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Asus’ new RTX 4090 shattered GPU overclocking records, and you’ll be able to buy it soon

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If you thought that the RTX 4090 was already the best we’ll see in this generation, Asus is here to prove you wrong. Nearly a year after the initial launch of Nvidia’s top graphics card, Asus is about to release the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 — a one-of-a-kind GPU that already has a new world record under its belt.

ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics Card

The GPU is vastly different from a regular RTX 4090 — the power delivery system, cooling, and binning process have all received a significant boost. The most visible change lies in the custom 360mm radiator that comes with the ROG Matrix, made to support a liquid cooling system. Aside from the huge radiator, the GPU was also equipped with a custom cold plate that comes attached to the GPU die, memory chips, and VRM section.

Asus ROG Matrix RTX 4090 graphics card.
Asus

Asus has also opted to use liquid metal instead of thermal paste, increasing thermal conductivity in order to keep this beast under control. Liquid metal is challenging to use in GPUs, as you really don’t want it coming in contact with other components.

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To prevent disaster, Asus applied UV resin around the GPU die and also added two extra protective layers between the die itself and the card’s printed circuit board (PCB) to ensure that the liquid metal wouldn’t spill over. As a result of these changes, Asus claims that the card can be installed vertically instead of just horizontally, according to VideoCardz.

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The wait is almost over!😎

Count down to the official launch of our flagship graphics card – the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090. 🔥

🗓️Save the date & tune in LIVE: https://t.co/aIldsPMg5B
🔴Sept 19th, 9:00 AM | New York
🔴Sept 19th, 9:00 PM | Taipei pic.twitter.com/EjcN5CLCU6

— ROG North America (@ASUS_ROGNA) September 15, 2023

Some enthusiasts already got their hands on the Asus ROG Matrix RTX 4090, and as a result, the GPU has already participated in setting a new world record. It was overclocked to a massive 4,230MHz. However, don’t expect to hit these clock speeds at home — the overclockers had to tear the built-in cooler apart and leverage liquid nitrogen instead. We’ve seen liquid nitrogen used in breaking world records before, such as when the Intel Core i9-13900K processor was pushed past a clock speed of 9GHz.

If Nvidia doesn’t release an RTX 4090 Ti, this will probably be the most powerful graphics card of this generation. However, this GPU will need a massive PC case in order to comfortably fit, and any and all external cooling is always welcome.

We’re not sure how much this new RTX 4090 is going to cost, but “a lot” is a pretty safe bet. Asus is hosting a launch event on September 19, and while it’s unclear whether that is also the release date of the GPU, it seems quite likely.

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Monica J. White
Monica J. White
Computing Writer
Monica is a computing writer at Digital Trends, focusing on PC hardware. Since joining the team in 2021, Monica has written…
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