ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Review: Fast, Quiet, Pricey

Name: ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition
Brand: ASUS

by Marco Chiappetta — Friday, September 28, 2018, 01:15 PM EDT

Performance Summary: The ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition performed well throughout our entire array of benchmarks. Though its memory clock is right in-line with all of the other RTX 2080 cards we tested, the ASUS RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition’s maximum GPU boost clock (without enabling overclocking mode) is somewhat higher than most others and results in a slight uptick in performance almost across the board. To put things simply, the ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition is somewhat faster than an NVIDIA RTX 2080 Founder’s Edition, but the difference isn’t dramatic. In real-world gaming situations, there’s no way anyone would pick up on the difference.

ASUS incorporates a number of premium features on the ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition, which will likely make it a favorite among enthusiasts. The triple-fan cooler used on the card is very quiet and works well. Maximum GPU temperatures during normal gaming sessions rarely exceeded 70 – 72 degrees and even when the card’s fans spin up, they remain quiet – assuming the default fan curves are used. The card also offers customizable RGB lighting with headers to attach additional LEDs, a simple BIOS switch for performance or quiet mode, robust power delivery, and it looks cool too. ASUS ticks all of the right boxes.

Find The ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 STRIX Gaming OC Edition @ Amazon

Due to all of its additional bells and whistles, ASUS put a premium on the RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition. If you can find one in stock, the going rate is about $870, which makes it one of the pricier RTX 2080 cards out there. In light of its feature set, quiet operation, and strong overclocking, we’re sure many could justify the premium, but if all you care about is performance, you could save $60 - $90 with some other RTX 2080s and still be in the same ballpark.

In the end though, the ASUS GeForce RTX 2080 ROG STRIX Gaming OC Edition is still a killer GPU and worthy of consideration, especially if you’re rocking other ASUS gear and want to tie everything all together with ASUS’ control software.


Good Overclocker Quiet Cooling Great Feature Set Customizable Lighting BIOS And Lighting Switches	BIG Cooler Price Premium

Tags: Nvidia, Asus, Gaming, GPU, strix, rtx 2080

Marco Chiappetta

Marco's interest in computing and technology dates all the way back to his early childhood. Even before being exposed to the Commodore P.E.T. and later the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80s, he was interested in electricity and electronics, and he still has the modded AFX cars and shop-worn soldering irons to prove it. Once he got his hands on his own Commodore 64, however, computing became Marco's passion. Throughout his academic and professional lives, Marco has worked with virtually every major platform from the TRS-80 and Amiga, to today's high end, multi-core servers. Over the years, he has worked in many fields related to technology and computing, including system design, assembly and sales, professional quality assurance testing, and technical writing. In addition to being the Managing Editor here at HotHardware for close to 15 years, Marco is also a freelance writer whose work has been published in a number of PC and technology related print publications and he is a regular fixture on HotHardware’s own Two and a Half Geeks webcast. - Contact: marco(at)hothardware(dot)com