ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition review: Just chilly

Note: This review was first published on 8 October 2022.

The ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC is what happens when two of the biggest brands in gaming hardware come together. ASUS is a behemoth in the PC component space, while Noctua is a cooling giant. Together, the duo have created a beastly card that promises to be one of the fastest and quietest air-cooled cards on the market.

The card takes up a whopping four slots in your case, thanks to the custom Noctua cooling solution. It is ridiculously large and heavy, so you may want to think about whether you want to mount it the traditional way or go for a vertical mounting solution.

The fans are Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM fans, which are exceptionally quiet compared to other cards. These fans feature a metal-reinforced motor hub, stabilised bearings, and a custom low-noise PWM IC to help reduce the decibels.

The heatsink has been custom-designed as well to take advantage of the airflow characteristics of the fans. A large heat spreader covers the GPU die, VRM, and memory chips, connecting them all to the main heatsink.

However, no effort has been made to tailor Noctua's signature brown to fit ASUS' usual aesthetic better. While I get the need to stick to Noctua's brand identity in a collaboration product like this, it would have been nice to see the card come in some other colour than a drab brown. There is no RGB lighting anywhere either, so this is a card that unabashedly focuses on performance over looks.

Having said that, that may not be a bad thing. I could see it being popular in silent chassis with opaque, sound-dampening sides, where you could care less about what the card looked like.

On ASUS' end, its usual technologies are also in play here. The fans support semi-passive operation and will completely wind down if the GPU temperature falls below 50°C. The PCB is also manufactured using Auto-Extreme, an automated manufacturing process that reduces component strain and avoids harsh cleaning chemicals, allowing for lower environmental impact and a more reliable product.

A nifty Dual BIOS switch lets you choose between two cooling profiles. The default Q mode (for quiet) activates a more gentle fan curve to reduce noise, while P mode (for performance) prioritises ultra-low temperatures.

To cap things off, a sturdy metal backplate protects the PCB and prevents it from flexing. A wide vent directs hot air toward the chassis exhaust fans, so it exits the case instead of circulating inside it. A reinforcing bracket beneath the GPU also ensures consistent mounting pressure between the die and heat spreader. Finally, the I/O bracket is stainless steel for an even more secure mount.

Display connectivity options include three DisplayPort 1.4 and two HDMI 2.1 ports. The card draws power from two 8-pin power inputs and ASUS is recommending at least an 850W power supply unit to go with it.

Test setup

Here are the specifications of our test rig:

• Intel 12th Gen Core i9-12900K CPU
• ROG Maximus Z690 Hero
• Samsung 980 Pro 1TB SSD
• Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5
• Windows 11 Home 64-bit
• ASUS ROG Swift PG43UQ 4K Gaming Monitor

We'll be comparing the ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC against the GeForce RTX 3080 Founders Edition.

The following synthetic benchmarks and games were run, with the games chosen from a wide range of genres to give a better indication of performance across different segments:

• 3DMark
• Shadow of the Tomb Raider
• Metro: Exodus
• Wolfenstein: Youngblood
• Horizon Zero Dawn
• Guardians of the Galaxy

3DMark

3DMark is a synthetic benchmark that tests graphics and computational performance at different resolutions, starting at 1080p and going all the way up to 4K. A series of two graphics test, one physics test, and then a combined test stresses your hardware in turn to assess its performance.

The OC model of the ASUS card comes with more aggressive boost clocks of 1,815MHz. However, it ships in Gaming Mode by default, with a boost clock of 1,785MHz.

Despite the heftier cooling that should in theory allow for higher and more consistent clock speeds, the ASUS card still fell behind the Founders Edition model, albeit by a hair. 

1080p Benchmarks (Max Settings)

The Founders Edition model had the lead at 1080p as well, edging ahead by a few frames. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the ASUS card was roughly 4% slower.

1440p Benchmarks (Max Settings)

The already insignificant differences narrowed at 1440p. There was barely any difference worth mentioning, with both cards neck-and-neck in every game. 

4K Benchmarks (Max Settings)

The same thing played out at 4K, where performance was nearly identical across both cards. 

4K @ Max Settings (Ray Tracing)

Both cards' performance took a hit with ray tracing turned on. However, nothing much changed in the performance department. In the three games we tested, performance was once again identical. 

Temperature and Power

Ultimately, it all comes down to cooling performance. To no one's surprise, the ASUS card runs a good 20°C cooler and is far quieter, thanks to the beefed-up Noctua cooler and fans.

If you're looking for a chilly air-cooled solution, this is about as good as it gets. Power draw is slightly higher, but that is to be expected.

Conclusion

At S$1,699, the ASUS GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC comes at a steep asking price. However, it is undoubtedly one of the best cards out there from the standpoint of cooling performance.

It is not markedly faster than NVIDIA's Founders Edition model, but that's okay. Chilly temperatures are what you're after if you're looking at this card, and it delivers wonderfully. While the Founders Edition card huffs and puffs shrilly, the ASUS model is almost freakishly quiet.

The biggest downside would be how thick the card is. Its girth is almost ridiculous, and there is a very real possibility that it may not fit into your build. Having said that, if you're sure that you have room for it and can stomach its drab brown aesthetic, it should make you very happy.

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