ASUS ROG Strix Rx 580 O8G Gaming OC Edition Review – EnosTech.com

Asus ROG Strix Rx 580 O8G is a beautifully designed graphics card. It is a triple slot design yet with aesthetically pleasing looks and feels to it. Aura Sync adds the subtle touch when in operation and it speaks for itself. This design really complements the ROG series motherboards from the Asus. My test bench features the Asus ROG Rampage V Edition 10 and this card has complemented the looks of the motherboard very well.

Let’s dig deep in the design elements of this card and explore the mighty and the beauty of it. This card has the unique and stylish cooler shroud. The cooler shroud is made of plastic. Top and bottom cutouts on the cooler have LEDs on them which can be controlled with AURA Graphics Card software available on Asus website. The Central fan has ASUS brand name sticker pasted in white color on its fan hub whereas the other two fans have ROG Eye stickers pasted on the fan hub. With the curves, edges and grooves Asus not only has able to maintain the typical Strix looks it is known for but has given the user what could be described as one of the most stunning design.

Asus has taken a different approach with the ROG Strix Rx 580 O8G cooler design. They have increased the width of fin stack by 40% which has enabled them to have more surface area for effective heat dissipation across the complete surface. By doing that they have made the card to be effectively a 2.5 slot design. Asus is claiming this design to bring 30% more cooling and 3X quieter gaming performance.

Asus MaxContact is an industry-first GPU cooling technology that features an enhanced nickel plated copper plate that makes direct contact with the GPU. This plate is 10 times flatter than the traditional plates. MaxContact utilizes precision machining to provide a surface that makes up to 2X more contact with the GPU than traditional heat spreaders, resulting in the improved thermal transfer.

This card has 3 90mm fans with wing-blade design. The Central fan has Asus sticker pasted on the fan motor hub. The left and the right fans have ROG sticker pasted on them. These fans have an IP5X certification which means they are more dust resistant which would improve their reliability and a longer lifespan. Patented wing-blade fans delivers maximum air flow and 105% greater static pressure over the heat sink while operating at an up to 3X quieter volume than reference cards.

Innovative 0dB technology stops the fan completely when the GPU temperature remains below a defined thermal limit, letting you enjoy light gaming in complete silence. Please note that thermal limit would vary from model to model and brand to brand. 55C is the thermal limit for the Asus ROG Strix Rx 580 O8G.

Let’s take a look on the top side of the graphics card. STRIX is printed on the lower left part of the shroud. Fins are straight not angular as can be seen from the fin stack. Shroud is not fully covering the fin stack which is a must for effective heat dissipation. “Republic of Gamers” brand name and logo are on the top left side of the shroud. They have LED underneath and light up under operation.

The card requires one 8-pin power connector to power it up. The power connector has LED beneath it to indicate their status. Static white color would mean the normal power. Red color would indicate the power related issue.

Let’s have a look at the top front side of the graphics card. Shroud end is not fully covering the heat sink. Heads or terminating ends of the 5 heat pipes are visible. Fin stack run parallel in length to the PCB. Underneath we have two PWM fan headers. ASUS FanConnect II features two 4-pin, hybrid-controlled headers that can be connected to both PWM and DC system fans for optimal system cooling. The connected fans reference both the GPU and CPU, operating automatically based on the one with the higher temperature. One fan power connector and the RGB LED power connector are visible on the left side.

This end of the shroud has extended over the PCB and the heat sink which adds to the looks of the card from the front side and gives the impression of one complete design.

On the back side of the graphics card, we have a same metal back plate as has been on the Rx 400 series cards. It has printed lines in a pattern to signify Strix concept. We’ve large size ROG Eye in white background. This section is implemented with RGB LED and really adds to the cool looks of the card when in use. We can see one 8-pin power connector. There are what seem to be soldered overclocking tweaking points right next to the power connectors which are labelled from the inside or on the front side of the PCB. One of the screws on the GPU bracket is covered with the white sticker. Peeling or tearing that would void the warranty.

The rear side has the IO panel for the output. We have two HDMI ports, two Display Ports, and a DVI-D port. This configuration allows the user enjoy immersive virtual reality experiences anytime without having to swap cables by having a VR Device connected with other displays at the same time. Backside implementation allows the better cable management as well.

The bottom side of the card clearly shows the two fin stacks on the cooler. Thermal pads have been used to the possible point of contacts between PCB and the cooler. PCB color is black. This card has 7+1 power phases using Super Alloy Power II components. These components would enhance the efficiency, reduce the power loss and would achieve sustained thermal levels.

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%.