ASUS Announces Radeon RX 480 STRIX Graphics Card

[btarunr]

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Strix RX 480, an all-new VR-ready gaming graphics card with ultra-fast gaming performance, advanced cooling and reliability, and personalized styling. Powered by the latest AMD Radeon RX 480 graphics processing unit (GPU), clocked at 1330MHz in OC mode, ROG Strix RX 480 delivers up to 15%-faster performance in 3DMark Fire Strike Extreme and 19%-faster gaming performance in Hitman and Doom.

ROG Strix RX 480 is packed with exclusive ASUS technologies, including DirectCU III with a patented triple wing-blade 0dB fan designed to deliver maximum airflow for 30%-cooler and three-times (3X) quieter performance, and ASUS FanConnect, which features GPU-controlled fan headers to connect to system fans for targeted supplemental cooling. Industry-exclusive Auto-Extreme technology with Super Alloy Power II components ensures premium quality and reliability.



ROG Strix RX 480 enables complete gaming system personalization with Aura RGB Lighting. A VR-friendly design with two HDMI ports lets gamers always keep a virtual reality (VR) device and a monitor connected to their system for immersive gaming anytime. It also includes GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster for intuitive performance tweaking and instant gameplay streaming.

Ultimate cooling: DirectCU III technology with patented wing-blade fans and ASUS FanConnect
ROG Strix RX 480 is equipped with ASUS DirectCU III cooling technology, which features direct-GPU-contact heatpipes that transport more heat away from the GPU, outperforming reference designs and achieving up to 30% cooler gaming performance. DirectCU III technology includes triple 0dB fans, engineered with a patented wing-blade design that delivers maximum airflow and improves static pressure over the heatsink by 105%, while operating at three-times (3X) quieter volume than reference cards.

ROG Strix RX 480 also comes with ASUS FanConnect technology. When gaming, the GPU often runs hotter than the CPU, but chassis fans usually only reference CPU temperatures, resulting in inefficient system cooling. ASUS FanConnect solves this issue with two 4-pin GPU-controlled headers that can be connected to system fans to provide targeted supplemental cooling for optimal thermal performance.

Premium quality and reliability: Auto-Extreme technology with Super Alloy Power II components
All ASUS graphics cards are now produced using Auto-Extreme technology, an industry-exclusive, 100%-automated production process that incorporates premium materials to set a new standard of quality. Auto-Extreme technology ensures consistent graphics card quality as well as improved performance and longevity. This new manufacturing process is also environmentally friendly, eliminating harsh chemicals and reducing power consumption by 50%.

Super Alloy Power II components enhance efficiency, reduce power loss, reduce component buzzing by 50% while under full load, and achieve thermal levels that are approximately 50% cooler than previous designs for enhanced quality and reliability.

Game your way: Aura RGB Lighting and VR-friendly HDMI ports
ROG Strix RX 480 includes ASUS Aura RGB Lighting on both the shroud and the backplate. This stunning illumination technology is capable of displaying millions of colors and six different effects for a totally personalized gaming system. ROG Strix RX 480 also has a VR-friendly design with two HDMI ports that let gamers connect a VR device and display at the same time, so they can enjoy immersive virtual reality experiences anytime without having to swap cables.

Tweakable and intuitive: GPU Tweak II with XSplit Gamecaster
Redesigned with an intuitive user interface, GPU Tweak II makes gaming and overclocking easier than ever, while retaining advanced options for seasoned overclockers. With one click, the Gaming Booster function maximizes system performance by removing redundant processes and allocating all available resources automatically. An included one-year XSplit Gamecaster premium license - a $99 value - lets gamers easily stream or record gameplay via a convenient, in-game overlay. The overlay also displays GPU clock speed, temperature, and VRM usage, and has GPU Tweak II controls, so gamers can choose a gaming profile and boost performance with just one click.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[RejZoR]

This one looks really nice. Strix coolers are pretty good and nice looking. This one, considering RX480 thermals should be pretty quiet and cool.

 

[ZoneDymo]

I do wonder though, will we ever see cards in the future that are high performance yet so cool that a single slot cooler is possible again? last I remember was that 8800GT and HD4850

 

[Casecutter]

So those look to be 80mm and that would work out to be 10.5ish inches long. While I like the 0dB fans is that mean they're all off a idle then all spool up at a given point. I'd rather have one on slow at idle then the two ramp up slowly and the three all work in concert. Honestly, not looking for a big 3 fan card at the TDP these card run I don't know if it actually necessary, more "wow" marketing like adding RGB Lighting. That said, the ability of their FanConnect with the two 4-pin GPU-controlled fan headers that supply supplemental cooling under thermal loads seen by the GPU is nice. The problem that would help a lot in a M-ATX cases (ATX no a big concern) though would masterful in a ITX case but at that length it would take some wrangling to find fit into a ITX case?

 

[PowerPC]

So which RX 480 should I wait to buy right now? I'm waiting to get in line for one of the custom cooled ones but I'm not sure which one I should try getting.

 

[the54thvoid]

I do wonder though, will we ever see cards in the future that are high performance yet so cool that a single slot cooler is possible again? last I remember was that 8800GT and HD4850

I think I had that 8800GT . Back when XFX still did Nvidia (until they got sick of Nvidia business practices ). Think it was a bit noisy though.

 

[jabbadap]

So which RX 480 should I wait to buy right now? I'm waiting to get in line for one of the custom cooled ones but I'm not sure which one I should try getting.

Without seeing review: Sapphire Nitro... or wait reviews of HiS and powercolor offerings. Maybe Asus too but I would really see review first, cooling solution for last gen cards(R9:s) for radeons where little bit overwhelming. XfX gimped even reference cards on hd7870 era so I lost all remaining trust for them, but if reviews shows good card why not.

 

[zo0lykas]

maybe looks good, but no1 can beat "sapphire" cooling solution and OC performance
so just wait until "sapphire" blow it away

This one looks really nice. Strix coolers are pretty good and nice looking. This one, considering RX480 thermals should be pretty quiet and cool.

 

[RejZoR]

I've had a HD6870 Toxic. It was the loudest and hottest card ever. It was so noisy I've sent it back and replaced it with Sapphire HD6950 Silent (similar to Flex Edition, can't find any images).

Currently I only trust Strix, MSI Gaming and WindForce3X coolers. Maybe Sapphire's 3x fan Nitro. But the rest, nope.

 

[Basard]

The all-metal shroud on my old 650Ti 448 core DirectCUII was friggan awesome. Best quality fans I'd ever seen on a GPU. These look to be the same, but maybe better, I dunno. The shroud doesn't look like it's all metal on this new version. Does anybody know if it is?

Looks seriously overkill though. Two fans would have sufficed, but then maybe somehow it's even quieter, maybe it absorbs noise from your case with all them fans!

 

[ShurikN]

This one looks really nice. Strix coolers are pretty good and nice looking. This one, considering RX480 thermals should be pretty quiet and cool.

I on the other hand find Strix cards ugly as hell, and would rather go with an MSI (red n black combo mmm) and Saphire Nitro or Tri-X

 

[RejZoR]

Well, my Strix is red and black. Actually, it's mostly black with just slight hints of red here and there.

 

[wolf]

How does a ~5% clock speed increase equate to a claim of performance that is 15-19% more than the reference card? does the stock card not hit 1266mhz that often due to the cooler/power/heat etc?

 

[HD64G]

How does a ~5% clock speed increase equate to a claim of performance that is 15-19% more than the reference card? does the stock card not hit 1266mhz that often due to the cooler/power/heat etc?

Exaclty. Most time stock is about 1150-1200MHz.

 

[buildzoid]

How does a ~5% clock speed increase equate to a claim of performance that is 15-19% more than the reference card? does the stock card not hit 1266mhz that often due to the cooler/power/heat etc?

Just raising power target on the ref card pushed mine from 11.5K GPU score to 12.5K GPU score in 3Dmark. Fully overclocked I was well into the 15K graphics score range and I wasn't even running any voltage. With voltage it should be easy to get around 1450mhz on most cards with good cooling

 

[Captain_Tom]

So 19% increase in performance... I mean at that rate an overclocked 1060 will have trouble beating it.. right?

And that is before the 480 is further overclocked...

 

[ShurikN]

So 19% increase in performance... I mean at that rate an overclocked 1060 will have trouble beating it.. right?

And that is before the 480 is further overclocked...

Weeeellll... Maybe, but IMHO an OCd 1060 will beat a OCd 480 on average. With the margin being even lower than with reference cards. And we dont know how much more a 480 can go. I mean sure it can probably be pushed over 1400MHz but at the cost of a lot higher power draw than a 1060. And even thou I don't care about power consumption, you simply have to draw the line somewhere.

Also, ASUS showed (only) two games in which AMD has the upper hand. So take it with a grain of salt.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

I do wonder though, will we ever see cards in the future that are high performance yet so cool that a single slot cooler is possible again? last I remember was that 8800GT and HD4850

I doubt it.

For one thing, the 4850 was only a 110 watt TDP card. Top end cards now are 250+ watt. Back then, making a bigger GPU that pulled more power was economically a terrible idea, because the dies were very difficult to make. Not so much the problem today.

For another, most PC cases and motherboards are built around dual slot cards, and dual slot coolers are dramatically better then single sots are.

That being said, we do occasionally get single slot cards. the 7750 from xfx had a single slot version, and there was a rumored galax 680 single slot.

 

[Krnt]

At last FFS!

 

[Ungari]

So which RX 480 should I wait to buy right now? I'm waiting to get in line for one of the custom cooled ones but I'm not sure which one I should try getting.

First of all, I've had a bad experience with RMA with ASUS, and I'm not the only one if you look at other user reports on the web.

I personally am waiting for the Sapphire Nitro for several reasons, and not the least of which is the neutral black color scheme. Also, the Quick Connect/Remove Fans with their new way of shipping replacement fans under warranty.

The biggest reason though is dual purpose function of the card:

 

[ZoneDymo]

I doubt it.

For one thing, the 4850 was only a 110 watt TDP card. Top end cards now are 250+ watt. Back then, making a bigger GPU that pulled more power was economically a terrible idea, because the dies were very difficult to make. Not so much the problem today.

For another, most PC cases and motherboards are built around dual slot cards, and dual slot coolers are dramatically better then single sots are.

That being said, we do occasionally get single slot cards. the 7750 from xfx had a single slot version, and there was a rumored galax 680 single slot.

Well obviously its all tied together in my question.
Technological process also means we can do more with less, why would we not see 110 watt GTX1160/HD590 in the future? or do companies not care enough anymore?
The dual slot coolers are indeed obviously better at cooling, going for a single slot cooler would mean that that better cooling is not needed.

 

[TheinsanegamerN]

Well obviously its all tied together in my question.
Technological process also means we can do more with less, why would we not see 110 watt GTX1160/HD590 in the future? or do companies not care enough anymore?
The dual slot coolers are indeed obviously better at cooling, going for a single slot cooler would mean that that better cooling is not needed.

Better question, why do you need a single slot cooler? What does a single slot cooler give you?

It saves a single expansion slot.

What disadvantages does it have?

It's louder, since it uses a smaller fan that has to spin faster, and its hotter, since the GPU has a much smaller heatsink and cant vert outside of the chassis.

Now consider that computer cases and motherboards are all built around dual slot GPUs, even mini itx cases that are built for dGPU use have two slots now. So the market for a single slot 1060 is people that want a hotter, louder GPU and have some ancient case that cant take a dual slot GPU for whatever reason. That is a remarkable tiny niche.

Bottom line, it isnt a matter of companies not caring, it a matter of the market moving on. There is no demand for a single slot GPU in today's world. Even the low wattage 7750 was most popular in it's dual slot forms.

the market wants quiet, reliable GPUs, and has the cases for dual slot cards. In this market, the single slot GPU really has no place.

 

[jabbadap]

Better question, why do you need a single slot cooler? What does a single slot cooler give you?

It saves a single expansion slot.

What disadvantages does it have?

It's louder, since it uses a smaller fan that has to spin faster, and its hotter, since the GPU has a much smaller heatsink and cant vert outside of the chassis.

Now consider that computer cases and motherboards are all built around dual slot GPUs, even mini itx cases that are built for dGPU use have two slots now. So the market for a single slot 1060 is people that want a hotter, louder GPU and have some ancient case that cant take a dual slot GPU for whatever reason. That is a remarkable tiny niche.

Bottom line, it isnt a matter of companies not caring, it a matter of the market moving on. There is no demand for a single slot GPU in today's world. Even the low wattage 7750 was most popular in it's dual slot forms.

the market wants quiet, reliable GPUs, and has the cases for dual slot cards. In this market, the single slot GPU really has no place.

Have to agree, there are special cases when some prebuild PCs(like some Dell models) have reversed card order and dual slot card does not fit to first pcie slot. But other than that can't really see market for those anymore(might be a reason why low mid end quadros and firepros are single slot). Low profile cases with low profile card slot are too quite niche too now-a-days and as you say they usually come with dual slot full high graphics card slot. Lower one has pcie riser to turn it 90°(if I remember correctly lp card pcie slot power by spec is 35W, not 75W. But of course custom builds uses normal itx motherboards so that limit should only be considered for crappy "market" pcs).

 

[wolf]

15-19% hey, looks more like the review suggests the ~5% that the clock speed increase accounts for...

Funny that.