Today we?re looking at the first of AMD's 300-series cards. We were looking for something with a bit more of a splash with R9 300 cards, and while AMD has moved in that direction with the Fury cards, the others occupy somewhat more familiar territory. The reason for this, surprise, is that most of the 300 series cards feature tweaks and updates to what we saw with the last of the 200 series lineup.

That said, we know that many gamers, if not most, simply cannot afford to keep the latest high-end hardware in their system. So for most of the marketplace, finding a sweet spot of a gaming card that comes in around the $200 ? $250 range is the key, as it should provide suitable performance for most needs without breaking the bank. And that is indeed where the R9 380 comes into play.

More specifically, we?re looking at the MSI R9 380 Gaming 4G, a card that boasts a custom heatsink, improved power design, and a factory overclock, all for a modest premium of only an extra $25. Sounds pretty good so far. Factor in that AMD is bringing a few new features to the market with the R9 300 series launch, and we?re cautiously optimistic for strong gaming value.