Select Vendors Expected To Launch 8GB Radeon 290X Cards This Month, NVIDIA Sure To Follow

Well before the launch of NVIDIA’s first Maxwell-based GPUs in September, rumor had it that we’d be seeing both a 6GB and 8GB version of the GeForce GTX 980, and perhaps even the GTX 970. That never happened, much to the dismay of those running ultra-high resolutions. According to SweClockers, multiple AMD partners are getting ready to launch 8GB versions of the Radeon R9 290X this month. At this point, MSI, Sapphire, and PowerColor are three names hinged to the rumor; whether or not that’ll remain the final list, we’re unsure.

AMD’s R9 290X was released last October, so to learn of an 8GB model coming out soon is admittedly a bit strange. While AMD is sure to say that it has no part in these 8GB cards coming to market, I’m willing to bet that instead, it played a vital role. AMD knows that NVIDIA missed the boat with its lack of high-density Maxwell cards, whereas it’s in a better position right now to deliver.

Regardless of any of that, though, the question has to be asked: Does an 8GB R9 290X make sense? I think it does, as long as the premium isn’t too extreme. The R9 290X offers the same kind of performance as the GTX 970, and now costs about the same as that card’s SRP, $330. I think that for the 8GB cards to succeed, the premium has to top no more than $40. I don’t know what high-density GDDR5 costs, but that to me is the reality. People who need an 8GB card are not going to be buying only one R9 290X.

Not long after NVIDIA’s Maxwell launch, the prices of many higher-end AMD cards dropped in price, R9 290X included. Since then, I’ve seen a number of people around the Web snatching up a bunch of cards to build an ultra-high end gaming rig. Those are the people who these 8GB cards are catering to, because the assumption is that these folks are running 4K or multi-monitor resolutions – resolutions that might actually be able to break past the 4GB barrier. I’m still of the mind that such games are rare, and the price premium isn’t going to be worth it for the handful of games that would see a benefit, but value is always something that the buyer has to gauge, no one else.

If AMD’s going to be seeing 8GB cards this month, what about NVIDIA? Well, Videocardz is reporting that NVIDIA’s set to be launching its own 8GB models as well, with a potential launch date sometime later this month. Whether or not it’d be able to beat AMD to the punch, we’ll just have to wait and see.

I can’t help but wonder if once these cards hit the market, NVIDIA will be the tougher sell, simply because its cards are priced higher at the moment. Admittedly, in many ways, a premium over AMD’s offerings makes sense, because NVIDIA’s Maxwell cards bring new features to the table (they’re “new” cards, not last year’s models like AMD’s), run cooler, and draw far less power. Personally, if I were to go a multi-GPU rig, I’d do what I could to cough up the extra $$$ needed to go green. On the flip side, I wouldn’t blame anyone going to the red team if they don’t care about those perks (and certainly, not everyone does).

Whatever your opinion, this is a good diversion while we wait for AMD’s next-gen cards to arrive, along with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 960 and other Maxwell cards.