Review: Asus ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080

Conclusion

The flood gates are open and we can expect wave after wave of custom-cooled GeForce GTX 1080s. Nvidia's new GPU is the undisputed heavyweight champion and the green team's array of partners are eager to tempt our wallets with an updated range of hard-hitting boards.

Asus, as always, is one of the first out of the gate with the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080. Unabashed in its attempt to swoon the ultra enthusiast, this gargantuan design makes the Founders Edition appear downright timid in comparison.

Heightened frequencies, a splattering of RGB LEDs and value-adds such as onboard FanConnect headers are all part of the appeal, and if the elegance of smaller designs just isn't your thing, Asus's bigger and meatier approach may be more in line with your tastes.

Plenty to like, yet there are a couple of caveats, too. The £660 price tag, obviously, serves as a sizeable hurdle, and with other GTX 1080s available from around £530, there's an inevitable premium attached to the Asus brand. There's also still room for improvement in the accompanying Aura software, yet if it's maximum speed you're after, Asus guarantees the highest air-cooled core frequency of any GeForce GTX 1080.

We've seen enough to suggest that partner cards are going to have the edge over Nvidia's Founders Edition, and if you're willing to pay handsomely, Asus's ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 is an early contender for an ultra-high-end build.

Asus ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080

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The Asus ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card is available to purchase from Scan Computers.

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