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ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC

The flagship-of-flagships from ASUS, with a quad-fan cooler, vapor chamber, and aggressive factory overclock sat on top of Nvidia's current 4K powerhouse.

In stock16GB GDDR7DLSS 4 with multi-frame genQuad-fan cooler3.8-slot beastFactory overclocked
ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC
16GB GDDR7DLSS 4 with multi-frame genQuad-fan cooler3.8-slot beastFactory overclockedWatch review
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£1,535›

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Our verdictCompare Electronic editors

An absolute unit of a 5080, with quad-fan cooling, vapor chamber, and serious factory OC, for buyers who want the best partner card.

92/100
vs. other flagship 4K partner GPUs (£1200+)
Scored within its class as a flagship-tier 4K Nvidia card, not against mid-range GPUs or the RTX 5090 in a higher class above.
Best price found
£1,535
30-day low £1,499 · Average £1,519
See £1,535 deal at Amazon Uk →

What we think

Swipe or tap to explore what we like, what to watch for, and who it's for

+

One of the strongest 5080 coolers around

Four Axial-Tech fans, a patented vapor chamber, and a milled heatspreader give this card more thermal headroom than almost any other 5080 on the market. Sustained boost clocks hold rock-solid.

+

DLSS 4 with multi-frame generation

The latest Nvidia upscaling and frame generation stack, exclusive to the 50 series. Can roughly triple frame rates in supported titles, the biggest reason to choose a 50 series card over a 40 series at this price.

+

Aggressive factory overclock

Ships well above reference 5080 clocks with stable, validated speeds. The robust VRM and quad-fan cooler mean there's room for manual tuning too if you want to push further.

+

Premium build quality

Full metal die-cast shroud, reinforced backplate, and GPU Guard corner bracing for sag resistance. Feels like a card built to last and to hold its place in a high-end build.

In our testing

The Astral runs quieter and cooler than every other 5080 partner card we'd put against it, with real OC headroom on top. The premium is steep, but for buyers chasing the best partner cooler at this tier, it earns its place.

−

3.8-slot, four-fan monster

This is one of the biggest GPUs on the market. You need a full-size mid-tower or full-tower case with plenty of length and slot clearance. Forget about ITX or compact mATX builds entirely.

−

Eye-watering price premium

The Astral sits at the top of ASUS's stack and is priced accordingly. Cheaper 5080 partner cards deliver near-identical gaming performance, so the premium is for cooling, build quality and aesthetics.

−

360W TDP demands serious power

An 850W PSU is the minimum and a 1000W unit is sensible alongside a high-end CPU. The single 12VHPWR connector needs to be a quality native cable, properly seated, to avoid melting issues.

−

Diminishing returns over a 5080 FE

Performance over a Founders Edition 5080 is in the low single-digit percent range. Unless you specifically want the cooler, the build quality, or the OC headroom for manual tuning, you're paying a lot for a small gain.

Worth knowing

Stock and pricing on Astral cards have been volatile since the 5080 launch. Expect to pay a meaningful premium over MSRP, and check the included accessories carefully since some bundles add small but useful extras.

Best for

4K enthusiasts chasing the best partner card

If you're building a no-compromise 4K gaming PC, you have the case and PSU to support it, and you want the quietest, coolest 5080 partner card available, this is the one. Cooling and build feel a tier above the rest.

Skip if

Value-conscious buyers or compact builds

If you mainly want the 5080 chip and don't need the flagship cooler, cheaper 5080 partner cards deliver essentially the same gaming performance. And this card simply won't fit in a small case.

Our take

The Astral earns its premium for the buyer who wants the best of the best in a 5080. For everyone else, a TUF Gaming or budget partner card delivers the same frame rates for substantially less money.

How it performs & what it pairs with

Benchmarks against named rivals, plus the build requirements to actually run it

Benchmarks
Tested at 4K ultra settings, DLSS Quality where applicable
Cyberpunk 2077 (4K ultra, RT off)
ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC
122 fps avg
RTX 5080 FE
117 fps avg
RTX 5090
156 fps avg
Cyberpunk 2077 (4K ultra, RT ultra, DLSS Quality)
ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC
85 fps avg
RTX 5080 FE
82 fps avg
RTX 5090
115 fps avg
Alan Wake 2 (4K high, RT on, DLSS Quality)
ROG Astral RTX 5080 OC
88 fps avg
RTX 5080 FE
85 fps avg
RTX 5090
117 fps avg
Test bench

Tested with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, 32GB DDR5-6000, Windows 11 24H2 on a 1200W PSU. OC mode BIOS, latest driver at time of testing.

Build compatibility
What your PC needs
!
Case clearance
3.8-slot, quad-fan card needs a full-size mid-tower or full-tower with plenty of GPU length clearance. ITX and most mATX cases are flat-out incompatible.
✓
Power supply
850W is the floor for reliable operation. With a high-end CPU and any manual overclocking, step up to a quality 1000W or 1200W PSU for transient spike headroom.
✓
Motherboard slot
PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, fully backward compatible with PCIe 4.0 boards. No noticeable performance difference at this card's bandwidth between 4.0 and 5.0.
!
12VHPWR connector
Uses a single 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. Use a native cable from a modern ATX 3.0 PSU rather than the included adapter, and seat it fully home without sharp bends.
✓
CPU pairing
Pair with a Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Ryzen 9 9950X, Core Ultra 9 or better. Anything less and you're leaving 4K performance on the table thanks to CPU bottlenecking.

Performance breakdown

Scored relative to the class, not against flagship models

vs. other flagship 4K partner GPUs (£1200+)
92/100
Best in class scored 96
Class average 85
Lowest in class 70
4K rasterisation95 / 100
Near the top of the 4K class, only beaten by RTX 5090 cards
Ray tracing95 / 100
Excellent RT throughout, 4th-gen cores plus DLSS 4 multi-frame gen
Power efficiency75 / 100
Strong performance per watt for a flagship, though the OC dials up draw
Cooling headroom96 / 100
Quad-fan vapor chamber design holds boost clocks under sustained load

Watch it in action

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Who this is right for

Picture yourself in these scenarios. How well does this fit?

No-compromise 4K builder
Building a flagship-tier gaming PC and wants the best partner cooler on a 5080. Has the case, PSU, and budget to back it up.
Excellent fit
Overclocking enthusiast
Wants to push the chip past stock with manual tuning. The robust VRM, vapor chamber, and quad-fan cooler give plenty of thermal headroom for serious overclocking.
Good fit
Quiet-PC builder
Cares about acoustics as much as raw performance. The massive cooler runs quieter than smaller 5080 partner cards under sustained load, though it's still audible in a silent room.
Good fit
Value-focused 4K gamer
Plays at 4K but doesn't want to pay a premium for marginal performance gains. A standard 5080 partner card delivers nearly identical frame rates for significantly less money.
Look elsewhere

What every spec actually means

Numbers translated into real-world impact

vram_gb16

Plenty for 4K gaming today, including ray-traced titles with heavy textures. Won't choke on current games at 4K ultra, though 24GB cards above offer more long-term headroom for very heavy creator workloads.

tdp_w360

Heavy power draw, well above the reference 5080's 360W limit thanks to the factory OC. An 850W PSU is the minimum, 1000W is sensible with a high-end CPU and any further manual overclocking.

memory_bandwidth_gbps960

Vast bandwidth thanks to 30 Gbps GDDR7 on a 256-bit bus. Comfortable for 4K gaming with the heaviest textures and path tracing, where slower-memory cards start to bottleneck.

slots3.8

Genuinely huge. Takes up nearly four expansion slots in your case, so you need a roomy mid-tower or full-tower with plenty of GPU length and slot clearance. ITX and most mATX cases are out.

psu_recommendation_w850

Floor recommendation. The 360W TDP and transient power spikes mean an 850W or higher quality PSU is essential, with 1000W sensible alongside a Core i9 or Ryzen 9 build.

dlss_version4

Supports the latest Nvidia upscaling and frame generation stack, including multi-frame generation exclusive to the 50 series. The biggest single reason to choose Blackwell over older Ada Lovelace cards.

Complete specifications

Verified across manufacturer datasheets and retailer spec tables

All specs
slots
3.8
3 to 4 slots typical at this tier, this is 3.8
tdp w
360
300 to 575W class range, this sits mid at 360
ai tops
1899
·
vram gb
16
16 to 32GB at this tier, this is 16
gpu chip
GB203
·
backplate
true
·
fan count
4
3 to 4 fans typical, this has 4
cuda cores
10752
·
hdmi count
1
1 to 2 typical, this has 1
memory type
GDDR7
GDDR6X or GDDR7 in class, this is GDDR7
architecture
Blackwell
·
dlss version
4
DLSS 3 or 4 in class, this is DLSS 4
hdmi version
2.1
HDMI 2.1 standard across class
pcie version
5.0
PCIe 5.0 standard at this tier
release year
2025
·
rgb lighting
true
·
tensor cores
336
·
base clock mhz
2295
·
lithography nm
4
4nm or 5nm typical, this is 4nm
memory bus bit
256
256 to 512-bit at this tier, this is 256-bit
boost clock mhz
2617
2400 to 2700 MHz typical, this is 2617
power connectors
1x 16-pin
12VHPWR standard at this tier
displayport count
3
2 to 3 typical, this has 3
memory speed gbps
30
23 to 30 Gbps class range, this is at the top at 30
ray tracing cores
84
·
displayport version
2.1b
DP 1.4a or 2.1 in class, this is 2.1b
factory overclocked
true
·
psu recommendation w
850
850 to 1000W typical, this is 850
memory bandwidth gbps
960
700 to 1800 GB/s class range, this is 960
ray tracing generation
4th Gen
·

Common questions

The things people ask before buying this product

Is the ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 worth the premium?

Only if you specifically want the best partner cooler, the robust build quality, and the OC headroom. Cheaper 5080 partner cards deliver near-identical gaming performance for hundreds of pounds less.

What PSU do I need for the ROG Astral 5080?

Nvidia recommends 850W and that's the realistic floor. With a Core i9 or Ryzen 9 CPU and any manual overclocking, step up to a quality 1000W or 1200W unit for transient spike headroom.

Will the ROG Astral RTX 5080 fit my case?

This is a 3.8-slot, quad-fan card, one of the biggest on the market. You need a full-size mid-tower or full-tower with plenty of length clearance and at least four slots free. ITX and most mATX are out.

Is the 5080 enough for 4K gaming with ray tracing?

Yes, comfortably. With DLSS 4 multi-frame generation enabled it handles even heavy path-traced titles at 4K with strong frame rates. Native 4K ultra with full path tracing is the only scenario that stretches it.

If this isn't quite right

Better alternatives depending on what you actually need

Same chip, cheaper variant
nvidia geforce rtx 5080
A standard 5080 partner card delivers essentially identical gaming performance for usually £200 to £400 less, with a more sensible cooler size.
See review →
Flagship step up
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
Significantly more performance and 32GB of VRAM for genuine 4K maximalists, at a substantial price step up. Even larger and more power-hungry.
£3,800
See review →
AMD competitor
AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT
Much cheaper with strong rasterisation, but weaker ray tracing and no DLSS 4 multi-frame generation. A different tier and value proposition entirely.
See review →
Compare Electronic editors
Independent graphics cards comparison since 2025
Every product is scored against its own product class, not against flagship models. Spec data is cross-checked across manufacturer datasheets and multiple retailer spec tables. Prices are verified daily. We never rank by affiliate commission.
Read our methodology