1: A Radeon 295X2 is slightly quieter under load than two GTX 780 Tis. It is dramatically quieter than a single reference 290x.
2: A Radeon 295X2 is significantly cooler under load than even a single GTX 780 Ti. Nvidia has very efficient air cooling, but the cards still operate at a max temperature of about 84 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the 295X2 doesn’t crest above 60 degrees Celsius while under heavy load. And gone are the days of your 7990 blowing hot exhaust back into your chassis — with an assist from Asetek, AMD got the thermals right.
I didn’t have time to measure power consumption in a meaningful way, but even on paper I can tell you this is one area Nvidia will continue to dominate. The 295X2 can siphon up to 500W of juice, and it’s crucial that your power supply is capable of supplying 28A of current to each of the two required 8-pin PCIe connectors. AMD should have a list of compatible power supplies online atwww.amd.com/r9. Still, for gamers not versed in the ways of liquid cooling, this is a damn exciting — and low risk — entry point.
