R9 390 for 1440p or wait for Pascal/Arctic Islands?

Ronan Ferry · 24-12-2015 07:22PM #1

So this week I got a BenQ GW2765HT 27" 1440p IPS monitor for the really low price of 242 euro used compared to 406 euro brand new. Amazon were having 30% off so I couldn't resist, it's basically in brand new condition, I think it wasn't even un-wrapped.

Now the problem is I'm running a Club3D 7950 I bought 2 years ago along with the rest of the PC and it has been showing it's age, especially in 1440p. But it does run surprisingly well for a 4 year old video card that is designed more for 1080p, it's truly a champ.

The thing is I'd still like to upgrade to something better as I was planning to go 1440p later on anyway and was thinking the R9 390 would be a good choice. The 390X and Fury don't seem worth the extra 100-200 euro for the performance difference really, and I'm staying away from the 970 and the GTX 980's price is much less than desirable.

Although I could hold out until Nvidia's Pascal or AMD's Arctic Islands come out, but apparently Pascal isn't even coming until Q2 2016 and Arctic Islands Q4 2016. It is a bit of a wait I must admit but I'm not sure if I should upgrade now or wait. I know waiting is always easier on the wallet down the road but at the same time I'd like to get a beefier video card.

Redfox25 · 24-12-2015 10:54PM

I reckon waiting is not a bad idea here.
If you play around with your settings you might get your fps up to reasonable levels. The 7950 is still a decent card.
With pascal due in q2 folks will dump 970s and 980s on the market. Grab two 970s or a single 980 and your golden.
The 390 is a lovely card if you cant wait. Might be some sales on over new year too. As your monitor isnt freesync you have both options open to you.

Ronan Ferry · 26-12-2015 01:55PM

For some games the 7950 doesn't really cut the mustard such as The Forest or Naval Action without playing in 35-40fps which is still playable but 60fps is always nice. Is the 390 actually a good card for 1440p or should I aim higher?

Edgarfrndly · 26-12-2015 02:11PM

I'm in a similar position on whether to buy a 390 or wait for pascal. I'm opting for the latter. There's going to be so much bang for your buck when they come out in comparison to the current cards from AMD or nvidia.

Redfox25 · 26-12-2015 02:12PM

The 390 is a good card for 1440p alright. If you want to buy it now it will last you for ages. Keep an eye on sales between now and new year.

Ronan Ferry · 28-12-2015 11:58PM

I just bought a used R9 390 Royalqueen from Club3D on amazon.de for 227 euro + shipping. They say the box is damaged but the GPU is in excellent condition so I'll find out soon enough if the card is defective. I mean I don't usually buy used products but I'm saving 146 euro compared to brand new on hardwareversand.de.
Club3D is a small brand but I have their 7950 royalking and it has served me well for the past 2 years with no problems.

I would of waited for pascal otherwise.

Redfox25 · 29-12-2015 12:21AM

Good luck with it. It is very likely that the box was damaged on deliveey and item returned without even being taken out of the box.
Test it and if it makes any strange noises or acts up return it within the 12 months warranty.

Ronan Ferry · 29-12-2015 12:30AM

Yeah lets hope it's not defective. If it works fine I can't complain for the price

. I saved 311 euro by buying both my monitor and GPU used, that's a fair less rape on the wallet.

R9 390 for 1440p or wait for Pascal/Arctic Islands?

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