FAST & FURIOUS

ASUS ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 4090 OC

- Hoots the Owl and Aaron Yip

IMAGES ASUS, HOOTS THE OWL AND AARON YIP, 123RF

The ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 OC makes a beastly card even beefier. With the GeForce RTX 4090 already topping performance benchmarks and setting a new standard for what 4K gaming numbers should really look like, the question of which custom card to buy will largely come down to looks and each card's unique cooling solution. The ASUS card is massive, making the already gargantuan Founders Edition model look svelte in comparison. It measures a good 357mm long, which means that clearance could possibly become an issue in some cases. Even the popular NZXT H510 Elite will find the card a tight fit-plus, there will be zero room for any front-mounted radiator,

This is also a 3.5-slot card, or basically four slots in practice. However, the IO bracket only takes up two slots. If you’re worried about the card sagging and damaging your PCIe slot in the long run, an included graphics card holder should help provide some additional support.

It owes its expansive girth to the ridiculously chunky heatsink. The heatsink fins sit 90 degrees relative to the length of the card, which means that hot air is exhausted out the top of the card instead of being vented toward the back. This may be something to take note of if you’re planning the orientation of your case fans.