ASUS’ ROG ASTRAL is our favourite GPU design of CES 2025
ASUS put Push-Pull fans on their newest ROG graphics card – Meet the ROG ASTRAL
OC3D is at CES 2025, and following Nvidia’s RTX 50 series GPU reveal, we headed to the ASUS booth to examine their new GeForce Blackwell graphics cards. To sum up our experience there, we were impressed. All of the GPU models shown have a reworked design, and so far, we think ASUS’ new ROG ASTRAL GPU may be our favourite graphics card of CES 2025.
ASUS’ new ROG Astral graphics card sits above the company’s ROG Strix lineup. So far, ASUS has only revealed RTX 5090 and RTX 5080 models for their new ASTRAL GPU, cementing it as an ultra-high-end product line.
What’s interesting about the ROG Astral is that it uses a “push-pull” heatsink design, using four fans to cool the GPU instead of three. ASUS has claimed that this design gives their new GPU 20% more airflow than a traditional 3-fan heatsink design.
Another change that ASUS has made with its latest GPUs is its decision to use phase-change thermal pads. These pads deliver optimised heat transfer characteristics and increased longevity over traditional thermal interface materials. This should result in better cooling performance for users, and remove the need to “repaste” their GPU after long-term use.
ASUS has also stated that their ROG Astral series makes use of premium power delivery components, which have 35%more headroom than standard 80A MISFETs. Furthermore, ASUS has invested in a protective PCB coating that helps protect their GPUs from short circuits caused by moisture and debris. In other words, ASUS has built their new Astral GPUs to last.
While these changes are all welcome, what we like most about this new ROG GPU is its aesthetic. It’s a refreshing change from ASUS’ ROG Strix lineup. There’s also something that feels pretty old-school about using push-pull fans. It makes us think of high-end liquid-cooled systems, and we are honestly surprised that nobody has tried this yet.
ASUS’ ROG Astral is also available as a liquid-cooled GPU
ASUS has also confirmed that they will be releasing ROG ASTRAL LC RTX 5090 GPU models. This GPU features a similar design to the standard ROG Astral, but we prefer the look of the air-cooled model. However, we will note that ASUS claims that this liquid-cooled model runs 30% cooler than its air-cooled counterpart. This is thanks to its “extra-thick” 360mm liquid cooling radiator.
Sometimes, you see a product that makes you immediately think, “I want that.” ASUS’ RTX 50-series ROG ASTRAL GPUs gave us that feeling at CES 2025. For that reason, this GPU deserves an OC3D “Best of CES 2025” award. I hope it works as good as it looks.
You can join the discussion on ASUS’ ROG Astral RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 graphics cards on the OC3D Forums.
