Review Gaming Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G : Bring Out The Big Guns

When it comes time to recommend a graphics card, we are used to finding the best value at the bottom of each model range. After all, guaranteed overclocks, luxury lighting, and large cooling add to the huge cost. Presumably, that makes the Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G Gaming at a big disadvantage because currently the GeForce RTX 2070 is the most expensive in the US and UK.

DECISION

It's hard not to like Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G Gaming ... until you see the price label. The most expensive 2070 out there does a lot of things right, though: it's fast, cool, calm, and full of features. If you want a card for the QHD game that is contacted from the factory and will be displayed in a windowless case, this one is ready to sway. Sensitive budget enthusiasts must look elsewhere.

But sometimes, the benefits of premium products go beyond superficial knick-knacks. Asus offers better performance, lower temperatures, less noise and more functions than the other 2070 we've seen. Although many fans will not be able to justify extra spending on superior attention to detail, others will appreciate the effort that goes into designing a graphics card that is better than competition in almost every way.

Review Gaming Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G : Bring Out The Big Guns

ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2070 O8G GAMING

PROS

Excellent QHD performance
Low GPU temperature, even under load
Quiet operation
Loaded with options (dual-BIOS, configurable lighting, FanConnect II, semi-passive operation)

CONS

Not markedly faster than competing GeForce RTX 2070s
High price hurts value comparison
Occupies three expansion slots

Meet ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G Gaming

Asus is not above the law of thermodynamics. The TU106 GPU card is still rated for 175W, and the heat of the exhaust is squandered by the fan blowing through the sink, just like the other GeForce RTX 2070. The difference is Asus starts with a bigger sink. While the GeForce RTX 2070 Nvidia Founders Edition registers around 2 lbs. 2 oz. (968g) on our scale, the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G Game almost reaches 2 lbs. 11 oz. (1210g). This card is on a much larger PCB and is equipped with a longer heat sink, so we were not surprised because it was much heavier.

The ROG Strix PCB is very large with a length of 11 ¼ ”(28.6cm). The Asus overhang thermal solution, takes up a total length of almost 12 "(30cm). From the bottom of the PCIe connector to the top edge of the card, you see about 5 ⅛" (13 cm). And from the backplate to the thickest part of the Asus fan sheath, You need about 2 cm (5 cm) of permission. Some people like to call it a 2.5-slot design, but expect ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G Gaming to monopolize three expansion slots.

Most of the thickness of the card comes from the heat sink. Plastic shrouds placed on top of metal masses have a low profile and do not interfere. It does not hang on the side and blocks airflow through the fins. There is enough space to cover the 90mm wing-blade fan, accommodate a little RGB lighting under the strategically cut ventilation hole, and screw into the sink. Fans blow through an array of vertically oriented fins divided into two parts. Both pieces are the same size but are formed differently to fit the components below.

The side closest to the display output is above the Nvidia TU106 processor. Asus goes a step further with the brand MaxContact, which reflects the precision machining process that is said to create more surface area for heat transfer than competing coolers. In total, six heat pipes cut the base of the sink. One of them passed the base and bent back to the same array of fins. The other five continue through the base and enter the second half of the Asus heat sink. Of the five, two pipes run all the way through the heat spreader and return to the front side of the sink, closest to the card display connector.

The other side of the sink also consists of thick aluminum fins with bumps at the bottom to increase surface area. The additional base plate dips are even lower to sit just above the 10 TI CSD95481RWJ NexFET power stages. A long thermal pad between the buck converter and base plate helps move heat.

The entire cooler rests on a metal frame that flanks the PCB between itself and the back plate. Asus says this brace increases the structural integrity of the card by 3x. Although we do not have the means to strengthen such claims, the usual comparison with other lighter GeForce RTX cards (2070 and 2080s) does indeed suggest that the Asus board is slightly bent. We will be more worried if the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G doesn't come with several types, considering its weight.

A closer look at the PCB reveals several other interesting features. At the top, on the back, there are buttons labeled P_MODE and Q_MODE, each of which corresponds to Performance and Silent mode. They both maintain the same clock rate and power target. But Performance mode uses a more aggressive fan curve, while Quiet mode redials fan speed. In Silent mode, the fan can also rotate when GPU temperatures drop below 55 ° C.

Right next to the mode switch, there is an LED button labeled LED / OFF. Quite clear, right? If you prefer to run without all RGB lighting, press the button to turn it off.

Behind, a pair of four-pin headers can be attached to the system fan that responds to CPU and GPU temperatures. GPU Tweak II, the Asus package control utility, has hooks needed to adjust the card's cooling response.

The RGB header right next to the fan connector is compatible with Aura lighting from Asus. Even if you don't connect the operation of the extra RGB LED for your case, the downloadable Aura Sync software allows you to manipulate the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G shroud and backplate lights. We especially like the GPU lighting effect, which changes color when the card warms up.

Up front, an all-black slot cover provides a nice change of pace from the silver brackets we’re accustomed to seeing. Gone is the DVI-D interface found on Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition card. Instead, Asus exposes two DisplayPort connectors, two HDMI outputs, and a USB Type-C port for next-gen VR HMDs. Ventilation slots are cut into the metal. However, the potential benefit of airflow back there is lost since the cooler’s fins move air perpendicular to the bracket.

The eight- and six-pin power connectors are rotated 180 degrees to avoid conflict with the form-fitted heat sink. LEDs mounted to the PCB light up red if you forget to attach auxiliary power, and then go white when you make the appropriate connection. Interestingly, Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition employs a single eight-pin connector to satisfy the card’s 185W ceiling. Asus’ card uses more power than that model. However, it ducks in under Gigabyte’s GeForce RTX 2070 Gaming OC 8G with a 207W average across our Metro: Last Light benchmark. Asus could have made one eight-pin connector work, but just barely. Adding the six-pin connector was a better choice.

A metal plate on the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G Gaming’s back side gives the frame something to screw into. It also hosts the ROG logo, which is illuminated and controllable through Asus’ Aura software. The plate doesn’t contact any components on the PCB’s back side, so it doesn’t help with cooling. In fact, we’d normally worry about it trapping hot air. There are a few holes cut into surface behind the GPU and over the 47µF capacitors, but they only provide screw access and z-height clearance.

How We Test Asus' ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G

The latest Asus will no doubt be found on one of the many high-end CPU / motherboard platforms now available from AMD and Intel. Our graphics station still uses the MSI Z170 Gaming M7 motherboard with an Intel Core i7-7700K CPU at 4.2 GHz. This processor is equipped with G.Skill F4-3000C15Q-16GRR memory kit. The Crucial MX200 SSD remains, combined by the Intel DC P3700 1.4TB that is loaded with games.

As far as the competition goes, the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 O8G goes up against the GeForce GTX 1080 and Radeon RX Vega 64. Both, of course, are included in our benchmark results, along with GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, GeForce RTX 2080, GeForce RTX 2070, Titan V, GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, Titan X, GeForce GTX 1070 Ti, and GeForce GTX 1070 from Nvidia. AMD is also represented by Radeon RX Vega 56. All comparison cards are Founders Edition or reference models.

Our list of benchmarks received attention before today's review. Now including Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation, Battlefield V, Destiny 2, Far Cry 5, Forza Motorsport 7, Grand Theft Auto V, Metro: Last Light Redux, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Tom Clancy's Division, Tom Clancy Ghost Recon Wildlands , The Witcher 3, Wolfenstein II: New Colossus, and World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth. Missing, of course, is Battlefield 1 and Doom.

The test methodology we use comes from PresentMon: Performance in DirectX, OpenGL, and Vulkan. In short, these games are evaluated using a combination of our own OCAT and internal GUI for PresentMon, by logging in via GPU-Z.

When we generate new data, we use new drivers. For Nvidia, that means testing two new games by building 417.22 (all Asus card numbers are generated with that driver too). Founders Edition cards are tested with 416.33 (2070) and 411.51 (2080 and 2080 Ti). Older Pascal boards were tested with build 398.82. The Titan V results were checked on the spot with 411.51 to ensure performance did not change. AMD cards utilize Crimson Adrenalin Edition 18.8.1 (except for the Battlefield V and Wolfenstein tests, which were tested with Adrenalin Edition 18.11.2).