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Overclocking and testing the Radeon R9 270X graphics card in 2021 [XFX R9-270X-CDFC]
We investigate the performance and overclocking potential of the Radeon R9 270X graphics card across 24 games. Can it still deliver comfortable 1080p gaming in 2021?
Over the past few months, we've published several articles in our "Surviving at the Bottom" series, focusing on the most affordable graphics cards for ultra-budget systems. While these cards might help you weather a mining boom, we've found that none of the tested models can deliver acceptable performance at 1080p; with them, you can only realistically expect 720p. That's why, in this article, we decided to investigate a graphics card that can still boast decent frame rates at the popular 1080p resolution.
This article features the Radeon R9 270X graphics card, with an overclocking guide and benchmarks across 24 games.
Before we dive into the card itself, a quick remark: the Radeon R9 270X is essentially a slightly overclocked HD 7870 (we've already benchmarked its tests on our site). The primary difference between the two cards lies in the nominal video memory clock speed: 5600 MHz versus 4800 MHz. Curiously, the GPU clock speeds on most HD 7870 models are often slightly higher than on the newer R9 270X.
The graphics card
The XFX R9-270X-CDFC graphics card features a dual-slot design and a unique PCB layout built with high-quality components. While its 250 mm length is standard for devices in its class, its width is a substantial 115 mm. Consequently, this adapter might not fit into non-standard narrow cases.
The card is powered by two 6-pin auxiliary power connectors, meaning its power consumption shouldn't exceed 225 watts in practice. Since AMD's official specifications rate the R9 270X at up to 180 watts, there's ample power headroom for further overclocking.
The GPU is cooled by a large aluminum heatsink, featuring four heat pipes and two 86mm fans. An aluminum plate handles cooling for the video memory and power delivery subsystem, a design that should positively impact the overclocking potential of the GDDR5 chips and the lifespan of the DRMOS assemblies.
PCB and power delivery
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe XFX R9-270X-CDFC features a fairly robust power delivery subsystem for both the GPU and video memory, especially for a mid-range device. It's built with a 5+2 phase design (5 phases for GPU power and 2 phases for GDDR5).
The power circuit uses five DE04AH series DrMOS components, controlled by a CHIL CHL8225G PWM controller:
⤢ ВІДКРИТИ
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe R9 270X graphics card's BIOS chip is a 2-megabit (256-kilobyte) Pm25LD020 CE1309 ROM:
⤢ ВІДКРИТИGPU and memory
The R9 270X graphics card features the full 28nm Curacao XT chip, configured with 32 render output units (ROPs), 80 texture mapping units (TMUs), and 1280 stream processors.
Specifically, our board features the Curacao XT 215-0848004 chip:
⤢ ВІДКРИТИAccompanying the Curacao XT chip is 2048MB of GDDR5 video memory with a 256-bit interface, made up of eight 2-gigabit (256-megabyte) Hynix chips marked H5GQ2H24AFR:
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThese memory chips are nominally rated for 6000 MHz. However, for the R9 270X, the manufacturer set the speed to 5600 MHz, which theoretically leaves room for decent video memory overclocking potential.
According to AMD's factory specifications, the Radeon R9 270X graphics card should operate at a GPU clock of 1050 MHz with a 1.200-volt supply, and its GDDR5 memory at 5600 MHz. The XFX sample featured in this article fully complies with AMD's recommendations:
⤢ ВІДКРИТИ
⤢ ВІДКРИТИBoth GPU-z and MSI Afterburner confirm all the specifications detailed above. These utilities also highlight the R9 270X's support for technologies like OpenCL, OpenGL 4.6, and DirectX 11. Although DirectX 12 API is officially supported, it's limited to its 11_1 iteration. Unfortunately, this means the R9 270X can't run modern titles such as Death Stranding and DiRT 5.
Test rig:
Processor: Xeon E5-2620 v3@3200MHz (unlocked Turbo Boost frequency);
Graphics Card: XFX Radeon R9 270X Double D;
Motherboard: Kllisre X99-D8 (AD12) with modified BIOS for full Turbo Boost frequency unlock;
RAM: G.SKILL DDR4@1866MHz — four 4GB F4-2400C15S-4GNT modules, totaling 16GB (timings: 10-10-10-24);
SSD: KINGSTON 120GB SA400S37120G;
HDD: Seagate 2TB ST2000DM008-2FR102;
Power Supply: Chieftec GPS-1250C.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИTesting the Radeon R9 270X graphics card in 24 games:
Apex Legends
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИAcross six landings, Apex Legends averaged 60 FPS, with 1% lows not dropping below 45 FPS. We did, however, observe one sharp dip to 30 FPS. But even factoring that in, the R9 270X runs Apex Legends quite acceptably.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИAssassin's Creed Odyssey performs significantly worse on the R9 270X compared to Apex. However, since it's a single-player game, 44 FPS is a very respectable result for an 8-year-old graphics card.
On a side note, the latest Assassin's Creed installment, "Valhalla," failed to launch on the R9 270X, citing the graphics card's lack of DirectX 12 API support.
Battlefield V
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe R9 270X has more than enough performance headroom for the fifth installment of the legendary multiplayer shooter, Battlefield. The game delivers an average of 66 FPS, with lows not dropping below 41 FPS. While the 1% lows do slightly spoil the overall experience, it's worth remembering that BF5 features massive open maps. Therefore, we can't entirely rule out the test drive's impact on these low-end results.
Control
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИOwners of the Radeon R9 270X will be able to play through Control without significant issues. Sam Lake's creation is excellently optimized, delivering an average of 57 FPS, with even 1% lows staying above 46 FPS.
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMax graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution, MSAA X2 anti-aliasing.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИCounter-Strike: Global Offensive's optimization is impressive. The R9 270X averages 117 FPS on max settings, which is an astounding result!
Cyberpunk 2077 [1.23]
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1280x720 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИTo achieve a minimally comfortable performance level in Cyberpunk 2077 on the R9 270X, we had to drop the resolution to 720p. But even then, the card couldn't push past 35 frames.
These aren't particularly impressive figures, but playing Cyberpunk 2077 with a gamepad at this frame rate is quite feasible. However, with traditional PC controls, the input suffers from poor responsiveness, feeling almost 'jelly-like'.
Days Gone
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe same can't be said for Days Gone. The R9 270X handles this game with virtually no issues. The only thing worth noting is the extremely poor texture quality at low graphics settings.
Destiny 2: Beyond Light
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИTracking every possible player behavior in the MMOFPS Destiny 2: Beyond Light is practically impossible, but the R9 270X had no issues during our test segment. On average, the AMD card delivered 72 FPS, with rare dips to 67.
Destroy All Humans
⤢ ВІДКРИТИHigh graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe R9 270X feels right at home in Destroy All Humans. What's more, the graphics card was even able to handle high settings!
DiRT 4
⤢ ВІДКРИТИHigh graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИUnfortunately, the R9 270X can't run the latest version of the racing simulator, DiRT 5. As we've mentioned before, this graphics adapter lacks full support for the DirectX 12 API, which is essential for the fifth installment of the racing franchise. As for the previous title, DiRT 4, the Radeon R9 270X handles it well on high graphics settings, delivering an average of 69 frames per second.
Dota 2
⤢ ВІДКРИТИHigh graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИAt high settings, the R9 270X handles Dota 2 without much trouble. But if you need more than 87 FPS for some reason, moving the slider to medium settings will get you just under 150 FPS.
Far Cry 5
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИFar Cry 5 stands out as one of the best-optimized games from the previous generation. Here, the R9 270X delivers an average of around 55 FPS, a figure you can expect throughout the entire game. This is a respectable result, allowing even casual gamers to enjoy the full experience.
Far Cry New Dawn
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИFar Cry New Dawn presents a similar picture. The R9 270X handles its duties just as excellently here.
Horizon Zero Dawn
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1280×720 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИNext up is the second game in our test suite where the R9 270X struggled to provide a decent framerate at 1080p, forcing us to drop down to 720p. In this scenario, our test card averaged 50 frames per second.
Mafia: Definitive Edition
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe R9 270X fares a bit worse in Mafia: Definitive Edition. Here, the card only managed to deliver 39 FPS, with occasional dips to 27.
Nioh 2
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИIf you own an R9 270X, or are considering one, you can rest assured: you'll effectively battle monsters and humanoids in the soulslike action game Nioh 2 without major issues. However, this is only possible on minimum graphics quality settings.
OUTRIDERS
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1280×720 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИOUTRIDERS is the third game where the R9 270X couldn't handle FullHD. In this MMOTPS, you'll have to settle for 720p resolution and low graphics settings. Despite this, the FPS remains quite high: an average framerate of 63, with minimums around 37, and rare dips no lower than 19 frames.
eFootball PES 2021
⤢ ВІДКРИТИHigh graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИeFootball PES 2021 paints a different picture. Here, the R9 270X managed an impressive 80 frames per second at high graphics settings. That's an excellent result!
Red Dead Redemption 2
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1600×900 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИRed Dead Redemption 2 is completely unplayable at 1080p. However, to get a somewhat acceptable framerate, we didn't have to drop the resolution all the way to 720p this time. We settled for 900p, where the average FPS hit 42, and 1% lows didn't dip below 33.
Resident Evil Village
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe latest Resident Evil installment, "Village," runs extremely unstably on the R9 270X. While the game generally shows around 36 FPS, our half-hour test revealed that framerates can drop below 25 in certain areas, particularly in Lady Dimitrescu's castle hall.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe same can't be said for The Division 2. Ubisoft's title runs flawlessly on the R9 270X, averaging 65 FPS with 1% lows of 50. An excellent result!
Watch_Dogs 2
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИWatch_Dogs 2 also runs great on the R9 270X, consistently delivering an average of 58 frames per second.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
⤢ ВІДКРИТИMinimum graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe R9 270X's performance in The Witcher 3 essentially mirrors that of Watch_Dogs 2, also hitting an average of 58 FPS.
World of Tanks
⤢ ВІДКРИТИWe used a pre-prepared replay as the benchmark: Erlenberg map, Assault mode. High graphics settings, 1920×1080 resolution.
⤢ ВІДКРИТИThe Radeon R9 270X shows even more impressive results in World of Tanks. Wargaming's title runs stably, with an average framerate of 112 FPS.
Overclocking the Radeon R9 270X graphics card
Unfortunately, the XFX R9-270X-CDFC doesn't support software voltage modification. So, for our overclocking experiments, we had to stick with the nominal voltage of 1.200 volts.
We managed to overclock our XFX R9-270X-CDFC graphics card to a modest 1156MHz on the GPU (most cards hit around 1200MHz) and a solid 6216MHz for the GDDR5 video memory:
⤢ ВІДКРИТИ
⤢ ВІДКРИТИSince the core voltage remained at nominal values, the graphics card's temperature barely increased.
Now, let's see how much the Radeon R9 270X's performance improved after this fairly decent overclock.
Radeon R9 270X at stock and overclocked speeds
Destiny 2
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | 1% Lows | |
Radeon R9 270X | 72 | 67 | |
Radeon R9 270X OC | 75 | 71 |
In Destiny 2, overclocking the R9 270X yielded only a 4% performance gain.
DiRT 4
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | 1% Lows | |
Radeon R9 270X | 69 | 57 | 57 |
Radeon R9 270X OC | 79 | 62 | 61 |
However, DiRT 4 responded much better to the card's overclock, showing a 15% increase in frame rates. That's a very respectable performance boost, especially considering all voltages on the graphics card remained at factory settings.
Far Cry 5
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Very rare events | |
Radeon R9 270X | 55 | 47 | 47 |
Radeon R9 270XOC | 59 | 50 | 50 |
In Far Cry 5, overclocking delivered a modest 7% increase in FPS. While that's certainly more than in Destiny 2, frankly, it's not particularly impressive.
Far Cry New Dawn
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Very rare events | |
Radeon R9 270X | 57 | 47 | 46 |
Radeon R9 270XOC | 60 | 51 | 50 |
Far Cry New Dawn only saw a 5% increase in FPS. That's not much.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | Very rare events | |
Radeon R9 270X | 50 | 40 | 39 |
Radeon R9 270XOC | 55 | 45 | 44 |
Horizon Zero Dawn somewhat restored faith in the R9 270X's overclocking potential. Here, overclocking delivered a substantial 10% boost in overall performance.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | 1% Low | |
Radeon R9 270X | 65 | 54 | 50 |
Radeon R9 270XOC | 71 | 57 | 54 |
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 responded similarly to the GPU's overclocking, showing a 9% increase in frame rate.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Average FPS | Minimum FPS | 1% Low | |
Radeon R9 270X | 58 | 53 | 47 |
Radeon R9 270XOC | 63 | 58 | 50 |
The Witcher 3 saw a slightly smaller 8% performance boost. That's decent, though not quite what we expected.
Conclusion
The 8-year-old AMD Radeon R9 270X graphics card can still deliver acceptable FPS in most games at the popular 1080p resolution. But that's not the only achievement of today's hero. Even in the recent hit Cyberpunk 2077, the R9 270X managed to squeeze out minimally comfortable FPS and
However, we must warn you again that graphics cards like the Radeon R9 270X (and its siblings, the HD 7850/7870) are quite difficult to find in truly working condition. Most of these cards have already been heat-treated or refurbished, making it hard to recommend them for purchase.
If you do decide to buy one, carefully check the graphics card for flux leakage from under the GPU/GDDR5 chips and other signs of overheating or repair.
Ultimately, remember that we've only provided food for thought; it's up to you to decide if it's worth the candle.
Thanks for your attention, and see you in future articles!
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