ASUS ROG Strix EVA Edition NVIDIA GeForce 3080 RTX review – Future proof and approved

Get in the damn GPU, Shinji!

I don’t think that there’s a better time than right now to get a high-end graphics card. Usually, there’s always that fear that what you buy today will be outclassed the second you install your chunky new GPU, but NVIDIA’s current line of top-notch hardware is built to last. Let’s be honest, the vast majority of PC gamers are fine with a rig that can provide superb performance at 1080p or 1440p resolutions – that sweet spot for gaming that gives you the most bang for your big rig buck.

Enter ASUS with its configuration of an excellent NVIDIA GPU, the ROG Strix GeForce 3080. On paper, it has plenty of power to push out an absurd number of frames, what with its 12GB of video memory, almost 9000 Cuda Cores, and rock-solid cooling options. But more than that? This GPU is pure art, as it’s encased in a shroud that sings to the anime fanboy inside of me.

Quick history lesson: It’s the year 2000, I’m in high school, and my computer club is passing around CD-ROMs of anime series with dubious origins. We’re just entering the era of the big three giants of Shonen Jump, when one of my friends asks me if I’ve seen a show called Neon Genesis Evangelion. I’m completely oblivious at this point, but an anime with giant robots and some of the most striking art direction that I’d ever seen? Sign me up for some fun!

Boy, was I wrong! A few episodes in, and the appeal of giant mecha clobbering the bolts off one another is usurped by themes and emotions that I wasn’t ready for; Freudian exploration of deep-rooted psychological issues; world-ending cataclysms; a deconstruction of the mecha genre; ideas derived from Shinto cosmology, Jewish mythology, and Christian mystical traditions… it was a lot to take in when you’ve just hit puberty.

Even if these themes flew so hard over my head back then that they achieved orbit, the visual design of that series has stuck with me over the years. That bold use of color, nightmarish mecha construction, and the haunting world that it all took place in – it all resonates with me to this day. And that’s a sensation that I revisit when I look at this GPU.

NVIDIA’s current line of 30 and 40-series GPUs are absolute beasts: chonky boys that dwarf everything else that came before them. For this specific configuration, ASUS has enclosed it in a gorgeous shroud of Evangelion colors. An art teacher might have an aneurysm when they see purple and lime green next to each other, but in the context of an Evangelion-influenced design? This colour-contrast is a potent combination.

ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 12GB GDDR6X OC EVA Edition

• Bus Standard – PCI Express 4.0
• OpenGL – OpenGL 4.6
• Video Memory – 12GB GDDR6X
• Engine Clock – OC mode: 1890 MHz(Boost Clock) Gaming mode: 1860 MHz(Boost Clock)
• CUDA Core – 8960
• Memory Speed – 19 Gbps
• Memory Interface – 384-bit
• Resolution – Digital Max Resolution 7680 x 4320
• Interface – x2 Native HDMI 2.1 , x3 Native DisplayPort 1.4a
• Maximum Display Support – 4

There’s Shinji’s Eva, menacingly glaring at you from the shroud; subtle touches that pay tribute to the anime series hidden around the card; and that synchronization effect displayed on the front ARGB panel makes this an eye-catching piece of hardware. It helps that this is just a single part of an impressive whole, as the ASUS and Evangelion collaboration extends to an entire line of PC hardware, from power supply and motherboards, to themed keyboards, and an almighty chassis to house all this gear.

So if the GPU is a delight for the weebs amongst you, what does that mean in the context of functionality? Is it an expensive paperweight, or is this GPU capable of punching above its weight?

Right now, NVIDIA’s current line of 40-series GPUs are the subject of some intense criticism, with most of the complaints focusing on how these GPUs simply don’t provide a substantial price-to-performance setup when compared to the 30-series. While that’s a discussion for another day, I believe the RTX 3080 is one of the best GPUs you can get right now. Like I mentioned above, hitting that 1080p to 1440p resolution isn’t a downgrade–just in case console gamers are laughing at you–and honestly, you can still get a sharp picture while maximizing the performance of those games. I’m not quite ready to sell my organs for a 4K display just yet.

So let’s look at the games. With my testing, I chose titles that provide that visual flair – hard-hitting experiences with ray tracing switched on, destructible environments exploding around me, and generally just the kind of content that I’d nonchalantly show off. In these 1440p tests, the GPU could easily push 120 frames per second and more, resulting in stunning gameplay that had incredible clarity and colors. Sure, it’ll do 4K at around 60fps easily, but there’ll still be a small number of compromises to make here.

Rise of the Tomb Raider might be a couple of years old at this point, but the game still has some of the best environmental design around, stunning setpieces, and it looks gorgeous with ultra presets running on full blast. Moving on, Cyberpunk 2077 is still one of the most visually impressive sandboxes on the market today, and it looks obscenely good here as you soak up the neon-lit atmosphere and dark future set design.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is another standout, and with the GPU powering it, weaving between high-level boss fights and exploring the slums of Midgar looks breathtakingly beautiful. Essentially, anything you throw at this GPU right now is going to look like a next-gen experience, and I’ve got a feeling that it’ll still be relevant for the next couple of years even as new hardware enters the scene.

There’s just something gratifying about knowing that you’re future-proofed, and with Nvidia’s DLSS pushing the longevity of these cards, you’re going to be comfortable playing the latest games with most of their respective bells and whistles enabled. And heck, it doesn’t hurt the appeal of this card when it functions as a workhorse for content creation either.

But if there is one drawback here, it’s the sheer amount of power that this beast of a GPU requires. Nvidia recommends an 850W PSU at the very least, as the card has some high power requirements. Excellent hardware requires a support structure that can properly support it. If that’s your rig, then this 3080 is undeniably great value for money.