Sapphire R9 285 Dual-X OC Video Card Review

Final Thoughts

Pros:

Good performance
Great overclockability
Cool running temps
New Hawaii features at slightly lower price point

Cons:

Large price increase over 280
Only 2GB of memory

Overall, the 285 has a lot of promise. You get slightly better performance out of the box compared to the 280, great overclocking capabilities, very low running temps, and all of the new features found in Hawaii (plus a few more) but at a lower price than the flagship cards. One of the main issues I have with the 285 is that it is only offered with 2GB of memory currently (though larger versions are slated to release soon) which will definitely limit you in super high-res applications where VRAM is critical. The other problem is that the price difference between the out-going 280 and the new 285 is quite large compared to the minimal performance increase, with a Sapphire 280 going for $190 and the 285 for $250.

I say this card has a lot of promise because the better performance, improved temps/cooler, and new features all make it a definite improvement on the outgoing cards, but at the current asking price it’s just hard to justify. Once the initial prices come down to be more competitive, I’d recommend taking a look at the Sapphire 285 Dual-X.