ASUS RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OC Review

1. Introduction2. Meet the ASUS RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OC3. Testing Methodology4. 3DMark Time Spy Extreme5. Game Benchmarks6. Clock Speed7. GPU Temperatures8. Memory Temperatures9. Acoustics10. Noise-Normalised Temperatures11. Power Draw12. Overclocking13. Closing Thoughts14. View All Pages

At this point we have tested six different RTX 4090 cards, five custom cards plus the Founders Edition, and I would say that the ASUS TUF Gaming OC is my favourite so far.

Starting with gaming performance, it delivers exactly what we'd expect from an RTX 4090. It's certainly not going to outperform the Founders Edition by much, if anything, due to its rather conservative factory overclock – but as we have said repeatedly, it really doesn't matter. At the end of the day it's an RTX 4090 and runs as fast as all the other RTX 4090s we have tested, so it's an incredibly fast gaming GPU.

Out of the box thermals are of more importance, as the TUF Gaming OC does well, hitting about 65C using the Performance BIOS. The Quiet BIOS does run warmer – warmer than even the Founders Edition – but it makes up for that with its significantly reduced fan speed. In fact, the fans spin so slowly using the Quiet BIOS that we actually recorded the lowest noise reading of any RTX 4090 I have tested so far.

The one question mark over the thermal performance comes when looking at the GDDR6X memory temperatures. Hitting 74C when using the Performance BIOS is no bad thing, but compared to the likes of the Gigabyte Gaming OC, it's not a particularly impressive result either.

As shown earlier in this review, and in the video, I did notice that four of the memory modules are not fully covered by a thermal pad, leaving a small area exposed, and this may be a contributing factor in the higher temperatures. At the end of the day though, the results are still well within safe limits, so it's certainly not a major concern, but perhaps something for ASUS to improve upon in a future revision.

Ultimately, the ASUS RTX 4090 TUF Gaming OC is a very competent graphics card. It sets itself apart from the competition thanks to its incredibly sturdy aluminium shroud, while also delivering impressive GPU thermals and low noise levels.

We found it listed on Overclockers UK HERE, though it is currently out of stock.

Pros

• Aluminium shroud delivers a premium look and feel.
• GPU thermals are impressive, if not the absolute best.
• Quiet BIOS delivers the quietest RTX 4090 experience yet.
• Shroud can be removed without completely disassembling the heatsink.
• Dual-BIOS.

Cons

• Memory thermals are only average – with a question mark around the thermal pad coverage.
• Palit GameRock OC still offers the best noise-normalised GPU thermal results.

KitGuru says: The ASUS TUF Gaming OC feels like a product worthy of the RTX 4090 class. It's incredibly well built – just be sure to use a GPU support bracket!

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