ASUS unveils its ProArt RTX 5080, and it features an M.2 slot for SSD storage
ASUS’ newest RTX 5080 graphics card contains an M.2 slot for added SSD storage
As part of a Computex 2025 recap video, ASUS has showcased its ProArt RTX 5080 SSD (via Videocardz and UNIKO’s Hardware). This new graphics card features an M.2 slot, enabling users to install an additional PCIe 5.0 SSD within their systems. This is excellent news for ProArt users, as professional users tend to want access to as much fast storage as possible. An M.2 slot can be used to add up to 8TB of SSD storage to a system, which is a BIG upgrade.
ASUS has used PCIe bifurcation to add this M.2 slot. This means that the sixteen PCIe 5.0 connectors at the base of this GPU are shared between Nvidia’s RTX 5080 and this GPU’s M.2 slot. This isn’t a major problem, as Nvidia’s RTX 5080 is unlikely to utilise the full bandwidth of this GPU’s PCIe slot. That said, this M.2 slot is taking away PCIe bandwidth that Nvidia’s RTX 5080 could utilise.
SSDs installed on this GPU benefit from the airflow provided by this GPU’s heatsink/fans. This ensures low operating temperatures during heavy storage workloads.
ASUS’ ProArt RTX 5080 SSD features a unique design
UNIKO’s Hardware notes that ASUS has used a highly customised PCB design to create this graphics card. Its GPU is oriented differently from other RTX 5080 series GPUs. Another unusual addition to this GPU is its support for USB Type-C, which is rare on RTX 50 series GPUs.
This is not the first time that ASUS has added M.2 storage to a graphics card. ASUS created an RTX 4060 Ti model that featured a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. Since the RTX 4060 Ti only uses eight PCIe lanes, its added M.2 slot does not steal bandwidth away from the graphics card. This make its design simpler than ASUS’ RTX 5080 ProArt SSD.
the most interesting thing about proart 5080 ssd is not the typec nor the ssd slot, but the rotation of the gpu die at 90 degrees.
afaik this is the most unique design that no one else does. the PCB layout must be something. pic.twitter.com/xJCoOwerbo— UNIKO's Hardware 🌠(@unikoshardware) June 11, 2025
Currently, it is unknown when ASUS plans to launch this new ProArt series GPU, or how much it will cost. If/when this GPU launches, we expect it to be expensive. This highly custom-designed product will not be cheap. Furthermore, it is marketed at a premium clientele. If you need another M.2 slot after filling your motherboard, you are probably spending thousands on storage alone…
You can join the discussion on ASUS’ ProArt RTX 5080 SSD Edition on the OC3D Forums.
