The Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition was launched last October to an excited crowd of PC gamers and enthusiasts. Today we learned that Asus and Noctua have multiple graphics card collaborations in the pipeline.
In response to a tweet asking about the possibility of a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Noctua Edition, the Austrian beige and brown cooling specialist teased, "We do aim to create further cards in collaboration with Asus, stay tuned!"
(Image credit: Noctua)
Admittedly, the above doesn't give us much information to go on, but it does open up a luxuriant opportunity for speculation. If you have a dream graphics card that is a current production model, it may receive the Noctua treatment in the Asus engineering labs.
Of course, Asus and Noctua might not be collaborating on graphics cards using currently-available GPUs. Some refreshed GPUs that are soon rumored for release (April) include the AMD Radeon RX 6950 XT, Radeon RX 6750 XT and Radeon RX 6650 XT. These cards are said to be on the way with improved memory bandwidth and perhaps other important tweaks. It would be appreciated by Team Red fans if the next Asus x Noctua collaboration appeared in the Asus AMD product portfolio.
Looking further down the hardware release calendar, the next Noctua-cooled Asus graphics card could be an Nvidia Lovelace (RTX 40 series) or AMD RDNA 3 (RX 7000 series) product.
What Was so Special About the Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition?
We reviewed the Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition on the cusp of the New Year. There were lots of positives to be reported, largely concerning cooling and performance, as you might expect. However, there were some significant strikes against the product.
One potential issue with this Noctua-enhanced graphics card was the size. This RTX 3070 was a four-slot design. That is pretty fat, and those using other add-in-cards in their PCs might have to do some shuffling.
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Ultimately, the price was the biggest problem with this desirable Asus x Noctua collaborative product. With GPU pricing now easing, there is the prospect that pricing won't be as much of an issue with future products.
(Image credit: Noctua)
Our senior graphics card editor pondered more than once while reviewing the Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition about why the RTX 3070 was targeted for this design. Moving up to a higher-tier RTX 3080, 3080 Ti, or even 3090 GPU could have made it easier to absorb the cost of the custom cooler. Also, the higher-end cards with higher TDPs benefit the most from powerful air (and AiO) coolers.
To get a refresher regarding the unique appeal of the Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition please dive into our review. In the meantime, you can let your imagination run wild about what the next Asus x Noctua product will be. If you can't wait (potentially months) for a new graphics card, please check out our latest Best Graphics Cards for Gaming in 2022 roundup.
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.
This is sad news. I was hoping the A$U$ Noctua collaboration would be a one-time thing that would lead to a long-term partnership with a different company. Hopefully future products will take up less slots and come with a lower price tag.
....haha, nah, it's A$U$. Most expensive prices for the same stuff you can get from other brands for less.
