AMD Radeon R9 290X review updated with thermal imaging

NiColaoS

2013-10-29 22:11

You almost get the boiling point of water... Since you play anyway, make a pasta or fry some eggs synchronously. Better get the 290 by a third party manufacturer.

#4687815

(.)(.)

2013-10-29 22:18

Ok, now this... is.... awesome. 290x we shall call Johnny Storm.

#4687831

Veeshush

2013-10-29 22:38

Said it in the other thread but I'll say it here: I've wanted a thermal cam so long to do stuff like that. Use the living hell out of that, Hilbert. Use it on everything and post the pictures. Also take requests! And also take it for a spin around your house this winter! You'll see where you're losing heat!

#4687855

Doug

2013-10-29 23:06

You almost get the boiling point of water... Since you play anyway, make a pasta or fry some eggs synchronously. Better get the 290 by a third party manufacturer.

Oh my god constant boiled water for constant cups of tea without leaving the PC. :wanker:

#4687860

Loophole35

2013-10-29 23:14

Actually its 70 C, the M2 marking point should have been slightly further to the left. But yeah, cool kit huh ? We're all such nerds 🤓

I was actually referencing M3 GDDR5. But yes very cool toy there. Whats the limit of its thermal detection?

#4687878

Hilbert Hagedoorn

Administrator

2013-10-29 23:36

But yes very cool toy there. Whats the limit of its thermal detection?

The camera can go way beyond what hardware can take, it has a range of -20 C up-to 350 Degrees C.

#4687880

eclap

2013-10-29 23:40

Nice one Hilbert. So this new toy shows you the heat map and also accurate temps?

#4687915

cowie

2013-10-30 00:19

I like the new toy you got 🤓

#4687992

Elder III

2013-10-30 02:04

wow, nice images boss Don't point that thing in the direction of a 4850 with the reference single slot cooler though....might scare some people...lol

I had one of those, got it just after they arrived on the market... that thing could hit 90C regularly if I left it at the stock fan speed/profile. I eventually put a ~$25.00 cooler on it and chilled it down 20-25C. It was a great card though, just toasty. :flame:

#4687996

CPC_RedDawn

2013-10-30 02:12

The camera can go way beyond what hardware can take, it has a range of -20 C up-to 350 Degrees C.

And may I be cheeky and ask how much something like this cost? 😛aranoid:

#4688006

3dPlayer

2013-10-30 02:37

No pictures of the new toy? Sad panda.

#4688234

-Tj-

2013-10-30 11:55

Nice one Great, this will be handy for sure! 😀

#4688266

Alexraptor

2013-10-30 12:23

Man I'd like to see what a stock GTX 480 or 470 would look like under this, they were notoriously hot with 90c being normal core temp under full load!

#4688375

Neo Cyrus

2013-10-30 14:38

This plus the frame timings makes your reviews more useful than most others, nicely done. I'm just afraid that the R9 290X might melt your camera.

#4688642

Hilbert Hagedoorn

Administrator

2013-10-30 19:25

Can it be fine-tuned to be used as a night-vision camera? :eyebrows:

It is a FLIR camera, so yeah that would be the same stuff you have seen hanging on an Apache helicopter seeking heat sources 😉 Here my kitty, pitch black dark room - black kat. It kinda does seem to look like something spawned from Hell though 🙂 http://nl.guru3d.com/kitty-from-hell.jpg

#4688660

PhazeDelta1

2013-10-30 19:36

And may I be cheeky and ask how much something like this cost? 😛aranoid:

It depends on the model and manufacture. I've seen them anywhere from $900 to $24k.

#4688759

Loophole35

2013-10-30 20:55

It depends on the model and manufacture. I've seen them anywhere from $900 to $24k.

A new addition towards our reviews will be the inclusion of Forward Looking Infra Red thermal images of hardware. Over the past years we have been trying to figure out what the best possible way is to measure temperatures on hardware. Multiple options are available but the best thing to do is to visualize heat coming from the product or component being tested. The downside of thermal imaging hardware is simple, FLIR camera's with a bit of decent resolution costs up-to 10.000 EUR. Hence we passed on it for a long time.

It's in the article.

#4690520

DeOdVue

2013-11-01 17:04

Regarding to the 290X thermal images... the heat seemed to be trapped by the PCB and components. IMO, this indicated poor ventilation onto the PCB. Also, no heat spreader for the RAMs?! Obviously, no metal back plate for the back! I'm no expert, but, whoever design that cooler owed to get shot. 😛 Hilbert, seen you had all the toys (I wanted!). With all your respected, could you do me a favor? I'm predicting up to 10C drop just by putting a little fan blowing onto the back of the PCB, run a quick few tests and see... 🙂 I'm so curious that I registered just to ask you for that, though, I've been reading your sites for years. One of my favorite among others. 🙂 Keep up the good work! Thank you. DeOdVue P.S. It's just sad no one want to spend the time and modified a aftermarket cooler (RAMs and stuff..), slapped on one of this babies and see it run. AAwwgg.... Where has the old fun tech days gonnnee. 🙁

#4690610

Hilbert Hagedoorn

Administrator

2013-11-01 18:34

Hilbert, seen you had all the toys (I wanted!). With all your respected, could you do me a favor? I'm predicting up to 10C drop just by putting a little fan blowing onto the back of the PCB, run a quick few tests and see... 🙂

I always have a fan closeby emulating rear backflow, in this test setup the LCS fan points towards the rear of the cooler / back of the pcb.

#4690860

DeOdVue

2013-11-01 23:11

You're the man!:thumbup: Are you restricted under any of AMD rules? I was thinking along the line of hard mod. the card to ground than burned this baby 'till it's smoked to see it true potential, since no other websites have done that. Wishes I've the times, I would have asked you to send that baby to me... I'll dissected that thing to pieces! LOL /wishfull thinking