As you have been able to read today and yesterday, the AMD R9 280 – 285 – 290 and 290X are dropping in price significantly. AMD just let Guru3D know that this is not actually a price drop as such, instead it is a promotion from board and channel partners themselves, and it will be for a limited time only. 

The USA promotion prices are already kicking live while the EU prices should follow next week. Though AMD is a little unclear as to how, why and what. Basically the board and channel partners apply a self-proclaimed promotion and sells the aforementioned cards at the lower prices. That is until stock runs out, from what we learned the prices will go up after that promotion ends.

So AMD did not lower prices?

No, word from AMD, and confirmed by Guru3D, is that AMD themselves did not invoke the 'price drop slash promotion', rather some board partners dropped pricing the day that the Nvidia GeForce GTX 970 and 980 were released.

So what does that mean long term?

So basically the new pricing model you guys can see would be temporary. What you are going to notice is 'roughly'the following pricing wise from a handful of AMD board partners; the Radeon R9 290 is dropping slowly but steadily from 399 USD towards 299 USD, and the big daddy R9 290X was priced at 549 USD and now is shifting towards 399 USD.  Then the pressure is on the 280 series. The R9 280X this card was selling at $300, that's the 290 promotion position now. If you browse a little, you will have noticed that this card is selling at 250~260 USD. The Radeon R9 285 now sits at $229 (cheapest price found), the R9 280 can be found for $210.

It might be a good time to pick up a nice performing mainstream R9 you guys, get them while these promotions and stock lasts as the signal right now is simple, these prices will not last. And board and channel partners will need to decide for themselves if they will lower prices at their own expense.