AMD Radeon R9 290 Unboxing & Review

The video begins with a traditional unboxing setup, where the presenter finally shows the Radeon R9 290 packaging and the card itself, explaining that AMD released two closely related cards the 290 and 290x and that this video will focus on the 290. He emphasizes that the box, packaging, and initial impressions matter as part of the unboxing experience, then transitions into a broader discussion of the card’s architecture and market positioning. The reviewer provides a detailed rundown of the generational context, noting that the R9 290 uses a GCN architecture shared with the 7000 series as well as consoles like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which enables Mantle as a near metal API concept and sets expectations for developer support. He describes the card’s physical layout, memory configuration, and display outputs, highlighting the 512-bit memory bus, true audio on the card, and the ability to drive multiple displays via DisplayPort hubs, while pointing out the design choices such as no Crossfire connectors and the power delivery setup. The review shifts to performance-focused discussion, explaining Mantle and how it could unlock improved efficiency on supported games, and sets the stage for benchmarking and overclocking results, including a note that performance will depend on cooling, voltage management, and the new overclocking UI. He closes the section by setting expectations for power, heat, and acoustics, and invites viewers to check the upcoming performance numbers, while promising to link an overclocking master sheet for transparency about clock speeds used during testing.

Topics · technology · hardware · computer-graphics · reviews · gaming-performance