The R9 290X's main competitor in its generation, Nvidia's GTX 780Ti, would appear to be a bit behind now in the memory department, although we have a sneaking suspicion Nvidia has 8GB Maxwell-based GTX 970 or 980s waiting closely in the wings.
Prices for current-gen 4GB 290X cards are a bit all over the map, with most of the lower-end units residing around the $330 USD mark. But according to what AMD is hinting, the 8GB 290X card will presumably fall somewhere between the current going prices for Nvidia's GTX 970 and 980.
AMD has said the 8GB R9 290X should arrive at retailers later this month, but has not made any reference to any other specification changes beyond the memory upgrade. Matt Clark is a freelance writer covering the world of videogames, tech, and popular culture. Follow him on Twitter @ClarkMatt and MyIGN at Matt_Clark.