When Asus teased its ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card back at Computex, it was clear that the company's ambitions were to develop no less than the world's fastest graphics card. The company meticulously described the card's advanced printed circuit board design, voltage regulating module, and cooling system, but it never revealed two important details: actual clocks and price. This week it disclosed both: the board will clock the GPU at 2.70 GHz out-of-box and will cost $3,199, twice the price of a reference GeForce RTX 4090.

An Overclocker's Dream Comes True

Asus proudly states that the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 is ideal for overclocking enthusiasts. The board used the AD102 GPU equipped with 16,384 CUDA cores that has a peak frequency of 2700 MHz, surpassing NVIDIA's reference boost clock of 2520 MHz. In a physically unmodified (but LN cooled) state, an extreme overclocked ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 surpassed the 4 GHz GPU clock threshold earlier this year, an achievement that underscores its potential for overclocking.

Since its debut at Computex, the card has secured three World Records and five top spots, totaling seven overclocking achievements in various benchmarks, Asus says.

NVIDIA has dozens of add-in-board (AIB) partners producing factory overclocked graphics cards. But with EVGA and its Kingpin-edition graphics cards gone, there are not so many brands left which cater to demands of extreme enthusiasts. Asus is certainly one of them and with its range-topping ROG Matrix RTX 4090, the company went above and beyond with enhancements beyond reference designs.

Through Hardware and Software

The card employs a custom circuit board featuring a 24-phase VRM and a 12VHPWR connector, ensuring up to 600W of power for the GPU. This board is equipped with multiple sensors to oversee temperatures of various components (and even create a temperature map) and even measure currents on the card's 12VHPWR connector (more on this later).

The ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 comes with a comprehensive closed-loop hybrid liquid cooling solution with a 360-mm radiator, magnetically connected fans, and RGB illumination. In a bid to improve efficiency of the cooler, Asus used a liquid metal thermal compound, which it uses for its gaming laptops and which is particularly hard to use for desktop PC components (marking a first in the GPU industry for Asus) since they tend to be located under a different angle.

The ROG Matrix RTX 4090's strengths are not solely in its hardware though. Asus has enhanced its GPU Tweak III software, adding more monitoring and overclocking capabilities that leverage the card's advanced features and sensors. Users can customize various settings, including power targets, GPU voltage, and fan speed. The software also offers real-time temperature insights and tracks the card's performance at varying power settings.

Another notable aspect is the card's Power Detector+ feature. This function examines the 12VHPWR connector, monitoring currents across all power rails to identify any irregularities, then recommends customers to reconnect the notorious plug if needed.

A Niche Product

Meanwhile, performance of the ROG Matrix RTX 4090 comes at a cost as the product's price doubles that of a standard GeForce RTX 4090. This greatly devalues the product in the eyes of average people. But the Asus ROG Matrix RTX 4090 is a niche product. It targets hardcore overclocking enthusiasts eager to maximize their hardware's performance. This card is for those who relish fine-tuning their systems for minor benchmarking improvements, making it a trophy piece for tech enthusiasts.

Source: Asus

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  • Threska - Wednesday, September 20, 2023 - link

    Only $3200, that two and a half kidneys. Reply
  • PeachNCream - Wednesday, September 20, 2023 - link

    Some idiot will buy one.There are always a few people like that. Reply
  • Makaveli - Wednesday, September 20, 2023 - link

    No doubt. Reply
  • crimsonson - Friday, September 22, 2023 - link

    Why would it be an idiot? If you have the disposable income - why not? Not like there is an alternative. It is not like a Honda vs Rolls Royce. Reply
  • Eliadbu - Friday, September 22, 2023 - link

    Your money will be better spent if you go with custom cooling, and that by itself says a lot about this product. Reply
  • Notmyusualid - Saturday, September 23, 2023 - link

    As someone who loves their custom loops, I still only recommend people go with AIO solutions.

    Too much messing, and too much risk of damage to hardware. And once you've added your waterblock, as I did with my 3090 (out of necessity - the dam thing rang 85C all day long), not only is that £300+ waterblock cost already sunk (pardon the pun), but the original card itself has lost much of its value on the secondhand market. You sure you kept EVERY scew? Bought new pads, and put the original heatsink back on so as someone will not notice? I expect not.

    Would I buy this card?

    At launch? Definately.

    Now? (deep breath), a hard pass. There are 4090s on the secondhand market now, and the 5090 is immenent. Just a little to late to the party for me.
    Reply
  • cantcurecancer - Sunday, September 24, 2023 - link

    This product has a stupid person tax. That's fine, some people want to spend thousands for things that cost hundreds because they don't want to save a few screws and the original box and they don't want to twist on a few clamps. Those people tend to not re-sell their stuff and break even anyway. This product is just like buying storage from Apple, getting service done at the BMW dealership, fake old designer jeans, or military/government contracts.

    Those things do exist, but that doesn't make the people who buy them any less of an idiot, which was the OP's point. The prerequisites are: You must be ignorant, unwilling to learn/work for the sensible solution, AND be proud enough of those first two facts to dump a lot of money on a dumb solution.
    Reply
  • Samus - Thursday, September 21, 2023 - link

    So one could have a Lamborghini Huracan and a Lamborghini Lanzador over a single Lamborghini Aventador...but some people just want the bragging rights of the Aventador. Reply
  • PeachNCream - Thursday, September 21, 2023 - link

    Oh no! Not the "compare it to a car" thing again. I've been unfortunately stuck in IT for a while and it doesn't fail that sometime during any given week, some male-leaning person compares computers to cars. I wonder if any other professional fields are like that. Do medical professionals compare latex gloves to cars? Can anyone outside of the awful pit of nose wiping nerds that I'm trapped in tell us if that happens constantly and is just a thing certain people do? Reply
  • Threska - Thursday, September 21, 2023 - link

    Blame it on Bill Gates.

    https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/car-balk/
    Reply

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