We have learned by our friends over at Videocardz that the custom models of the R9 290X wont hit the shelves anytime before late November. The R9 290X runs pretty hot with temps approaching 100 degree Celsius so one thing is sure, the brand that rolls out the coolest card will get the best R9 290X on the market.
R9 290X Custom Models Coming Out near the end of the Year
This isnt it either. There appears to be a shortage of reference models. This can be seen from the fact that the R9 290X is sold out mostly.
| Model | Type |
| Radeon R9290X-G 4GD5 | Reference Design |
| Gigabyte Radeon 290X R9 | Reference Design |
| MSI Radeon R9 290X 4GD5 | Reference Design |
| PowerColor Radeon R9 290X | Reference Design |
| Sapphire Radeon R9 290X | Reference Design |
| XFX Radeon R9 290X | Reference Design |
A List of the Reference Designs of the R9 290X. Courtesy of SweOverclockers
The following custom coolers already support R9 290X, so if you want a good cooler asap, these are the products to go for. Needless to say they will deliver amazing results compared to the reference cooler.
- Prolimatech MK-26
- Arctic’s Accelero Xtreme III
- Accelero Hybrid
The R9 290X has different modes such as the Uber Mode and Quiet Mode. While in Quiet Mode, the fan speed is limited to reduce noise and thus temperatures can soar. Expect 95 C on average across different work loads. However one thing is certain to unlock the full power of the silicon you need temperatures as low as possible. And currently the only thing on the market that can achieve this are the coolers given above and OCUK's Custom Solutions. Naturally the R9 290X is an the high end spectrum of Nvidia's Lineup and Enthusiasts will hardly settle with the stock clocks.
