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GIGABYTE Radeon R9 280 WINDFORCE 3GB OC Video Card Review - Pricing, Availability and Final Thoughts

GIGABYTE Radeon R9 280 WINDFORCE 3GB OC Video Card Review
With a recent price drop, AMD is trying to bring some positive attention to the R9 280 3GB, after a not so great launch. We look at GIGABYTE's version. (TPE:2376)
| AMD Radeon GPU in Video Cards | Posted: Aug 12, 2014 2:15 am
TweakTown Rating: 94%Manufacturer: GIGABYTE

Pricing, Availability and Final Thoughts

 

When we looked at the Sapphire version of the R9 280 3GB, I was not kind to it, and for good reason. At $300, the price of the card was ridiculous. This wasn't Sapphire fault, though. Instead, it was AMD who officially controlled the pricing of models for the most part via the chip pricing to partners. Today, that same card we reviewed can be had in the low $200s or under $200 via rebates from some companies.

 

This changes the ball game on the model completely and adds a whole new layer of value to the card. It's priced where it should be. You could actually argue that some versions of the R9 280 3GB are a little too low and can be bought cheaper than the R9 270X in some cases. The GIGABYTE version we're looking at today comes in a bit pricier then the Sapphire one we looked at. The overclock on the card, though, is much stronger, and the I/O setup with its dual MiniDP connectors is nicer. That is more of a personal preference from someone who is a heavy user of DisplayPort. Others may prefer the Dual DVI setup that was offered on the Sapphire offering.

 

Performance of this version of the R9 280 3GB is really strong thanks to the excellent overclock that GIGABYTE is offering us out of the box. It sits well between the two cards on either side of it and doesn't tend to lean too heavily to one side often. The overall balance when it comes to performance is quite strong now thanks to the overclock that GIGABYTE has offered.

 

When it comes to the bundle, it's all very standard. I again have to mention that the fact that GIGABYTE has chosen to include a DisplayPort to MiniDP connector in the bundle is great. There's nothing worse than getting your brand new card delivered and finding out that you can't plug your DP monitor into it because you don't have a convertor. It's really the small differences that add stronger value to a product.

 

At the time of writing, there is no way I would take back anything I said about the Sapphire R9 280 3GB. If you went back and looked at that review now and read the conclusion, the information doesn't reflect the card at all now. Unfortunately, this is indeed part of the game. Technology, performance, and all that fun stuff on the model was always fine. The price was just way off.

 

With the recent price drop, the model now looks a lot more attractive. Overall, it's hard to get too excited about a card that is a rebadge. At the end of it all, though, if you're looking at something around the low $200 mark from AMD, this is a great option, especially this GIGABYTE version with its strong overclock and fantastic cooling setup.

 

 

PRICING: You can find the GIGABYTE R9 280 WINDFORCE 3GB OC for sale below. The prices listed are valid at the time of writing but can change at any time. Click the link to see the very latest pricing for the best deal.

 

United States: The GIGABYTE R9 280 WINDFORCE 3GB OC retails for $232.99 at Amazon.

 

Canada: The GIGABYTE R9 280 WINDFORCE 3GB OC retails for CDN$368.67 at Amazon Canada.

 

 

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