http://videocardz.com/47971/powercolor-radeon-r9-290-unlocked-r9-290x People over at overclock.net are trying this out. Could be very interesting http://www.overclock.net/t/1442692/vc-powercolor-radeon-r9-290-unlocked-into-r9-290x
Could happen. I unlocked my 9800SE to a 9800 XT (or Pro, can't remember) and my 6950 to a 6970. It would make the 290 an EVEN better buy than it already is!
It can be done... but time will tell if the pcb's can handle it... I suppose with enough cooling it'll be fine..
Was tempted by the offer from dabs.com for a couple of these using a £40 discount code... Comes to under £290 each for the VTX3D R9 290... http://www.dabs.com/products/best-v...press-3-0-hdmi-x-ed-93BG.html?q=r9 290&src=16 Only thing putting me off is the stock cooler and also the disappointment should it not unlock!
they have them unlocked for sale.... http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-014-VX&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1752
Even though to get the deal with Dabs it's double bubble, I couldn't stomach an £80 difference including postage!
I checked if my Sapphire 290 was unlockable yesterday, and I wasn't even disappointed by the fact that mine isn't. It still performs wonderfully and I can't remember ever being so satisfied with a graphics card purchase.
That's the best attitude to take really. I've bought supposedly amazing things that are not amazing until you overclock them (and then you need luck). My Allendale Core 2 was clocked to 1.8ghz out of the box and could supposedly do 3ghz. However, what I didn't realise was that in order to run it at 3ghz you needed a really expensive board with really expensive memory (DDR2 clocked to 1066) which by the time you were done was no cheaper than buying the Core 2 that was nearly 3ghz any way. With the 290 to 290X you're not really gaining much any way given how brilliant the 290 is.
Sapphire supposedly released an enhanced BIOS... http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/media/?psn=0004&articleID=5453 Not that I can find it anywhere!
Most of the really early release cards can, it seems though that AMD have already actually changed the manufacturing process slightly so any after the first batch don't actually have the required parts on the silicon to flash the bios to a 290x.
what would you do? i have had a 290x on order for a month still awaiting stock it was an early price + discount code i secured it at £388 all in with delivery http://www.dabs.com/products/msi-am...e=awin&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_content=AW00 would you cancel and get the preflashed 290 saving a few quid or would you leave it? Only difference is i get an extra year warranty with the 290x.
got my unlocked 290 from ocuk for £359 so yep i would cancel from what ive read the best ones to unlock seem to be his,xfx and vtx3d
At this point with only 1 in stock from Overclockers I'd stick with dabs. With postage you'll only be saving a tenner since Overclockers raised the price.
