AMD launched a number of new graphics cards on Tuesday. Now branded the R-series but using technology that's very much from the existing Radeon HD 7000 range, the standout feature of the R9 280X, R9 270X and R7 260X is pricing that, at the moment, is more attractive than equivalent Nvidia GPUs.

Take the Radeon R9 280X as a case in point. The architecture is practically identical to the Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition, translating to very good gaming performance at monitor resolutions as high as 2,560x1,440. Where this new Radeon scores big is price, as stock-clocked cards are available for £230, with partner-overclocked models running closer to £275.

Asus is one big name that's definitely not going to pass up on this new Radeon jamboree. The Taiwanese giant has multiple R9 280X in its arsenal, but the most interesting, from an enthusiast's point of view, remains the DirectCU II TOP model. It just so happens we have one for review today.