Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce Review

After reviewing two air-cooled RTX 3090 Tis back in March, today our attention has turned to something a bit more exotic – the Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce, complete with a 360mm all-in-one liquid cooler.

Thanks to the use of such a large radiator, the Xtreme Waterforce is not only the fastest-running RTX 3090 Ti we have tested, but also the coolest and quietest too. Granted, it is not miles faster than the likes of the MSI Suprim X, offering on average a 2% bump to frame rates, but a win is a win.

We also can't deny how impressive it is to see sub-60C temperatures from a GPU that draws a staggering 480W of power, all while maintaining low fan speeds from the three radiator fans, and no audible pump whine either.

So while Gigabyte has delivered good results in terms of the day-to-day operation of the card, I can't help but feel the company could have given us a bit more – aside from the fact it is using a 360mm AIO cooler, I am not exactly sure how ‘Xtreme' this card really is. I find the lack of dual-BIOS really odd for instance, considering anyone buying this sort of GPU is probably going to want to push things to the limit, while the decision to remove any and all RGB lighting results in the card looking a bit plain, in my opinion.

On top of that, the GDDR6X memory actually ran hotter than the two air-cooled RTX 3090 Ti cards we have tested. The peak temperature of 78C is still an objectively good result, but its nevertheless hotter than competing models, despite the 360mm AIO.

Factor in the slightly plasticky-feeling GPU shroud and I would say that the Gigabyte Aorus RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce doesn't quite live up to its name-tag. It will still run fast, quiet and cool if you decide to pick one up, but considering the £2100 asking price, I would have liked to see a bit more in the way of advanced features to really put the icing on the cake.

Update 28/4/22: Gigabyte got in touch about the memory thermals and have replicated the results. The company is looking into a possible solution, including potentially swapping out the thermal pads, though things are still open ended right now. If we hear any more, we will be sure to update this article.

You can pre-order the Xtreme Waterforce for £2099.99 from Overclockers UK HERE.

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Pros

• Fastest-running RTX 3090 Ti, averaging clock speeds over 2.1GHz.
• GPU temperature stays below 60C under load.
• Nice and quiet, with no audible pump whine.

Cons

• Lacking dual-BIOS.
• Build quality isn't what I'd expect for the money.
• Memory temperatures, while fine, are hotter than competing air-cooled cards. (See update above).
• Subjectively plain design with no RGB (though feel free to disagree in the comments below…)
• A few extra accessories in the box wouldn't have gone amiss.

KitGuru says: The Aorus RTX 3090 Ti Xtreme Waterforce is the fastest single graphics card we have ever reviewed… but it does need to do a bit more to justify the ‘Xtreme' price tag.

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