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First Images of the Asus X Noctua GeForce RTX 3080 Appear
Noctua have collaborated with Asus to produce a custom cooled Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card. VideoCardz has shared the first images of this second Asus x Noctua cooperative product, and from many angles it is practically indistinguishable from its predecessor. Thankfully the box art makes clear this is an RTX 3080 and the backplate features some significant changes. As ever with these unofficial leaks, please take this information with a pinch of salt.
The purported box art suggests that the partners have got together to launch a 10GB RTX 3080, and there is no evidence there will be a version built around the newer 12GB configuration. Immediately evident is that from the fan side the new model looks identical to the RTX 3070 version. The source reckons they are identical in this respect, both with an overall thickness of 4-slots. By our estimations the new RTX 3080 could be a little fatter.
(Image credit: VideoCardz / Asus)
Ports available include triple DisplayPort 1.4 and dual HDMI 2.1. This is the same configuration as provided with the previous Asus x Noctua card, but with a slightly different arrangement of ports on the backplate. The new model features twin 8-pin power connectors, just like its predecessor, too.
The biggest evidence of change under the cooling shroud comes from the backplate. The new backplate shows a modified and sturdier looking GPU mounting brace on the underside of the PCB. All the vents on the backplate look more substantial too.
(Image credit: VideoCardz / Asus)
VideoCardz found the new Asus x Noctua GeForce RTX 3080 listed in Europe at €1,150 ($1,215) – a €250 ($264) premium over the RTX 3070 version.
For further reading about Asus x Noctua graphics cards and some insight into what to expect, please have a read through our extensive Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Review. At the time of the review we lamented that the first collaborative product hadn't been an RTX 3080, 3080 Ti, or 3090 GPU, as the cooling solution seemed like overkill for the RTX 3070. We can't wait to see how the new Asus x Noctua GeForce RTX 3080 fares in the labs. After all, the GeForce RTX 3080 is currently the leading graphics card in our Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2022 buying guide.
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Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
I did that to my old OC'd HD6990 before it was cool, minus the plastics, but at least I added grills to protect the fans from the mess of cables sitting at the bottom of my case.
That's one way to win the ugliest gpu award, stick some noctua fans on it.
If the Noctua fans are consistent with their case fans, they have a 150,000 hour MTBF. On my last build, the case fans were immediately replaced with Noctua fans. The previous build had fans failing around 34,000 hours. Conventional fans are typically rated at 30,000. I look for functionality rather than beauty. Present build has 7 Noctua fans.
Some people are crapping on the fans, but ask yourselves, "Will owners of this model see the fans normally if the card isn't in a vertical orientation?"
