Sapphire Radeon R9 280X 3GB Vapor-X OC Video Card Review

Introduction of the Sapphire R9 280X 3GB Vapor-X OC

Moving away from the recently released Intel Pentium G3258 CPU, we're back into the video card side of things with the first one on the chopping block coming from our friends at Sapphire. Following the popular Vapor-X series, which has already impressed us a number of times with models from this generation and the previous one, we're today looking at another Vapor-X card that falls into the R9 series from AMD.

The R9 280X has always held a special place in our heart as it's that higher-end performance card that more often than not we can afford as it doesn't bust the bank. Sitting at around the $300 mark, depending on the brand and version, the R9 280X 3GB is a video card model that hits at a price point most people can justify when buying a video card.

While we can't deny the fact that most of us yearn for an R9 290 based card, the steep price increase to these 4GB models becomes a little out of reach for a lot of people. Instead, the R9 280X 3GB slides in perfectly. It's a nice step up from the models below it and does an excellent job of proving itself when compared to its big brothers.

That's enough rambling on, though. Most people would already understand how much we love the current crop of high-end AMD video cards and by now are probably already moving on to see what's going on with the package of the card. So, let's leave it at that and move forward with the Sapphire R9 280X 3GB Vapor-X OC video card.

Package - What comes inside the box

Taking a look at the box, we really don't see anything out of the ordinary. Being a Vapor-X card means we have that blue theme going on, and the front of the box gives us all of the main details. Across the top, you can see the model clearly, while to the left we have the Sapphire logo with a sticker under it mentioning that the card is an Overclock Edition.

Across the bottom of the box, you can see some of the main features, which include 3GB of GDDR5 along with mention of the Vapor-X and Tri-X technology that is implemented into the cooling of the card. Turning the box over, we get our first look at the card along with a bit of a blurb on the left side, while the right side expands a little on those major features, which again include the VaporX and Tri-X technologies implemented into the heat sink fan design. You can also see standard AMD technologies here, including 3GB of GDDR5, AMD APP Acceleration, and Eyefinity support. Finally, you can also see support for the Sapphire TriXX overclocking software.

Moving inside the box, you can see a very standard Sapphire bundle, with the Sapphire Select piece sitting under the standard quick install guide that is included. Moving along, you can see our standard driver CD, while across the bottom we're greeted with a CrossFire bridge and two dual-Molex to 8-Pin PCIe power connectors. Finally, we finish off with an HDMI cable that is commonplace in higher-end Sapphire bundles.

PRICING: You can find the Sapphire R9 280X 3GB Vapor-X 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 Sapphire R9 280X 3GB Vapor-X OC retails for $339.99 at Amazon.

Canada: The Sapphire R9 280X 3GB Vapor-X OC retails for CDN$402.20 at Amazon Canada.