Sapphire Radeon R9 280 Dual-X 3GB Graphics Card Review

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by Rob Williams on July 16, 2014 in Graphics & Displays

When we took a look at EVGA’s GeForce GTX 760 Superclocked a couple of weeks ago, we lacked the ideal card to compare it to. With Sapphire’s Radeon R9 280 Dual-X in the house, retailing for just $10 shy of EVGA’s, we’ve managed to remedy that problem. So, let’s dive in, and see how both fare through our battery of tests.

Page 6 – Game Tests: Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Total War: SHOGUN 2

Tom Clancy is responsible for a countless number of video games, but his Splinter Cell series has become something special, with each game released having been considered “great” overall. The latest in the series, Blacklist, is no exception, and thankfully for us, its graphics are fantastic, and not to mention intensive. For those who love a stealth element in their games, this is one that shouldn’t be skipped.

RIP, Tom Clancy.

Splinter Cell Blacklist - 1920x1080 Single Monitor

Manual Run-through: From the start of the ‘Safehouse’ level in Benghazi, Libya, we progress through until we reach an apartment building that must be entered – this is where we end the FPS recording.

Sapphire Radeon R9 280 - Splinter Cell: Blacklist (1920x1080)

Sapphire Radeon R9 280 - Splinter Cell: Blacklist (2560x1440)

On the last page, we saw AMD push a bit harder at Sleeping Dogs, but the tables have turned with Blacklist. As Sleeping Dogs is AMD-sponsored, and Blacklist is NVIDIA-sponsored, I guess neither finding is too much of a surprise.

Total War: SHOGUN 2

Strategy games are well-known for pushing the limits of any system, and few others do this as well as Total War: SHOGUN 2. It fully supports DX11, has huge battlefields to oversee with hundreds or thousands of units, and a ton of graphics options to adjust. It’s quite simply a beast of a game.

Total War: SHOGUN 2 - 1920x1080 Single Monitor

Manual Run-through: SHOGUN 2 is one of the few games in our suite where the built-in benchmark is opted for. Strategy games in particular are very difficult to benchmark, so this is where I become thankful to have the option of using a built-in benchmark.

Sapphire Radeon R9 280 - Total War: SHOGUN 2 (1920x1080)

Sapphire Radeon R9 280 - Total War: SHOGUN 2 (2560x1440)

SHOGUN 2 helps wrap-up our gaming results with the same sort of deltas we’ve seen across them all.

Next up, I’ll tackle our “Best Playable” results.

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Rob Williams

Rob founded Techgage in 2005 to be an 'Advocate of the consumer', focusing on fair reviews and keeping people apprised of news in the tech world. Catering to both enthusiasts and businesses alike; from desktop gaming to professional workstations, and all the supporting software.

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