Suggestions: Dual R9 390?

[-1nf1n1ty-]

I am looking towards the future and I've been wondering when GPU prices will go back down. But incase it doesnt, would using crossfire 390's be a good way to go? I could probably find a R9 390 on reddit for about 200.

edit: also! I have 2 monitors but been wanting to trade them both for a single large monitor

 

[RejZoR]

Multi card setups are always kinda problematic, but yeah, dual R390 should give you roughly GTX 1080 performance under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal, about as fast as GTX 1060/1070/R9 Fury X. It's still a viable option if you don't mind a bit higher consumption and CrossX problems that might happen.

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Multi card setups are always kinda problematic, but yeah, dual R390 should give you roughly GTX 1080 performance under ideal conditions. Under less than ideal, about as fast as GTX 1060/1070/R9 Fury X. It's still a viable option if you don't mind a bit higher consumption and CrossX problems that might happen.

Could you explain some of the problems? I am also open to just adding more ram if that will help with anything (I do 3D work and i really want a Vega FE or Titan but can't afford it atm)

 

[cucker tarlson]

Not a good idea. CF is hit or miss, and 390s draw a lot of power. 1080 should be faster than 390 CF most of the time.

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Not a good idea. CF is hit or miss, and 390s draw a lot of power. 1080 should be faster than 390 CF most of the time.

Yeah but the 1080, because of mining, seems pretty impossible to get at a good price. My system spec says 650 but I have a FSP HydroG 850W

 

[Vayra86]

Stick to the single 390, save up some cash and jump when the price is acceptable on a recent card.

Don't invest in a dated power hog that won't even add performance in a worst case scenario. You'll regret it...

Have you considered/explored moving up to a Fury X? Its a smaller step, but may just be enough to push things for another year.

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

Stick to the single 390, save up some cash and jump when the price is acceptable on a recent card.

Don't invest in a dated power hog that won't even add performance in a worst case scenario. You'll regret it...

Have you considered/explored moving up to a Fury X? Its a smaller step, but may just be enough to push things for another year.

I've considered it but I don't think thats gonna give me a big leap in performance for say 3D applications and rendering. So this is NOT JUST for gaming as I have to also work on it sometimes

 

[Vayra86]

I've considered it but I don't think thats gonna give me a big leap in performance for say 3D applications and rendering. So this is NOT JUST for gaming as I have to also work on it sometimes

It may not be as big a leap, but it IS a 'certain' performance increase contrary to a 2nd card that may or may not scale or even work at all.

Another big plus is that you can sell the 390 before its value plummets (which will happen soonish), and a year from now you can do the same with a Fury X which will by then be fine as a midranger. In other words, for a minimal net cost you're taking a small step with low risk and you get more money out of it than you would by selling 2x 390 a year from now.

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

It may not be as big a leap, but it IS a 'certain' performance increase contrary to a 2nd card that may or may not scale or even work at all.

Another big plus is that you can sell the 390 before its value plummets (which will happen soonish), and a year from now you can do the same with a Fury X which will by then be fine as a midranger.

Good suggestion, I will keep it in mind. So far the popular choice seems to go to a 1080 or so, and prices actually don't seem as bad as I thought it was but everything is worth considering. There are a couple of things I KNOW
1. I am going to get a new large single monitor at some point (I liked 2 screens in the past but I think it's too much now)
2. card is not JUST for gaming but I do game a lot
3. acceptable pricing is a must

also side question, freesync works with both companies right? I like this one LG monitor dunno if its worth it

 

[Vayra86]

1. Think long and hard about what resolution you're preferring - Ultrawide? 1440p? I would stay clear of 4K for now especially if you care about budgets and performance. Me, I'm still a happy camper @ 1080p and see little urge to move up, this can be another consideration because it dramatically lowers GPU requirements and opens up a path for full blown 120fps max settings goodness. Another consideration is the PPI; ideally keep it around 95-110 so you're not counting pixels, going higher gets progressively less beneficial (hard to resolve the detail at normal view distance). A regular 1080p @ 23,5-24 inch hovers around the 95-100 PPI mark. Having used a Dell U2515H which is 1440p @ 25 inch, I'd say that's on the upper edge of 'useful PPI' for a monitor.

2. Does this matter? If the card can do your prof. work, that's what it can do, and some applications may work better on CUDA or vice versa. Worth a bit of research.

3. Acceptable is subjective and my experience is, the longer you are thinking of a purchase, the more likely it is that you will do it/shift your 'acceptable' standards upwards to fit the price tag. The only way to stop that train of thought is by making a sensible 'baby step' at low cost to scratch the upgrade itch

If you want to quantify acceptable, no, current pricing is not acceptable; the market lacks a real competitor on high-end and is under high pressure and demand with low supply.

 

[-1nf1n1ty-]

1. Think long and hard about what resolution you're preferring - Ultrawide? 1440p? I would stay clear of 4K for now especially if you care about budgets and performance. Me, I'm still a happy camper @ 1080p and see little urge to move up, this can be another consideration because it dramatically lowers GPU requirements and opens up a path for full blown 120fps max settings goodness. Another consideration is the PPI; ideally keep it around 95-110 so you're not counting pixels, going higher gets progressively less beneficial (hard to resolve the detail at normal view distance). A regular 1080p @ 23,5-24 inch hovers around the 95-100 PPI mark. Having used a Dell U2515H which is 1440p @ 25 inch, I'd say that's on the upper edge of 'useful PPI' for a monitor.

2. Does this matter? If the card can do your prof. work, that's what it can do, and some applications may work better on CUDA or vice versa. Worth a bit of research.

3. Acceptable is subjective and my experience is, the longer you are thinking of a purchase, the more likely it is that you will do it/shift your 'acceptable' standards upwards to fit the price tag. The only way to stop that train of thought is by making a sensible 'baby step' at low cost to scratch the upgrade itch

If you want to quantify acceptable, no, current pricing is not acceptable; the market lacks a real competitor on high-end and is under high pressure and demand with low supply.

Thanks a ton. I guess it is best to just wait and see when prices will drop on the cards, hopefully then I can grab one.