Asus unveils Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II

After the launch of the Radeon R9 290X and 290, it was clear that the partner manufacturers’ models were delayed. The reason is a lack of the graphics processor AMD Hawaii, which means that customized variants will probably not have time before the turn of the year. However, that does not stop graphics card makers from making plans for 2014.

Shortly after images on the printed circuit board for the MSI Radeon R9 290X Lightning were found online, Asus publishes images on the upcoming model R9 290X DirectCU II. The graphics card uses the company’s Super Alloy Technology, which will provide more stable power supply and higher overclocking potential. For this, however, 8 + 6-pin PCI Express is still used similar to AMD’s reference design.

The graphics card is equipped with the Cooler DirectCU II, which includes four nickel-plated thermal conductors (10 mm) of copper. For the air flow are two fans, one of which is of Cooltech design, a kind of combined radial and axial fan. The radiator takes up an extra slot.

The Asus Radeon R9 290X DirectCU II is expected to appear early next year. Some price information is not yet known, but it is probably a few hundred bucks over the corresponding graphics card in standard design.