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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchThe AMD Radeon R9 295X2 was a 2014 flagship built around two GPUs and a factory-installed liquid cooler, aiming to deliver high-detail 4K gaming on one card. It could hit 60 FPS in Battlefield 4 at 4K Ultra in PC Gamer’s 2014 test, but that result was specific to one game and setup. Its 500W board rating, 120mm radiator, dependence on multi-GPU support, and $1,499 launch price made it a specialist product—not an uncomplicated route to 4K.
What the R9 295X2 is—and what its 8GB means
The R9 295X2 is a dual-GPU graphics card: two 28nm Hawaii processors share one board. Tom’s Hardware lists 2,816 shaders and 4GB of GDDR5 for each GPU; AMD’s October 2014 quick reference lists 5,632 stream processors and 8GB total GDDR5. The 8GB figure is the combined board memory, not a single ordinary 8GB pool available to one GPU. A game using both GPUs still relies on the memory organization and multi-GPU support of that workload.
AMD listed a GPU clock speed of up to 1,018MHz and memory bandwidth of up to 640GB/s in its October 2014 guide. These are manufacturer specifications, not guarantees that every game or card will operate at those figures continuously.
R9 295X2 4K gaming: impressive in selected 2014 tests
The card’s 4K reputation rests on period results that need to stay attached to their exact games and settings. PC Gamer reported 60 FPS in Battlefield 4 at 4K with Ultra settings in its April 11, 2014 review test. That is a notable result for its time, not evidence of 60 FPS across all games, other settings, or modern releases.
#1 Best Overall
- Dual Display Productivity - Enhance your workspace with support for up to two high-resolution 4K DisplayPort displays. Perfect for multitasking, digital signage, and immersive visual setups. Compatible with Windows 11
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- Smart Tek. Real Support. Package includes RX 550 4GB 2xDP Graphics Card. Designed with purpose; functionality, durability and compatibility with the tools you already use. Backed by an expert Tek support team who’s always ready to help.
Period reviews compared the R9 295X2 with cards including the Radeon R9 290X, GeForce GTX 780 Ti, and GTX Titan Black. A fair comparison depends on the same game, resolution, settings, and test conditions; frame-time smoothness and multi-GPU scaling matter alongside average frame rate. Two GPUs do not guarantee double the performance, and behavior can vary by game.
Why the 500W rating and liquid cooler matter
AMD’s October 2014 quick reference lists 500W as the card’s power figure, two 8-pin PCIe power connectors, and a 1,500W PSU recommendation. That recommendation is AMD’s dated specification for the card, not a universal minimum for every present-day system. Anyone building around one should check the complete system’s power needs and confirm the PSU has two suitable native 8-pin PCIe connectors.
Rank #2
- Features XFX Enhanced Double Dissipation Cooling
- Core Clock: 850Mhz, Boost Clock: 1000Mhz, Memory size: 3GB, Effective Memory Clock, 6.0Ghz, Memory Interface 384-bit, Memory Type: GDDR5
- XFX Lifetime Warranty - Registration within 30 days of purchase required
- Please watch the Instructional Video before use.
The cooler is integral to the design. AMD specified a pre-assembled closed-loop liquid cooling system developed with Asetek; its guide describes a full-height, dual-slot card with a 120mm radiator. Before fitting one, check that the case has a compatible radiator mounting position and enough clearance for the card, radiator, and tubing. For a used card, the cooler’s actual condition is a key unknown; the historical claim that it was maintenance-free does not establish the condition of a particular unit today.
In a May 7, 2014 follow-up testing two R9 295X2 cards, Tom’s Hardware discussed a 75°C GPU limit associated with the cooling hardware and found that case airflow and radiator setup influenced behavior in its test system. Its results also showed workload-dependent scaling and frame-time variation. Those observations illustrate the importance of cooling and workload, but they are not universal temperature or performance guarantees for every case or card.
Rank #3
- The world's best gaming desktop processor that can deliver ultra-fast 100+ FPS performance in the world's most popular games
- 12 Cores and 24 processing threads, based on AMD "Zen 5" architecture
- 5.6 GHz Max Boost, unlocked for overclocking, 76 MB cache, DDR5-5600 support
- For the state-of-the-art Socket AM5 platform, can support PCIe 5.0 on select motherboards
- Cooler not included
Launch price and who the card was for
AMD announced a starting price of $1,499 USD and €1,099 excluding VAT in April 2014, with availability later that month. That was a premium launch price, not a current used-market valuation. Current inventory, resale prices, driver-support status, and compatibility with contemporary games are not established here.
In its launch announcement, AMD positioned the R9 295X2 as a dual-GPU card for 4K and high-resolution multi-monitor gaming. The period evidence supports the idea that it could deliver strong results in selected games, but its cost, power demand, radiator fit, and reliance on game-specific scaling constrained its appeal. Its historical significance is the concentrated hardware ambition: two high-end GPUs and liquid cooling on one board, with all the practical trade-offs that entailed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 512-bit GDDR5
- 2 x DVI-D
- 1 x HDMI
- 1 x DisplayPort
Rank #4
- AMD Radeon R9 280X GPU
- 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 VRAM
- Mini Display Port x2, DL-DVI-I and HDMI
- PCI Express 3.0
- Crossfire ready
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
