ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition Review

TweakTown's Rating: 91%

The Bottom Line

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card is here, ready for your Core i9-13900K or Ryzen 9 7950X and ROG Strix motherboard. ASUS has 4K 120FPS+ gaming monitors (including OLED) that would match PERFECTLY.

Pros

• + RTX 4090 performance!
• + 4K 120FPS gaming is a reality, get on it.
• + ASUS has 4K 120FPS+ gaming monitors (including OLED), ready to go.
• + Super quiet operation.
• + ROG Strix stylin'.

Cons

• - Beefy PSU required (but you know this).

Should you buy it?

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Introduction

ASUS has unleashed its new ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card, now that NVIDIA's next-gen Ada Lovelace GPU architecture is out in the wild... with ASUS putting everything it can into its new ROG Strix GPU, how does it stack against the competition, and NVIDIA's own GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition? Let's find out.

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The new ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition builds on an amazing foundation that NVIDIA laid out with its new RTX 4090, with a massive bigger-than-life cooler that arrives in an equally-huge retail package. ASUS never does anything by halves with its ROG products, so why should the biggest and most bad-ass graphics card ever made be any different?

Introducing the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition, with the AD102 "Ada Lovelace" GPU inside and a huge 24GB of GDDR6X memory that is ready to absolutely carve through 4K 120FPS and 8K 60FPS gaming with ease. ASUS uses a new patented vapor chamber cooler that provides some wicked low GPU temps, as well as a huge 3.5-slot design that will make the rest of your PC components around it feel small (and far less powerful than a new RTX 4090).

• Read more: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition Review

ASUS is using a beautiful diecast shroud, frame, and backplate on its new custom ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Editio graphics card, something that adds strength to the card as well as vents out more air than previous designs. ASUS uses a digital power control with high-current power stages and 15K capacitors to fuel maximum performance. The in-house "Auto-Extreme" precision automated manufacturing for higher reliability is here, another tick of approval to get into Camp ROG.

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Anyone going into this will know that the custom AIB variants of the GeForce RTX 4090 aren't going to be all that faster than NVIDIA's own in-house GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition, but what do you get?

• Different styles, designs, and sizes: The custom GeForce RTX 4090 models like the flagship ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition that we have here to review today, offers a totally unique ROG-only style that you simply can't get with a Founders Edition card.
• Improved cooling solutions: NVIDIA puts considerable effort into its Founders Edition cards, but ASUS has been cooling graphics cards for a far, far longer time. The 3.5-slot design and triple-fan cooler are going to ensure you can have this thing cooking 24/7 without worrying.
• RGB lighting: It goes without saying, really.
• More fans: Some people like the dual-fan design (one on the front, one on the back) of the FE variant cards, but if you want more fans (3, or 4, sometimes more... even AIO cooling solutions) then that's when you step into the world of custom GeForce RTX series graphics cards.

The new ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition has everything else underneath that the other GeForce RTX 4090 graphics cards have: the AD102-300 GPU, 24GB of GDDR6X memory, and enough GPU performance to fuel 4K 120FPS and 8K 60FPS gaming situations.

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You've also got 4th Gen Tensor Cores, 3rd Gen RT Cores, and DLSS 3 that drives some truly insane performance numbers. Games like Flight Simulator and Cyberpunk 2077 have doubled in performance with DLSS 3 enabled, which is quite magical to watch happen in front of you on the GeForce RTX 4090.

ASUS is asking for $1999 for its ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition.

Onwards into our review of the behemoth ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card.

ASUS ROG Strix NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti OC Edition

	Today	Yesterday	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$701.14	$701.14	$1349.95	$1108.85	Buy
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Ada Lovelace

Ada Lovelace + DLSS 3 + Frame Generation + Optical Flow Accelerator

Instead of repeating everything throughout the custom GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card reviews, I thought I would have a single spot to point you in the right direction.

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Here's everything you need to know about who is Ada Lovelace, the Ada Lovelace GPU architecture, as well as NVIDIA's new DLSS 3, Frame Generation + Ray Tracing that are super-advanced on the Ada Lovelace GPU architecture. DLSS 3, Frame Generation, and the Optical Flow Accelerator are all exclusive to Ada Lovelace and the new GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs.

Detailed Look

ASUS ships its new ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card in an absolute unit of a box, it's just massive... the pictures simply don't do it justice. The card itself is big -- and we'll get to that in a moment -- but the box is HUGE.

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Inside, your new ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card is waiting... but enough of the retail packaging, let's get it out of the box!

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I'm a fan of the look ASUS is going here with its custom ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card, at least from the front. It drops the curves for some straight edges, and while it'll have its haters, ASUS ROG products also have their fans. The triple-fan cooler keeps the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 4090 nice and cool, while being silent when it's not under load.

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The backplate not only keeps the critical components on the back of the card safe, it has to look good as it's the side of the card that most people will see from your gaming PC. The end of the card looks fantastic with the ROG eye and general aesthetic that ASUS is going for here.

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ASUS isn't messing around here with its ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card, where you'll need a chunky 4-slot space in your PC. The heat sink itself is 2.5 slots of that thickness, while the (almost comically huge) cooling shroud takes up the rest of the space (again, it'll have its fans).

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If there is a part of the card that I absolutely love -- no, adore -- its the end of the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition. I love that grille on the end, it is a really nice touch.

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The back of the card once again, with that ROG eye lookin' back at you.

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NVIDIA might not have added DisplayPort 2.0 (DP2.0) to its Ada Lovelace GPU architecture and new GeForce RTX 40 series graphics cards, but ASUS does things differently with its higher-end graphics cards: dual HDMI 2.1 ports. HDMI 2.1 is capable of 4K 120FPS+ and 8K 60FPS through a single cable, to a high-end TV or gaming monitor that features HDMI 2.1 connectivity.

ASUS gives you not one, but two HDMI 2.1 ports so you can have two TVs at once, or a 4K 120Hz+ TV and HDMI 2.1-capable gaming monitor at the same time.

Test System Specs

I've recently upgraded my major GPU test bed for 2022, but I will be upgrading again soon enough once Intel launches its new 13th Gen Core "Raptor Lake" CPUs and Z790 motherboards, and AMD with its upcoming Ryzen 7000 series "Zen 4" CPUs and X670E motherboards.

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The new upgrades include the shift to the Intel Core i9-12900K processor, ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme motherboard, 64GB of Sabrent Rocket DDR5-4800 memory, and 8TB of Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus PCIe 4.0 M.2 SSD goodness. Intel's flagship Core i9-12900K is a beast, with the Alder Lake CPU packing 8 Performance cores (P-cores) and 8 Efficient cores (E-cores) at up to 5.2GHz.

Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme

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I've got that installed into the bigger-than-life ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme motherboard, which is absolutely loaded to the brim with technologies and features that it houses everything you need. We're talking about one of the best-looking designs on a motherboard yet, PCIe 5.0 support, enthusiast-grade 10GbE networking, and oh-so-much more.

RAM: 64GB Sabrent Rocket DDR5-4800

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Sabrent helped out in a huge way by sending over 64GB of DDR5-4800 memory in the form of 4 x 16GB DDR5-4800 modules of its new Sabrent Rocket DDR5 memory. The company also helped out in an even bigger way, supplying us with a gigantic and super-fast 8TB model of its Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD.

SSD: 8TB Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus M.2

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We're talking about 7.5GB/sec+ (7500MB/sec) from a single M.2 SSD, along with a gigantic 8TB of capacity. The 2TB drives aren't big enough for all of our game installs for GPU testing... the 4TB is much better, but the 8TB gives us room to move into 2023 without worrying about installing multiple games that are 200GB+ in size.

Some glory shots, of course.

Displays: ASUS ROG Strix 43-inch 4K 120Hz

ASUS has been a tight partner of TweakTown for many years, with the fine folks at ASUS Australia sending over their ROG Strix XG438Q and ROG Swift PG43UQ gaming monitors for our GPU test benches. They're both capable of 4K 120Hz+ through their DisplayPort 1.4 connectivity.

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I will be upgrading these in the near future, over to some DisplayPort 2.0-capable panels and some new HDMI 2.1-enabled 4K 165Hz panels in OLED form of course...given that next-gen GPUs are right around the corner, there has been no better time to upgrade your display or TV.

I've been working on this system for a while now, but now we're stretching its legs with the newly-released PC port of Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered. Not just in 1080p or 1440p, not even in just 4K... but at 8K with a native resolution of 7680 x 4320. I've run through some of the very fastest GPU silicon on the planet.

• CPU: Intel Core i9-12900K (buy from Amazon)
• Motherboard: ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme (buy from Amazon)
• Cooler: CORSAIR iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Display (buy from Amazon)
• RAM: Sabrent Rocket 64GB DDR5-4800 (4 x 16GB) (F4-3600C18Q-32GTZN) (buy from Amazon)
• SSD: Sabrent 8TB Rocket 4 Plus PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD (buy from Amazon)
• PSU: MSI MPG A1000G Gaming Power Supply 1000W (buy from Amazon)
• Case: InWin X-Frame 2.0
• OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro x64 (buy from Amazon)
• Display: ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ (4K 120Hz) (buy from Amazon)

Benchmarks - Synthetic

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Benchmarks - 1080p

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Benchmarks - 1440p

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Benchmarks - 4K

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Temps & Power Consumption

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ASUS is keeping things nice and cool here with its ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition, with my sample hitting 2745MHz boost GPU clock (on average after 30 minutes of benchmarking) at under 60C temps, while the GPU hotspot was kept under 66C under gaming and benchmark loads.

This isn't bad at all, with NVIDIA's own GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition GPU was running at around 69C, while the GPU hotspot was sitting at around 76C. ASUS has its triple-fan cooler at a quiet 39% (1275RPM or so) while using 340-380W of power, while 400W+ is going to be opened up when you're overclocking.

I'll have more on the overclocking side of the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 in the near future, where I'll push all of the RTX 4090 graphics cards I have to the limits in respective overclocking articles and then a huge RTX 4090 overclocking showdown... who wins?

What's Hot, What's Not

What's Hot

• ASUS ROG Strix style, now in RTX 4090: ASUS is always pushing for a unique style with its ROG Strix graphics cards, and the new ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition is no different. It has a very unique love-it-or-hate-it look, where you'll have to deal with its enormous size if you want that ROG aesthetic, especially if you've got a new ROG motherboard in your PC with a new Intel Core i9-13900K or AMD Ryzen 9 7950X processor.

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• Great thermal performance: You've got to give it to ASUS, they've tamed the beast that is AD102-300 inside of the GeForce RTX 4090 -- NVIDIA kept things cool with its Founders Edition card, but ASUS -- yeah the ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC Edition stays at under 60C while gaming.
• Quiet, but bloody powerful: Overwatch 2 at 1440p 500FPS+ and 60C temps, magnificent.

• Absolute mammoth unit, wouldn't want to drop it on your toe: As I was installing the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card into my PC, the thought ran across my head 'imagine dropping this right now, onto my toe... I really, really don't want to have to explain that to the doctor'. It's a huge card, don't drop it... that includes you, Linus. Especially as your toes are exposed through your sandals, bro.

What's Not

There's nothing wrong with the card at all, the only thing that would be 'wrong' is you don't like the design. That's not my job, that's for your eyes and your heart, and your soul. I dig the design, but wish it was curvier like previous ROG Strix graphics cards, but then this is unique... it's the RTX 4090 version of ROG Strix. It won't fit into all cases, but you're not buying a bloody graphics card that pumps 4K 120FPS and thinking it'll fit into your old Compaq PC from the 90s.

• No DisplayPort 2.0 connector, WTF: NVIDIA not including the new display connector moving forward -- DP2.0 -- is a huge mistake. It means anyone buying a $1500+ graphics card in the tail end of 2022 is not going to be able to use next-gen DP2.0-capable gaming monitors that we'll begin seeing debut in the coming months, probably at CES 2023 in January. WTF, NVIDIA? Even Intel's is-it-even-real Arc GPUs have a DP2.0 port.

Another thing that's not wrong is that you'll need a decent PSU, but you're not going to need to run out and buy a 1500W power supply overnight. You will be fine with a high-quality 850W power supply, but I would suggest something a bit bigger if you've got your CPU overclocked as well.

An Intel Core i9-13900K or AMD Ryzen 9 7950X fully overclocked will use up to 300W of power alone, while the RTX 4090 can consume spikes of 500W+ while maintaining around 400W average on its own... be careful with your PSU, but 1200W is a safe bet for that type of gaming PC.

Final Thoughts

ASUS strikes down with its flagship ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card, where the design of the card takes center stage. You will not be looking away from this card, as it has a super-unique style that steps out of the regular-style aesthetic that the company has used in previous ROG Strix graphics cards.

The card is boxier than previous designs, with a love-it-or-hate-it look that still packs an insane amount of gaming GPU horsepower underneath thanks to NVIDIA's new GeForce RTX 4090. ASUS does the GeForce RTX 4090 justice with a custom RTX 4090 that runs cooler and quieter than the Founders Edition and doesn't consume a huge amount of power.

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If you've just purchased or you're about to buy Intel's new Core i9-13900K "Raptor Lake" CPU and a new ASUS ROG Strix Z790 motherboard, then the new ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition will be on your wishlist if you've got a 4K 120FPS gaming monitor to go with it.

Speaking of which, ASUS has multiple 4K 120FPS+ gaming monitors in its arsenal with recent releases in the ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ, a new 42-inch 4K 138Hz OLED gaming monitor from ASUS, as well as the ROG Strix XG32UQ which packs a 32-inch 4K but higher-end 160Hz refresh rate. I'll have reviews of those online next week, powered by the new ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition graphics card.

That's how this card should be used: in a monster 4K 120FPS+ gaming PC, with a huge OLED monitor or TV... if you're spending close to $2000 on the graphics card, an OLED monitor or TV doesn't even cost that. The ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG42UQ is on Amazon right now for $1500.

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4K 120FPS gaming is here, and now it is easily handled by NVIDIA's unleashed GeForce RTX 4090, and ASUS does a fantastic job with the custom ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition. 4K 120FPS gaming and it will be quiet and have plenty of juice left in the tank with DLSS 3 and ray tracing games.

If you're not gaming at 4K 120FPS and want to game at 1080p or 1440p -- or better yet, on a beautiful ultrawide gaming monitor in 3440 x 1440 or higher -- the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC Edition is ready for you. If the games you're playing have ray tracing, crank it to maximum... the RTX 4090 can handle it. If the game you're playing has DLSS 2 or better yet, DLSS 3, man... turn that shiz on, it's magic. Your games will LOOK better, and RUN faster.

ASUS has another great member to add to its ROG Strix family of products, with the powerhouse GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card ready to handle every game you throw at it over the holidays... just be sure to team it with a 4K 120FPS+ gaming monitor or TV!