Review: Sapphire Radeon R9 290X Vapor-X 8GB

Conclusion

The decision for AMD to enable partners to build Radeon R9 290X cards with an 8GB framebuffer is an attempt to extend the longevity of the Hawaii architecture. Bigger numbers also continue to be marketing draws in certain countries, with AMD keen to exploit any perceived advantage since the launch of the GeForce GTX 980 GPU a short while ago.

In-game truth is more prosaic. The 8GB framebuffer does little to positively impact gaming performance in the vast array of current gaming titles and engines, even at a 4K resolution twinned with high-quality settings. We need to cherry-pick examples of where the extra memory comes into play. This state of affairs may change when multiple 8GB-equipped cards in CrossFire are taken into account, thereby putting the burden on the framebuffer to a larger degree.

It can be successfully argued that graphics cards housing 8GB of memory will become the norm at some point. The question that's more pertinent is whether the £70 premium - Sapphire's Vapor-X 4GB sells for £290 - is worth it. Right now that answer is no for most readers, though this sentiment is likely to change over time.

Sapphire makes one of the finest Radeon R9 290X on the market in the form of the tri-fan Vapor-X. Beautifully built and hitting many of the right notes, the £360 Vapor-X 8GB is, at the moment, a niche product for a niche audience.

Sapphire Radeon R9 290X Vapor-X 8GB

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The Sapphire Radeon R9 290X 8GB card is available to purchase for £360 from Overclockers UK using code HEXUS8GB.

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