Tag Archives: ASUS

Shocking Reason Why ASUS Z690 Motherboards Are Melting!

ASUS Z690 Hero owners are FUMING because their motherboards are MELTING, SMOKING and CATCHING ON FIRE!

Take a look at the SHOCKING REASON why these premium motherboards are literally melting down…

 

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : Potential Fire Hazard?!

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero owners are complaining on social media, and in the ASUS Support Forum, that their premium motherboards are literally burning up!

In fact, one user, TheMaxXHD, had two of his ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards die in just 3 days, with one actually catching on fire!

Late at night I am merely surfing the web and all of a sudden it hard shuts off again, and this time when I look over there I see a component on the motherboard literally on fire.

Other users reported hearing loud pops, and either smelling or seeing smoke wafting from their ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards, before shutting down.

Even users who were lucky not to experience a fire or melting components, reported that their ASUS Z690 Hero motherboards were unstable, rebooting on and off.

The motherboard’s Q Code display would also show Error Code 53, which refers to a memory error. However, replacing or swapping the memory modules will not solve the problem.

 

Why ASUS Z690 Hero Motherboards Are Melting / Catching On Fire!

Users who reported problems with their ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards, have noted that they were melting / smoking / catching on fire in roughly the same area – between the last DIMM slot and the Q Code display.

In that location, you can see two MOSFETs (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors), but they are apparently not the cause.

According to a YouTuber called Buildzoid, the capacitor next to those two MOSFETs are the likely cause of the melting / smoking / catching on fire.

He pointed out that the etched text on the capacitor is upside down, which suggests that they were incorrectly installed in reverse!

In this comparison, the reversed capacitor is seen in the picture on the left, with the positive terminal on the left, instead of to the right, as seen on the picture on the right.

When such a capacitor is installed in reverse polarity, it will not only fail to work, it will actually act as a short circuit.

This quickly creates hydrogen gas (which is flammable!), and eventually destroys the capacity and could even start a fire.

There is no doubt that installing capacitors in reverse polarity is a dangerous mistake.

 

ASUS Confirms Reversed Capacitor On Z690 Hero Motherboards!

ASUS confirmed Buildzoid’s assessment, stating that they have “preliminarily identified a potential reversed memory capacitor issue in the production process“.

They also confirmed that the reversed capacitor issue affects units manufactured in 2021, with the part number 90MB18E0-MVAAY0 and serial numbers starting with MA, MB, or MC.

They did not, however, reveal how this dangerous mistake happened, or why their quality control (QC) measures failed to pick up the mistake.

To identify whether your ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboard is affected by this reversed memory capacitor mistake, you can check the part and serial numbers in the product packaging label.

ASUS also created a serial number tool, for you to check if your motherboard is affected.

 

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : Is There A Recall?

Unfortunately, there is no general recall of the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero.

While ASUS admitted that there is a reversed memory capacitor issue, they did not recall the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards.

They only stated that they are going to continue their “thorough inspection” with their suppliers and customers, and “will be working with relevant government agencies on a replacement program“.

It is unknown why ASUS would need to work with government agencies on a replacement program, but for now – there is no recall program.

Neither did ASUS get back to the user whose Z690 Hero motherboard caught on fire after 2 weeks :

I have heard nothing from them. I sent them via reddit dm my second board’s serial number that I had returned to my local microcenter, which was the board that actually caught on fire, so they have a paper trail to follow and maybe retrieve that board from the store, and I explained the issue.

My only hope is they are actually looking into this, because it is a serious concern. However, I have heard nothing, so I don’t know.

One can only hope, but if they just sit there doing nothing, its a pretty big shame, as Asus support is one of the supposed big reasons why people buy Asus

 

ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero : What Should You Do?

It is unfortunate that ASUS did not recall all affected ROG Maximus Z690 Hero motherboards. The memory capacitor installed in reverse polarity poses a real danger, and is a fire hazard.

Therefore, it would be advisable to avoid buying the ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Hero until this issue is resolved satisfactorily.

If you are using a Z690 Hero motherboard that is affected by this issue, you should IMMEDIATELY STOP USING IT, and reach out to ASUS.

Until ASUS agrees to fix the affected motherboards, the ROG Maximus Z690 Hero should only be used by “Those Who Dare” to risk damage, or worse, from the reversed memory capacitor…

If possible, return the motherboard for a full refund, or exchange it for alternative motherboards like the GIGABYTE AORUS Z690 Master (US | UK | AU | SG | MY), like TheMaxXHD whose Z690 Hero caught fire :

I have since swapped out the board for a Gigabyte Aorus Z690 Master and has been going just fine for almost a full week. Nothing else was changed other than the motherboard, indicating to me, this is a motherboard issue.

All in all, it appears like some boards have components in flames, some merely just become bricked with code 53. In any case, I would advise avoiding until and if Asus responds.

 

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AMD Smart Access Memory (Resizable BAR) Guide

Find out what AMD Smart Access Memory is all about, and how to turn it on for a FREE BOOST in performance!

 

Smart Access Memory : PCIe Resizable BAR for AMD!

Smart Access Memory is AMD’s marketing term for their implementation of the PCI Express Resizable BAR (Base Address Registers) capability.

What does that mean exactly?

CPUs are traditionally limited to a 256 MB I/O memory address region for the GPU frame buffer. This of it as an “data dump” for stuff like textures, shaders and geometry.

Since this “data dump” is limited to 256 MB, the CPU can only send texture, shader and geometry data as and when the GPU requires them.

This introduces some latency – delay from when the GPU requires the data, and the CPU send them.

Turning on Resizable BAR or Smart Access Memory greatly expands the size of that data dump, letting the CPU directly access the GPU’s entire frame buffer memory.

Instead of transferring data when requested by the GPU, the CPU processes and stores the data directly in the graphics memory.

Graphics assets can be transferred to graphics memory in full, instead of in pieces. In addition, multiple transfers can occur simultaneously, instead of being queued up.

While this AMD graphic above suggests that Smart Access Memory will widen the memory path (and thus memory bandwidth) between the CPU and GPU, that is not true.

Smart Access Memory / Resizable BAR will not increase memory bandwidth.

What it does is let the CPU directly access the entire GPU frame buffer memory, instead of using the usual 256 MB “dump”. That reduces latency because the graphics assets are now accessible by the GPU at all times.

 

AMD Smart Access Memory : Performance Gains

According to AMD, enabling Smart Access Memory will give you a small but free boost of 5% to 11% in gaming performance.

Here is a summary of the test results from our article, RX 6800 XT Smart Access Memory Performance Comparison!

You can expect up to 16% better performance in some games, but no effect in certain games. But overall, you get a free boost in performance. There is simply no reason not to enable Smart Access Memory.

1080p Resolution (1920 x 1080)

1440p Resolution (2560 x 1440)

2160p Resolution (3840 x 2160)

 

AMD Smart Access Memory : Requirements

Since Smart Access Memory is just an AMD implementation of PCI Express Resizable BAR. Therefore, it can be be implemented for all PCI Express 3.0 and PCI Express 4.0 graphics cards and motherboards.

However, AMD is currently limiting it to a small subset of components, having validated it only for their new Ryzen 5000 series CPUs, select Ryzen 3000 Series Processors and Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards.

So this is what you currently require to enable AMD Smart Access Memory :

Hardware

Software

  • AMD Radeon Software Driver 20.11.2 or newer
  • Latest Motherboard BIOS (AMD AGESA 1.1.0.0 or newer)

AMD currently recommends these X570 motherboards, because they have updated BIOS available :

 

AMD Smart Access Memory : How To Enable It?

If you have all of those supported components above, and updated your motherboard BIOS, you need to manually enable Smart Access Memory.

Now, the method will vary from motherboard to motherboard, and it probably won’t even be called Smart Access Memory.

Instead, look for variations of Above 4G Decoding, or Resizing BAR, or Resizable BAR, or Re-Size BAR Support.

AMD Generic Method

AMD has provided these generic steps to enable Smart Access Memory :

  1. Enter the System BIOS by press <DEL> or <F12> during the system startup.
  2. Navigate to the Advanced Settings or Advanced menu.
  3. Enable “Above 4G Decoding” and “Re-Size BAR Support“.
  4. Save the changes and restart the computer.

Step-by-Step Method For ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero

In our guide, we are using the ASUS CROSSHAIR VIII Hero (AMD X570) motherboard, as an example :

  1. First you will need to turn off CSM (Compatibility Support Module), or make sure it’s disabled.Go to the Boot menu and look for a CSM / Compatibility Support Module option.

  1. Set CSM (Compatibility Support Module) to Disabled.

  1. Go to the Advanced menu and look for the PCI Subsystem. In other motherboards, look for PCIe / PCI Express configuration options.

  1. Enable Above 4G Decoding.

  1. This will give you access to the Re-Size BAR Support option. Set it to Auto.

  1. Now go to the Exit menu, and select Save Changes & Reset.

  1. It will ask you to confirm the changes. Just verify both, and click OK.

After the motherboard reboots, AMD Smart Access Memory (PCIe Resizable BAR) will be enabled for your Ryzen 5000 series CPU and Radeon RX 6000 series graphics card!

 

CSM Warning For GIGABYTE AORUS X570 Master

AMD currently recommends these X570 motherboards, because they have updated BIOS available :

CSM is disabled by default for the ASUS, ASRock and MSI motherboards. However, it is enabled by default in the GIGABYTE AORUS X570 Master.

If you installed Windows without first turning CSM off, it will be configured as non-UEFI. It will NOT boot if you enable Resizable BAR Support (Smart Access Memory).

You will need to reinstall Windows with CSM support disabled.

 

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Gaming PC Catches Fire : Was It The RTX 3090 Or The PSU?

A Chinese gamer recently found his gaming PC on fire. Not like raking up the FPS in a game, but literally ON FIRE.

Take a look at the pictures, and tell us what do you think was the culprit!

 

Gaming PC Catches Fire : Was It The RTX 3090 Or The PSU?

A Chinese gamer came back from lunch, to find out that his PC was smoking and then, it caught fire and burned to a crisp. The fire took out the PlayStation 5 that was next to it.

He shared that his gaming PC was assembled in January 2020, and he only upgraded it last week with the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3090 graphics card, and the Seasonic PRIME TX-1000 power supply.

That led to claims that it was either one of those two components that caused the fire. Take a look at these pictures, and see if you can figure out what happened…

Those who claim that no PS5 were injured in this fire, you can actually see the melted PlayStation 5 console to the left of the burnt gaming PC.

This was what it looked like inside the Cooler Master C700M chassis, after the fire was extinguished.

The yellow powder is ammonium phosphate, which is the main compound in dry chemical fire extinguishers. Great for quickly dousing electrical fires, but horrible for cleaning up.

There is literally nothing to salvage from this gaming PC – ammonium phosphate is corrosive and sticks to everything.

This is what the ASUS ROG Strix RTX3090 graphics card looked like after being strayed with fire extinguishing powder.

Note that the three 8-pin PCI Express power cables connected to the card have been burnt down to their copper wires, which turn green when oxidised.

Good cable management didn’t help against the fire… The green “fibres” are exposed copper wires in the cables – copper turns green when oxidised.

Here is what it looks like from the back of the motherboard tray…

While the Seasonic PRIME Titanium TX-1000 power supply appears intact, it is still a suspect and a possible accessory to the “crime”.

In fact, it looked like the power supply continued to supply electricity to whatever short circuit set off the fire, turning it into a major blaze.

Update : The gamer pointed out that he used only the original PSU cables. No third-party cables.

The wall behind the PC was scorched, and while the power points were initially suspected to be the cause, they were later ruled out – they are still working.

 

What Do You Think Made This Gaming PC Catch Fire?

This was the system specifications of his gaming PC :

CPU : Intel Core i9-9900KS
CPU Cooler : Corsair Hydro H150i Pro
Motherboard : ASUS ROG Maximus XI HERO
RAM : 4 x 8 GB G.SKILL DDR4-3200
Graphics Card : ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 3090 Gaming *
Storage : 2 x 500 GB Samsung 970 Evo Plus, 2TB Hikvision C2000 Pro
Chassis : Cooler Master C700M
Chassis Fans : 6 x ThermalTake Riing Plus 12

Power Supply : Seasonic PRIME Titanium TX-1000 **

* it was called an ASUS ROG RTX 3090 Raptor in the translation, apparently ASUS used 猛禽 instead of Strix in China, and that translates as Raptor.
** for those who have never heard of Seasonic, it is one of the largest PSU makers in the world

So what do you think set off the fire? Could it really be the ASUS ROG Strix RTX 3090 Gaming graphics card? Another case of overheating ROG graphics cards?

Or was it the Seasonic PRIME Titanium TX-1000 power supply? It may be top-of-the-line, but nothing is infallible!

Or could it be some other component? Like the motherboard? Or did the CPU water cooler leak? Tell us what YOU think!

 

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RTX 3070 / 3080 / 3090 Availability Not The BIG Problem…

The availability of GeForce RTX 3070, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards is not really the BIG problem for most gamers…

There are actually many RTX 3070, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards for sale… if you can afford them!

 

RTX 3070 / 3080 / 3090 Availability Not The BIG Problem…

Together with the newly-launched Radeon RX 6800 XT, the GeForce RTX 3070, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 are the most popular gaming upgrades this holiday season.

Many gamers are gripping about how difficult it is to buy one, but a quick check reveals that there are really quite a lot of RTX 3070, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards for sale.

Sure, they are not as abundant as the RTX 2080 SUPER, RTX 2070 SUPER and RTX 2060 SUPER when they were launched; but you can still find quite a few of them online.

Here is a list of RTX 3070, RTX 3080 and RTX 3090 graphics cards available online, as of 27 November 2020 :

MALAYSIA

SINGAPORE

UNITED STATES

United Kingdom

AUSTRALIA

 

RTX 3070 / 3080 / 3090 : Their Price Is The BIG Problem!

As the list above shows, there are many shops selling all three cards. The only country where there appears to be some shortage would be the UK.

The bigger problem really is the absurd prices some of these cards are selling for at these online shops.

The GeForce RTX 3070 has a starting price of $499, while the GeForce RTX 3080 has a starting price of $699. Yet they are both selling for 2-3X that in the US and the UK, and 50-100% more in other countries.

Only the GeForce RTX 3090, with its astronomical starting price of $1,499, has not seen ridiculous price scalping. It is only 20-30% more expensive around the world.

Of course, price is highly-dependent on supply and demand, but that is partly because NVIDIA and their partners appear to be closing an eye on scalping.

Until there is some price control, it appears to be profitable for some retailers to hold onto their cards, and offer them at high price points.

The only way around this is for consumers to hold off on buying overpriced cards, and opt for older cards with far better value instead.

What’s wrong with the RTX 2080 SUPER, RTX 2070 SUPER and RTX 2060 SUPER? Absolutely nothing.

So they are not the fastest cards in the world, but they are still very powerful graphics cards in their own right. Heck, are you buying a graphics card to play games, or to show off?

Instead of getting frustrated at scalpers, buy the best value graphics card you can afford and go play some games!

 

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Did AMD Just Spank ASUS For ROG Overheating Fiasco?

It looks like ASUS got spanked by AMD after publishing their gungho article accusing AMD for causing their ROG cards to overheat.

ASUS just amended their article to speak in far more respectful tones, with interesting tidbits on who was really to blame for the whole ROG overheating fiasco…

 

Overheating ASUS ROG RX 5700 Cards : What’s Going On?

The ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700 are two of the more premium and expensive RX 5700 series graphics cards in the market, boasting premium alloy chokes, solid polymer capacitors, triple fans with axial fan blades, and a large and heavy heatsink.

They also feature the ASUS MaxContact Technology, which DOUBLES the cooler’s contact surface with the GPU for maximum thermal transfer.

Despite such an impressive list of premium power and cooling capabilities, users noticed that their expensive ASUS ROG RX 5700 cards keep overheating because the screws mounting the cooler were “loose”.

 

ASUS finally admitted the problem but blamed AMD for causing it on Valentine’s Day. Remember when lovers used to give each other flowers and chocolates? LOL!

They even created this infamous pressure vs temperature chart to prove that they were not at fault, and users should blame AMD.

With the exception of ASUS fans, that accusation and chart got roundly derided because :

  • AMD recommendations were for their reference design, not AIB custom designs
  • ASUS cards based on the AMD reference design did not have overheating problems
  • custom designs from other brands did not have overheating problems
  • ASUS TUF Gaming cards had overheating problems of a different nature

Recommended : ASUS TUF RX 5700 Cards Are Also Overheating, Remember?

Courtesy of the awesome Hardware Unboxed guys!

 

Looks Like AMD Spanked ASUS For ROG Overheating Fiasco…

Someone in the know just pointed out to us that ASUS quietly removed the chart and changed their article, which was curiously backdated to 15 February.

It really looked like AMD handed ASUS a nice spanking for their absurd accusations, because look at how meek and subservient their new statement looks like :

Initial batches of ROG Strix RX 5700-series graphics cards were torqued to 30-40 PSI based on AMD’s baseline recommendations.

While those guidelines provided leeway to apply more torque, we took a cautious approach because were [sic] dealing with a new 7nm GPU and didn’t want to risk damage to the die.

After receiving user reports regarding temperature issues, we performed extended R&D testing to find the optimal PSI range for our graphics cards without compromising GPU reliability. 

Compare that with what they posted earlier :

During the design phase, AMD shares documents with our engineers that outline specifications and tolerances to ensure performance and reliability margins are maintained.

Initial batches of ROG Strix 5700-series graphics cards were built following AMD’s guidelines.

After receiving user reports regarding temperature issues, we performed extended R&D testing to find the optimal PSI range for our graphics cards without compromising GPU reliability. 

 

Who Was Really At Fault For Overheating ROG Cards : AMD or ASUS?

Based on the two new sentences and what they left in the new press release, ASUS basically admitted that :

  • the AMD “guidelines” they referred to earlier were BASELINE / MINIMUM recommendations
  • they used the baseline / minimum mounting pressure meant for the reference design, for a custom cooler of their own design, which ironically includes a backplate for higher mounting pressures
  • they were not aware that their ROG Strix cards would overheat under normal gaming conditions, which would be obvious if they performed either pre-production or post-production tests
  • they did not perform proper mounting pressure tests for their ROG Strix cards, until users complained about overheating problems
  • after conducting those tests, they finally discovered that they should have mounted the coolers at 50-60 PSI, instead of 30-40 PSI the cards shipped with.
  • they started mounting those ROG Strix coolers at the higher pressures from January 2020 onwards

That’s what we can tell from their two press releases. We will leave it to you to decide if AMD was at fault, or ASUS.

Recommended : Why ASUS Cannot Blame AMD For Overheating ROG Cards

 

ASUS, Not AMD, Will Repair Your ROG Cards!

It is instructive to note that ASUS, not AMD, will be repairing your ROG cards for FREE!

  1. Check and make sure the ROG Strix card you purchased is one of these models :
ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT series ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 series
90YV0D90-M0NA00 (Universal)
90YV0D90-M0TA00 (Taiwan)
90YV0D90-M0CA00 (China)
90YV0D90-M0IA00 (India)
90YV0D90-MTAA00 (North America)
90YV0D90-M0AA00 (North America)
90YV0D90-M0NB00 (Bulk pack)
90YV0DD0-M0NA00 (Universal)
90YV0DD0-M0TA00 (Taiwan)
90YV0DD0-M0CA00 (China)
90YV0DD0-M0IA00 (India)
90YV0DD0-MTAA00 (North America)
90YV0DD0-M0AA00 (North America)
90YV0DD0-M0NB00 (Bulk pack)
  1. Contact the local ASUS customer support team, and inform them you would like to have your ROG Strix card repaired.
  2. Wait for the replacement screws to arrive – ASUS says the COVID-19 outbreak is affecting the supply of these replacement screws.
  3. Once the screws are available, send your ROG Strix card to the local ASUS customer support team, and they will install those screws with higher mounting pressures.

Recommended : ASUS Blames AMD For Overheating ROG RX 5700 Cards!

 

Should We STOP Buying AMD Radeon Cards From ASUS?

No, ASUS cards based on AMD reference designs are perfectly fine. And the current slew of ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 / 5700 XT cards now come with properly tightened coolers.

ASUS Radeon RX 5700 XT (Reference)

ASUS Radeon RX 5700 (Reference)

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700

But you should definitely NOT buy the TUF models, which lack proper memory cooling. Get the new TUF EVO models instead.

 

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Why ASUS Cannot Blame AMD For Overheating ROG Cards

ASUS blamed AMD for the overheating problems affecting their ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 / 5700 XT cards, and it’s really quite ridiculous.

Find out what’s going on, and why ASUS is WRONG to blame AMD for their overheating ROG cards!

 

Overheating ROG RX 5700 Cards : Why Is ASUS Blaming AMD?

The ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700 are two of the more premium and expensive RX 5700 series graphics cards in the market.

Instead of using the reference AMD design, both ASUS ROG cards use premium alloy chokes, solid polymer capacitors, triple fans with axial fan blades, and a large 2.7-slot cooler.

They also feature the ASUS MaxContact Technology, which allows ASUS says will DOUBLE the contact surface with the GPU for maximum thermal transfer.

Despite such an impressive list of premium power and cooling capabilities, users noticed that their expensive ASUS ROG RX 5700 cards keep overheating.

 

ASUS finally admitted on Valentine’s Day 2020, that their cooler (with MaxContact Technology) was not secured tightly enough.

However, ASUS blamed AMD for that mistake, claiming that they recommended a mounting pressure that was much too low.

They actually penned an article, and created this pressure vs temperature chart to prove that they were not at fault, and users should blame AMD.

 

Why ASUS Cannot Blame AMD For Overheating ROG Cards

The more we analysed this issue, the more we realised how absurd ASUS claims were.

Reason #1 : AMD Recommendations Are For Their Reference Design

We do not have access to AMD’s engineering specifications, but logically, their recommended mounting pressure would be for their reference design only.

Both ASUS ROG Strix cards use a custom 2.7-slot cooler design, with triple fans, and the ASUS MaxContact Technology. They even come with a reinforced frame, presumably to support higher mounting pressures.

So it would not be logical for the brilliant engineers at ASUS to simply use whatever mounting pressure AMD recommended for the reference design.

Reason #2 : ASUS Reference Cards Did Not Overheat

ASUS also offers reference design models like many other brands, but that card does NOT have an overheating problem.

So it shows clearly that the recommended mounting pressure worked when applied to the AMD reference design.

Reason #3 : ASUS Only Discovered The Right Pressure After Extended Tests

This is a puzzling statement, because it suggests that they shipped their ROG Strix cards without performing enough tests to determine the optimal mounting pressure for their custom cooler.

One would also expect ASUS to perform stress tests on these premium card designs, to make sure they work properly… before they are qualified for production.

While it is possible for any product to have bugs, overheating due to loose screws seem hard to miss…

Reason #4 : Even ASUS TUF Cards Are Overheating!

We should remember that the TUF Gaming versions of both cards also have overheating issues, albeit for a different reason.

Their impressively large coolers were found to lack proper cooling for the memory chips (XT model), or had no cooling at all (non-XT model).

That led to impressive memory temperatures that were far in excess of their rated specifications, and more than enough to boil water while you game.

Fortunately for AMD, ASUS could not blame them for that terrible design decision. But that exposed the sobering fact that ASUS was not above cutting corners in their cards…

Recommended : ASUS TUF RX 5700 Cards Are Also Overheating, Remember?

Reason #5 : No Other Brands Are Affected

This overheating issue does not seem to be a problem with other brands with custom coolers.

And as far as we can tell, reference designs from ASUS and other brands do not have overheating issues.

So it would be interesting to see ASUS explain why only their ROG Strix RX 5700 and ROG Strix RX 5700 XT cards are overheating…

 

Should We STOP Buying AMD Radeon Cards From ASUS?

No, ASUS cards based on AMD reference designs are perfectly fine. And the current slew of ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 / 5700 XT cards now come with properly tightened coolers.

ASUS Radeon RX 5700 XT (Reference)

ASUS Radeon RX 5700 (Reference)

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT

ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700

But you should definitely not buy the TUF models, which lack proper memory cooling. Get the new TUF EVO models instead.

 

 

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ASUS TUF RX 5700 Cards Are Also Overheating, Remember?

While ASUS is blaming AMD for their overheating ROG Strix cards, we should remember that ASUS TUF Radeon RX 5700 cards are also overheating…

Let’s look at WHY these TUF Gaming cards are overheating, and HOW they reflect the shortcuts that ASUS are apparently taking with their cards

 

ASUS ROG + TUF RX 5700 Cards Are Overheating!

Not only are ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT cards overheating, their TUF Gaming brethren are also overheating. But they are overheating due to different reasons.

The ASUS ROG Strix cards are overheating because their coolers were not screwed tightly enough, so their GPUs were not being cooled properly.

The ASUS TUF Gaming cards are overheating because their coolers either lacked proper cooling for their GDDR6 memory chips, or did NOT provide any cooling at all.

After months of complaints, ASUS finally admitted what users already knew months ago – that the ROG Strix cooler wasn’t properly mounted.

But instead of just admitting and correcting their mistake, ASUS blamed AMD for recommending reference mounting pressures that were way too low.

You can read about their blame AMD effort in our article, ASUS Blames AMD For Overheating ROG RX 5700 Cards!

The good news, for ROG Strix users, is that ASUS will (FINALLY) be providing replacement screws to fix the problem.

 

ASUS TUF Gaming RX 5700 Cards Are Also Overheating, Remember?

When ASUS refused to send a review sample to awesome guys at Hardware Unboxed, the Internet funded their purchase, and lo behold, they discovered why ASUS was so reticent about sending them a sample!

They discovered that the ASUS TUF Gaming RX 5700 XT card did not have proper cooling for their GDDR6 memory, while the non-XT version had NO COOLING for the memory chips at all!

See that thin piece of metal? That’s what ASUS uses as a heat-spreader for the XT version of their TUF Gaming card. The non-XT version doesn’t even have this!

Even with a heat-spreader, the memory chips on the TUF Gaming Radeon RX 5700 XT were hitting 104°C – far above their maximum operating temperature!

Frankly, we have no idea how these cards actually passed pre-production validation tests. After all, ASUS boasts that they put their TUF Gaming cards through a 144-hour validation program to ensure “rigorous performance and reliability standards“.

Surely, the ASUS engineering team would have noticed during that 144-hour validation program that the memory chips were hot enough to fry eggs?

 

Overheating ASUS TUF Gaming RX 5700 : New Models, But No Fix!

After this issue was exposed, ASUS came up with new TUF EVO versions, with improved memory cooling.

Unfortunately, they are NOT going to offer users of their TUF Gaming versions a fix or replacement.

Perhaps, with sufficient public pressure, ASUS can be convinced to do the right thing, and replace their badly-designed TUF cooler with the improved TUF EVO cooler.

So it is up to us to REMEMBER, and REMIND EVERYONE, that TUF Gaming Radeon RX 5700 and Radeon RX 5700 XT cards are also overheating, not just their more expensive ROG Strix brethren.

Of course, ASUS cannot blame AMD for overheating memory chips… LOL!

But if their GDDR6 memory supplier needs to take the blame, we hope they will bite the bullet and take the hit, so poor TUF Gaming users do not have to live with memory chips so hot they can boil water…

 

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ASUS Blames AMD For Overheating ROG RX 5700 Cards!

ASUS is blaming AMD for the overheating problems affecting their ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 and ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT cards!

Find out what’s going on, and whether ASUS was right to blame AMD for the overheating ROG graphics cards!

 

Overheating ASUS ROG RX 5700 Cards : What’s Going On?

The ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT and Radeon RX 5700 are two of the more premium and expensive RX 5700 series graphics cards in the market.

Instead of using the reference AMD design, both ASUS ROG cards use premium alloy chokes, solid polymer capacitors, triple fans with axial fan blades, and a large and heavy heatsink.

They also feature the ASUS MaxContact Technology, which allows for TWICE the contact surface with the GPU for maximum thermal transfer.

Despite such an impressive list of premium power and cooling capabilities, users noticed that their expensive ASUS ROG RX 5700 cards keep overheating.

Some even pointed out that the screws mounting the cooler were “loose”, and that this overheating problem could be resolved by tightening those screws, or adding washers.

Recommended : ASUS TUF RX 5700 Cards Are Also Overheating, Remember?

 

Overheating ASUS ROG RX 5700 Cards : ASUS Blames AMD

ASUS offered BIOS updates to fix the issue, but that failed because the problem wasn’t firmware in nature.

They finally folded on 14 February 2020, admitting that their cooler (with MaxContact Technology) was not secured tightly enough.

However, ASUS blamed AMD for that mistake, claiming that AMD recommended a mounting pressure that was much too low.

They actually penned an article, and created this pressure vs temperature chart to prove that they were not at fault, and users should blame AMD.

We’d like to address user concerns related to the thermal performance and cooler mounting pressure we use on ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700-series graphics cards.

During the design phase, AMD shares documents with our engineers that outline specifications and tolerances to ensure performance and reliability margins are maintained. For the Radeon RX 5700 series of GPUs, AMD recommends the following mounting pressure range for coolers:

Initial batches of ROG Strix 5700-series graphics cards were built following AMD’s guidelines. After receiving user reports regarding temperature issues, we performed extended R&D testing to find the optimal PSI range for our graphics cards without compromising GPU reliability. 

As a result, all ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700-series graphics cards shipped from January 2020 forward feature new screws that increase cooler mounting pressure to 50-60 PSI, resulting in improved heat transfer from the GPU to the heatsink.

Of course, we are committed to supporting our customers. We would like to offer the same benefits of the new mounting screws to users that have already purchased an ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700-series graphics card. If you already have one of these cards and would like it modified to use the new mounting screws, please contact your nearest ASUS service center starting in March of 2020* and we’ll happily perform the upgrade for you.

To determine whether your graphics card is eligible for this free upgrade, please consult the following table of model numbers. For further assistance or information, please contact your local ASUS customer support team.

ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT series ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 series
90YV0D90-M0NA00 (Universal)
90YV0D90-M0TA00 (Taiwan)
90YV0D90-M0CA00 (China)
90YV0D90-M0IA00 (India)
90YV0D90-MTAA00 (North America)
90YV0D90-M0AA00 (North America)
90YV0D90-M0NB00 (Bulk pack)
90YV0DD0-M0NA00 (Universal)
90YV0DD0-M0TA00 (Taiwan)
90YV0DD0-M0CA00 (China)
90YV0DD0-M0IA00 (India)
90YV0DD0-MTAA00 (North America)
90YV0DD0-M0AA00 (North America)
90YV0DD0-M0NB00 (Bulk pack)

We’d like to apologize for any inconvenience caused and thank you for your continued loyalty and trust in ROG.

 

Overheating ASUS ROG RX 5700 Cards : Was It AMD’s Fault?

Now, we are not in the business of casting aspersions at ASUS’ claims. But let’s consider what they said logically.

AMD Recommended A Mounting Pressure Of 30-40 PSI

We do not have access to AMD’s engineering specifications, but it would be logical that the mounting pressure they recommended in those specifications would be for their reference design.

The ASUS ROG Strix cards use a custom 2.7-slot cooler design, with triple fans, and the ASUS MaxContact Technology. They even come with a reinforced frame, presumably to support higher mounting pressures.

So it would not be logical for the brilliant engineers at ASUS to simply use whatever mounting pressure AMD recommended for the reference design.

Initial ROG Strix Batches Were Built Following AMD Guidelines

ASUS also offers a reference design model like many other brands, but that card which is based on the AMD reference design and guidelines do NOT have an overheating problem.

It would be really odd for ASUS to apply reference design guidelines to the radically-different design used for the ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 and ROG Strix Radeon RX 5700 XT models…

ASUS Performed Extended Testing To Find The Optimal PSI Range After User Complaints

This is a puzzling statement, because it suggests that they shipped their ROG Strix cards without performing enough tests to determine the optimal PSI range for their custom cooler.

One would also expect ASUS to perform stress tests on these premium card designs, to make sure they work properly… before they are qualified for production.

While it is possible for any product to have bugs, overheating due to loose screws seem hard to miss…

New ASUS ROG Strix Cards Shipped With Higher Mounting Pressure Since January 2020

If the ASUS engineering team were already aware that the mounting pressure was much too low by November or December 2019, why did they wait until 14 February 2020 to announce it?

It is unlikely that they were preparing to distribute replacement mounting screws to their customer support teams worldwide, because they announced that those new mounting screws will NOT be available until sometime in March 2020.

But AMD will be glad to know that they are not being blamed for the delay, just COVID-19. LOL!

 

Overheating RX 5700 Cards : Are Other Brands Affected?

This overheating issue does not seem to be a problem with other brands with custom coolers.

And as far as we can tell, reference designs from ASUS and other brands do not have overheating issues.

So it would be interesting to see ASUS explain why only their ROG Strix RX 5700 and ROG Strix RX 5700 XT cards are overheating…

 

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ASUS ROG Swift 360 : World’s First 360Hz G-SYNC Display!

At CES 2020, NVIDIA and ASUS just announced the world’s first 360Hz G-SYNC display – the ASUS ROG Swift 360! Here are the details!

 

360Hz G-SYNC Displays

NVIDIA first introduced G-SYNC in 2013. It is a variable refresh rate technology that eliminates tearing by synchronising the display’s refresh rate with the GPU’s actual frame rate.

Since then, they have improved it with new technologies like dynamic overdrive to improve player perception, and custom-tuned firmware for better image quality.

NVIDIA is now introducing 360Hz refresh rates for even faster reaction times – reducing it to less than 3 ms, so esports professionals can enjoy tear-free frames at incredibly low latencies.

 

ASUS ROG Swift 360 : World’s First 360Hz G-SYNC Display!

ASUS developed the ROG Swift 360 with NVIDIA, targeting it at esports professionals. It features a 24.5-inch panel, with these official features :

  • Blistering Fast Refresh Rate: 360Hz delivers crystal clear visuals, extremely low system latency for faster reaction times, and the smoothest motion to keep pros on target.
  • Designed for Esports: Play how the pros do and never miss a critical moment with the highest performance 24.5 inch Full HD display.
  • Superior Clarity: No distracting tearing, stuttering, flicker, or artifacts with NVIDIA G-SYNC VRR technology.
  • Quality Certified by NVIDIA: All G-SYNC certified displays undergo a rigorous validation process and are subjected to 300 image quality tests to ensure they deliver consistent quality and maximum performance.

NVIDIA will be using the ASUS ROG Swift 360 running a set of esports demos to demonstrate its improved performance in target acquisition, aiming and perception.

 

ASUS ROG Swift 360 : Price + Availability

For now, the ASUS ROG Swift 360 is only available for demonstration at the NVIDIA CES 2020 showcase. Price and availability will be revealed later.

 

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Why ROG Phone 2 STRIX Is BETTER Than Elite / Ultimate!

ASUS just introduced the STRIX and Ultimate Editions for the ROG Phone 2, so gamers are wondering – which is the best model for them?

Believe it or not – the best option for mobile gaming is also the CHEAPEST – the ROG Phone 2 STRIX. Don’t waste your money on the other two!

 

ROG Phone 2 STRIX = Tencent Edition for Global Market!

From the very beginning, we have been advising people to forego the expensive Elite Edition for the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, or the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK).

Why? Because those two options offer the best value for your money, and are really what REAL GAMERS need. Not what ASUS wants us to buy.

You can read all about that in our article, Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Elite Edition!

The new ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition is basically the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, without the Tencent logo.

This release is a slap in the face of those who bought the expensive Elite Edition earlier, and those who claimed that the Tencent Edition was only possible because of Tencent’s sponsorship in China.

ASUS have basically admitted that they can release a much cheaper ROG Phone 2, without sponsorship of any kind… and yes, that the Elite Edition was really just a way for them to make extra money off the foolish and the gullible.

 

ROG Phone 2 Ultimate = Elite Edition With 1TB Storage

The ROG Phone 2 Ultimate is yet another marketing ploy to pick the pockets of gullible gamers. It is nothing more than the already expensive ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition with 1TB of storage and a higher price tag.

Let’s be honest – how many of you will actually use up 128 GB of storage, much less 512 GB or 1 TB? In fact, many of us are still using laptops with just 256 GB or 512 GB of storage!

So yes, it is colossally STUPID for anyone to buy for gaming. We will show you why…

 

ROG Phone 2 Specification + Price Comparison

First, let’s take a quick look at what’s different between the ROG Phone 2 STRIX vs Elite vs Ultimate in this table :

Specifications ROG Phone 2
STRIX Edition
ROG Phone 2
Elite Edition
ROG Phone 2
Ultimate Edition
Display 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
– 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Processor 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 8 GB LPDDR4X 12 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 128 GB UFS 3.0 512 GB UFS 3.0 1 TB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 24 MP front camera
Rear Cameras 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, and f/1.79 lens
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
4G LTE Cat16
– 150 Mbps UL
– 1.0 Gbps DL
LTE Cat18
– 211 Mbps UL
– 1.2 Gbps DL
LTE Cat20
– 316 Mbps UL
– 2.0 Gbps DL
Connectivity WiFi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
WiFi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Sensors Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons
Audio Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra
Battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 18 watt 30 watt
Dimensions 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick
Weight 240 g
Price £599 / $599 £829 / $829 £899 / $899

 

Why ROG Phone 2 STRIX Is BETTER Than Elite / Ultimate!

Now, let’s show you why the the ROG Phone 2 STRIX is the best option of the three, and why you should NOT pay extra for the Elite or Ultimate Editions!

Performance : They Are ALL EQUALLY FAST

The STRIX, Elite and Ultimate Editions are powered by the SAME Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform, as well as the same LPDDR4x RAM.

The Elite and Ultimate Editions come with 12 GB of RAM, while the STRIX Edition only comes with 8 GB of RAM. However, which mobile game do you know needs more than 2 GB of RAM?

In fact, high-end mobile games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 use less than 1.2 GB of RAM!

So all you are getting when you purchase the Elite or Ultimate Edition is the right to brag about how your ROG Phone 2 has 4 GB of additional RAM just sitting there doing nothing.

Recommended : The Snapdragon 855 Plus vs Snapdragon 855 Comparison!

Storage : They Are ALL EQUALLY FAST

All three ROG Phone 2 models use fast UFS 3.0 storage. The only difference is how much storage they come with :

  • ROG Phone 2 STRIX : 128 GB
  • ROG Phone 2 Elite : 512 GB
  • ROG Phone 2 Ultimate : 1 TB

Storage may be important for some users, but frankly speaking, 128 GB is plenty of storage for most users.

For gamers, it’s actually A LOT more than they will ever use. Even PUBG Mobile only takes up 1.54 GB of space.

128 GB of storage in the STRIX Edition should be more than enough to let you install 50-80 large games. Oh, you don’t have that many games? See what we mean?

  • Paying extra for 512 GB of storage in the Elite Edition is really pointless… at least for mobile gamers.
  • Paying extra for 1 TB of storage in the Ultimate Edition? That’s just plain stupid for mobile gamers.

Connectivity : Practically The Same

The Snapdragon X24 LTE modem supports LTE Cat 20 and WiFi-AD connectivity, but ASUS artificially limited their capabilities slightly to differentiate the three models :

  • ROG Phone 2 STRIX : LTE Cat16 (1 Gbps DL, 150 Mbps UL) + WiFi-AC
  • ROG Phone 2 Elite : LTE Cat16 (1.2 Gbps DL, 211 Mbps UL) + WiFi-AD
  • ROG Phone 2 Ultimate : LTE Cat20 (2 Gbps DL, 316 Mbps UL) + WiFi-AD

But for all practical purposes, you won’t be able to tell the difference because mobile games are designed to use very little data!

PUBG Mobile, for example, only uses between 15 MB and 50 MB of data for an entire 20-30 minute game. That works out to a MAXIMUM of 1.7 MB per minute, or 28 KB per second.

And how many of you actually have a WiFi-AD router? Most gamers still rely on a WiFi-AC router, which is plenty fast enough.

Charging : ROG Phone 2 Elite / Ultimate

The only clear-cut performance advantage the ROG Phone 2 Elite and Ultimate Editions offer is the 30-watt fast charger.

The ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition only comes with a 18-watt fast charger, but in case you are wondering – it’s still fast enough to recharge the phone while you game on it.

Bundled “Freebies” : ROG Phone 2 Elite / Ultimate

The Elite and Ultimate Editions come bundled with the AeroActive Cooler II and the Aero Case, while the STRIX Edition comes with just a bumper case.

But guess what – you can purchase the AeroActive Cooler II and Aero Case for the STRIX Edition as separate upgrades! And you can get them both for less than $100.

Price : ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition

Now, this is the real kicker.

The Elite Edition costs 38~41% more than the STRIX Edition, for no difference in gaming performance!

The Ultimate Edition costs 50% more than the STRIX Edition, for no difference in gaming performance!

  • ROG Phone II STRIX Edition : US$599 / £599 / ~A$868 / S$799 / ~RM 2,479
  • ROG Phone II Elite Edition : US$829 / £829 / ~A$1,201 / S$1,299RM 3,499
  • ROG Phone II Ultimate Edition : US$899 / £899 / ~A$1,303 / ~S$1,218 / ~RM 3,722

Recommended : ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?

 

Why We Recommend ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition

Of the three models, the ROG Phone 2 STRIX Edition is the true gamer-centric model.

It focuses on delivering top-notch gaming capabilities with the same 120 Hz display, at a much lower price point than the Elite and Ultimate Editions!

All you are getting with the Elite or Ultimate Edition is a 38% to 50% higher price tag for more storage, a more powerful charger, and the AeroActive Cooler II and Aero Case.

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If you want to buy one for mobile gaming, get the STRIX Edition. Your wallet will thank you!

If you want to buy one for bragging rights, get the Elite or Ultimate Edition. ASUS will thank you!

 

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Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Elite Edition!

After the special ROG Phone II Tencent Edition was launched, ASUS immediately sent out a press release that the Elite Edition would be quite different.

However, after comparing them both (as well as the similar Indian model and the global STRIX model), we can definitely tell you that the ROG Phone II Tencent Edition is A MUCH BETTER DEAL than the ROG Phone II Elite Edition for gamers!

 

ROG Phone II For India

In India, ASUS prepared a special low-cost ROG Phone II, which is almost exactly like the Tencent Edition.

For all intents and purposes, we consider it to be the ROG Phone II Tencent Edition for India.

You can read all about it in our article – ROG Phone 2 India Models vs. Tencent Edition Comparison!

 

ROG Phone II STRIX

The new ROG Phone II STRIX Edition is basically the Tencent Edition, without the Tencent logo.

This release is a slap in the face of those who bought the expensive Elite Edition earlier, and those who claimed that the Tencent Edition was only possible because of Tencent’s sponsorship in China.

ASUS have basically admitted that they can release a much cheaper ROG Phone 2, without sponsorship of any kind… and yes, that the Elite Edition was really just a way for them to make extra money off the foolish and the gullible.

Recommended : Why ROG Phone 2 STRIX Is BETTER Than Elite / Ultimate!

 

ROG Phone II Specifications : Tencent Edition vs. Elite Edition

First, let’s take a quick look at what’s different between the ROG Phone II Tencent Edition, and the ROG Phone II Elite Edition. For your convenience, we compare their specifications in this table :

Specifications ROG Phone 2
(Elite)
ROG Phone 2
(Tencent / STRIX)
Display 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
– 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time
Chassis Glass Back Cover Glass + Metal Back Cover
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Processor 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 12 GB LPDDR4X 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 512 GB UFS 3.0 128 GB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 24 MP front camera
Rear Cameras 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, and f/1.79 lens
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
4G LTE Cat18
– 211 Mbps UL
– 1.2 Gbps DL
LTE Cat16
– 150 Mbps UL
– 1.0 Gbps DL
Connectivity WiFi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
WiFi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Sensors Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons
Audio Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra
Battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 30 watt 18 watt
AeroActive Cooler Yes No
Bundled Case Aero Case Bumper Case
Box Type Six Prism Box Square Box
Dimensions 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick
Weight 240 g
Price RMB 5,999
£899 / $899
RMB 3,499
£599 / $599

 

ROG Phone II Compared : Tencent Edition vs. Elite Edition

Let’s compare both versions in the eyes of ASUS’ target market – mobile gamers.

Performance : They Are Both EQUALLY FAST

Both the Tencent Edition and the Elite Edition of the ROG Phone II are powered by the SAME Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform, as well as the same LPDDR4x RAM.

The Elite Edition comes with 12 GB of RAM, while the Tencent Edition only comes with 8 GB of RAM. However, which game do you know needs more than 2 GB of RAM?

In fact, high-end mobile games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 use less than 1.2 GB of RAM!

So all you are getting when you purchase the Elite Edition is the right to brag how your ROG Phone II has 4 GB of additional RAM just sitting there doing nothing.

Recommended : The Snapdragon 855 Plus vs Snapdragon 855 Comparison!

Storage : They Are Both EQUALLY FAST

Both the Tencent Edition and the Elite Edition of the ROG Phone II use fast UFS 3.0 storage.

However, the Elite Edition comes with 512 GB of storage, while the Tencent Edition only comes with 128 GB.

Storage may be important for some users, but frankly speaking, 128 GB is plenty of storage for most users.

For gamers, it’s actually A LOT more than they will ever use. Even PUBG Mobile only takes up 1.54 GB of space.

128 GB of storage in the Tencent Edition should be more than enough to let you install 50-80 large games. Oh, you don’t have that many games? See what we mean?

Paying extra for 512 GB of storage in the Elite Edition is just pointless… at least for mobile gamers.

Connectivity : Practically The Same

To differentiate the two versions, ASUS slightly crippled the connectivity capabilities of the ROG Phone II Tencent Edition, limiting it to LTE Cat16 (1 Gbps DL, 150 Mbps UL) and WiFi-AC.

The ROG Phone II Elite Edition, on the other hand, boasts LTE Cat18 (1.2 Gbps DL, 211 Mbps UL) and WiFi-AD capabilities.

But for all practical purposes, you won’t be able to tell the difference because mobile games are designed to use very little data!

PUBG Mobile, for example, only uses between 15 MB and 50 MB of data for an entire 20-30 minute game. That works out to a MAXIMUM of 1.7 MB per minute, or 28 KB per second.

And how many of you actually have a WiFi-AD router? Most gamers still rely on a WiFi-AC router, which is plenty fast enough.

Charging : ROG Phone II Elite Edition

The only clear-cut performance advantage the ROG Phone II Elite Edition offers is the 30-watt fast charger. The Tencent Edition only comes with a 18-watt fast charger.

Bundled “Freebies” : ROG Phone II Elite Edition

The Elite Edition comes bundled with the AeroActive Cooler II and the Aero Case, while the Tencent Edition comes with just a bumper case.

But guess what – you can purchase the AeroActive Cooler II and Aero Case for the Tencent Edition as separate upgrades! And you can get them both for less than $100.

ASUS also took pains to share with us that the Elite Edition comes with a premium six prism box, while the Tencent Edition comes with only a square box.

Uh, okay… how is that important? Does ASUS expect us to play with the box, or with the ROG Phone II?

Price : ROG Phone II Tencent Edition

Now, this is the real kicker. The Elite Edition costs 38~41% more than the Tencent Edition for no difference in gaming performance!

  • ROG Phone II Tencent Edition : US$599 / £599 / ~A$724 / ~RM 2,479
  • ROG Phone II Elite Edition : US$829 / £829 / ~A$1,344 / RM 3,499

Recommended : ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?

 

Why We Recommend ROG Phone II Tencent Edition

Frankly speaking, the ROG Phone II Tencent Edition is the true gamer-centric model.

It focuses on delivering top-notch gaming capabilities with the same 120 Hz display, at a much lower price point than the Global Edition!

All you are getting with the Elite Edition is a 38% to 41% higher price tag for a larger storage capacity, a more powerful charger, and the AeroActive Cooler II and Aero Case bundled… and yes, it comes in a fancy six prism box.

If you want to buy one for mobile gaming, get the Tencent Edition. Your wallet will thank you.

Since it is available outside of China as the STRIX Edition, here are the purchase options for the ROG Phone II STRIX Edition :

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If you want to buy one for bragging rights, get the Elite Edition. ASUS will thank you.

 

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ASUS ROG Phone 2 Global vs Tencent Edition Comparison!

Worried that gamers are swarming for the highly-affordable ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, ASUS urgently touted the advantages of the delayed ROG Phone 2 Global Edition.

Let’s compare the specifications of the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition against the ROG Phone 2 Global Edition model!

Note : ASUS has since renamed the Global Edition as the Elite Edition, with a STRIX Edition as the “global version” of the Tencent Edition, with a 1TB Ultimate Edition.

 

ROG Phone 2 – Super Fast Phone, Super Slow Rollout

ASUS launched the ROG Phone last year, calling it the world’s first smartphone designed for mobile gaming. Unfortunately, they squandered that advantage with an ultra-slow rollout in a fast-moving industry.

More nimble, new competitors like Black Shark not only introduced their own gaming smartphones, they literally surged past them.

The Black Shark 2, for example, launched way back in April 2019 with the Snapdragon 855, and they launched the Black Shark 2 PRO that is powered by the same Snapdragon 855+ that the ROG Phone 2 uses… in JULY 2019.

Of course, the ROG Phone 2 boasts a 120 Hz display, with a 1 ms response time that totally crushes the likes of Black Shark 2 and Black Shark 2 PRO, and should guarantee silky-smooth gameplay, albeit at the expense of battery life.

That’s why ASUS gave it a massive 6,000 mAh battery – so it will last for quite a few rounds. The downside? It weighs almost a quarter of a kilo and is almost a full cm thick.

Of course, Black Shark has publicly pooh-poohed the usefulness of a 120 Hz display in this recent Q&A session :

Instead of a higher refresh rate, they opted to use DC dimming to reduce eyestrain, and an integrated DSP with MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) capabilities to eliminate unwanted judder and blur.

There is also the issue of ASUS quietly setting the ROG Phone 2 to use a 60Hz refresh rate instead, to improve battery life.

Recommended : ROG Phone 2 : How To Turn On 90Hz / 120Hz Refresh Rate!

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ASUS ROG Phone 2 Global vs Tencent Edition

Back in August 2019, ASUS and Tencent revealed the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in China, powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus platform.

However, ASUS did NOT want anyone to think or talk about the Tencent Edition because it is MUCH CHEAPER, and is a darn better deal than the Global Edition that they only introduced in October 2019.

They urged their media friends to talk up the ROG Phone 2 Global Edition instead. But in our honest opinion, the Tencent version is a better deal for gamers. Here’s why!

Recommended : Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!

For your convenience, we compare the specifications of both models in this table :

Specifications ASUS ROG Phone 2
Global Edition
ASUS ROG Phone 2
Tencent Edition
Display 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
– 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time
Chassis Glass Back Cover Glass + Metal Back Cover
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Processor 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 12 GB LPDDR4X 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 512 GB / 1 TB UFS 3.0 128 GB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 24 MP front camera
Rear Cameras 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, f/1.79 lens
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
4G Network LTE Cat18
– 211 Mbps UL, 1.2 Gbps DL
LTE Cat16
– 150 Mbps UL, 1.0 Gbps DL
Connectivity WiFi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
WiFi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Sensors Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons
Audio Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra
Battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 30 watt 18 watt
AeroActive Cooler Yes No
Bundled Case Aero Case Bumper Case
Box Type Six Prism Box Square Box
Dimensions 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick
Weight 240 g

 

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus

In case you are wondering, the Snapdragon 855 Plus is just a speed-binned version of the regular Snapdragon 855. They are virtually identical.

The only differences are the clock speeds of two parts in the Snapdragon 855 Plus :

  • its single high-performance Kryo 485 Gold core is clocked at 2.96 GHz, instead of 2.84 GHz.
  • its Adreno 640 GPU is clocked at 672 MHz, instead of 585 MHz.

In other words, its advantage in mobile gaming is a 4% increase in the short boost performance of the CPU, and a 14.9% increase in peak GPU performance.

Recommended : The Snapdragon 855 Plus vs Snapdragon 855 Comparison!

 

ROG Phone 2 Global vs Tencent : Price + Availability

ASUS finally released the Global Edition (now renamed Elite Edition) in the US and India in September 2019, with other countries like Malaysia receiving a limited number in mid-October 2019.

Based on the US, European and Chinese launch prices of $899, €899 and RMB 5,999, it is a whopping 23% more expensive than the Black Shark 2 PRO – an extra RM 700 / ~US$240 / ~£136 / ~A$249!

The ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition is much cheaper, of course. Its RMB 3,499 retail price in China translates into approximately RM 2,059 / ~US$499 / ~£399 / ~A$724!

That is 80% off the cost of the Global Edition, and 31% cheaper than the Black Shark 2 PRO!

Recommended : ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?

In the beginning, it was only available officially in China and India… and while you can purchase one off the grey market, you would not receive any warranty or even OTA updates for them.

But the good news is ASUS has finally released the STRIX Edition, which is basically the global version of the Tencent Edition.

Recommended : Why ROG Phone 2 STRIX Is BETTER Than Elite / Ultimate!

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile Devices | GamingHome

 

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ROG Phone 2 : How To Turn On 90Hz / 120Hz Refresh Rate!

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 boasts an excellent 120Hz display, but did you know that ASUS secretly set it to just 60Hz?

In this guide, we will show you how to switch the ROG Phone 2 from 60Hz to 90Hz or 120Hz!

 

ROG Phone 2 : 120Hz Display Stuck At 60Hz

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU) comes with a really nice and large 6.59-inch AMOLED display.

Its 1080 x 2340 resolution is much lower than the likes of Samsung Galaxy Note10+ or Galaxy S10+, but it boasts a 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut and a 120Hz refresh rate.

Now, that 120Hz refresh rate is the ROG Phone 2’s key selling point. ASUS claims it gives gamers a real advantage against their opponents, as well as a nicer, silkier gaming experience.

However, unbeknownst to many – ASUS actually sets the ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU) to use a 60 Hz refresh rate, making it no different from its chief rival – the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK).

Amazingly, many gamers and some reviewers were not aware of this. If you see people commenting on how smooth the ROG Phone 2 display looks, without mentioning they manually turned on the 120Hz refresh rate – that’s just the placebo effect! 😀

Recommended : ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?

 

Why Does The ROG Phone 2 Use 60Hz And Not 120Hz?

Simple – as we pointed out from the very beginning – the 120Hz refresh rate will use up a lot more power than 60Hz.

Both the Qualcomm Adreno 640 GPU and the ROG Phone 2’s AMOLED display, has to work twice as hard with a 120Hz refresh rate, compared to 60Hz.

That’s why ASUS gave the ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU) a large and heavy 6,000 mAh battery. The 120Hz refresh rate would have been murder on battery life.

But ASUS also knew that reviewers and early users would comment about the poorer battery life, even with such a large battery. So the solution was apparently to quietly set the AMOLED display to use a 60Hz refresh rate.

Recommended : Why ROG Phone 2 STRIX Is BETTER Than Elite / Ultimate!

 

ROG Phone 2 : How To Turn On 90Hz / 120Hz Refresh Rate!

Now, poorer ROG Phone 2 battery life aside, it would be really foolish to pay so much more for a 120Hz display only to have it run at 60Hz. That would be like buying a Porsche with a 80 km/h speed limiter installed.

So we created this video guide to help you switch your ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU) from its default 60Hz refresh rate to 90Hz or 120Hz.

ASUS offers a total of three ROG Phone 2 refresh rate options – 60Hz (default), 90Hz and 120Hz.

You can switch the refresh rate on-the-fly, but unfortunately, it’s not part of Quick Settings. ASUS buried it in the Display settings.

Here is the quickest way to switch the ROG Phone 2’s refresh rate :

  1. Swipe down from the top of the ROG Phone 2 display to access Quick Settings.
  2. Tap on the Settings icon at the lower right corner, to bring up the Settings screen.
  3. Tap on the Display option.

  1. Under Display settings, tap on the Refresh rate option.
  2. You will see that your ROG Phone 2 is set to use 60 Hz by default.
  3. You can now select either 90 Hz or 120 Hz.

Just select the refresh rate you prefer, and the display will flicker a little as it changes the refresh rate.

That’s it – you are ready to go! Enjoy the higher refresh rate!

Recommended : Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!

 

ASUS ROG Phone 2 : Where To Buy

Here are online purchase options for the ASUS ROG Phone 2 :

You can also purchase the much cheaper ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in the grey market. *

* Please note that if you purchase a grey market Tencent unit, you will not be entitled to warranty outside of China.

 

Recommended Reading

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ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO : Who Wins?

Now that both the ASUS ROG Phone 2 and Black Shark 2 PRO are out and competing with each other, the question mobile gamers are asking – which is the better gaming smartphone?

In this article, we will compare both the ROG Phone 2 and the Black Shark 2 PRO, and see which is the better gaming device!

 

Gaming Smartphones?

Both the Black Shark 2 PRO and ASUS ROG Phone 2 claim to be gaming smartphones. What’s the difference between these two “gaming” smartphones and “regular” smartphones?

While ALL smartphones can handle games pretty well, especially if they are flagship devices, gaming smartphones claim to offer an edge to serious mobile gamers, like :

  • really fast CPU and GPU, with high-speed memory and storage
  • better cooling system to sustain gaming performance
  • large display with a high refresh rate, or low latency, or both
  • better wireless connectivity to ensure no lag during gameplay
  • large battery for longer gameplay
  • better audio for more enjoyable gameplay
  • special controls or buttons, or gamepad add-ons

Of course, many flagship-class smartphones already offer many of those features, which is why some argue that gaming-specific smartphones are merely a way for some brands to carve a niche to survive in the ultra-competitive smartphone market.

But we digress… let’s compare the two top gaming smartphones that are coming, or will soon come to a store near you – the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) and the ASUS ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU).

 

ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO Specifications

Let’s start with a quick comparison of their key specifications.

Specifications Black Shark 2 PRO ROG Phone 2
Display 6.39-inch AMOLED display
– 1080 x 2340 pixels
108.9% DCI-P3 colour gamut
60 Hz refresh rate
6.59-inch AMOLED display
– 1080 x 2340 pixels
108% DCI-P3 colour gamut
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Processor 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 8 GB / 12 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 128 GB / 256 GB UFS 3.0 512 GB / 1 TB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 20 MP with f/2.0 aperture 24 MP front camera
Rear Cameras 48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor, with f/1.75 aperture
12 MP telephoto camera, with f/2.2 aperture
48 MP Sony IMX586 sensor, with f/1.79 aperture
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
Connectivity 4G : LTE Cat18 – 211 Mbps UL, 1.2 Gbps DL
WiFi : 802.11ac, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
4G : LTE Cat18 – 211 Mbps UL, 1.2 Gbps DL
WiFi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Special Sensors ForceTouch Sensors Ultrasonic AirTrigger
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, In-Display Optical Sensor
Audio Dual front-facing speakers Dual front-facing speakers + DTS:X Ultra
Battery 4,000 mAh battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 27 watt fast charger 30 watt fast charger
Dimensions 75.0 mm wide
163.6 mm tall
8.77 mm thick
77.6 mm wide
170.99 mm tall
9.78 mm thick
Weight 205 g 240 g

 

ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO

Although there are quite a few more differences between the two models, we are going to focus mainly on the gaming and mobility aspects in this comparison.

Performance : Tie

Both Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK)) and ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU) have the same performance.

They both use the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform, and come with 8 GB or 12 GB of LPDDR4x memory.

Recommended : The Snapdragon 855 Plus vs Snapdragon 855 Comparison!

Storage : ROG Phone 2

Both Black Shark 2 PRO and ASUS ROG Phone 2 use UFS 3.0 storage, which is about 2X faster than UFS 2.1. This is the key point.

The ROG Phone 2 comes with twice as much storage as the Black Shark 2 PRO. However, 256 GB is more than what most gamers will ever use – even PUBG Mobile takes up only 1.54 GB of space!

Honestly, paying extra for 512 GB of storage or even 1 TB is just pointless for gamers. But we will give the advantage to the ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU), if only for the bragging rights.

Cooling : Black Shark 2 PRO

The Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) features a Mille-Feuille full area liquid cooling system that, according to them, is far superior to that of the ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU).

Device CPU Temp. GPU Temp. RAM Temp. Chassis Temp.
Black Shark 2 PRO 65.7 °C 51.2 °C 52.0 °C 35.7 °C
ASUS ROG Phone 2 77.5 °C 54.6 °C 55.0 °C 47.1 °C
Difference + 11.8 °C + 3.4 °C + 3.0 °C + 11.4 °C

Display : Tie

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 boasts a 120 Hz display, while the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) only has a 60 Hz display.

However, Black Shark has publicly pooh-poohed the usefulness of a 120 Hz display in this recent Q&A session :

Instead of a higher refresh rate, they opted to use DC dimming to reduce eyestrain, and an integrated DSP with MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) capabilities to eliminate unwanted judder and blur. So we think this counts as a tie.

Do note too that a 120 Hz refresh rate uses up significantly more power, which is why ASUS actually set it to 60 Hz by default!

Recommended : ROG Phone 2 : How To Turn On 90Hz / 120Hz Refresh Rate!

Touch Screen : Black Shark 2 PRO

Black Shark also focused on reducing the latency of the touch screen display, with 240 Hz report rate even with three fingers. This is, arguably, far more important for competitive gaming than a 120 Hz display.

Touch Report Rate Black Shark 2 PRO ASUS ROG Phone 2 Difference
1 Finger 240 Hz 195 Hz – 45 Hz / 18.75 %
2 Fingers 240 Hz 145 Hz – 95 Hz / 39.58 %
3 Fingers 240 Hz 135 Hz – 105 Hz / 43.75%

They also claim that the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) has a significantly lower touch latency than the ROG Phone 2.

Touch Latency Black Shark 2 PRO ASUS ROG Phone 2 Difference
Not Shooting 30.7 ms 41.6 ms + 10.9 ms / 35.5 %
Shooting 48.6 ms 70.0 ms + 21.4 ms / 44.0 %

Battery : ROG Phone 2

The ROG Phone 2, on the other hand, boasts a 6,000 mAh battery that is 50% larger than the Black Shark 2 PRO‘s battery. This means you will get to play longer on the ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU).

Portability : Black Shark 2 PRO

This may not be important to everyone, but if you want to be able to carry your gaming smartphone in your pocket, the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) is both smaller and lighter than the ROG Phone 2.

Availability : Black Shark 2 PRO

This may not seem important, until you decide you want to buy one.

The Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) was available to purchase for weeks before the first batch of ROG Phone 2 (MY | SG | US | UK | AU) was released.

ASUS has always had a reputation for a slow roll-out, and that hasn’t changed with the ROG Phone 2 – even after it was launched, quantities were limited.

Price : Black Shark 2 PRO

Here is a quick comparison table to show the price difference between the two models :

Countries Black Shark 2 PRO
(12 GB + 256 GB)
ASUS ROG Phone 2
(12 GB + 512 GB)
Difference
Malaysia RM 2,999 RM 3,499 + RM 500 (16.7%)
Singapore S$869 S$1,299 + S$430 (49.5%)
United States ~$729 $889 + $160 (21.9%)
United Kingdom £560 £1,149 £589 (105.2%)
Australia ~A$1,059 A$1,964 + A$905 (85.5%)

Recommended : Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!

 

So Which Is Better?

Frankly speaking, you can game without any issue on any decent smartphone these days. But if you are a serious or professional gamer, a gaming smartphone could give you the competitive edge you need.

But between the two models, we personally prefer the Black Shark 2 PRO (MY | SG | AU | UK) for these reasons :

  • its better cooling system will maintain gaming performance, while keeping the chassis cooler to touch
  • a low latency touch display is arguably more important for gaming, than a high refresh rate display
  • even though the ROG Phone 2 has a larger battery, the 120 Hz display significantly limits its battery life
  • the Black Shark 2 PRO is MUCH CHEAPER than the ROG Phone 2 Global Edition

Recommended : Black Shark 2 PRO In-Depth Review : A Real Gaming Beast!

 

Black Shark 2 PRO : Where To Buy

Here are online purchase options for the Black Shark 2 PRO :

[adrotate group=”2″]

Malaysia

Singapore

United Kingdom

Australia

 

ASUS ROG Phone 2 : Where To Buy

Here are online purchase options for the ASUS ROG Phone 2 :

You can also purchase the much cheaper ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in the grey market. *

* Please note that if you purchase a grey market Tencent unit, you will not be entitled to warranty outside of China.

 

Recommended Reading

Go Back To > Mobile Devices | GamingHome

 

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Here Are The First 22 AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT Cards!

Unlike the Radeon RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT cards, the new AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT does not have a reference design – it is available only as custom-designed cards from AMD’s partners.

Here is a quick primer on the first slew of Radeon RX 5500 XT cards from ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire and XFX!

 

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT : The First Cards

If you want to skip ahead to the first twenty two RX 5500 XT cards, click on these links.

For a quick primer on the Radeon RX 5500 XT, scroll down. Don’t forget to check out our PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 5500 XT review!

 

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT : A Quick Primer

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT is basically the desktop version of the Radeon RX 5500M, using the same GPU with 6.4 billion transistors fabricated on the 7 nm process technology.

This Navi GPU has 22 Compute Units with 1408 stream processors and a 128-bit memory interface. The only difference is the Radeon RX 5500 XT has higher clock speeds and TDP, with up to 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

The AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT designed to deliver 1080p gaming at 60+ fps for AAA titles, and 90+ fps for esport games.

To reduce costs, AMD opted to use a PCI Express 4.0 x8 interface, instead of the PCIe 4.0 x16 interface. But if paired with a PCIe 4.0 chipset, it will deliver the same bandwidth as PCIe 3.0 x16.

Recommended : AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT Tech Report + Video Briefing!

 

AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT Specifications

In this table, we compare its reference specifications against its more powerful brethren – the RX 5700 and RX 5700 XT.

Again, please note that the RX 5500 XT is only available from AMD partners as custom cards, and could have different specifications.

Specifications Radeon RX
5700 XT
Radeon RX
5700
Radeon RX
5500 XT
Transistors 10.3 billion 10.3 billion 6.4 billion
Fab Process 7 nm 7 nm 7 nm
Die Size 251 mm² 251 mm² 158 mm²
Total Graphics Power 225 W 185 W 130 W
Stream Processors 2560 2340 1408
Base Clock 1605 MHz 1465 MHz 1607 MHz
Game Clock 1755 MHz 1625 MHz 1717 MHz
Boost Clock 1905 MHz 1725 MHz 1845 MHz
TMUs 160 144 88
Max. Texture Rate 304.8 GT/s 248.4 GT/s 162.4 GT/s
ROPs 64 64 32
Max. Pixel Rate 121.9 GP/s 110.4 GP/s 59.0 GP/s
Memory Size 8 GB 8 GB 4 GB / 8 GB
Memory Type GDDR6 GDDR6 GDDR6
Bus Width 256-bit 256-bit 128-bit
Bandwidth 448 GB/s 448 GB/s 224 GB/s
PCIe Interface PCIe 4.0 x16 PCIe 4.0 x16 PCIe 4.0 x8

 

ASRock RX 5500 XT Challenger D 4G OC

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant with a dual fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz
  • Boost Clock : 1845 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • Polychrome SYNC
  • Dual Fan Design + Stylish Metal Backplate
  • 0dB Silent Cooling
  • ASRock Tweak

 

ASRock RX 5500 XT Phantom Gaming D 8G OC

This is the 8 GB version of the Challenger card above, and comes with the same dual fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz
  • Boost Clock : 1845 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • Polychrome SYNC
  • Dual Fan Design + Stylish Metal Backplate
  • 0dB Silent Cooling
  • ASRock Tweak

Next Page > ASUS + GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5500 XT Cards!

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ASUS ROG Strix Radeon RX 5500 XT

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant with a dual-fan cooler, and 20 MHz higher game and boost clocks.

  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (OC / Gaming Mode)
  • Boost Clock : 1865 MHz (OC Mode) / 1845 MHz (Gaming Mode)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b
  • Axial-tech fan design features a smaller fan hub that facilitates longer blades and a barrier ring that increases downward air pressure.
  • 0dB technology lets you enjoy light gaming in relative silence.
  • Dual BIOS switch lets you toggle between Quiet and Performance BIOS profiles sans software.
  • Auto-Extreme Technology uses automation to enhance reliability.
  • Super Alloy Power II includes premium alloy chokes, solid polymer capacitors, and an array of high-current power stages.
  • A protective backplate secures components during transportation and installation.
  • ASUS FanConnect II equips a hybrid-controlled fan header for optimal system cooling.

 

GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 4G

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 40 MHz higher base clock and a 16 MHz higher game clock :

  • WINDFORCE 2X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5500 XT OC 8G

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 40 MHz higher base clock and a 16 MHz higher game clock :

  • WINDFORCE 2X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

GIGABYTE RX 5500 XT Gaming OC 4G

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a triple-fan cooler, a 40 MHz higher base clock and a 16 MHz higher game clock :

  • WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

GIGABYTE RX 5500 XT Gaming OC 8G

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a triple-fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • WINDFORCE 3X Cooling System with alternate spinning fans
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

Next Page > MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Cards!

 

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MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 4G

This is a stock 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1717 MHz
  • Base Clock : 1607 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 8G

This is a stock 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1717 MHz
  • Base Clock : 1607 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 4G OC

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, 40 MHz higher base clock and 16 MHz higher game clock.

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Mech 8G OC

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, 40 MHz higher base clock and 16 MHz higher game clock.

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Gaming 4G

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 40 MHz higher base clock and a 16 MHz higher game clock :

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Gaming 8G

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 40 MHz higher base clock and a 16 MHz higher game clock :

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1733 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1647 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Gaming X 4G

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

 

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT Gaming X 8G

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • TORX Fan 3.0 with Dispersion Fan Blades
  • RGB Mystic Light + Afterburner OC Utility
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

Next Page > PowerColor + Sapphire + XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT Cards!

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PowerColor Radeon RX 5500 XT

This is a stock 4 GB variant, with a single-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds

  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1717 MHz
  • Base Clock : 1607 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x SL DVI-D

 

PowerColor Red Dragon RX 5500 XT

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, a 78 MHz higher base clock and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • Base Clock : 1685 MHz (Reference card is 1607 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b, 1 x SL DVI-D

Recommended : PowerColor Red Dragon Radeon RX 5500 XT Review!

 

Sapphire PULSE RX 5500 XT 4G

This is an overclocked 4 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • Dual-X Cooler + TriXX Boost
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

Sapphire PULSE RX 5500 XT 8G

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • Dual-X Cooler + TriXX Boost
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

Sapphire NITRO+ RX 5500 XT 8G SE

This is an overclocked 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and a 20 MHz higher game clock :

  • Dual-X Cooler + TriXX Boost + NITRO Glow
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1737 MHz (Reference card is 1717 MHz)
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 2 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 4GB THICC II Pro

This is a stock 84 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds :

  • XFX Zero DB Auto Load Sensing Fans
  • XFX THICC II Pro Cooler
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1717 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

XFX Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB THICC II Pro

This is a stock 8 GB variant, with a dual-fan cooler, and reference clock speeds :

  • XFX Zero DB Auto Load Sensing Fans
  • XFX THICC II Pro Cooler
  • Boost Clock : up to 1845 MHz
  • Game Clock : 1717 MHz
  • GDDR6 Memory Clock : 1750 MHz (14 Gbps)
  • Display Ports : 3 x DisplayPort 1.4, 1 x HDMI 2.0b

Price + Availability (Accurate as of 16 December 2019)

 

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ASUS ROG Phone 2 Malaysia – What You Need To Know!

Almost 3 months after ASUS launched the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in China, it finally reaches Malaysia.

Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the ROG Phone 2 for Malaysia – its specifications, price, availability and more!

We will also share with you cheaper alternatives, for those who cannot afford the ROG Phone 2!

 

When Will The ASUS ROG Phone 2 Come To Malaysia?

ASUS officially launched the ROG Phone 2 on 16 October 2019, with limited quantities as expected. ASUS has a long history of slow rollouts, to be honest.

 

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 Price For Malaysia

ASUS Malaysia is introducing the ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage, and a recommended retail price of RM 3,499 / ~US$834 / ~£655 / ~A$1,241.

The ROG Phone 2 Malaysia model will therefore be 16.7% more expensive than the Black Shark 2 PRO – an extra RM 500 / ~US$119 / ~£94 / ~A$177!

To sweeten the deal, ASUS Malaysia is throwing in the AeroActive Cooler II and the AeroCase, which they say are worth RM 398 / ~US$95 / ~£75 / ~A$141.

Here are the direct online purchase options :

  • ROG Phone II (12 GB + 512 GB) : Lazada | Shopee
  • ROG Phone II (12 GB + 512 GB) SuperPack : Lazada

If you are looking for the Ultimate Edition, which basically just comes with 1 TB of storage, that will probably retail for an insane RM 5,499 sometime in December 2019!

 

ASUS ROG Phone 2 SuperPack for Malaysia!

ASUS Malaysia is also bringing in the ROG Phone 2 SuperPack on 11 November 2019. It’s the same model, but it comes with all their accessories at the nose-bleeding price of RM 6,999 / ~US$1,669 / ~£1,317 / ~A$2,476.

Here is the list of accessories the ROG Phone 2 SuperPack for Malaysia comes with :

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  • ROG AeroActive Cooler II
  • ROG Lighting Armour Case
  • ROG TwinView Dock II
  • Kunai Gamepad
  • ROG Mobile Desktop Dock
  • 30W ROG Charger
  • ROG Type C USB cable
  • ROG Aero Case
  • ROG Limited Edition Luggage

Are all those accessories worth RM 3,500? Or should you just buy TWO ROG Phone 2 instead? Whatever you decide, here are the direct online purchase options :

  • ROG Phone II (12 GB + 512 GB) : Lazada | Shopee
  • ROG Phone II (12 GB + 512 GB) SuperPack : Lazada

 

Is There A Cheaper Alternative???

The ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition is much cheaper, of course. Its RMB 3,499 retail price in China works out to approximately RM 2,059 / ~US$499 / ~£399 / ~A$724!

That is almost half the price of the ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition for Malaysia, and 31% cheaper than the Black Shark 2 PRO!

Unfortunately, it is only available officially in China and India… although you can get them on the grey market * :

* Please note that if you purchase a grey market unit, you will not be entitled to warranty outside of China or India.

Another affordable alternative is to pick up the original ROG Phone, which is almost as fast but now costs less than RM 2.5K! Don’t believe us? Here are some direct purchase options :

Another good and much cheaper alternative is the Black Shark 2 PRO or the Black Shark 2.

 

ASUS ROG Phone 2 Malaysia vs Tencent Edition

On 23 July, ASUS and Tencent revealed the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in China, powered by the Snapdragon 855+ platform.

However, ASUS Malaysia has been trying their best to bury the story, even urging their media friends to talk up the ROG Phone 2 Global Edition.

We don’t blame them because the Tencent Edition is MUCH CHEAPER, and really is a darn better deal than the Elite Edition that they are introducing to Malaysia.

What we don’t understand is why they are not introducing a similar version, like they did for India.

Recommended : Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!

For your convenience, we compare the specifications of both models in this table :

Specifications ASUS ROG Phone 2
Edition Edition for Malaysia
ASUS ROG Phone 2
Tencent Edition
Display 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
– 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time
Chassis Glass Back Cover Glass + Metal Back Cover
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Processor 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 12 GB LPDDR4X 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 512 GB / 1 TB UFS 3.0 128 GB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 24 MP front camera
Rear Cameras 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, and f/1.79 lens
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
Connectivity 4G : LTE Cat18 – 211 Mbps UL, 1.2 Gbps DL
WiFi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
4G : LTE Cat16 – 150 Mbps UL, 1.0 Gbps DL
WiFi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Sensors Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons
Audio Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra
Battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 30 watt, with USB-C to USB-C cable 18 watt, with USB-A to USB-C cable
AeroActive Cooler Yes No
Bundled Case Aero Case Bumper Case
Box Type Six Prism Box Square Box
Dimensions 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick
Weight 240 g

 

Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+

In case you are wondering, the Snapdragon 855+ is just a speed-binned version of the regular Snapdragon 855. They are otherwise identical.

The only differences are the clock speeds of two parts in the Snapdragon 855 Plus :

  • its single high-performance Kryo 485 Gold core is clocked at 2.96 GHz, instead of 2.84 GHz.
  • its Adreno 640 GPU is clocked at 672 MHz, instead of 585 MHz.

In other words, its advantage in mobile gaming is a 4% increase in the short boost performance of the CPU, and a 14.9% increase in peak GPU performance.

Recommended : The Snapdragon 855+ vs Snapdragon 855 Comparison!

 

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ROG Phone 2 US Elite Edition vs. Tencent Edition Compared!

The ASUS ROG Phone 2 US model is finally available… two months after ASUS launched the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in China!

Here is EVERYTHING you need to know about the ROG Phone 2 US model in the United States – its specifications, price, and availability!

 

ROG Phone 2 – Super Fast Phone, Super Slow Rollout

ASUS keep boasting that they are the first to launch a Snapdragon 855 Plus smartphone, but what’s the point if they cannot deliver the actual devices?

More nimble, new competitors like Black Shark keep passing them by. The Black Shark 2, for example, launched way back in April 2019 with the Snapdragon 855, and they started selling the Black Shark 2 PRO with the Snapdragon 855 Plus last month!

Recommended : The ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO Comparison!

It took them more than two months to introduce the ROG Phone 2 to the US market, and even then, they are only offering A SINGLE MODEL.

While the Indian market will receive a low-cost variant similar to the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, ASUS is only introducing what they call the ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition.

Here is a short summary of how the Elite Edition differs from the Tencent Edition, and similar low-cost variants :

  • It comes with 12 GB of memory (which is pointless), instead of “just” 8 GB
  • It comes with 512 GB of storage, instead of 128 GB
  • It comes with faster LTE and Wi-Fi speeds (also pretty pointless)
  • It comes with a 30 W fast charger, instead of an 18 W fast charger
  • It comes with an AeroActive Cooler II, which is basically a bolt-on fan

ASUS says that they are planning to introduce the Ultimate Edition later, with a faster Cat20 LTE modem and 1 TB of UFS 3.0 storage.

 

ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition – Price & Availability In The US

In the US, ASUS will eventually introduce two high-spec models, but only the Elite Edition is available with 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage :

  • ASUS ROG Phone 2 Elite Edition (12 GB + 512 GB) : $899.99

Recommended : Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!

 

ROG Phone 2 US Elite Edition vs Tencent Edition

Last month, ASUS and Tencent revealed the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition in China, powered by the Snapdragon 855 Plus platform.

However, ASUS does NOT want you to think about the Tencent Edition because it is MUCH CHEAPER, and is a darn better deal than the Elite / Global Edition that they are offering in most countries.

They have been urging their media friends to talk up the Elite / Global Edition. But in our honest opinion, the Tencent version is a better deal for gamers. Here’s why!

For your convenience, we compare the specifications of both models in this table :

Specifications ASUS ROG Phone 2
(United States)
ASUS ROG Phone 2
Tencent Edition
Display 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
– 118% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
Processor 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
GPU Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 12 GB LPDDR4X 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 512 GB UFS 3.0 128 GB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 24 MP front camera
Rear Cameras 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, and f/1.79 lens
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
LTE Speeds 1.2 Gbps DL, 211 Mbps UL 1.0 Gbps DL, 150 Mbps UL
Connectivity WiFi : 802.11ad, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
WiFi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Sensors Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons
Audio Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra
Battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 30 watt, with USB-C to USB-C cable 18 watt, with USB-A to USB-C cable
AeroActive Cooler Yes No
Bundled Case Aero Case Bumper Case
Box Type Six Prism Box Square Box
Dimensions 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick
Weight 240 g
Price $899.99 Approx. $499.99

 

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ROG Phone 2 India Models vs. Tencent Edition Comparison!

India is getting both the Tencent Edition, and the Global Edition, of the ROG Phone 2… with prices to match!

Let’s compare their specifications against the ROG Phone 2 Tencent Edition, as well as their prices!

 

India Gets Two DIFFERENT ROG Phone 2 Models

ROG Phone 2 (8 GB + 128 GB) For India

Basically, the ROG Phone 2 (8 GB + 128 GB) is the Tencent Edition for India. Here are the differences :

  • It has a slightly slower LTE download speed, compensated by slightly faster LTE upload speed
  • It comes with an Aero case
  • It is slightly – about 10% – more expensive than the Tencent Edition

The ROG Phone 2 (8 GB + 128 GB) is priced at ₹37,999 / ~US$529 / ~£429 / ~A$799 / ~RM 2,249

Recommended : The ASUS ROG Phone 2 vs Black Shark 2 PRO Comparison!

ROG Phone 2 (12 GB + 512 GB) For India

In addition, ASUS will also introduce the far more expensive Global Edition to cater to the richer segment of the Indian population.

  • It comes with 12 GB of memory (which is pointless), instead of “just” 8 GB
  • It comes with 512 GB of storage, instead of 128 GB
  • It comes with faster LTE and Wi-Fi speeds (also pretty pointless)
  • It comes with a 30 W fast charger, instead of an 18 W fast charger
  • It comes with an AeroActive Cooler II, which is basically a bolt-on fan

Now, here’s the kicker – this model costs 58% more than the 8 GB + 128 GB model.

The ROG Phone 2 (12 GB + 512 GB) is priced at ₹59,999 / ~US$849 / ~£689 / ~A$1,259 / ~RM 3,559

Again, we would like to point out that, for gamers, the Tencent Edition and similar variants are definitely A MUCH BETTER DEAL than the high-end / Global Edition ROG Phone 2.

Recommended : Why ROG Phone II Tencent Is Better Than The Global Edition!

 

ROG Phone 2 India Models vs. Tencent Edition

To make it easy for you to determine which is a better model for you, we compare the two ROG Phone 2 India models against the Tencent Edition.

Specifications ROG Phone 2
(12 GB + 512 GB)
ROG Phone 2
(8 GB + 128 GB)
ROG Phone 2
Tencent Edition
Display 6.59-inch AMOLED display (1080 x 2340 pixels)
– 108% DCI-P3 colour gamut, 10,000:1 contrast ratio
– up to 120 Hz refresh rate, 1 ms response time
System Platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus
CPU 1 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold core (2.96 GHz)
3 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Gold cores (2.42 GHz)
4 x Qualcomm Kryo 485 Silver cores (1.8 GHz)
System Platform Qualcomm Adreno 640 (672 MHz)
RAM 12 GB LPDDR4X 8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage 512 GB UFS 3.0 128 GB UFS 3.0
Front Camera 24 MP camera with f/2.0 aperture
Rear Cameras 48 MP main camera, with Sony IMX586 sensor, and f/1.79 lens
13 MP ultra-wide camera, with 125-degree field of view
LTE Speeds 1.2 Gbps DL, 211 Mbps UL 800 Mbps DL, 211 Mbps UL 1 Gbps DL, 150 Mbps UL
Connectivity Wi-Fi : 802.11ad, 4×4 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Wi-Fi : 802.11ac, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
Sensors Accelerometer, E-Compass, proximity sensor, Hall sensor, ambient light sensor, in-display fingerprint sensor, gyro, ultrasonic AirTrigger shoulder buttons
Audio Dual front-facing speakers with DTS:X Ultra
Battery 6,000 mAh battery
Charger 30 W, USB-A to USB-C 18 W, USB-A to USB-C
AeroActive Cooler Yes No No
Aero Case Yes Yes No
Dimensions 77.6 mm wide x 170.99 mm tall x 9.78 mm thick
Weight 240 g
Price ₹59,999 ₹37,999 Approx. ₹34,599

 

ROG Phone 2 Availability In India

The ROG Phone 2 (8GB + 128GB) model will start selling at 12 AM, on 30 September 2019.

The 12GB + 512GB is not available yet, but will be “coming soon” like someone who has jerked off way too often.

This is not surprising, because ASUS has a history of super-slow rollouts.

They may boast of being the first to launch a Snapdragon 855 Plus smartphone, but what’s the point if they cannot deliver the actual devices?

More nimble, new competitors like Black Shark keep passing them by. The Black Shark 2, for example, launched way back in April 2019 with the Snapdragon 855, and they started selling the Black Shark 2 PRO with the Snapdragon 855 Plus last month!

 

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NVIDIA ACE vs NVIDIA RTX Studio Laptops Comparison

Now that NVIDIA has announced the ACE reference design for creator laptops, people are wondering – is it the same thing as their RTX Studio programme? Or something completely different?

Let us explain and compare both the NVIDIA ACE reference design, and the NVIDIA RTX Studio programme – both which are targeted at creator laptops!

 

NVIDIA RTX Studio Laptops

NVIDIA RTX Studio is basically a branding programme. It does not offer any special hardware above and beyond what is already available in the market. The first laptops were unveiled at Computex 2019.

For a creator laptop design to qualify for the programme and branding, it just needs to meet these requirements :

GPU : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060, NVIDIA Quadro RTX 3000 or higher

CPU : Intel Core i7 (H-series) or equivalent, or higher

RAM : 16 GB RAM or more

SSD : 512 GB SSD or bigger

Display : 1080p or 4K display resolution

 

NVIDIA RTX Studio Advantage

Beyond the branding advantages for NVIDIA’s brand partners, qualifying laptops will be able to use NVIDIA Studio Drivers.

What’s the difference between NVIDIA Game-Ready and NVIDIA Studio drivers?

According to NVIDIA, the Studio drivers are optimised for Adobe Creative Cloud applications, and support ray-traced rendering of large 3D models.

 

The NVIDIA ACE Reference Design For Creator Laptops

To make spur the development of high-end NVIDIA Studio creator laptops, NVIDIA just introduced their ACE reference design.

This reference design allows NVIDIA partners get their RTX Studio designs to market faster. They just have to customise it with CPU and storage options, as well as aesthetics, and they are ready to go!

In creating the ACE design, NVIDIA focused on delivering the most performance in a sleek 15-inch form factor, with a few key features :

  • a new cooler design based on two titanium vapour chambers
  • a 300 watt thermal design, with a 25 mm Z height target
  • enhanced NVIDIA Optimus technology
  • slim and compact power adaptor
  • professional-grade 4K 120 Hz display

Recommended : The NVIDIA ACE Design For Creator Laptops Explained!

 

NVIDIA ACE Laptops vs NVIDIA RTX Studio Laptops

Let’s summarise how the NVIDIA ACE reference design relates to the NVIDIA RTX Studio programme.

  • NVIDIA RTX Studio is a branding programme that promotes the use of GeForce RTX / Quadro RTX graphics in high-end desktops and laptops for creative professionals
  • NVIDIA RTX Studio only sets loose hardware requirements. NVIDIA partners are free to make their own design choices.
  • NVIDIA ACE is a reference hardware design, with specific hardware requirements.

Think of NVIDIA ACE as a subset of the RTX Studio programme. It’s an optional reference design that brands can use to quickly create and certify a high-end RTX Studio laptop.

You can see that in this slide announcing 12 new RTX Studio laptops and desktops.

Of the 12 RTX Studio laptops and desktops, only one used the NVIDIA ACE reference design. Yes, it’s the one they highlighted in bright green – the ASUS ProArt StudioBook One.

 

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The NVIDIA ACE Design For Creator Laptops Explained!

At IFA 2019, NVIDIA unveiled their ACE reference design for creator laptops, as part of their RTX Studio initiative.

With NVIDIA’s help, we will explain what the new NVIDIA ACE reference design is all about, and how it relates to RTX Studio!

 

The NVIDIA ACE Reference Design For Creator Laptops

NVIDIA introduced the first RTX Studio laptops at Computex 2019 – basically high-end creator laptops built around their Quadro RTX GPUs using the Max-Q Design philosophy.

To spur the development of NVIDIA Studio creator laptops, NVIDIA is now introducing the ACE reference design.

This reference design allows NVIDIA partners get their RTX Studio designs to market faster. They just have to customise it with CPU and storage options, as well as aesthetics, and they are ready to go!

In creating the ACE design, NVIDIA focused on delivering the most performance in a sleek 15-inch form factor.

The NVIDIA ACE reference design has a few key features :

NVIDIA ACE Thermal Design

  • The CPU and GPU are located behind the display
  • It uses two ultra-thin titanium vapour chambers to keep the CPU and GPU cool
  • It is capable of cooling 300 watts of thermal output, while maintaining a chassis Z height of 25 mm
  • It will keep the chassis at ambient skin temperature, with the keyboard cool to the touch

NVIDIA ACE Power Innovations

  • It will feature enhanced NVIDIA Optimus technology, that automatically switches between discrete and integrated graphics, depending on the workload
  • It will come with a slim 300 watt power adaptor that is half the size of traditional power adaptors

Professional-Grade Display

The ACE reference design will feature a professional-grade 4K 120 Hz display, with these specifications :

  • 100% Adobe RGB / 97% DCI-P3 colour gamut
  • Delta E < 1 colour accuracy
  • PANTONE-validated and factory-calibrated

 

The First NVIDIA ACE Laptop – ASUS ProArt StudioBook One

The first creator laptop to use the new ACE reference design is the ASUS ProArt StudioBook One.

It will be powered by the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 discrete graphics, with these specifications :

  • 4608 CUDA cores, 576 Tensor cores, 72 RT cores
  • 24 GB GDDR6 memory with 672 GB/s bandwidth
  • 11 Gigarays per second, 14.9 TFLOPS, 119.4 TOPS of performance

The NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 GPU alone has a maximum graphics power of 250 watts!

 

NVIDIA ACE Performance

NVIDIA ACE is designed to deliver desktop-class performance in a mobile form factor.

Take a look at this comparison of the ASUS ProArt StudioBook One creator laptop, pitted against a desktop workstation with RTX 6000 graphics.

From what NVIDIA tells us – the ACE design will deliver graphics performance within 10% of their desktop equivalent.

 

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Here Are The CHEAPEST RTX Super Deals In Malaysia!

Prices of NVIDIA RTX Super cards are currently high in Malaysia, probably due to high demand. To help you get the best prices possible, here are the CHEAPEST deals for the RTX Super cards!

 

NVIDIA RTX SUPER – A Quick Review!

NVIDIA announced three RTX Super models, two of which replaces existing GeForce RTX models :

The GeForce RTX 2060 survives to remain the cheapest RTX card you can buy, while the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti remains the top-of-the-line RTX graphics card that money can buy.

Recommended : NVIDIA GeForce RTX SUPER : Everything You Need To Know!

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has an NVIDIA TU106 GPU with 136 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 224 GT/s and 106 GP/s.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a speed of 1750 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.

Recommended : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Founders Edition Review!

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has an NVIDIA TU104 GPU with 160 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 283 GT/s and 113 GP/s.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a speed of 1750 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.

Recommended : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Founders Edition Review!

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has the full NVIDIA TU104 GPU with 192 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 349 GT/s and 116 GP/s.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a higher speed speed of 1937.5 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 496 GB/s.

Recommended : NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Founders Edition Review!

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The CHEAPEST RTX 2060 Super Deals In Malaysia!

Here are the cheapest RTX 2060 SUPER deals we found, as of 21 August 2019.

GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Models Lazada Shopee
ASUS DUAL RTX 2060 SUPER EVO OC
RM 2,050 RM 2,020 | RM 2,049
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2060 SUPER OC
RM 2,200 RM 2,188 | RM 2,199
GALAX RTX 2060 SUPER EX
RM 1,888 RM 1,883 | RM 1,888
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2060 SUPER
RM 2,299 RM 2,199
GIGABYTE RTX 2060 SUPER Gaming OC
RM 2,179 RM 2,043
GIGABYTE RTX 2060 SUPER Windforce OC
RM 2,089 RM 1,935 | RM 1,939
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER Ventus OC
RM 1,890 RM 1,889 | RM 1,889
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER Gaming X
RM 1,989 RM 1,979 | RM 1,989
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER Armor OC
RM 1,889 RM 1,879
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER AMP Extreme
RM 2,089 RM 2,025 | RM 2,029
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER Mini
RM 1,849 RM 1,819 | RM 1,829
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER Twin Fan RM 1,899 RM 1,936.98

 

The CHEAPEST RTX 2070 Super Deals In Malaysia!

Here are the cheapest RTX 2070 SUPER deals we found, as of 21 August 2019.

GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Models Lazada Shopee
ASUS TURBO RTX 2070 SUPER EVO OC RM 2,750 RM 2,730
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2070 SUPER Advanced RM 2,999 RM 2,999
GALAX RTX 2070 SUPER EX
RM 2,348 RM 2,343
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2070 SUPER
RM 2,929 RM 2,747 | RM 2,747
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming OC White RM 2,699 RM 2,699
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming OC
RM 2,699 RM 2,519
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 SUPER Windforce OC
RM 2,559 RM 2,389
MSI RTX 2070 SUPER Ventus OC
RM 2,389 RM 2,379
MSI RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio
RM 2,590 RM 2,590
ZOTAC RTX 2070 SUPER AMP Extreme RM 2,599 RM 2,498 | RM 2,499
ZOTAC RTX 2070 SUPER AMP
RM 2,379 RM 2,399
ZOTAC RTX 2070 SUPER Twin Fan RM 2,369 RM 2,329 | RM 2,334

 

The CHEAPEST RTX 2080 Super Deals In Malaysia!

Here are the cheapest RTX 2080 SUPER deals we found, as of 21 August 2019.

GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Models Lazada Shopee
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 SUPER Advanced OC RM 3,999 RM 3,983
ASUS DUAL RTX 2080 SUPER EVO OC RM 3,750 RM 3,720
GALAX RTX 2080 SUPER EX
RM 3,288 RM 3,259
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2080 SUPER
RM 3,939 RM 3,900 | RM 3,900
GIGABYTE RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming OC
RM 3,699 RM 3,470 | RM 3,470
MSI RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming X Trio RM 3,790 RM 3,790
ZOTAC RTX 2080 SUPER AMP Extreme RM 3,599 RM 3,499
ZOTAC RTX 2080 SUPER AMP
RM 3,399 RM 3,319
ZOTAC RTX 2080 SUPER Twin Fan RM 4,089.59 NA

 

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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Price Comparison!

To help you get the best deal for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, here is our price comparison for the US, UK, Australia and Malaysia!

 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Primer

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has the full NVIDIA TU104 GPU with 3072 stream processors.

This gives it 192 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 349 GT/s and 116 GP/s, thanks to its higher clock speeds.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a higher speed speed of 1937.5 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 496 GB/s.

Even though the TU104 GPU is fabricated on the 12 nm process technology, the card only needs 250 watts of power.

By offering significantly better performance than the RTX 2080 at the same price point, it’s the new card of choice for 4K gaming!

For more details on RTX SUPER, we recommend these articles :

 

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Price Comparison

Here is a price comparison of the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (US | UK | MY) custom cards that are available, as of 18 August 2019 :

Model US UK Australia Malaysia
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080S Advanced OC $789.99 £739.99 $1,535.21 RM 3,999
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming OC $739.99 £823.29 NA NA
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming NA £803.09 NA NA
ASUS DUAL RTX 2080 SUPER EVO OC $729.99 £731.55 NA RM 3,750
ASUS DUAL RTX 2080 SUPER EVO
NA £763.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER XC Hybrid Gaming $789.99 £770.39 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER FTW3 Ultra Gaming $836.19 £769.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER XC Ultra Gaming $789.99 £739.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER XC Gaming
$729.99 £729.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER Black Gaming $699.99 £689.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming $849.93 NA NA NA
GALAX RTX 2080 SUPER EX
NA NA $1,234.80 RM 3,288
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2080S WATERFORCE $839.99 £844.44 NA NA
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2080 SUPER
NA £799.99 $1,419.00 RM 3,939
GIGABYTE RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming OC
$739.99 £734.99 $1,380.80 RM 3,699
GIGABYTE RTX 2080 SUPER Turbo NA £826.42 NA NA
MSI RTX 2080 SUPER Gaming X Trio $759.99 £774.96 $1,398.06 RM 3,790
MSI RTX 2080 SUPER Ventus OC
$729.99 £778.67 $1,328.85 NA
NVIDIA RTX 2080 SUPER Founders Edition $789.99 $1,455.00 NA
PNY RTX 2080 SUPER XLR8 OC Triple Fan
NA £790.25 NA NA
PNY RTX 2080 SUPER Blower 8G $2,050.41 £751.98 $2,050.41 NA
ZOTAC RTX 2080 SUPER AMP Extreme NA £739.00 NA RM 3,599
ZOTAC RTX 2080 SUPER AMP
$739.99 £709.99 NA RM 3,399
ZOTAC RTX 2080 SUPER Twin Fan NA £699.98 NA RM 4,089.59

Currently, the price of the average RTX 2080 SUPER custom card is significantly higher than the RTX 2080 SUPER Founders Edition. So it might make a lot more sense to get that instead, or wait until prices drop a little.

Recommended : Here Are The First GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Custom Cards!

 

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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Price Comparison!

To help you get the best deal for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER, here is our price comparison for the US, UK, Australia and Malaysia!

 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Primer

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has an NVIDIA TU104 GPU with 2560 stream processors.

This gives it 160 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 283 GT/s and 113 GP/s, thanks to its higher clock speeds.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a speed of 1750 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.

By offering significantly better performance than the RTX 2070 at the same price point, it’s probably going to sell well as the RTX 2060 SUPER!

For more details on RTX SUPER, we recommend these articles :

 

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Price Comparison

Here is a price comparison of the GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER (US | UK | MY) custom cards that are available, as of 17 August 2019 :

Model US UK Australia Malaysia
ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 SUPER EVO NA NA $1018.02 NA
ASUS TURBO RTX 2070 SUPER EVO OC $1044.23 £569.79 NA RM 2,750
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2070 SUPER Advanced $584.99 £683.64 $1121.06 RM 2,999
EVGA RTX 2070 SUPER XC Ultra Gaming $549.99 £539.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2070 SUPER XC Gaming
$629.99 £656.18 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2070 SUPER Black Gaming NA £569.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming $519.99 NA NA NA
GALAX RTX 2070 SUPER EX
NA NA $890.02 RM 2,348
GALAX RTX 2070 SUPER EX Gamer Black NA NA $912.09 NA
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2070 SUPER
NA £599.99 $1059.89 RM 2,929
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming OC White $749.99 £569.99 NA RM 2,699
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming OC
$529.99 £548.99 $984.44 RM 2,699
GIGABYTE RTX 2070 SUPER Windforce OC
$579.00 £548.99 $950.71 RM 2,559
MSI RTX 2070 SUPER Ventus OC
$519.99 £529.99 $946.63 RM 2,389
MSI RTX 2070 SUPER Gaming X Trio
$722.79 £578.99 NA RM 2,590
PNY RTX 2070 SUPER XLR8 OC Triple Fan
NA £579.99 NA NA
PNY RTX 2070 SUPER Blower 8G NA £559.99 NA NA
ZOTAC RTX 2070 SUPER AMP Extreme NA £559.99 NA RM 2,599
ZOTAC RTX 2070 SUPER AMP
NA £509.00 NA RM 2,379
ZOTAC RTX 2070 SUPER Twin Fan $549.99 £489.00 NA RM 2,369

Currently, the price of the average RTX 2070 custom card is significantly higher than the RTX 2070 SUPER Founders Edition. So it might make a lot more sense to get that instead, or wait until prices drop a little.

Recommended : Here Are The First GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Custom Cards!

 

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The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Price Comparison!

To help you get the best deal for the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER, here is our price comparison for the US, UK, Australia and Malaysia!

 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Primer

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has an NVIDIA TU106 GPU with 2176 stream processors.

This gives it 136 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 224 GT/s and 106 GP/s, thanks to its higher clock speeds.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a speed of 1750 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 448 GB/s.

By offering significantly better performance with 2 GB more graphics memory than the RTX 2060 for just $50 extra, the new GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER is set to be the hottest-selling RTX SUPER model.

For more details on the RTX 2060 SUPER, we recommend these articles :

 

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Price Comparison

Here is a price comparison of the GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER (US | UK | MYcustom cards that are available, as of 17 August 2019 :

Model US UK Australia Malaysia
ASUS DUAL RTX 2060 SUPER EVO
$419.99 £423.74 NA NA
ASUS DUAL RTX 2060 SUPER EVO OC
$429.99 £439.99 NA RM 2,050
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2060 SUPER OC
$469.99 £473.88 $869.37 RM 2,200
ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2060 SUPER Advanced
$464.99 £479.99 $847.98 NA
EVGA RTX 2060 SUPER XC Gaming
$439.99 £439.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2060 SUPER XC Ultra Gaming
$449.99 £449.99 NA NA
EVGA RTX 2060 SUPER SC Ultra Gaming
$409.00 £389.99 NA NA
GALAX RTX 2060 SUPER EX
NA NA $689.00 RM 1,888
GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 2060 SUPER
$449.99 £449.98 $845.99 RM 2,299
GIGABYTE RTX 2060 SUPER Gaming OC
$419.99 £428.85 $749.00 RM 2,179
GIGABYTE RTX 2060 SUPER Windforce OC
$445.00 £421.19 $749.00 RM 2,089
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER Ventus OC
$409.99 £411.59 $756.33 RM 1,890
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER Gaming X
$429.99 £424.99 $785.23 RM 1,989
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER Armor OC
$419.99 £451.28 NA RM 1,889
MSI RTX 2060 SUPER AERO ITX NA NA $738.18 NA
PNY RTX 2060 SUPER Dual Fan
NA £409.99 NA NA
PNY RTX 2060 SUPER XLR8 OC Dual Fan
NA £454.74 NA NA
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER AMP Extreme
$439.99 £438.99 $989.98 RM 2,089
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER AMP
$574.99 £419.00 NA NA
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER Mini
$399.99 £389.94 NA RM 1,849
ZOTAC RTX 2060 SUPER Twin Fan NA NA NA RM 1,899

Currently, the price of the average RTX 2060 custom card is significantly higher than the RTX 2060 SUPER Founders Edition. So it might make a lot more sense to get that instead, or wait until prices drop a little.

Recommended : Here Are The First GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER Custom Cards!

 

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Cheapest Radeon RX 5700 | RX 5700 XT Deals In Malaysia!

Due to overwhelming demand, it can be hard to get good Radeon RX 5700 or Radeon RX 5700 XT deals.

So we went out and found you the cheapest Radeon RX 5700 / RX 5700 XT deals in Malaysia!

 

AMD Radeon RX 5700 Series Primer

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 series of graphics cards is built around the new AMD Navi GPU that uses the new RDNA architecture and fabricated on the 7 nm process technology.

Its redesigned Compute Units deliver 1.25X higher performance per clock, and up to 1.5X better performance per watt.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 has 2304 stream processors, with 144 TMUs and 64 ROPs, delivering a peak output of 248 GT/s and 110 GP/s.

Recommended : AMD Radeon RX 5700 Review : 1440p Gaming FTW!

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has 2560 stream processors, with 160 TMUs and 64 ROPs, delivering a peak output of 305 GT/s and 122 GP/s.

They both come with 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, with a peak bandwidth of 448 GB/s.

 

Cheapest Radeon RX 5700 | RX 5700 XT Deals In Malaysia!

Due to overwhelming demand, it can be really hard to get some Radeon RX 5700 or Radeon RX 5700 XT models, much less great deals. According to AMD, this situation will last until end of August or September 2019.

But we managed to find some pretty good deals! Here are the cheapest Radeon RX 5700 / RX 5700 XT deals in Malaysia, as of 16 August 2019.

Cheapest Radeon RX 5700 Deals In Malaysia!

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 has 2304 stream processors, with 144 TMUs and 64 ROPs, and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 has an official RRP of RM 1659, so anything below that is a good deal.

Models Lazada Shopee
PowerColor RX 5700 RM 1,599 RM 1,699
ASUS Radeon RX 5700 RM 1,599 RM 1,659
MSI Radeon RX 5700 RM 1,620 RM 1,620
Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 RM 1,627 RM 1,629
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5700 RM 1,630 RM 1,699
ASRock Radeon RX 5700 RM 1,659 RM 1,659 | RM 1,659

Lazada appears to have the best RX 5700 deals (ASUS | PowerColor), with all but the ASRock model selling for less than the RRP.

Recommended : The AMD Radeon RX 5700 Malaysia Price List + Analysis!

Cheapest Radeon RX 5700 XT Deals In Malaysia!

The AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT has 2560 stream processors, with 160 TMUs and 64 ROPs, and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory.

It has an official RRP of RM 1859, so grab anything below that!

Models Lazada Shopee
Sapphire Radeon RX 5700 XT RM 1,838 RM 1,829
MSI Radeon RX 5700 XT RM 1,850 RM 1,849
PowerColor RX 5700 XT RM 1,859
GIGABYTE Radeon RX 5700 XT RM 1,880 RM 1,938
ASUS Radeon RX 5700 XT RM 1,928 RM 1,928

When it comes to the Radeon RX 5700 XT, Shopee has the cheapest deal, and is the only source for the PowerColor RX 5700 XT.

Recommended : The Cheapest Ryzen 3rd Gen CPUs / Bundles In Malaysia!

 

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Here Are The First GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Custom Cards!

The first NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER custom graphics cards are now out and available for sale!

Let’s check out what RTX 2080 SUPER cards brands like ASUS, GIGABYTE and ZOTAC have released, and how much they cost!

 

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Primer

The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER (US | UK | MY) has the full NVIDIA TU104 GPU with 3072 stream processors.

This gives it 192 TMUs and 64 ROPS, delivering a peak output of 349 GT/s and 116 GP/s, thanks to its higher clock speeds.

Its 8 GB of GDDR6 memory runs at a higher speed speed of 1937.5 MHz, giving it a peak memory bandwidth of 496 GB/s.

Even though the TU104 GPU is fabricated on the 12 nm process technology, the card only needs 250 watts of power.

By offering significantly better performance than the RTX 2080 at the same price point, it’s the new card of choice for 4K gaming!

For more details on the RTX 2070 SUPER, we recommend these articles :

 

The First GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Custom Cards

Here is the first slew of custom cards that have been officially launched, although availability may be limited in different regions or countries.

ASUS RTX 2080 SUPER Cards

  • ASUS ROG Strix RTX 2080 SUPER Advanced Edition (ROG-STRIX-RTX2080S-A8G-GAMING)
    – 3X Wing-blade fans with MaxContact technology
    – Price : $789.99 | £770.23 |