INTRODUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Running a high fever currently (39.4 - luckily pneumonia was ruled out) so instead of typing a really lengthy review (which I’m obviously unable to do) i instead decided to wrap up (probably) our tests of the GeForce RTX2070 Super series which we started roughly 3 weeks ago. So far, we've reviewed the factory overclocked AORUS RTX2070 Super and JetStream RT2070 Super models by GIGABYTE and Palit and today we'll be testing perhaps the most interesting model to date, the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 Super OC by ASUS.

   For years since its establishment, ASUS aimed to put an ever-greater emphasis on PC gaming. This process resulted in the 2006 founding of the Republic of Gamers brand (ROG), formed for the sole purpose of delivering the most innovative hardcore hardware for truly dedicated gamers. Since then, the efforts of the ROG team have led to a constant flow of PC gaming technology that has become legendary among enthusiasts for its performance. ROG is more than just hardware, though – we take an active part in the global gaming community, helping develop the industry by sponsoring events such as PAX and Dreamhack. Worldwide media have recognized ROG as a leader in PC gaming and overclocking performance, with many of our products winning awards and gaining very positive feedback from hardware pros. With this great response from gamers and the industry, ROG has all the resources it needs to keep working on enabling even better experiences – technology never sleeps, nor should the action!

   The ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 Super OC by ASUS is once again based on a cut-down version of the Turing TU104 GPU (instead of the TU106) which is also found in the more powerful RTX 2080/2080 Super models. This GPU features a total of 2560 shader units, 40 RT cores, 184 texture units, 320 tensor cores, 13.6 Billion transistors and a total of 8GB GDDR6 memory (256-bit, 14Gbps with a bandwidth of 448GB/s) making the RTX 2070 Super one of the most powerful cards created to date. Also, just like the AORUS and JetStream models the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 Super OC also uses an improved cooling system (dual-fans however this time) complete with RGB effects, rear backplate and a rather large GPU boost factory overclock of 1935MHz (165MHz over the stock/vanilla model). Other features include a dual-bios switch (performance/quiet mode), 0db technology (zero-fan), reinforced metal frame (metal brace) and an on/off switch for its Aura Sync RGB lighting system.

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASUS uses a rather colorful box to ship the card inside and typically we see a large product picture at the front along with the available memory and its main features.

 

 

The minimum system requirements are printed at the base of the box in 15 languages.

 

 

At the rear of the box ASUS is using a total of 6 pictures/drawings to showcase all the features and specifications of the ROG Strix RTX2070 Super OC.

 

 

Exactly like with the AORUS and JetStream models the ROG Strix card is also placed between two thick black foam spacers (a quick installation guide is placed at the top).

 

 

Along with the card you’ll also get a thank you note, quick installation guide and two cable straps.

 

 

 

THE ROG STRIX GEFORCE RTX 2070 SUPER OC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ROG Strix GeForce RTX2070 Super OC is a large 2.7-slot card (you still need 3 slots) that measures 299.7mm in length, 130.4mm in width/height and 54.1mm in thickness (at the front of the card there are two HDMI v2.0b connectors, two DisplayPort v1.4 connectors and a USB-C connector).

 

 

The three-fan system used in this model seems to be the most robust of all three models we’ve tested to date.

 

 

ASUS claims that these fans are designed in such a way that they feature Increased airflow and air pressure levels.

 

 

At the top we find the Republic Of Gamers logo which is also part of the RGB lighting system.

 

 

The dual-bios switch is located right at the top center of the card (performance mode is selected by default).

 

 

At the rear end of the card we see the two 8-pin power connectors and further down se see two 4pin fan connectors and an RGB sync connector.

 

 

The rear is taken by a large aluminum backplate (the ROG logo is visible here and part of the RGB lighting system) which not only protects components (and the PCB itself) it but also acts as a cooler for the PCB.

 

 

A small on/off button for the RGB lighting system is located at the rear top of the card.

 

 

GPU TWEAK II & AURA SOFTWARE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the main screen of the GPU Tweak II software you can see the current clocks, temperatures, V-RAM usage and enable the zero-fan speed mode.

 

 

The three presets at the top allow you to choose between gaming mode (1905MHz), silent mode (1875MHz) and overclocking mode (1935MHz).

 

 

The game booster option stops some services, removes some visual effects and clears system memory to improve your gaming experience.

 

 

Overclocking is especially easy from the advanced tab as seen above (once again we find the typical OC scan button which can help discover the maximum overclock headroom of your card).

 

 

Of course you can also monitor the status of the card from the extended tab on the left.

 

 

For good or bad you will need to download another software from ASUS via which to can control the RGB lighting system of the ROG Strix RTX2070 Super OC card called AURA.

 

 

The ROG Strix RTX 2070 Super OC model comes very close to the AORUS model in terms of looks (still i have to admit that i do prefer the AORUS model).

 

 

TEST BED

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TESTING METHODOLOGY

 

   Since we'll be using our latest test rig with our graphics cards tests, we also moved to another screen (Philips BDM4037UW) in order to also offer 4k Ultra HD tests. Of course, 2160p (3840x2160p) is not the only resolution we'll be testing cards with, we are also going to be testing them at 1080p Full HD (1920x1080p) and 1440p (2560x1440p). Also because far too many gamers own Ultra-Wide screens at first i wanted to use our AOC AGON AG352UCG monitor in order to also have its resolution of 3440x1440p in our charts but since it's plugged into our other test rig several meters away from this one i really had to choose (and 4k seemed like the better choice). This time over we also updated the list of benchmarks/games to include the Time Spy benchmark by UL, Assassin's Creed Odyssey by Ubisoft, Devil May Cry 5 by Capcom, Dreadnought by Yager, GEARS 5 by The Coalition, Metro Exodus by 4A Games, Star Citizen by Cloud Imperium Games and The Outer Worlds by Obsidian Entertainment. As with the past power saving is disabled in the cards we’re testing (maximum performance) and all tests are repeated a total of 3 times and in a fresh Windows 10 Pro installation with all updates installed until the day of our review (same as all the games used). Room temperature is as usual controlled and steady at 23 degrees Celsius for all tests and to record the temperatures of the cards we used AIDA64 and GPU-Z. Recording noise levels is done with an ExTech HD600 dBA meter from a distance of no more than half a meter away (exterior of case) while power consumption is measured again using GPU-Z.

 

 

TEST RESULTS - 3DMARK TIMESPY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time Spy was added in 3DMark back in 2016 with only 1 simple goal, to test the graphics of systems with Windows 10 and DirectX 12. Time Spy was used at default settings.

 

TEST RESULTS - ASSASSINS CREED ODYSSEY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is an action role-playing video game set in the year 431 BC and the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta and is based on the AnvilNext engine. For our tests we use the built-in benchmark of the game with FPS limit off, V-Sync off and the graphics set at high quality (because Assassins Creed Odyssey auto-detects your graphics card and sets settings accordingly the same graphics quality needs to be set manually every time).

 

TEST RESULTS - BORDERLANDS 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borderlands 3 is an action role-playing first-person shooter video game released back in late 2019 and is powered by Unreal Engine 4. Borderlands 3 has a very basic built-in benchmark which we set at DirectX 12 with unlimited frame rate and overall quality set to High.

 

TEST RESULTS - DEVIL MAY CRY 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devil May Cry 5 is an action-adventure hack and slash video game released in March 2019 and is based on the RE Engine like other titles by Capcom. Devil May Cry 5 doesn't feature his very own built-in benchmark so for that purpose we're using the latest version of Rivatuner Statistics Server with V-Sync Off, variable frame rate and all graphics settings set at High.

 

TEST RESULTS - DREADNOUGHT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dreadnought is a space combat simulation game released for the PC in late 2018 and is the 3rd game in our tests based on the Unreal Engine 4. Dreadnought used to come with its own built-in benchmark but since that was removed, we decided to use Rivatuner Statistics Server with V-Sync off and graphics set to High.

 

TEST RESULTS - GEARS 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gears 5 is a third-person shooter video game released back in mid-2019 and is powered by Unreal Engine 4 just like Borderlands 3. Gears 5 features a very convenient (not to mention fast) built-in benchmark which we use with V-Sync off, unlimited frame rate (none for minimum) and Ultra graphics quality.

 

TEST RESULTS - METRO EXODUS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter video game released in 2019 and is based on the 4A Engine. The latest game in the Metro series also features its very own benchmark utility which we set at DirectX 12 and Ultra graphics quality (we're also running RTX tests with NVIDIA graphics cards with that setting set at Ultra).

 

TEST RESULTS - STAR CITIZEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Star Citizen is an upcoming multiplayer space trading and combat game the main development of which started back in 2012 and is currently based on the Lumberyard game engine. Not only does Star Citizen come without any built-in benchmark (or utility) but it’s still in Alpha status meaning that this is not the most stable game title to use for our benchmarks (numerous graphics optimisations are expected between now and launch day). Still we wanted to have it in our charts for anyone interested and so we did by using Rivatuner Statistics Server with V-Sync turned off and the graphics set at High.

 

TEST RESULTS - THE OUTER WORLDS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Outer Worlds is an action role-playing game released back in late 2019 and is also based on the Unreal Engine 4. The Outer Worlds is yet another title we had to use Rivatuner Statistics Server with V-Sync off, unlimited frame rate and graphics set at Very High.

 

TEST RESULTS - OVERCLOCKING

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For this review we pushed the ROG Strix RTX 2070 Super OC a total of 65MHz on the core and 175MHz on the memories (all the other cards in the charts are also overclocked).

 

TEST RESULTS - POWER CONSUMPTION / TEMPERATURES / NOISE LEVELS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Since the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 Super OC by ASUS features the highest factory overclock most of our results where expected (as was the higher power consumption) and so at least in terms of performance right out of the box it’s the fastest model of the 3 we had the chance to review. The dual BIOS is a good touch for people who don’t want to use the GPU Tweak II software and it works (although even at performance mode the card is quite silent). When it comes to looks my favourite RTX2070 Super is still the AORUS model by GIGABYTE but the ROS Strix model does look a lot better compared to the JetStream one. As for overclock headroom it’s easy to see that ASUS is doing very well in that area as well and so our results are equally good.

   Right now, the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 Super OC by ASUS retails for USD584.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 639Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) a price tag which puts it right next to the RTX 2070 Super JetStream by Palit and several other models. With that in mind however the ROG Strix model is not only faster compared to the JetStream model but it also looks better and has higher overclocking potential which is why it comes highly recommended by us and also gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality (Backplate / Reinforced Metal Frame)
- Very Good Performance
- Factory Overclock
- Overclocking Headroom
- Dual BIOS (Performance / Quiet)
- Lighting On/Off Button
- Looks (RGB System)
- Supported Technologies (Real Time Ray Tracing & Deep Learning Super Sampling)

CONS

- Price (For Some)
- Size (2.7 Slot Card)