Hello Everyone, Welcome to Another Video!

If you saw my video a couple of days ago, you’ll remember that I purchased this Radeon R9 290 from eBay for the low price of 30 pounds, roughly $40. Once a blazingly fast flagship, this PowerColor model was showing signs of instability as stated in the eBay ad, hence its cheap price. In the last video, I assumed the issues were due to driver and heat problems. While the card did shoot up to 95 degrees and shut off almost immediately in newer games, the initial problem was the card actually crashing for no apparent reason.

I left off last time saying I was going to buy an aftermarket cooler after I thought I had eliminated the crashing issues and only had the heat problem to deal with. But it seems that this was far from the case, as the card crashed again last night a few times in a row. Thanks to all of your suggestions, I decided to put that aftermarket cooler on hold as lowering the load temperatures would have just been masking the bigger problem. I therefore decided to give flashing the card’s BIOS a try.

To do this, I headed over to TechPowerUp and downloaded ATI WinFlash. They’ve also got an extensive GPU BIOS database over there, and I was able to select the manufacturer and model number of my card in order to download the latest stable BIOS version. Just to be safe, I swapped my Ryzen 5 1600 out with the 2400G so that if anything went wrong and I accidentally bricked my graphics card, I could boot up into Windows using the integrated graphics and try to reflash the card again. Luckily, all went well, and the process was a simple and straightforward one.

After flashing the stock BIOS and restarting, I uninstalled and reinstalled the AMD drivers once again. I left the PC on overnight, something I never do. At this time, it’s been on for about 20 hours, and I’ve been using it for about six hours doing various things. When it did crash again last night, it did so randomly while the PC was unused, so I’m pretty certain it’s okay.

None of this did much for the stock temperatures, of course, but the difference lies in the temperature under load while gaming. It was time to see how this card holds up in some modern titles.

Jumping into a few games, the first thing I noticed was the improved load temperatures. Yesterday, the card was reaching up to 95 degrees and powering off in newer titles like Dirt 4. This could be remedied by turning the fan way up in MSI Afterburner, but little did I know at the time, it still could have failed at any moment. This time, though, I managed to get through a few hour-long gaming sessions not just with a newly stable card, but with a slightly cooler one too.

Even if it does still sound like this. As you can see, though, this thing is still quite the beast, making very light work of Dirt 4.

Before I get too much further in, I just want to mention that the CPU is still the Ryzen 5 2400G in the PC and forgot to re-enable it in Afterburner before testing all the games.

Moving on, and funnily enough, the eBay seller actually watches this channel and recognized the card in the video. They contacted me and said that CS:GO proved to be quite the problem, not because of the temperatures, but because the R9 290 always crashed before I even had a chance to get warm. I knew then that this would have to be tested, and after playing a few matches, both offline and online, I’m happy to report that I saw no errors. I even edited this whole video with the card in the system, and it held up just fine.

After this discovery, I could relax a little and focus on more of what this card could do with some new and exciting titles. With that thought in mind, I moved on to Dark Souls Remastered. It’s pretty limited for graphical options, so running this game at full HD and anti-aliasing on meant a solid, consistent 60 frames per second. PUBG also ran very well, with some minor drops in performance initially but smoothing out.

In Fallout 4, the game decided its own preset to be high. I left the 60 fps cap on, a target that the R9 was able to solidly maintain. Far Cry 5 ran well, though would benefit from some lower settings, as there were still some stutters regardless.

AC Origins, on the other hand, not so much. This game is greedy and likes more than 4 physical cores, so it might not be the fault of the Ryzen 5 but also has something against older GPU architectures. Battlefield 1 was important for me to retest, as it pushed the GPU over the edge the other day. Here, I was able to get through the opening levels without any issues.

I would still recommend an aftermarket cooler to replace the blower-style stock R9 290 fan. It’s been a journey fixing this card, but it seems to be in good shape now. I’ll be keeping it in my system all week and updating you next Saturday.

A current favorite game of mine is Kingdom Come: Deliverance. The game was still on high settings from when my 1070 was in the system, but I gave it a go anyway. It proved challenging, but at medium settings, the card handled the open-world RPG very well.

So, there you have it! Buying a broken GPU on eBay in hopes of fixing it may not always be a good idea, but in this case, I managed to find a pretty good deal on an R9 290. It was a simple flash of the BIOS that seemed to eliminate all stability problems.

As always, I hope you’ve enjoyed this video. Like if you enjoyed it, dislike if you didn’t, subscribe to the channel if you haven’t done so already. I’m going to shop for a few more cards to see if we can’t fix them up. Thank you, and I’ll see you again soon.

All Repaired and Ready To Play! – AMD R9 290 Vs Modern Gaming

AMD R9 290: A Blast from the Past

When it comes to gaming, having the right graphics card can make all the difference in your gaming experience. And for those who remember the heyday of the AMD R9 290, you’ll be excited to hear that it’s back and better than ever after years of being repaired and reinvigorated.

The AMD R9 290 was released back in 2013, making it a relic in the world of modern gaming. However, thanks to advancements in technology and the dedication of enthusiasts, this old favorite has been given a new lease on life. With its high performance and power efficiency, the AMD R9 290 is once again a contender in the gaming world.

A Closer Look at the AMD R9 290

The AMD R9 290 features a 28nm GPU, 4GB of GDDR5 memory, and a 512-bit memory bus. While these specs may seem outdated compared to modern graphics cards, the AMD R9 290 still packs a punch when it comes to gaming performance. With its 2560 stream processors and 320GB/s memory bandwidth, this card can handle even the most demanding games with ease.

One of the standout features of the AMD R9 290 is its Mantle API support, which allows for better performance in supported games. This feature, coupled with the card’s high clock speeds and memory bandwidth, makes it a force to be reckoned with in modern gaming.

Modern Gaming: A New Era

In the world of gaming, technology moves at a rapid pace. New graphics cards are released each year, boasting better performance and more features than their predecessors. With the rise of ray tracing, VR, and 4K gaming, the demands on graphics cards have never been higher.

While the AMD R9 290 may not be able to compete with the latest and greatest graphics cards on the market, it still holds its own in today’s gaming landscape. Thanks to its repair and revitalization, this card is once again able to handle modern games at respectable frame rates and settings.

The AMD R9 290 Vs Modern Gaming

When pitted against modern gaming titles, the AMD R9 290 may struggle with some of the more demanding AAA games. However, with its high clock speeds and ample memory bandwidth, this card is still more than capable of running many popular titles at 1080p resolution and medium to high settings.

For gamers on a budget or those looking to revive an old favorite, the AMD R9 290 offers a solid gaming experience without breaking the bank. With its repaired status and updated drivers, this card is ready to take on the latest games and provide hours of entertainment for years to come.

In conclusion, while the AMD R9 290 may be a relic of the past, it still has plenty of life left in it for modern gaming. With its high performance, Mantle API support, and repair work, this card is a testament to the enduring legacy of quality hardware. So dust off that old GPU, fire up your favorite games, and get ready for a blast from the past with the AMD R9 290.

The Performance of AMD R9 290 in Modern Gaming

While the AMD R9 290 was a powerful graphics card when it was first released, its performance in modern gaming has started to show its age. With newer games demanding more graphical power and processing capabilities, the R9 290 may struggle to keep up with the latest titles at high settings. Gamers looking to play AAA titles released in the past couple of years may experience lower frame rates and graphical deficiencies when using the AMD R9 290.

Upgrading to a Modern Graphics Card

For gamers looking to experience the latest titles with smooth gameplay and stunning visuals, upgrading to a modern graphics card may be necessary. High-end GPUs from AMD and Nvidia, such as the RX 6000 series or RTX 30 series, offer significantly improved performance over the AMD R9 290. With features like ray tracing and DLSS, these modern cards can provide a more immersive gaming experience and future-proofing for upcoming games that demand more graphical power.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while the AMD R9 290 was a formidable graphics card in its time, it may struggle to keep up with the demands of modern gaming. Upgrading to a modern GPU can provide a significant boost in performance and allow gamers to enjoy the latest titles with improved visuals and smoother gameplay. Consider investing in a newer graphics card to enhance your gaming experience and stay ahead of the curve.

Source: Youtube Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYCqDZ0K89s of Channel RandomGaminginHD.