XFX R9 290 DD Double Dissipation Review

[section_title title=”Closer Look”]Closer Look

The XFX R9 290 DD Double Dissipation graphics card is…well a thing of beauty if you look at the overall package.  Not only does the card included a newly designed double dissipation cooler but the general aesthetic is somewhat mesmerising in my opinion.  The card features an all-black design which also includes a black PCB but this particular one has a very nice silver trim around the outline of the card; the card looks very premium.

XFX haven’t gone overboard with the stock clocks of the card which are 947MHz on the core and 1250MHz on the memory.  It should be noted that this particular sample features Hynix VRAM and I would go out on a limb and say that most of these cards will; I would love to hear from more owners.  The card is 11″ long so before purchasing, make sure you case is compatible.F

On the flip side of the gorgeous XFX DD cooler, we have the bare black PCB which might look unsightly, but if you are proficient at modding you could create your own backplate?  Now the XFX R9 290 DD does use the Ghost Thermal 2.0 cooling technology but essentially underneath the hood is the reference AMD “Hawaii” R9 290 core but XFX have implemented their own custom PCB design but without any additional features; basically nothing special has been included or upgraded to justify this.

It is also worth noting that the cooler mounting bracket has 2 x warranty stickers on which will void if removed; this can be alleviated if purchased from Overclockers UK as they have a special arrangement set up with XFX regarding this, as well as 48 hour advanced RMA.  Smashing stuff OcUK!!!

One of the most unique features of the XFX R9 290 DD graphics card is the XFX logo at the far side of the cooler and initially, I thought it was just a white logo but low and behold, this lights up white when powered up.

XFX have gone with a very unique fan blade design, 9 fan blades on each of the 80mm fans which is designed to increase airflow and efficiency.  We shall find out later on in the review how the DD cooler fares on the molten 290 core.

The R9 290 features a GEN3 PCI EX x16 connector but is also compatible with GEN2 albeit the FPS difference will be marginal at best.  The R9 290 also supports 4 way Crossfire depending on the amount of slots and will run depending on your platform/chipset.

If you look closely, you can see the copper heat pipes which connect both of the heat sinks which are designed to tame the best that is the R9 290 Hawaii core.  The silver trim around the card is also visible and it looks oh so scrumptious.

If you want to power this card then you are going to need a decent power supply of around 600watt depending on your other components of course however XFX do recommend a 750watt power supply; the R9 290 has a TDP of up to 300w depending on full load and overclocks.   1 x 8pin and 1 x 6pin connections are needed to power the card but XFX have included adapters just in case your PSU lacks the required connections; they always come in handy too I find!

The XFX R9 290 DD graphics card packs a punch in terms of connectivity too with the inclusion of 2 x DVI ports, 1 x HDMI port and a full size Display Port.  I really like the XFX cut out too on the I/O as it adds a certain degree of design and the XFX stamp on the R9 290.

The card installed on the test bench ready for testing, the lighting dimmed and the XFX logo illuminated; PHOAR!