ASUS Radeon R9 270 Direct CU II Review
Our Summary and Conclusion
Performance Summary: The Asus Radeon R9 270 Direct CU II’s performance fell right in-line with expectations. Considering the cards similarities to the Radeon HD 7870 and R9 270X, it no surprise to see all three of the cards performing similarly—give or take a few percentage points here and there. Versus competing cards from NVIDIA, namely the GeForce GTX 660 and GeForce GTX 60 Ti Boost, the Asus Radeon R9 270 Direct CU II is generally the faster the card. The new Radeon clearly outpaced the less expensive GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost, but it traded blows with the GTX 660. More often than not, however, the Radeon R9 270 came out ahead.
The Asus Radeon R9 270 Direct CU II
AMD and its add in board partners are launching the Radeon R9 270 today, with prices starting at $179. As has been the case with virtually all of AMD’s recent GPU launches, the Radeon R9 270’s starting price is somewhat aggressive and puts some pressure on NVIDIA. GeForce GTX 660 cards, which typically performed lower than the Radeon R9 270, are priced right around the $190 mark, currently (though you can find some cards with mail-in rebates for roughly $170). That means a piece cut may be in order. There are another couple of wrinkles to consider, however. Along with this card, AMD is also announcing and update to its game bundle, and beginning November 13 Radeon R9 270 – R9 290X cards will include a free copy of Battlefield 4. NVIDIA, on the other hand, is offering Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Assassins Creed – Black Flag, plus $50 off a SHIELD portable gaming device with GTX 660 and 760 cards.
In the end, the Radeon R9 270 is another strong product from AMD that stands out at its price point. If you’re in the market for an affordable graphics card that’ll let you play virtually any title with decent frame rates at 1080p, the Radeon R9 270 is worthy of consideration.
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