Overall and Final Verdict
The MSI R9 270X Gaming 4G is an interesting card to review. I previously tested the same model but with a standard sized frame buffer and loved the card. So going into this I had a good idea of what to expect when it came to the performance of MSIs Twin Frozr IV cooling, yet it somehow still managed to impress me. Not only did it do a great job of cooling at a reasonable noise level, but the overall quality is great with its metal fan shroud. To add to that for the 4G MSI bundled in a backplate, something that you don’t normally see on cards other than flagship models. The backplate did however have a little quirk with it being around an inch shorter than the PCB on both ends. I would still take a short backplate over no backplate any day!
As for the cards performance, there was a noticeable difference in all of my testing but admittedly the difference wasn’t very large at the resolutions we test at. You see, the larger frame buffer will mostly benefit people who are running higher resolution monitors or Eyefinity setups. The catch 22 is when stepping up to that, you might need even more power than an R9 270X can provide on the latest games. With that said, I think that the price difference between the 4G and the 2G is worth it if you are thinking about running on a 1440p monitor in the future for example or if you would like to have a backplate. Normally I would be worried that going higher in price would bring the 270X to close to the next model up to make it worthwhile, but at least currently there isn’t a model anywhere near it with an R9 280 model missing from AMDs lineup. As someone who runs 1440p day to day and for gaming, if my budget limited me from going with something like a 280X the MSI R9 270X Gaming 4G would be at the top of my list.