Member Avatar for `d3x

Hi to all. Im gonna upgrade my cpu tom, but im torn between two video cards. The Sapphire r9 270x Toxic 2gb and the Sapphire r9 270x 4gb. Im not much of a techie guy so the difference comparison is confusing for me. I mainly use my computer for photo editing in around 30mb or more each file and gaming like call of duty ghost and such heavy games. Here's alink for the comparison. Please help me by explainin the diff. Also only one 23 inch monitor at 1080p. Thanks

http://www.sapphiretech.com/presentation/product/product_comparison.aspx

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by rubberman

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Short summary and recommendation for the setup described (single 23" 1080p display, ~30MB photo files, games like Call of Duty: Ghosts): the core practical difference is VRAM capacity versus any factory tuning/cooling on the Toxic model. At 1920×1080 most games and common GPU-accelerated photo tasks from that era rarely need more than 2GB of VRAM, so a well‑clocked 2GB R9 270x (the Toxic variant often ships with stronger cooling/oc—check the spec sheet) will usually give equal or better frame rates at 1080p than a same‑generation 4GB card running at reference clocks. The 4GB card mainly helps for higher resolutions, multi‑monitor setups, very large texture packs, or extremely large GPU-resident image caches.

Photo-editing note: large PSD/TIFF files depend far more on CPU, system RAM, and fast scratch storage (SSD) than on extra VRAM. GPU acceleration (OpenCL/ CUDA-like features in editors) helps responsiveness for some filters and canvas operations, but VRAM is only a limiting factor when the application is keeping many very large layers/textures on the card. For most single‑monitor photo workflows, adding system RAM or an SSD will produce bigger gains than buying a 4GB card.

Practical checklist before buying: compare actual core/boost clocks, memory clocks, cooler and card length, required PCIe power connectors, and warranty. Monitor real-world VRAM use in the target games and apps with a utility such as GPU‑Z or MSI Afterburner—if VRAM use never approaches 2GB under typical workloads, the extra 2GB is unused. Also confirm the PSU has the necessary connectors and that the card fits the case.

Tying back to : evaluating NVIDIA equivalents is reasonable because per‑game performance and drivers differ. Given the described hardware and usage, the 2GB Toxic is the better value in most cases; opt for 4GB only if price parity exists or future plans include higher resolutions or heavy GPU‑resident workflows.

Member Avatar for rubberman

The current AMD R9 series have not been reviewed with glowing comments - but not bad either. Have you considered equivalent nVidia cards? Quality-wise, they are generally more positively reviewed. A good site for this (mostly Linux-oriented) is Phoronix.com. Here is a review of the R9 270x: http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=amd_radeonr9_270x

Their opinion was for Linux gaming it is a good choice at the $200USD price level.

Edited by rubberman
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