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CUDA and OpenCL rates are basically equal between a GTX970-980 and Radeon 290, power draw on GTX makes it the winner.
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My R9 290X tri-x is doing 31Mh/s for around 180W (gpu@1150, hynix memory). A R9 290 with hynix memory and identical clock will do about the same. With some undervolting and no oc, you should be around 28Mh/s with 140W.
http://www.mininghwcomparison.com/list/index.php?brand=amdNvidia is very good for others algo. I have mined spreadcoin with it but Ether is now amd territory (with the increased dag file, 750 ti is no longer as good as before).
I have asus 290x (GPU 1050, MEM 1350 elpida, win8.1 cat 14.4, eth 0.9.41) doing 24 MH
Why there is so difference between your 31 and mine 24 MH? GPU clock, type of MEM? drivers?
I think the figure of doing 31Mh/s for around 180W (gpu@1150, hynix memory) might not be true.
The dual 970's I have average 36+MH/s on 90W/card, stock clocks, generating ~1.2 ETH/day. Quite frankly, total system power should be the mark to judge by, mine takes 260W (gamer's i5 devil's canyon board).
By the numbers above:
R290X: 180W/31MH = 5.8W/MH (or 140/28 = 5W/MH undervolted, if correct, but what's the point?)
GTX970: 90/18 = 5W/MH stock clocks on factory super-clocked board
I'll say it again; watt-per-hash, the AMD and GTX cards are pretty much equal now thanks to dev's work on CUDA mining (Genoil!). Most GTX970's are still retailing for what they did over a year ago; used are getting 80% of retail give-take a few. If you can get 80% of current retail for a 290X later this year, good onya, to each their own.