After the GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Editon, Asus has once again teamed up with the Austrian cooler specialist Noctua and implemented the GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition, which was almost eagerly awaited in autumn 2021. This model also outclassed all of the competition in the test.
Table of contents
- 1 And again the competition is outclassed
- Asus and Noctua leave the RTX 3070 the 3080
- The Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition in detail
- This is how the Asus RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition clocks in games
- 2 benchmarks, volume and other measurements
- Benchmarks in Ultra HD
- Volume & Cooling
- Power consumption
- Overclocking
- 3 Conclusion
Asus and Noctua leave the RTX 3070 the 3080
It was a made-to-measure debut: In autumn 2021, Asus teamed up with the Austrian cooler specialist Noctua and, with the GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua OC Edition (test), not only presented the quietest GeForce RTX 3070 ever tested by ComputerBase, but also one of the coolest . The assembled custom design competition was outclassed in one fell swoop.
It was still unclear at the time whether the cooperation between Asus and Noctua would continue after the first attempt – the success of the 3070 should decide about it. The project obviously worked, because now Asus is launching the second model, the GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition, which is located above the other graphics card.
But can Asus and Noctua repeat the success of the GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition? The test will clarify that. With a power consumption of 340 watts and thus 100 watts more than the first edition, the requirement profile for the cooler is increasing, but the competition also has to dissipate more waste heat on a GeForce RTX 3080.
The Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition in detail
The Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition is strongly based on the GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua OC Edition and follows the same recipe for success. The graphics card itself is based on the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 TUF: the clock speeds are identical, as is the PCB. The heatsink underneath the fans and the radiator shroud is also based on the TUF model of the 3080, but has been drilled out.
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The Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC 
The back of the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC 
The power connectors of the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC 
The monitor connections of the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC
There is a larger TUF cooler under the hood
Instead of a height of only 32 mm for the TUF, the heat sink of the Noctua is 42 mm, the overall width has also been increased by 9 mm to 120 mm and the distance between the heat pipes has increased by 6 mm to 94 mm. But not only the dimensions of the heat sink have changed. The original TUF design includes a separate heatsink for memory and a copper plate for the GPU, while the Noctua design relies on a single, larger copper plate that takes care of the GPU and GDDR6X memory at the same time. This is to prevent excessive memory temperatures from slowing down the graphics card in any way.
On the left the cooler of the 3080 Noctua, on the right the cooler of the 3080 TUF (Image: Noctua) The two fans are again the NF-A12x25 PWM, which costs around 27 euros each – Noctua's flagship model when it comes to fans. The diameter is 120 mm, the maximum speed is 2,000 revolutions per minute, the connection cables have been shortened.
The fans are glued to the heat sink on the graphics card using double-sided adhesive pads, and the screwed-on fan frame ensures a secure hold. The combination of an enlarged heat sink and 25 mm high fans ensures a width of 4.3 slots – as much as the GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua OC Edition.
The Noctua OC Edition is shorter than the TUF variant, with a length of still 30.5 cm, a height of 14.5 cm and a width of 8.1 cm (4.3 slot), the model first has to be placed in its own case fit. Most of the time this shouldn't be a problem, but it's always a good idea to check before you buy.
Fan curve, clock rates and BIOS versions
As it should be, the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition turns off the two axial fans for silent operation on the Windows desktop. From a GPU temperature of around 50 °C, they start at just over 500 rpm and level off at 800 rpm before the final speed is finally reached depending on the temperature. If you want, you can also easily create a manual control of the graphics card. It has been shown that the two NF-A12x25, at least on the test example, run without any problems at only 250 revolutions per minute and can keep the speed stable. More speed is only needed to start, but the graphics card then reduces it automatically.
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The cooler of the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC
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The cooler of the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC 
The cooler of the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC In terms of clock speeds, the GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition is identical to the GeForce RTX 3080 TUF OC. Accordingly, the base clock works at 1,440 MHz, the average turbo at 1,785 MHz and the 10 GB GDDR6X memory at 9,504 MHz. If that's not enough for you, you can use Asus' Tool GPUTweak II increase the boost to 1,815 MHz. 340 watts is the maximum power consumption of the graphics card, it can be increased manually to 375 watts. Two 8-pin power connectors are required for operation.
Asus has equipped the GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition with two BIOS versions. The Quiet BIOS is active by default, alternatively the Performance BIOS can be activated with fan control optimized for cooling performance. The test model came with an active performance BIOS, but that should be different in stores.
Without (RGB) LEDs in the Noctua Braun design
What the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition does not have, in contrast to the TUF and almost all other custom designs of the GeForce RTX 3080, is RGB lighting or another light source. Noctua simply doesn't have any illuminated fans in its portfolio, and Asus doesn't install any LEDs in the fan frame either. That's certainly a good thing, because Noctua fans and RGB would at least be a combination that would take a lot of getting used to.
However, this also applies without lighting, because the cooler, like the fans, comes in the classic Noctua colors, which are immediately recognizable with the brown tone, but are not something for every taste. The feel of the graphics card, on the other hand, is very good. The heat sink is of high quality and the processing of the two fans is far superior to all others in the graphics card segment. The frame also makes a decent impression, although it is only made of plastic. There is still some room for improvement here.
Noctua OC Edition Asus RTX 3070
Noctua OC Edition Card PCB -Design Asus Length, width 30.5 cm, 14.5 cm 30.5 cm, 14.0 cm Weight 1,840 g 1,571 g Power supply 2 × 8-pin cooler design Noctua, 4.3 slots Heat sink aluminum radiator with copper core
6 heat pipes aluminum radiator with aluminum core
, 5 heat pipes fan 2 × 120 mm (axial)
(NF-A12x25) Fan switched off (2D) Yes Start-up speed 530 revolutions 560 revolutions Clock
(power saving mode) GPU base 1,440 (210) MHz 1,500 (210) MHz GPU average 1,785 MHz 1,875 MHz GPU maximum 1,965 MHz 1,980 MHz Memory 9,504 (405) MHz 7,000 (405) MHz Memory size 10 GB GDDR6X 8 GB GDDR6X Power consumption Standard TDP 340 watts 240 watts Maximum TDP 375 watts 270 watts Ports 3 x DisplayPort 1.4 DSC
2 x HDMI 2.1
Priced at TUF-Strix level
Asus has not given an RRP for the new Noctua OC Edition in advance. If the price situation is similar to the GeForce RTX 3070, the model would have to be placed between the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Strix and TUF. Because the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 as TUF and Strix currently costs almost identical 1,000 euros, it is difficult to judge whether the Noctua Edition will be above, below or at the same price level.
Asus RTX 3090 Ti TUF (Top) and Asus RTX 3080 Noctua (Bottom) This is how the Asus RTX 3080 Noctua OC Edition clocks in games
1,965 MHz is the highest clock recorded on the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC at any point during the test series. However, this is not a frequency that is used in games with high loads, where 1935 MHz is the maximum. Ultimately, however, this value only applies in low resolutions and when the power limit is fully extended.
In contrast, the frequencies are a good deal lower in demanding games and high resolutions such as Ultra HD. In the test, the graphics card clocked at an average of 1,742 to 1,836 MHz in the factory state, depending on the game. Thus, the clock is almost on the level of Nvidia's Founders Edition, the differences are very small. Apparently, the model cannot convert the additional 20 watts into a higher frequency.
Quiet BIOS 1,797 MHz 1,832 MHz 1,742 MHz 1,836 MHz Asus RTX 3080 Noctua
Performance BIOS 1,808 MHz 1,847 MHz 1,760 MHz 1,847 MHz
With the alternative performance BIOS the temperatures are then slightly lower and the clock rates slightly higher, although the differences are small. In the four test games, the graphics card ran at 1760 to 1847 MHz, which is 11 to 18 MHz faster than with the Quiet BIOS active by default. However, as the benchmarks will show, this has no practical impact.
And even in the 30-minute cycle of Doom Eternal, there are only small differences between the two BIOS versions. Like every current GeForce graphics card, the Asus GeForce RTX 3080 Noctua OC clocks slightly higher in the first few seconds of a load phase, but then there is a fairly even frequency that fluctuates within a small range. Whether the model is operated with the Quiet or the Performance BIOS makes no difference in this respect.
Clock curve – Ultra HD, Doom Eternal 1.6001.7001.8001.9002.000MHz 11002003004005006007008009001.0001.1001.2001.3001.4001.5001.6001ul seconds class =”svgchart-items” style=”column-count:2″>
< li class="svgchart__item js-svgchart-item" data-item="357179"> Asus RTX 3080 Noctua OC @ Performance BIOS
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