The Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 Super is not only one of the biggest graphics cards on the market, but also one of the most powerful. In fact, with its new chip unveiled by Nvidia, as well as its ventilation-optimized form factor, it excels in all areas, not to mention its elegance!
Design of the Asus ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super
The look is assertive, and it’s clear that this graphics card isn’t about thinness. The objective here is not compact size, but rather excellent performance and impeccable aesthetics. And that’s exactly what this graphics card offers. With its XXL dimensions, it easily stands out as one of the best cards on the market, already in terms of aesthetics.
On the card, let’s talk first about the backplate. It’s one of the most elaborate I’ve come across on the market. In fact, as on all Nvidia cards, it bears the words “GEFORCE RTX”, along with a ROG logo and the GPS coordinates of Asus’ Taiwan headquarters. It’s a smart move, and that little detail is always welcome! On the right-hand side, when you place the card in front of you, you’ll find, as always, the ROG logo, as well as spacing with fins on the backplate, allowing air to pass through.
On the inner end of the card, you’ll notice the presence of LEDs and a plastic shell to reflect them. Alongside this is a discreet “REPUBLIC OF GAMERS” label and two fan connectors. What are they for? Quite simply, to add case fans, but calibrated on the card, so as to push them up to speed when the card needs a breath of fresh air.
On the “inside” edge of the graphics card, the one that connects to the motherboard, is the PCI connector. It’s on the other side that you’ll find another “GEFORCE RTX” label with a “REPUBLIC OF GAMERS” slogan, but backlit this time.
Alongside this is the PCI ATX 3.0 connector, which can be connected via a 600W cable to the power supply, or via three PCI cables and a power strip supplied by the manufacturer. Just below the backplate is a small switch. This allows the graphics card to be switched between performance mode and silent mode. For my part, I left the card in performance mode. Silent mode is nice, but strictly useless on such a well-ventilated, high-performance card.
The underside of the card is just as well designed as the rest, and while you might think that you’d never see this part, if you decide to put your graphics card upright, you will. So Asus ROG has worked on the fans and the general aesthetics of the lower part, to create something elegant, in the image of its card, which clearly makes a statement aesthetically speaking.
On the other side of the card, you can see the outgoing connectors, consisting of two HDMI connectors and three DisplayPort connectors. From an aesthetic point of view, the ROG Strix 4080 Super from Asus is one of the most attractive graphics cards on the market. However, it comes with a small mounting bracket to help support its 2.4 kg weight. The card is indeed heavy, with its gigantic radiator. This little tool, however, can also be fully opened and used as a screwdriver. Clever! It can be used to dismantle the backplate or other parts of the board, for example to change the thermal paste. On the other hand, there are some parts that cannot be disassembled, otherwise the warranty will be void. These are indicated by a small white label with a red circle inside.
The manufacturer also sent us a power supply, the ROG Thor 850W Platinium II, an 850-watt model recommended with this graphics card. So why 850 watts when the card requires 750, according to Nvidia? Simply to be on the safe side, as the ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super is overclocked from the factory.
Asus ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super specifications
| Model | Asus ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super |
| Graphics processor | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super |
| Standard bus | PCI Express 4.0 x16 |
| CUDA cores | 10240 |
| Memory | GDDR6X |
| VRAM quantity | 16 GB |
| Memory bus | 256-bit |
| Base chipset frequency | 2295 MHz |
| OC frequency | 2640 MHz |
| Number of monitors supported | 4 |
| Multi GPU | No |
| Maximum digital resolution | 7680 x 4320 @ 60 Hz |
| HDCP process support | 2.3 |
| Power consumption | 320 watts |
| Recommended power supply | 850 watts |
| Power connector | 3 x 8 pins / ATX 3.0 |
| Connectors |
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| Virtual reality | Yes |
| Direct X | 12 Ultimate |
| Open GL | 4.6 |
| Dimensions | 357.6 x 149.3 x 70.1 mm |
| Ray Tracing support | Yes |
Asus ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super performance
Unlike other cards such as the Zotac RTX 4080 Super Trinity, the Asus ROG model is certainly one of the best performers on the market. Nvidia is introducing improvements to its new range of graphics cards, focusing mainly on increasing the number of CUDA cores, as well as cores dedicated to artificial intelligence and Ray-Tracing, rather than on a complete overhaul. In addition, a slight increase in card frequency has been observed, with the base frequency rising from 2205 MHz to 2295 MHz, and the boost frequency increasing from 2505 MHz to 2640 MHz, this card is indeed, boosted by Asus.
The test of the Asus ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 Super shows that these adjustments are relatively modest. Clearly, the Super 40 series is not designed to shake up the market, but rather to refresh the existing range. Notably, Nvidia has adjusted prices downwards compared with the standard 4080 model, a decision that is bound to be welcomed by consumers. In short, the “Super” version of the 40 series represents a refresh of the existing range, without bringing any significant performance gains. Nvidia has not positioned itself to revolutionize the sector with this series, but rather to offer progressive improvements. Here’s the configuration with which the ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super was tested :
- Motherboard: MSI MPG Z790 Carbon Max WiFi
- Processor: Intel Core i9 13900K
- RAM: 2 x 16 GB Corsair Dominator Titanium
- Case: Corsair 6500X
- Power supply: Corsair RM1000x Shift
This configuration is solid enough to run most games in high definition, even 4K Ultra HD. While not all games run at 144 fps in Ultra HD all the time, it does allow you to play all the games tested very well. But above all, the benchmarks, with different performance levels to those of the games: let’s just say that in benchmarks, we test the chip, in games, we test the card. In short, benchmarks are very standardized and don’t last that long, whereas games last a little longer and can, at times, give rise to some variations in performance.
Although this graphics card is not as powerful as the RTX 4090 previously tested, notably in the Asus TUF range, it nevertheless delivers respectable performance. Overall, it rivals the Zotac card in benchmark performance, sometimes better, sometimes slightly worse. For a more complete assessment, nothing beats long gaming sessions, but these initial benchmark results are promising. The interesting aspect to note concerns DLSS, where we observe slight performance improvements. I like the DLSS performance, which is almost identical to that of Zotac’s rival card. Nevertheless, when it comes to gaming, this graphics card really stands out for its excellent performance in the games tested, all of which benefit from DLSS activation.
Game performance
Overall, the card performed very well in all games. This is thanks to DLSS technologies, and all with very good graphic results, thanks to Ray Tracing and Path Tracing. These two technologies are quite GPU-intensive, but there’s nothing dramatic here: the RTX 4080 Super is a solid reference that’s got it all. For each game, I set the settings to Full HD, then 1440p, then 4K Ultra HD, with DLSS in “Performance” mode. The result is there, with overall better performance than the Zotac model in the average game. One of the reasons for this is that the card is better ventilated, with a gigantic radiator.
In any case, performance is excellent, and here’s what it’s like in the games on which I’ve been able to test this ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super.
Cyberpunk 2077
In Cyberpunk 2077, a demanding game for both GPU and CPU, performance fluctuates, sometimes better, sometimes worse than its Asus counterpart. However, the ROG Strix 4080 Super shows impressive capabilities, often displaying comparable, if not better, performance – a definite advantage for a card with a relatively compact design.
F1 2022
For F1 2022, while performance is adequate for a smooth gaming experience, it doesn’t surpass that of Asus’ aforementioned rival card. However, the card ensures a seamless gaming experience, even with a 4K 144 Hz screen, and a 1440p slab could optimize fluidity even further.
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super is well positioned in relation to expectations for a card of this size, offering interesting and sometimes superior performance to Zotac’s competitor. It particularly excels in Full HD, achieving extraordinary frame rates, illustrating its high capacity.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is quite demanding in terms of performance, but it doesn’t scare our ROG Strix 4080 Super. It is greedy, particularly in demanding scenes where the GPU is heavily loaded and heats up, which can limit its performance. Despite this, it manages to deliver around 180 fps in 4K Ultra HD, a respectable result.
Forza Horizon 5
In Forza Horizon 5, the performance gap between the Zotac RTX 4080 Super and the Asus ROG is noticeable, although the Zotac maintains smooth, enjoyable gameplay, even if it can’t match Asus’s optimum performance.
Alan Wake 2
With Alan Wake II, enabling Path Tracing, although the GPU doesn’t shine with exceptional performance due to the high demands of the game, the result is still playable. With frame rates in the 100 to 144 fps range in 4K Ultra HD, the difference can be subtle, offering a satisfying experience for this type of game.
Temperatures and power consumption
Given the large size of the graphics card and its bulky heatsink, we can expect very decent temperatures here in idle, but also at full load. For my part, I left the card in “Performance” mode, without switching it to “Quiet” mode. The advantage is that it boosts itself automatically and, as the BIOS has been somewhat modified by Asus ROG, it increases its frequency by 90 Hz compared with the competition. As far as temperatures are concerned, it was impossible to get the ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super to rise above 62°C, even though it wasn’t in the best ventilated case in the world. However, it didn’t get too hot.
| Average IDLE temperature | Average max load temperature |
| 41,3°C | 61,2°C |
In terms of power consumption, it’s also decent, with Asus recommending that you opt for an 850 W power supply, to really see the big picture. A 750 W power supply may suffice, but I understand the idea of opting for something more powerful, allowing you to put in a powerful processor, plenty of fans and SSDs galore, and potentially overclock.
| Average consumption IDLE | Max consumption max load |
| 26,1 W | 319 W |
The graphics card is rather thrifty in IDLE mode, but at maximum load it gave almost all it could. The RTX 4080 Super chip is certified for a maximum power consumption of 320 watts – we were almost there!
ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super connectivity
The ROG Strix RTX 4080 Super connects conventionally to the motherboard via a PCI slot, so far so good. It connects via PCIe 4 or 5, although it is compatible with older versions of PCI. However, there is a risk that its performance will be somewhat limited when connected to PCIe 3.
This is due to a less powerful chipset and lower bandwidth, which would not provide the necessary performance, in which case it would be the motherboard that bottlenecks the graphics card. As for the power supply, this card is equipped with a 600W connector that complies with the PCIe 5 / ATX 3.0 specifications introduced by Nvidia. It can be powered either directly via this connector, using a cable supplied with the power supply, or via three PCI cables connected to a single socket which centralizes the power supply. Personally, I prefer the first solution, for a more streamlined installation in the case.
As far as video outputs are concerned, the RTX 4080 Super from ROG Strix features three DisplayPort 1.4a ports capable of handling resolutions up to 7680 x 4320 at 60 Hz, i.e. 8K. However, given the scarcity of 8K displays and the performance of 8K cards, opting for a 4K display seems more sensible. The card also offers two HDMI 2.1a ports, limiting resolution to 4K at 120 fps, but also supporting 8K at 60 Hz in HDR.
Asus ROG Strix 4080 Super : Reviews
With its high performance and optimal cooling, this ROG Strix version of the RTX 4080 Super seems to be one of the best RTX 4080 Super on the market. It’s imposing, massive and heavy, but devilishly well ventilated and knows how to keep cool, which is a big advantage. As well as being elegant, you can configure case fans to synchronize them and optimize airflow even further, which is brilliant!
