Introduction
NVIDIA mid-generation upgrade, the RTX SUPER series, proved to be a capable release to compete with the threat of an impending Radeon takeover but depending on whose side of the fence you root for in this battle, at this point in time, if you’re rocking the newer RTX series cards, you’re gonna be feeling a little bit uneasy especially if you bought your card sometime during late 2019. With things looking to have settled down a bit, the battle rages on still with the Radeon RX 5700 XT proving to be a viable alternative to the RTX 2070 but with NVIDIA’s larger RTX 2070 SUPER being built on the same chip as an RTX 2080, some gamers are swinging on the green team. While 1080p gamers, can relax with any of these cards, its the burgeoning 1080p 300hz and 1440p 240hz market that’s definitely being targeted by these graphics cards. Today we’ll check out one of the top offerings for the RTX 2070 SUPER lineup with the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC graphics card. Carrying the larger 2.7x slot of the RTX 2080 Ti model from ASUS ROG STRIX’s line, this graphics card seems its got plenty of room to wiggle around when overclocking as well providing overall great cooling. We’ll check out how the card performs in this review so read on!
About the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC
Based on the larger RTX 2080’s TU104 die, the RTX 2070 SUPER features a reduced 2650 CUDA cores vs the 3072. Both cards share the same GDDR6 8GB memory on the same 256-bit wide bus. The stock RTX 2070 SUPER has a 1605Mhz base clock, higher than the 1515Mhz of the RTX 2080.
ASUS takes this further with the ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC, the 08G GAMING model to be exact, with a boost clock of 1905Mhz. The reference RTX 2070 SUPER only boosts to 1770Mhz. The premium cooling and cherry-picked GPU has always been a driving factor for price from ASUS and as a premium model, this card has a release price of $590, a 90$ premium over the reference NVIDIA models. ASUS decks out the ROG STRIX model though and has a slew of functionalities including a BIOS switch for choosing if you want to go Quiet Mode or Performance Mode. Quiet Mode is the stock setting and will provide an idle fan setting while Performance mode will provide a more aggressive fan curve with no idle for better cooling performance.
The ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC also features a 2.7x slot cooler, the same cooler as their ROG STRIX RTX 2080 Ti. With the new standard for PCIe slot spacing now moving to a larger gap, card makers can really play with their designs a bit more to improve cooling and aesthethics. While ASUS does not crap RGB on this card, it still has a nice RGB lighting on the backplate and shroud. The GPU also features connectors for additional fans for cooling controlled by the GPU.
We have with us the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) STRIX GeForce RTX 2070 Super O8G graphics card, which is the company’s top offering based on this chip. Since it’s based on the larger “TU104” silicon, ASUS uses the same board design as for its RTX 2080 STRIX OC graphics card, which is priced a segment above. What’s more interesting is that unlike other manufacturers, ASUS did not disable any power phases and reuses the RTX 2080 STRIX OC PCB cent per cent. The massive DirectCU III cooler is also practically unchanged and capable of handling much higher thermal loads than what the RTX 2070 Super can put out. You get factory-overclocked speeds of 1905 MHz GPU Boost. ASUS is pricing the RTX 2070 Super ROG STRIX OC at $590, a massive $90 premium over the $500 MSRP.
NVIDIA GeForce Experience Update: ReShade, Image Sharpening and Ultra Low Latency Mode
We’ve talked in detail about Ultra Low Latency Mode and how to enable it in a separate article. You can find out how to enable ultra low latency mode here. Ultra low latency mode gets a highlight in this release to further highlight NVIDIA’s improvement in input latency. Ultra Low Latency Mode now known as NVIDIA Ultra Low Latency or NULL for smart, is a way to reduce the frame render queue for a just-in-time rendering of frames which improves input latency. Perfect for esports titles which require highly price input. This mode allows higher refresh rates to benefit greatly from compatible graphics cards.
G-Sync further improves the experience by allowing hardware-based syncing of frames to the display while G-Sync Compatible displays allow Freesync monitors to be used with NVIDIA cards if capable for the same experience.
NVIDIA Image Sharpening how now migrated from NVIDIA Freestyle to the control panel allowing users to have sharper images without tuning in-game details that may hamper performance. As a filter, its an image processing technique, not a rendering technique, and NVIDIA has optimized it to work smoothly with their drivers. Upscaling is also available allowing sharper images from lower resolution images. This is in contrast to the RTX-exclusive DLSS which requires AI learning and driver support. Image Sharpening is available via NVIDIA control panel and supports all DirectX 9/11/12 games with Vulkan and OpenGL support coming soon.
Another community-driven tool embraced by NVIDIA and coinciding with the GTX 16-Series SUPER release is support for ReShade. ReShade is an extension of NVIDIA Freestyle and Ansel allowing filters to be added to the game. This includes artistic styles amongst others which allows visual improvements to be used in-game while playing. Expanding on the current filters available, NVIDIA is allowing ReShade filters to be used as well allowing a richer assortment of filters to be used for creative purposes.
Last improvement is a focus on streaming. Same PC or single PC streaming has always been the end-game for streaming setups and NVIDIA is looking to entice new streamers by allowing improved encoding performance via NVENC encoder present in OBS and Xsplit. Utilizing the Turing architecture, NVIDIA cards can performance faster without using CPU resources, enabling gamers to stream and multi-task better. We’ll dive into this segment in a future article where we’ll test real-time streaming impact on gaming on single PC setups.
Test Setup and Methodology
Processor: Intel Core i9 9900K
Motherboard: ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI EXTREME
Memory: G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3600 16GB
Storage: WD Blue SSD 1TB SATA
PSU: Seasonic Platinum 1050w
Cooling: Fractal Design Celsius S36 AIO Liquid cooler
Monitor: Viewsonic VX2475smhl-4K
VGA: ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC, AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT Reference, GALAX RTX 2070 SUPER EX 1-Click OC, ASUS ROG STRIX RX 5600 XT
This card was tested in Quiet mode to replicate out of box performance.
For a full-hardware workout, visit https://benchmarks.ul.com for our system warm-up and stress test of choice.
For benchmarking methodology please see our game benchmark method guide.
Frame rates and frame times of a 60-second game play were recorded using NVIDIA FrameView. The test results are the average of 3 benchmark runs. Since this is a GPU review, we benchmarked the area of the games that put heavy load on the GPU.
All our test runs are repeatable, click the links below for area and details. Read our benchmarking methodology.
- DOTA2 – Kiev Major Grand Finals Game 5: OG vs Virtus.Pro (54:05 – 55:05)
- The Witcher 3 – Woesong Bridge
- Grand Theft Auto V – Palomino Highlands
- F1 2017 – Benchmark Mode (Australia, Clear Weather, Morning)
- Rainbow Six: Siege – Benchmark Mode (30 second)
- Shadow of the Tomb Raider – Kuwaq Yaqu
- Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2019 – Fog of War
See our Youtube playlist for benchmark sequences.
Note: Some proprietary technologies of NVIDIA like PCSS, HBAO+, and HairWorks work on AMD GPU’s BUT to maintain uniformity amongst GPUs, these have been turned OFF. The lower the frametimes, the better. The higher the FPS the better. Frame rate chart and low percentiles presented for smoothness comparison.
DOTA 2
The most popular game on Steam and the biggest competition in eSports; DOTA 2 is powered by the Source 2 engine. The game is fairly light on low to medium settings but maxed out with heavy action on screen especially during clashes can really stress most systems especially with Reborn update. This is a game where frame times matter as responsiveness is very important in high-stakes competition.
DirectX9 (default)
Best-Looking slider setting (Ultra)
FPS_MAX 240
Vsync OFF
F1 2017
Set as the foundation of the Formula One eSports series, F1 2017 is a hallmark installment in the F1 sim-racing series as it expands previously introduced features and creates a great, F1 career simulation experience. The game is powered by EGO Engine 3.0 and features highly detailed cars with exceptional attention to environmental effects including those that simulate road condition and car condition.
Ultra High graphics settings
HBAO+
TAA
Anisotropic Filtering: 16x
Vsync OFF
Grand Theft Auto V
The fifth and most successful installment to date in the highly controversial Grand Theft Auto series brings a graphical overhaul to the PC version of GTA V which many have lauded as a superior approach in porting a console game to PC. Featuring large areas and detailing, GTA V is a highly challenging application in terms of scene complexity.
FXAA Off
MSAA 4x
TXAA Off
Very High settings
Anisotropic Filtering: 16x
Motion Blur disabled
Advanced Graphics enabled
Vsync OFF
Call of Duty Modern Warfare (2019)
Call of Duty Modern Warfare is a reboot of the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare storyline, set in a different world where you, along with Captain Price have to stop the world from going to war. Call of Duty Modern Warfare reignites the franchise by introducing full crossplay support where Xbox and PS4 players can play together with PC players. On PC, the game features a new engine pushing photorealism for COD far beyond what their older engine is capable of. The new engine also introduces raytracing and the AI is designed to perceive light as well. With a revitalized multiplayer arena, the game will require fast frame rates.
Render Resolution: 100%
Texture Resolution: High
Texture Filter Anisotropic: High
Particle Quality: High
Tessellation: All
Shadow Map Resolution: Extra
Particle Lighting: Ultra
DirectX Raytracing: OFF
Ambient Occlusion: Both
Anti-Aliasing: Filmic SMAA T2X
World Motion Blur: Ooff
Shaders Installed before benchmarks*
Rainbow Six: Siege
Nearly 4 years later and Rainbow Six: Siege has become a phenomenon after a lukewarm beginning. The massive shift in focus of the game sees it stepping into eSports territory and the excellent mix of gameplay mechanics, good design and a dedicated dev team has put R6: Siege in a position it couldn’t even picture during launch. Rainbow Six: Siege focuses heavily on tactical and creative gameplay and its vertical levels and highly destructible maps encourage players to be quick on their feet so the action is always going. Powered by Ubisoft’s own AnvilNext 2.0 engine which powers some of Ubi’s recent visual masterpieces, R6:Siege also feature excellent graphics and can get very taxing at high detail settings. The game also features an Ultra HD texture pack download for those that want higher resolution textures but will of course demand more from the system.
Ultra Settings
Anti Aliasing: TAA
Ultra HD Texture pack not installed
Ambient Occlusion: SSBC
Vsync OFF
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
DirectX 12
Graphics Settings Preset: High
Texture Quality: Ultra
Texture Filtering: 4x Anisotropic
Anti-Aliasing: TAA
DLSS: OFF
AMD FidelityFX: OFF
Raytraced Shadow: OFF
Vsync OFF
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
CD Projekt Red’s latest installment in the Witcher saga features one of the most graphically intense offering the company has to date. As Geralt of Rivia, slay monsters, beasts and men as you unravel the mysteries of your past. Vast worlds and lush sceneries make this game a visual feast and promises to make any system crawl at its highest settings.
Frame Rate: Unlimited
Nvidia HairWorks: Off
Ultra Settings
Motion Blur: Off
Blur: Off
Anti-aliasing: On
Bloom: On
Sharpening: High
Ambient Occlusion: SSAO
Depth of Field: On
Chromatic Aberration: Off
Vignetting: On
Light Shafts: On
VSync OFF
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Easily Capcom’s most successful game to date. Available in both consoles and PC, Monster Hunter World ranks in Steam’s top played games for the platform. The 2020 Iceborne update for PC brings the game to new PC frontier, introducing DirectX 12 support. The game features rich graphical detail settings and an Ultra HD texture pack for highend gamers. MHW’s features fast-paced action with traditional RPG farings and has captured a new market thanks to the transition from portable.
Our benchmark for this game uses an expedition track in the Wildspire Waste Southwest Camp (Area 1) and finishes in the Rathian nest at Area 12 in the caves. This run gives us runs from barren area, to watery area with lush vegetation to a cave which replicates the varied nature of exploration and monster combat in MHW.
API: DirectX 12
Graphical Settings: Manual (customized from High)
All variable settings set to High
Image Quality: High
Anti-Aliasing: TAA
Max LOD Level: No Limit
Volume Rendering Quality: High
Motion Blur: Off
DLSS and AMD FidelityFX: OFF
Temperature and Power Draw – ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC
To measure both power consumption and heat, we stress the video card and record the peak values for heat and wattage. We use default values on the cards and stress test them using 3DMark FireStrike Ultra in 20 loops to simulate gaming loads and this is where we also base our power draw. Our AC wattmeter has a USB interface that allows logging of data which gives us a good average of what draw is during the load scenario.
Thermal Images
Conclusion: ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC
ASUS has done a lot of work on this card and compared head to head with the other RTX 2070 SUPER in this test, do note that our testing sample is on Quiet mode. Head to head with a reference 5700XT, at 1080p its pretty much anyone’s ball game in our testing but cranking the resolution up to 1440p really shows whose the superior card. With performance so tight between the two RTX 2070 SUPER, we have to stress again the importance if and should we chose to go with a Performance-mode testing with ASUS. Still, given that a majority of users will almost never touch the BIOS toggle, we just have to reiterate that the card can go further. A few FPS may not be something special but still, every FPS counts. But in this case, its the possibility to go further if and should you want to overclock or that massive cooling giving us a decent sub-75*C peak thermals in-game.
Now barring the question if and should you go for the RTX 2070 SUPER versus the 5700 XT, the question we want to really answer is if one should go for an RTX 2070 SUPER versus an RTX 2080. With the RTX 2080 stocks dwindling, most users will most likely be presented with the RTX 2080 SUPER. At nearly 1000$ and significantly more expensive than the RTX 2070 SUPER, the ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC with its $90 becomes a little bit more sensible. Keeping in mind that you’ll be playing 1440p mostly or extremely high-framerate 1080p, if 240Hz 1440p or 4K 144hz is your thing, the higher cards definitely makes more sense.
Outside of performance, there’s no denying the ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC is a well-designed card. The cooler belies a great board design and a usable fan hub on the edge of the graphics card, this is quite a functional card. From our benchmarks, it’s obvious that most of these cards will perform at the same level, the quality of cooling and design will ultimately be your deciding factor and if you’re an ASUS fan looking to max out your budget and get the most solidly-built RTX 2070 SUPER in this shores, the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC (O8G GAMING) is definitely the card to get.
The card retails in the Philippines with an MSRP of Php34,100.
ASUS backs the ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC (O8G GAMING) with a 3-year warranty. We give the ASUS ROG STRIX RTX 2070 SUPER OC our B2G Performance Award!