as the GPU reaches 95 degrees after gaming under load for an hour or so...

We can tinker with that no problem bud.
Give me a call when you have some time and I'll help you get the temps down.
 
This is the card I would want in PC gaming for Battlefield with Mantle.

You'll be better off with a GTX770 or if you want mantle then a R9 280x
Not quite sure what AMD's thinking was with this card...It wasn't needed..especially this close to the launch of their new cards.
 
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