RTX 5080 with real wood, USB-C and M.2 slot: Asus launches ProArt desktop GPU
Asus is releasing a GeForce RTX 5080 with 16GB GDDR7 VRAM for professional users and gives the ProArt model an unusual design with a front panel made of real wood. The card is relatively slim and occupies 2.5 slots, which should make it easier to install multiple GeForce RTX 5080 cards in a single PC case, which can be advantageous for some AI and creative workloads.
The cooling system utilizes a vapor chamber, a phase-change thermal pad and three fans to keep the temperatures of the GPU and graphics memory in check. Asus claims this keeps the RTX 5080 relatively cool and quiet, but the manufacturer doesn't provide any specific data to back up this claim. That said, the graphics card’s M.2 slot is a rather unusual feature and allows users to expand their storage with a PCIe 5.0 SSD. The SSD connects to the graphics card's heatsink to ensure high performance even under sustained load.
Moreover, the Asus ProArt GeForce RTX 5080 is one of the first RTX 5080 cards with a USB Type-C. This port can be used to hook up portable monitors that can also be powered via USB-C, and it supports daisy-chaining to run multiple displays simultaneously on a single USB-C port. Details on the clock frequencies and power consumption are expected to be revealed soon.
Price and availability
Asus has not listed the official price and release date on the corresponding product page just yet. However, the ProArt model is likely to be more expensive than the Asus Prime GeForce RTX 5080 OC Edition, which carries an official price tag of $1,320 but is currently selling for over $1,800 on Amazon.
