SAPPHIRE R9 290X TOPS THE BILL New top of the range graphics card delivers 4K graphics, AMD Eyefinity and TrueAudio for best gaming experience yet

SAPPHIRE Technology today launches a new top of the range graphics card, the SAPPHIRE R9 290X. Based on the latest Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture from AMD, the card is being heralded as the ultimate GPU for a new era in PC gaming. The new SAPPHIRE R9 290X delivers breathtaking performance while pushing the boundaries of audio and visual realism for gamers who demand the best.

The highest performing member of the recently launched R9 series of graphics processors, the new SAPPHIRE R9 290X features 2816 stream processing units and an engine clock of up to 1Ghz. It is equipped with 4GB of the latest high performance GDDR5 memory on a 512-bit interface and clocked at 1250 MHz (5.0GHz effective) delivering high bandwidth capable of supporting gaming even at UltraHD resolutions. These specifications enable this card to delivers an industry leading 3.79TFLOPS of compute power.

With support for UltraHD (4K displays) and AMD Eyefinity multi-screen technology, the SAPPHIRE R9 290X maximises the visual experience for work or play with superior image quality and high resolution displays. It uses the PCI-Express 3.0 interface and also supports AMD CrossFire.

The SAPPHIRE R9 290X is the first product to be equipped with the new AMD TrueAudio technology which brings a heightened level of audio immersion, surrounding gamers with realistic audio environments whether it is through stereo headsets or speakers. A dedicated audio processor in the GPU enables the SAPPHIRE R9 290X graphics card to deliver a richer and deeply immersive soundscape, including true to life echoes, convolution reverbs and incredibly realistic surround sound environments.

In addition to support for DirectX 11.2 and OpenGL 4.3, the new R9 series is also supported by Mantle. Mantle is an AMD developed API which allows programmers lower level access to features of the GCN architecture found in the latest AMD based graphics cards and the next generation of gaming consoles, potentially enabling simultaneous development across platforms.

The SAPPHIRE R9 290X is available from etailers and retailers from 24^th October 2013. Special Editions are also available bundled with Battlefield4.