CES 2025: All new ASUS RTX 50 series graphics cards - DLSS 4 finally here, surprising fan design
The card is out of the bag: ASUS has unveiled its upcoming graphics card line-up at CES 2025. Get to know the RTX 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti and the graphics cards from the ROG, TUF Gaming and Prime series.
The launch of a new generation of graphics cards is always a defining event. This is because the technical innovations have a significant influence on the display quality and the associated performance of all PC AAA games in the coming years. ASUS also presented its new GeForce RTX 50 series at CES 2025, which is based on NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture and is equipped with innovative technologies such as NVIDIA DLSS 4, improved Multi Frame Generation for 50 series cards and advanced AI functions.
The new ASUS ROG Astral models, RTX 5080 and RTX 5090
ASUS' 50XX series includes the ASUS ROG Astral models, ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090, which for the first time are equipped with four fans - three rotating on the top of the graphics card as usual, with an additional fan on the other side. This model design is said to have up to 20% higher airflow and pressure compared to other designs. Hotspots are thus minimised, which should please fans of overclocking in particular. ASUS has named the water-cooled model variants of the 5090 the ROG Astral LC.
Astral models feature 80-amp MOSFETs, optimised heat dissipation through a phase-change thermal pad and patented vapor-chamber designs.All ASUS GeForce RTX 50 series cards benefit from improved phase-change GPU thermal pads for better heat dissipation, which is designed to improve longevity even under heavy load. In combination with the high-quality current-carrying MOSFETS, the general stability should be improved - resulting in more overclocking potential.And ASUS would not be ASUS if an additional PCB protective coating against short circuits caused by moisture or dust did not also make the card more durable.
Standard or OC (=Overclocked), air or water? These are the names of the ASUS RTX-5080/5090 graphics cards in the ROG Astral series:
- ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX™ 5090
- ROG Astral LC GeForce RTX™ 5090 OC Edition
- ROG Astral GeForce RTX™ 5090
- ROG Astral GeForce RTX™ 5090 OC Edition
- ROG Astral GeForce RTX™ 5080
- ROG Astral GeForce RTX™ 5080 OC Edition
ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX picture gallery
ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090
All ASUS ROG Strix, TUF Gaming and Prime models, RTX 5070 to RTX 5090
The other ASUS model series will probably be cheaper than the Astral models. The ROG Strix cards are limited to RTX 5070 GPUs, but there will also be Ti and OC variants in addition to the standard 5070 model. A high-end power supply, the aforementioned phase-change GPU thermal pad, Aura Sync for lighting fans, a dual BIOS switch and a ventilated exoskeleton characterise the Strix cards from ASUS.
All model designations of the ASUS ROG Strix series, 5070 to 5070 Ti OC Edition
- ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti
- ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti OC Edition
- ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 5070 (coming soon)
- ROG Strix GeForce RTX™ 5070 OC Edition (coming soon)
As expected, ASUS is also taking NVIDIA's Blackwell architecture over to its own TUF Gaming series, which repeatedly demonstrates its advantages across generations with military-grade components and a special design. The GPU selection within the TUF portfolio goes up to the factory overclocked 5090 and starts with a 5070 version. Here too, ASUS provides the models with special thermal paste, a protective PCB coating, high-quality TUF coils and military-grade MOSFETs for a stable power supply. The black-metallic TUF 5K capacitors are said to have a 52% greater temperature tolerance and last 2.5 times longer than conventional capacitors. The TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5080 and 5090 graphics cards once again utilise the proven Vapor Chamber for optimum cooling.
All model names of the ASUS TUF Gaming series, from 5070 to 5090 OC Edition
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5090
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5090 OC Edition
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5080
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5080 OC Edition
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti OC Edition
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5070
- TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 5070 OC Edition
With the advantages of the special thermal paste, ASUS' Prime model series with three-fan cooling in a 2.5-slot design is also coming onto the market. ASUS emphasises that Prime graphics cards with Blackwell architecture will be available at attractive prices. And yet the Prime models fulfil the so-called SFF-Ready-Enthusiast guidelines. This means that although the cards have a relatively small form factor (e.g. to fit into smaller housings), they still achieve high performance. The ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5080 also has the aforementioned heat-dissipating vapour chamber.
The upcoming ASUS Prime GeForce RTX 5070 and 5080 models
- Prime GeForce RTX™ 5080
- Prime GeForce RTX™ 5080 OC Edition
- Prime GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti
- Prime GeForce RTX™ 5070 Ti OC Edition
- Prime GeForce RTX™ 5070
- Prime GeForce RTX™ 5070 OC Edition
More performance thanks to DLSS 4 - also for older NVIDIA cards, albeit limited
DLSS 4 should be particularly interesting for gamers. Although the optimum with the new acceleration technology, Multi Frame Generation, which generates three intermediate frames instead of just one, will be reserved for the new graphics cards with Blackwell architecture, DLSS 4 is also compatible with older RTX graphics cards to a limited extent.A diagram published by NVIDIA makes this clear.
By the way: NVIDIA itself has already announced that Bethesda's upcoming game DOOM: The Dark Ages, for example, will run with AI-controlled DLSS 4 and path tracing. Of course, AI also plays a role beyond that: The cards from ASUS' RTX 50 series support the recently announced ASUS MuseTree app for AI image generation. Use it to create images at high speed and get the most out of your work with NVIDIA Studio. This includes access to NVIDIA NIM microservices, the latest AI models that enable enthusiasts and developers to create AI workflows on NIM-enabled systems.
