Sapphire R9 390 Nitro 8GB (Rev 2 w/ backplate)

The tests were performed in a controlled air conditioned room with temperatures maintained at a constant 23c – a comfortable environment for the majority of people reading this.Idle temperatures were measured after sitting at the desktop for 30 minutes. Load measurements were acquired by playing Crysis Warhead for 30 minutes and measuring the peak temperature. We also have included Furmark results, recording maximum temperatures throughout a 30 minute stress test. All fan settings were left on automatic.

The triple fan cooler performs very well, holding gaming temperatures at 63c under extended load.

We install the graphics card into our system and measure temperatures on the back of the PCB with our Fluke Visual IR Thermometer/Infrared Thermal Camera. This is a real world running environment playing Tomb Raider for extended periods of time.

The image above shows the Sapphire R9 390 Nitro 8GB Rev 2 with backplate – under our thermal imaging camera. We can see the temperatures are held below 60c at all times, and there are no really discernible hot spots.

The image directly above is the original thermal image from the first revision Sapphire R9 390 Nitro 8GB (without backplate) which we tested back in July this year. If you ever needed to see the difference a backplate can make, this is a good indication. Almost 30c difference under extended load.

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