Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Best Money Can Buy
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2019
Out of the box, this card is a beast in physicality and performance. This is very much a case where you get what you pay for but with a severely hefty premium to boot (try not to buy this above MSRP as the price is ludicrous as it is). This card is best suited for 1440p or 4k gaming and should be paired with high end parts to maximize it's potential (motherboard, power supply, high-end CPU). Here are my specs for reference:
Corsair Obsidian 500D RGB
ASUS Maximus Code XI motherboard
Intel Core I9 9900k
Corsair Vengeance RGB 2 X 16GB 3200 MHz
Corsair H115i Platinum
Seasonic Prime Platinum 1300W
Samsung EVO Plus 1 TB NVMe
Now, let's dive into the fine details:
Build Quality:
Top notch. This is a long, heavy, and beefy graphics card. Calling it a beast is an understatement. It has good rigidity throughout and has minimal droop due to the reinforced body ASUS used. However, it's still a behemoth at 2.7 slot wide, which is slightly larger than the already thick ASUS Strix 1080 TI OC at 2.5 slots. Please be mindful of your case's clearance as it may cause problems if you're trying to use a smaller case or one with limited space. However, the card looks fierce and with RGB it looks even better (controlled through AURA software).
Performance:
Outstanding. Like the title says, this is the best money can realistically buy barring the RTX Titan. Out of the box performance allows for 1440p at 100+ fps and 4k at 60-70 fps depending on the title and how demanding it is. If you enable Ray Tracing, understand that there is a significant performance drop, even with DLSS enabled. At stock settings it runs quiet and cool, 60-65C. However, if you're buying this card, chances are you're looking to overclock this for maximum potential and this card makes that a breeze. ASUS has there own software (GPUTWEAKII) which works well for overclocking, however you can use whatever software you desire. Just know that when overclocking you should create a custom fan curve to accommodate the higher clocks. this is where personal preference comes into play. You can run it hard and loud or decent and quiet but not both. This card can run extremely cool with a decent overclock and an aggressive fan curve, which will result in noticeably louder fan noise. Nothing deal-breaking, but definitely not subtle. Temps typically never reach above 70C with a +110 MHz core overclock and +600 MHz memory overclock.
Price:
Ridiculous. Not worth it above MSRP. However, if you're even considering this card, you're probably not phased by the price. Whether the price tag is worth it to you is subjective. I previously owned a 1080 TI and I can say if you already own that card, the performance isn't worth the substantial price hike. That being said, I'm an enthusiast and bought this despite that fact and because I simply wanted the latest and greatest card.
Minor Considerations:
-RGB and overclocking are done using software you have to download, whether through ASUS or a third-party (although the RGB is exclusive to AURA).
-Ray Tracing and DLSS are a point of contention. If you value amazing lighting and visuals over performance, this card is the best you can get that will achieve that. However, if you prefer higher frame rates, Ray Tracing becomes akin to Nvidia Hairworks. They look pretty but aren't worth the performance drop in my opinion.
-My unit has minor coil whine, nothing crazy but definitely noticeable. It's widely reported that almost all 2080 TI's of all makes and models have some coil whine. I am noting this so any potential buyers are aware of this problem.
-This card requires substantial power output, so make sure your PSU can handle it especially if you're looking to overclock it (anywhere from 200-325W of power draw).
-On opening the box you get custom ASUS velcro cable ties and the drivers for the card on CD-ROMs.
