How much does amd radeon r7 200 series cost? AMD Radeon R7 and R9 - updated line of video cards

10 Mar. 2016

This page below has links to download the latest free drivers for AMD video cards from the Radeon R7 200 Series, which is part of the Radeon R7 Series family. Installation files are taken from the official website and are suitable for: Windows 7, 10, 8, 8.1, XP, Vista 32/64-bit (x86/x64).

To make it easier to select the files you need, the version of your Windows and its bit depth are indicated below.

Your computer runs on:

Download (153.5 MB / version 16.8.2 (Crimson Edition 16.8.2 Hotfix) / release date 08/12/2016)
For Windows 7 32-bit
Download (239.8 MB / version 16.8.2 (Crimson Edition 16.8.2 Hotfix) / release date 08/12/2016)
For Windows 7 64-bit
Download (134.8 MB / version 16.8.2 (Crimson Edition 16.8.2 Hotfix) / release date 08/12/2016)
For Windows 10 32-bit
Download (208.24 MB / version 16.8.2 (Crimson Edition 16.8.2 Hotfix) / release date 08/12/2016)
For Windows 10 64-bit
Download (205 MB / version 14.4 (Catalyst Software Suite) / release date 04/25/2014)
For Windows 8 32-bit
Download (260 MB / version 14.4 (Catalyst Software Suite) / release date 04/25/2014)
For Windows 8 64-bit
Download (154.21 MB / version 16.8.2 (Crimson Edition 16.8.2 Hotfix) / release date 08/12/2016)
For Windows 8.1 32-bit
Download (239.88 MB / version 16.8.2 (Crimson Edition 16.8.2 Hotfix) / release date 08/12/2016)
For Windows 8.1 64-bit
Download (179 MB / version 14.4 (Catalyst Software Suite) / release date 04/25/2014)
For Windows XP 32 and 64-bit
Download (151 MB / version 13.12 (Catalyst Software Suite) / release date 12/18/2013)
For Windows Vista 32-bit
Download (209 MB / version 13.12 (Catalyst Software Suite) / release date 12/18/2013)
For Windows Vista 64-bit

Fallback - Get drivers using AMD Driver Autodetect

This option is convenient because the program AMD Driver Autodetect will select and download the latest working drivers, which are suitable for your AMD video card and your version of Windows. The program does not require installation, it was created by AMD and files are downloaded from their official servers.

Instructions:

Run AMD Driver Autodetect and it will immediately automatically select the necessary files for installing drivers.
To download files, click on the “Download Now” button.
Wait for the files to download and start the installation.

The model line of discrete graphics systems Radeon R7 200 Series from AMD belongs to the category of budget gaming video cards and consists of three series: 240, 250 and 260. In addition, there are several other individual modifications, the technical characteristics of which are almost identical. Thus, many inexperienced users are racking their brains over the question: “Which video card from this line is best to choose for your computer?”

Price

First of all, we need to talk about pricing policy. Despite the fairly good hardware characteristics and high performance, the line of these AMD graphics systems belongs to the budget category. The average cost of video cards of the R7 200 model line is about 10 thousand rubles, depending on the modification and hardware characteristics.

Despite the fact that modern computer games are focused on flagship graphics systems, the cost of which starts from 50,000 rubles and above, on the modern market you can find models that can cope with high resource-intensive demands. One of these graphic systems is our today’s hero, which is presented on the market in several versions.

Specifications

All representatives of this line of video cards are produced on a graphics crystal based on modern twenty-eight nanometer architecture. If we compare this device with its main competitors, this technology may not be sufficient, however, from the point of view of cooling the device, the solution is completely justified, since it does not lead to overheating. It is also worth noting that two coolers are responsible for cooling the card, so the system remains practically cold even under maximum loads. However, it is immediately worth noting that in order for the graphics system to work stably throughout its entire service life, it is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance work on the device.

The graphics system we are considering requires connection to a PCI-Express x16 version 3.0 connector, which has long been a standard in the production of video cards. And compared to outdated AGP slots, the new interfaces show higher performance.

Monitor

As for synchronization with monitors, things are very ambiguous here due to some shortcomings in the device driver. For example, if the 240 series supports simultaneous work with two monitors, then in the 250 and 260 series things are a little better. When these modifications of graphic systems are connected via a standard digital connector or HDMI interface, the video card is capable of working simultaneously with three monitors. Synchronization with up to four devices is supported when using DisplayPort. And through a network hub, you can use six monitors at once.
In this case, the maximum image resolution is 4096x2160 pixels. It is worth noting that the model line of AMD graphics systems we are considering today is excellent for working with any monitor format. In addition, they can be used to create multi-monitor systems.

Hardware

An important factor when reviewing budget graphics systems in the gaming category is the hardware. The technical component of these devices is at a quite satisfactory level, so they are capable of playing modern computer games even at the highest GUI settings. An exception to the above may be the 240th series, however, given the fact that it was released quite a long time ago, there is nothing surprising in this.
The performance of a video card is mainly determined by the GPU operating frequency. With this parameter, our today’s hero is doing just fine. The 240 series has a clock speed of 800 megahertz, while its older brothers have a clock speed of one gigahertz.

RAM is also doing quite well. Representatives of the 240 series are produced with DDR3 RAM, and the 250 and 260 series are produced with DDR5. It is worth noting that the oldest modification is produced exclusively using the most advanced developments that exist today.
As for the amount of RAM memory, it can vary greatly within one series, depending on the modification. However, it is immediately worth noting that the maximum amount of integrated RAM, regardless of the series and modification, does not exceed 2 gigabytes. However, it is difficult to even imagine which of the modern computer games needs more space.

Thanks to the use of modern RAM, the developer managed to achieve a significant increase in the throughput of its devices. For the 240 series, this figure is 72 gigabits per second, and for the 260 - an average of 104 Gb/s, depending on the modification.
Thus, we can conclude that of all the representatives of budget AMD video cards in the AMD Radeon R7 200 Series model line, only representatives of the older series have more or less acceptable technical characteristics. Nevertheless, given the low cost of these devices, this should not cause any special complaints.

Support for modern technologies

If we talk about video cards that belong to the gaming category, then the technical characteristics are very important. However, supporting innovative technologies that can provide an exciting gaming experience is equally important. However, what technologies should you pay attention to?
All modifications of Radeon R7 200 Series graphics systems from AMD support Direct X 12 and Open CL 1.2. In addition, they work great with Open GL 4.3. The possibility of connecting several video cards in parallel mode is not worth mentioning, since this has long become the most common thing.

However, it doesn't end with standard technologies, which are also found in competitors' models. AMD video cards feature TrueAudio technology, which promotes better sound transmission. However, it is not supported by all computer games, so you won’t be able to enjoy it when playing all games.

Another difference is the VCE decoder integrated into the graphics system, which allows you to play video games at 720p resolution. However, it is immediately worth noting that this technology is supported from the 250 series and above.

What are users saying?

The vast majority of owners of one of the modifications of these discrete AMD video cards are very satisfied with the performance of this device. If you believe consumer reviews, the device has a low noise level, an excellent cooling system and good hardware characteristics. But the main drawback is the problem of driver compatibility, which is why when the computer is idle, the system may periodically freeze or even display a “death” screen.

For budget-conscious users, Sapphire has released a whole line of Radeon R7 series video cards, among which every consumer can find the most suitable solution for their needs. In the list of the Radeon R7 graphics accelerator line, you can find entry-level solutions, video cards for the simplest games, and even accelerators that are relevant for modern games.

The editors of the site have selected and are pleased to present to your attention four Sapphire Radeon R7 video cards with different characteristics and performance. Review participants included:

video card Sapphire R7 240 2GB DDR3 Low Profile (11216-07-20G);
video card Sapphire Ultimate R7 250 1GB GDDR5 (11215-04-40G);
video card Sapphire Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 OC (11229-01-20G);
video card Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 2GB GDDR5 (11232-00-20G).

Technical characteristics of video cards

	R7 240 2GB DDR3 Low Profile	Ultimate R7 250 1GB GDDR5	Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 OC	Dual-X R7 265 2GB GDDR5
GPU	Oland	Cape Verde	Cape Verde	Pitcaim
Technical process	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm	28 nm
GPU frequency	730 (Boost 780) MHz	800 MHz	1100 MHz	900 (Boost 925) MHz
Number of shader processors	320	512	640	1024
Video memory	2 GB	1 GB	1 GB	2 GB
Video memory type	GDDR3	GDDR5	GDDR5	GDDR5
Video memory bus width	128 bit	128 bit	128 bit	256 bit
Video memory frequency	1800 MHz	4500 MHz	5200 MHz	5600 MHz
CrossFire support	There is	No	There is	There is
API support		DirectX 11.2, OpenGL 4.2	DirectX 11.2, OpenGL 4.2	DirectX 11.2, Mantle, OpenGL 4.3
Ports	HDMI, HDMI	HDMI, DVI-I, DP	HDMI, DVI-D, DVI-I, DP	HDMI, DVI-D, DVI-I, DP
Max. number of connected monitors	2	3	3	3
Auxiliary power connector	-	-	6-pin	6-pin
Length	169 mm	185 mm	225 mm	228 mm
Price	~2300 rubles	~4000 rubles	~4300 rubles	~5900 rubles

All video cards are based on the latest 28 nm process technology and support modern technologies such as DirectX 11.2. The main distinguishing features between these graphics accelerators are the number of shader processes, the amount and type of memory, as well as their operating clock speeds.

R7 240 2GB DDR3 Low Profile (11216-07-20G)

The first representative of the Radeon R7 Sapphire family, which we will consider in this review, will be the R7 240 2Gb. This video card is the weakest of those presented in this review, and its main purpose is entry-level office and home computers. Despite the use of GDDR3 memory, its volume is 2 GB and the clock frequency is 1800 MHz. The graphics chip frequency of this video card is 780 MHz, the Oland core contains 320 shader processors.

Packaging and accessories

The video card is packed in a small cardboard box with a predominance of red and black colors in the design. The manufacturer and model of the video card are indicated on the front side of the package, and the main technical features are indicated on the back.

The R7 240 2GB DDR3 package includes the following components:

video card R7 240 2GB DDR3;
HDMI > DVI adapter;
back strap;
documentation;
CD with drivers;
Sapphire sticker.

An interesting feature of this video card is the ability to be installed in compact ultra-slim housings. For this purpose, the video card is already assembled in a Low Profile version. However, the presence of a standard rear bracket in the kit will allow you to install this video card in regular cases.

The design of the video card represents the simplicity and minimalism of the design of both the printed circuit board and the cooling system.

The video card has only two image output connectors, both of them HDMI connectors. Therefore, it is simply not possible to use this graphics accelerator with monitors equipped with an analog signal input.

The printed circuit board of the video card is black. One of the interesting features of the back side of the PCB is the presence of four memory chips.

The graphics chip of the video card is rotated -135 degrees relative to the printed circuit board itself. There are four protective pads placed around it to prevent distortion of the cooling system during installation.

The Oland GPU, manufactured in October 2013, has a removable green bezel. The frequency of the graphics chip is 780 MHz.

The R7 240 uses Nanya GDDR3 memory. Eight RAM chips operate at a clock frequency of 1800 MHz.

The power supply system of the video card is made according to a 2+1 scheme, where two power phases are responsible for the graphics processor and one for the memory.

An aluminum radiator of the simplest design is installed on the graphics chip of the video card, which in turn is cooled by a 50 mm fan from Apistek.

Ultimate R7 250 1GB GDDR5 (11215-04-40G)

The next member of the Radeon R7 line is based on the Cape Verde graphics core, which contains 512 stream processors. It already uses 1 GB GDDR5 memory with a frequency of 4500 MHz.

Packaging and accessories

The front side of the box contains basic information about the technical features of the video card.

The back of the box contains information about the main advantage of the video card - namely, operation with absolutely no noise. This is achieved by using a fanless cooling system.

The Ultimate R7 250 1GB includes the following components:

Ultimate R7 250 1GB video card;
DVI > VGA adapter;
HDMI cable;
documentation;
CD with drivers;
Sapphire sticker.

Appearance and cooling system

The main reason for the increased interest in this video card is its cooling system. Thanks to the fanless design, which allows this graphics accelerator to operate silently, this video card will be a godsend for people who want to build the most silent computer possible.

The radiator of the cooling system is so massive that its individual parts protrude not only from the other side of the printed circuit board, but also extend beyond the length of the PCB itself.

Ultimate R7 250 1GB has the following connectors: DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort.

The printed circuit board of the Ultimate R7 250 1GB is compact in size. The highest heating elements of the power system and RAM chips are equipped with aluminum radiators.

The Cape Verde GPU, produced in week 39 of 2013, is made according to the 28 nm process technology.

In the production of the Ultimate R7 250 1GB, SK Hynix RAM of the GDDR5 standard is used, marked H5GQ2H24AFR.

The power system has 3 phases, divided into groups 2+1. One phase is responsible for powering the memory and two for the graphics processor.

The cooling system of the Ultimate R7 250 1GB is a design of a radiator with heat pipes.

The radiator base is made of copper. Four heat pipes transfer heat from the base of the radiator to the radiator fins.

The design of the radiator itself is made in an L-shape, so that part of the radiator is displayed on the back side of the video card.

If the air flow in the system unit case is well organized, this design should be enough to ensure high-quality cooling of an R7 250 1GB video card.

Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 OC (11229-01-20G)

The third video card in line is also based on the Cape Verde core, but differs from the previous video card in a large number of stream processors. The Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 has 640 of them. The video card is equipped with 1 GB of memory operating at 5200 MHz.

Packaging and accessories

The video card comes in a small cardboard box, decorated in turquoise and black colors. The front side of the package indicates the model and main technical characteristics of the video card, and the back side tells about the proprietary Vapor-X cooling of this graphics accelerator.

The Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 package includes the following components:

Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 video card;
DVI > VGA adapter;
power adapter molex > 6pin;
documentation;
CD with drivers;
Sapphire sticker.

Appearance and cooling system

Based on the design of the cooling system of this video card, one can already judge the graphics accelerator itself as a gaming one. The proprietary Vapor-X cooling system hints at this fact immediately after removing the video card from the box. A massive radiator and two large fans are exactly what characterizes the Vapor-X cooling system on the Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB video card.

To output images, the Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB has the following connectors: a pair of DVI, one HDMI port and one DisplayPort.

In the production of Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB, blue PCB is used.

With the cooling system removed, other features that hint that the video card belongs to a gaming one become visible to the naked eye - these are the CrossFire connector and an additional power socket.

The heart of the graphics card is the Cape Verde GPU, manufactured in week 41 of 2013.

The 1 GB RAM is equipped with four SK Hynix chips labeled H5GQ2H24AFR.

The video card's power supply system is implemented according to a 3+1 scheme, where three power phases are responsible for the GPU and one for the memory.

The cooling system of the Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB video card is an evaporation chamber, the heat from which is transferred to the radiator of the cooling system by two heat pipes.

A plastic casing with two fans is installed on top of the radiator part of the structure.

The fans used are from FirstD and operate at a voltage of 12 V and a current of 0.32 A.

Dual-X R7 265 2GB GDDR5 (11232-00-20G)

The most powerful and most expensive video card among the participants in today's review is the Dual-X R7 265 2GB GDDR5. This video card is based on the already familiar AMD Pitcaim chip. The video card has a 256-bit memory bus. The memory capacity of the graphics accelerator is 2 GB, and its frequency is 5600 MHz.

Packaging and accessories

Dual-X R7 265 2GB is nothing more than the reincarnation of the AMD Radeon HD7850. On the front side of the video card packaging there is the model name and the main technical features of the graphics accelerator.

On the back of the box, the main attention is paid to the cooling system of the video card and the technologies that this card is equipped with.

The Dual-X R7 265 2GB includes the following components:

video card Dual-X R7 265 2GB;
molex adapter > 6*pin;
DVI > VGA adapter;
documentation;
CD with drivers;
Sapphire sticker.

Appearance and cooling system

The design of the video card is made in a harmonious style; the main color used for the cooling system and printed circuit board of the Dual-X R7 265 2GB is black.

The video card occupies two expansion slots. Video output connectors include a pair of DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort.

There are no memory chips on the back side of the printed circuit board; all the chips fit on the front side of the video card.

The printed circuit board of a video card contains a significant number of attached elements, which are located very densely over the entire area of the PCB. Eight memory chips are arranged around the GPU in an L-shape.

The AMD Pitcaim GPU, manufactured in week 11 of 2013, has 1024 stream processors. To prevent damage to the graphics core, the processor is equipped with a metal protective frame.

The memory capacity of 2 GB is made up of SK Hynix memory chips.

The video card's power supply is organized according to a 4+1 scheme, where four phases are responsible for the graphics processor and one power phase for the memory.

For additional power supply to the video card, one 6pin connector is provided.

There is also the possibility of combining a video card into a CrossFire connection. There is a corresponding connector on the board for this.

The cooling system of the Dual-X R7 265 2GB video card consists of a massive radiator with two heat pipes.

To cool the memory, thermal pads are used that transfer heat from the memory chips to the radiator of the cooling system.

The top of the radiator is covered with a plastic casing with two FirstD fans.

Test bench configuration

CPU	Intel Core i7-4770k 3.5GHz LGA1150 (HyperThreading On, TurboBoost On)
Motherboard

Solid State Drive
power unit	Thermaltake ToughPower XT 775W
HDD	SATA-3 1Tb Seagate 7200 Barracuda (ST1000DM003)
	ASUS PB298Q, 29" (2560x1080)

Thermal interface	Gelid GC-Extreme
operating system	Windows 7 x64 SP1
Other software	CPU-Z ROG 1.69.2, GPU-Z 0.7.8, MSI Afterburner 3.0.0 beta 19, MSI Kombustor 2.5.1, Sapphire TRIXX 4.8.2, driver Catalyst 14.4

In order to test video cards in practice, we assembled a test system with an Intel Core i7-4770k processor and an ASUS Z87-PLUS motherboard.

Testing for heating, overclocking and power consumption

During testing, the ambient temperature in the room was 26 degrees Celsius. Without load, almost all video cards showed a graphics chip temperature of around 40 degrees Celsius. Only the Sapphire Ultimate R7 250 with its passive cooling system remained standing apart.

Under load, the coldest video card remained the Sapphire R7 240, while the Sapphire Ultimate R7 250 again took the title of the hottest video card in this test. It is worth noting that the Sapphire Vapor-X R7 250X and Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 video cards, thanks to their effective cooling systems, showed quite decent results.

The method for overclocking video cards is simple - the most stable frequencies of the graphics processor and memory were found in steps of 10 MHz, at which the video card continued to operate stably. The overclocking results were as follows:

Sapphire R7 240 video card - the graphics processor was overclocked to 1050 MHz, memory to 2500 MHz;
Sapphire Ultimate R7 250 video card - the graphics processor was overclocked to 925 MHz, memory to 4900 MHz;
Sapphire Vapor-X R7 250X video card - the graphics processor was overclocked to 1210 MHz, memory to 6100 MHz;
Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 video card - the graphics processor was overclocked to 1170 MHz, memory to 6200 MHz.

The next stage of testing was to measure the energy consumption of the entire system as a whole, excluding the monitor. Without load, all video cards have approximately the same impact on system power consumption. Only the oldest Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 of the video cards under consideration stands out only slightly more.

When loading only the video card, system power consumption increases significantly only in the case of the Sapphire Dual-X R7 265, where it approaches the 200 W mark. Other video cards do not have such a significant impact on the system's power consumption.

The simultaneous load of the video card and processor allows the first three video cards to reach the psychological mark of 200 W. The Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 easily goes beyond this limit and approaches the 250 W mark.

Overclocking a video card with a simultaneous load on it and the processor slightly increases the system's power consumption. The first three remain at the 200 W mark, only the Sapphire Vapor-X R7 250X goes just a little beyond this frame. As for the Sapphire Dual-X R7 265, this video card using overclocking is already approaching the 300 W mark.

Summarizing the issue of energy consumption, it is worth saying that the first three video cards will need a high-quality power supply with a total power of up to 300W. In the case of using the Sapphire Dual-X R7 265, the power supply power is already desirable at about 400 W.

Testing in benchmarks and games

The list of synthetic tests was:

3D Mark 11;
3D Mark 13;
Valley Benchmark;
Ungine Heaven Benchmark.

The gaming tests included the following games:

Sniper Elite V2;
Hitman Absolution;
Metro Last Light;
Thief;
Tomb Raider;
Battlefield 4;
Batman.Archam City.

All games used the highest possible graphics settings available through the game menu. All gaming tests, with the exception of Battlefield 4, were conducted using the built-in performance benchmarks. In the popular shooter Balltefield 4, performance was assessed in multiplayer mode on the Golmud Road map with 64 players. In Balltefield 4 we used Fraps to count frames per second. Considering the modest positioning of video cards in terms of performance, it was decided to use a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels in all games. The graphs show the average number of frames per second.

Analyzing the performance of all video cards, it is worth recognizing that for modern games at the highest possible settings with a resolution of 1680x1050 pixels, only the Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 will be sufficient. Other video cards are simply unable to provide an acceptable level of performance in the tested games and these graphics settings.

Conclusion

Video card Sapphire R7 240 2GB DDR3 Low Profile (11216-07-20G).

This video card is the most inexpensive and simplest among those tested. Its main purpose is to perform the primary role of the video card - as a source of video signal output. This solution is completely unsuitable for games; the performance level of the video card is not far from integrated solutions. A positive feature of the Sapphire R7 240 is the ability to install it in ultra-thin cases with Low Profile expansion cards.

Video card Sapphire Ultimate R7 250 1GB GDDR5 (11215-04-40G).

The main feature of the ultimate video card from Sapphire is the absolute silence of the Ultimate R7 250 during operation. This graphics accelerator is suitable for those for whom the overall noise level of the entire system is more important than performance. But this is where the advantages of this video card end - the Ultimate R7 250 cannot compete with modern games. This video card is intended for office and multimedia PCs that are not aimed at modern games.

Video card Sapphire Vapor-X R7 250X 1GB GDDR5 OC (11229-01-20G).

The Sapphire Vapor-X R7 250X is precisely the video card of the four that can be said to be the bare minimum for a budget-conscious gamer. The video card performance is not enough for modern games at maximum graphics settings. But by setting the minimum settings and lowering the resolution, playing on the edge of comfort is quite possible. The main consumers of this graphics accelerator will be those who, as they say, “buy a video card for change.”

Video card Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 2GB GDDR5 (11232-00-20G).

Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 is the only one of the four tested video cards that offers hope of being able to play all modern games, and in some cases even with good graphics settings. Essentially a reincarnation of the Radeon HD7850, this graphics card still packs plenty of power, enough for today's games. The power of this video card matches the power consumption; for a system with Sapphire Dual-X R7 265 you will need a power supply of 400 W.

17.09.2013

Thanks to a leak on the HIS website, which, although it was quickly removed, did not go unnoticed by the staff of the VideoCardz portal, the entire list of Radeon Volcanic Island video cards actually became known. So, in the Radeon R-200 series there will be two families of video cards, R9 and R7. The first will include Radeon R9 280X, R9 290 and R9 290X video cards, which will be based on different versions of the Hawaii graphics processor. These, naturally, will be new flagships.

Slightly more affordable solutions will be the Radeon R9 280 and R9 27x (AMD has not yet decided on the last figure), which will be based on the Tahiti chip - the same as in the Radeon HD 7900. The Radeon R9 270X and R9 270 cards will be copies of the Radeon HD 7870 and 7850 based on Pitcairn GPU. More affordable video cards will be included in the R7 family. The fastest of them will be the Radeon R7 260X, which will use the Bonaire chip, as well as the Radeon HD 7790. Well, the pair of the lowest cards, the Radeon R7 250 and R7 240, will actually be the renamed HD 7770 and HD 7750 with the Cape Verde GPU.

The table provides a clear example of which old generation video cards will replace the new ones. Note that according to the latest rumors, AMD may present the top-end Radeon R9 280X card as early as September 25, that is, in a little more than a week. Well, as a bonus, we offer to evaluate the technical characteristics of the future flagship, which are given in the same source. Should we believe them or not? We're not sure yet.

It cannot be said that AMD produces weak video cards, especially in the inexpensive segment. The performance of video cards is often sufficient for most tasks. Especially if these are not highly demanding tasks, such as video rendering or working with 3D graphics. To better determine the level of performance, we should consider two AMD Radeon R7 200 Series graphics cards.

The table describes the characteristics of the AMD Radeon R7 200 Series, namely, a comparative analysis of two video cards from this series is presented.

Video card settings	Radeon R7 240
	Oland XT
Core frequency	780 MHz
Graphics memory type	DDR3
Memory amount	2 GB
Memory frequency	1600 MHz
Technical process	28
Threaded Processes	320
Rendering units	8
	20
	128 bit
Transistors	1040 million	1040 million
Heatsink	30 W
Support	DirectX 12

It is worth considering that the base frequency of the R7 240 core is 730 MHz, and 780 MHz is the frequency after overclocking. The video card parameters indicate the memory type is DDR3, but there is also an option with GDDR5 memory. The comparison will use DDR3 since it is the most common type at the moment.

Radeon R7 200 Series Review

AMD Radeon R7 200 Series belongs to the category of budget and affordable video cards. However, it is made quite well. The video cards discussed in this review are from Gigabyte.

Radeon R7 240 review

The model received 2 GB of DDR3 video memory. It also has original factory overclocking. The assembly itself is of high quality, even though this is a budget segment.

On the top of the graphics card is a cooling cooler with a large heatsink. This decision is due to the strong heating of AMD cards. The radiator is made of aluminum, and the fan itself protrudes slightly. The length of the entire video card is 19.5 cm.

The results in Metro Last Light are quite good. The cores operated at 900 MHz. The video card was loaded at 90-100%, while the average temperature did not exceed 46 degrees. The coolers worked at 33%, and the rpm reached 2 thousand. The cooler made virtually no noise.

Radeon R7 250 review

The external design of the graphics card is no different from the younger model. It also has an electrically insulating coating made of blue PCB and is 19.5 cm wide. The radiator is the same bulky as that of the AMD Radeon R7 240.

The cards in question differ exclusively in memory chips and power phases. The Radeon R7 250 has three-phase power, unlike the two-phase R7 240.

Test results for Metro Last Night are similar. The video card worked stably at 90-100%, and did not get particularly hot. The temperature did not exceed 46-47 °C.

The only difference is the number of revolutions per minute. The fan operated at a speed of 1200 rpm, which is two times less than the speed of the Radeon R7 240. The FPS indicator remained stable around 30-40 frames.

How to overclock a Radeon R7 200 Series video card

First, you will need to install the following utilities: MSI Afterburner, 3DMark, TechPowerUp GPU-Z, FurMark.

Launch MSI Afterburner and click on the settings button (gear).
Select the “User interface” tab and set the desired language in the settings.
Click on the “Settings” button and in the “Monitoring” tab bring up the following parameters: GPU core frequency, GPU1 memory frequency, frame rate, GPU1 temperature.
For each of the selected parameters, set the “Show in Overlay Display” option and save the changes.
Click on the “Settings” button again and in the “Basic” tab, check the boxes for “Unlock voltage control” and for “Unlock voltage monitoring.”
Launch the FurMark program and select the desired screen resolution, as well as the maximum available anti-aliasing.

Now the most important stage is overclocking the AMD Radeon R7 200 Series video card. We start by overclocking the video memory. First, we increase the memory frequency by 100 MHz and save the setting. Then we run the video card in FurMark. We repeat this procedure until the first artifacts appear.

If your computer freezes during testing, you should restart it immediately. After the reboot, we set the parameters at which there are no artifacts.

Finally, we check the card in 3DMark to avoid glare, spots and other defects.

The situation is the same with video core overclocking. We set the “Power Limit” parameter to the maximum, and then increase the core frequency by 10 MHz. We carry out tests in programs that were used to overclock the memory.

If artifacts appear, then we increase the voltage on the core. We repeat the procedure until the desired result is achieved.

Game testing results

In GTA V, both video cards show good results. At low graphics settings, both video cards produced around 35-40 FPS. At the initial frequencies, the R7 240 DDR3 outperforms slightly and produces 10-15 FPS more. Such indicators are achieved not only due to the high performance of video cards, but also due to the good level of optimization of GTA V.

In the game War Thunder, at base frequencies, video cards produce a stable 35 FPS. And the Radeon R7 240 is 13 FPS ahead of the GT 730. The situation after overclocking is even better. Both video cards from AMD are not only on par with the GeForce GT 730 DDR3 and GeForce GT 730 GDDR5 type, but are also several percent ahead of them. It is worth noting that the graphics settings were set to average values.

Well, the last game is Dota 2. Both cards from AMD work stably around 45 FPS. In heavily loaded scenes, the number of frames dropped to 25-30 FPS. At base frequencies, the Radeon R7 240 outperformed the GeForce GT 730 by 25 FPS.

The situation with the R7 250 is a little worse. The lack of overclocking of the video memory frequency greatly affects the performance gain. Therefore, the FPS of the Radeon R7 250 is slightly lower than that of the GeForce GT 730 (GDDR5). Tests were carried out at minimum graphics settings.

Overall, AMD Radeon R7 200 Series gaming tests show satisfactory results. Video cards are capable of running quite modern games, albeit at low settings. A comparative analysis showed that in most cases, video cards from AMD are ahead of video cards from Nvidia. But you need to take into account that video cards are in the budget segment.

It might be useful to read: