The Asus x Noctua graphics card collaboration is now official. The two PC tech firms have partnered to produce the Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua (OC) Edition. It arrives with multiple claims about its special qualities and appeal, probably the most important being that it is the "coolest and quietest graphics card in its class". We have previously seen some leaked info about this product, and the product is exactly like the renders that Asus Vietnam spilled a little prematurely. Now we have many more important details to share, though, like the official tech specs.
Getting right into the tech specs, I've bullet pointed the key specifications below, via Asus.
- 5888 Nvidia CUDA cores
- OC mode: 1845MHz (Boost Clock); Gaming mode : 1815MHz (Boost Clock)
- This GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card with LHR (lite hash rate) delivers approx 25 MH/s ETH hash rate
- 8GB GDDR6 memory at 14Gbps, on a 256-bit interface
- Two Noctua NF-A12x25 PWM fans deliver exceptional cooling and low noise
- A tailor-made heatsink takes full advantage of the airflow characteristics of Noctua fans
- Dual BIOS switch lets you toggle between Quiet and Performance BIOS profiles sans software
- 0dB technology lets you enjoy light gaming in relative silence.
- Ports: 2x HDMI 2.1, 3x DP 1.4a
- Power: 2x 8-pin power, 750W PSU recommended
- Dimensions: 310 x 147 x 87.5 mm (4.3-slots thick)
From the above Asus-produced spec list, the Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition doesn't seem very different to every other RTX 3070 card with improved boost clocks (reference card has 1730MHz boost clock) and its sheer size (reference card is 242mm x 112mm x 2-slots thick). Additionally, the reference design has just one 8-pin power connector.
Luckily for us, currently without the product in hand, Noctua provides some more technical background on the new co-engineered graphics card. It says it switched a triple fan (92mm x3) Asus TUF Gaming design to the award-winning Noctua NF-A12x25 120mm units. It also tailored the heatsink design for this dual-fan setup "to make the most out of the fans’ superior aerodynamic performance, thermals and acoustics". This has resulted in a "significant boost in performance-to-noise efficiency," according to Noctua CEO Roland Mossig.
"Asus' GeForce RTX 3070 was certainly an outstanding card already, but we’re confident that the further improved cooling solution of the Noctua Edition will be the cherry on top for noise-conscious customers," said Mossig. Nicely for us, Noctua has shared some test charts to provide evidence for its claims of performance / noise efficiency. You can find a selection of the charts below, but more are available to study on the linked Noctua blog post.
The Asus GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition will become available in the OC Edition with 1845MHz OC boost clock (as outlined in the specs above, as well as a standard edition with 1755MHz OC boost clock. Of course, you can manually OC these dual-BIOS cards. Availability is scheduled for the middle of October.
