[Splott]

Well after thinking i bricked my motherboard during carrying out maintenance and collecting pictures for you guys, i am finally here to ask for advice for upgrading my rig.

 

I have singled out the r9 290x as my card of choise but feel free to offer alternatives. I got my current XFX 7770 and my system two years ago and seeing the system requirements of recent releases i want a card which is going to be able to enjoy the Playstation4/Xbone era of gaming and some after that. I always regretting not going for the 7870 when buying my custom build as my 7770 is lacking when selecting high/ultra in some games.

 

• Will this card first, even fit into my system? (i have already moved the HDD down to make hanging room for it).

• Is my PSU up to scratch? Its not a very well known brand but i understand it has that '80 bronze' rating thingy, will it power it?

• Which brand of card do you recommend? I heard the card is loud but im not bothered about uber mode but i dont want it to be mega audible.

 

Here are my specs:

 

Inside my system, showing measurement of how big the new card will be.

 

My Psu, 600w with 1x 6pin and 1x 8pin (6pin+2pin)

 

Any help regarding any questions will be appreciated

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Best Answer

Gday Splott.

Did you measure from the rear slot to the edge of the HDD cage?

The r390X is 10,905", so you will need 11" clearance, giving you a little wiggle room.   It's total power draw is 264w, but I have seen it reported at near 300w when stressed.  Your PSU has the right PCI-E cables, but as it is not of good quality, you may get instability of the system, or crashing in some games.

Best price I could find, one I would buy, free shipping, > http://www.morecompu...&referer=PCPart

 

An alternative if the AMD won't fit, the GTX 970, on a par with the AMD or a bit better in some games, > http://www.anandtech...iew-feat-evga/2

Total power draw 145w, so better for your PSU.   9.5"L.

Best price, one I would buy, free shipping > http://www.morecompu...&referer=PCPart

[iammykyl]

Best Answer

Gday Splott.

Did you measure from the rear slot to the edge of the HDD cage?

The r390X is 10,905", so you will need 11" clearance, giving you a little wiggle room.   It's total power draw is 264w, but I have seen it reported at near 300w when stressed.  Your PSU has the right PCI-E cables, but as it is not of good quality, you may get instability of the system, or crashing in some games.

Best price I could find, one I would buy, free shipping, > http://www.morecompu...&referer=PCPart

 

An alternative if the AMD won't fit, the GTX 970, on a par with the AMD or a bit better in some games, > http://www.anandtech...iew-feat-evga/2

Total power draw 145w, so better for your PSU.   9.5"L.

Best price, one I would buy, free shipping > http://www.morecompu...&referer=PCPart

[Splott]

I measured the size of the card, but turns out my sources were wrong for that part. 11" gets me to just before the drive bays, and ive moved my HDD down so there will be nothing blocking it from reaching the full length.

 

Ive been looking into the GTX 970 and its cheaper, quieter and uses less power compared to the card i want. Im just put off by the 3.5VRAM and the controversy surrounding it, i feel that having a full 4gb will be more futureproof.

 

Which other 970 brands do you recommend? Anything which is OC out of the box and still quiet will be great as it will still match the 290x in years to come.

[iammykyl]

The EVGA GTX 970 does have 4GB of VRAM.

What controversy are you referring to?   Can't say I have heard much against it.

[iammykyl]

Been a while since we hear from you.   Did you decide on a card and get it installed?   An update would be appreciated.

 

Thanks.