ASUS may be preparing to shake up the graphics card market with an exciting new addition to its lineup. Leaks suggest the company could introduce an Astral series of GPUs, potentially joining its premium Republic of Gamers (ROG) portfolio. This rumoured series comes as NVIDIA and AMD gear up to unveil their latest offerings at CES 2025, taking place next week.
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— 188号 (@momomo_us) December 28, 2024
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The news gained traction after hardware data aggregator momomo_us on X (formerly Twitter) spotted leaked listings of upcoming NVIDIA and AMD graphics cards from retailers and distributors. Among these were mentions of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 and AMD Radeon RX 9070 series, hinting that ASUS is preparing its inventory for the big announcements.
What the Astral series could bring to the table
The most eye-catching detail in the leak is the so-called Astral sub-series, rumoured to sit within ASUS’s high-end ROG range alongside its renowned Strix and Matrix lines. The name “Astral” suggests a celestial theme, possibly reflected in a futuristic design with silver or white accents to stand out in the competitive GPU market. Early listings for the ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5080 have already appeared at retailers such as Intcomex and El Changarro, though these were likely published by mistake.
ASUS traditionally organises its GPUs into three categories: Prime, TUF, and ROG. This new Astral series reinforces its ROG tier, which caters to serious gamers and PC builders.
Specifications: What to expect
The leaked listings indicate that NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 5080 and AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT will feature 16GB of memory, a common trend for this generation. However, NVIDIA’s RTX 5080 is expected to boast faster memory technology, setting it apart from AMD’s GDDR6-powered Radeon cards.
The RX 9070 XT and its non-XT variant will reportedly include a 256-bit memory interface, making them competitive against NVIDIA’s mid-range Blackwell lineup. AMD’s move to a new naming convention with the RX 9070 XT also supports speculation about its RDNA 4 architecture, marking a departure from its previous RX 6000 and 7000 series.
Performance and features
For tech enthusiasts, the excitement isn’t just about specs. ASUS’s ROG series is known for pushing boundaries with advanced cooling systems, factory overclocking, and striking designs. The Astral branding could signal further innovations, potentially introducing exclusive features to give these GPUs an edge.
The RTX 5080, likely the centrepiece of the Astral lineup, is positioned as NVIDIA’s answer to AMD’s Radeon RX 9070 XT. Both companies are expected to announce their flagship GPUs at CES 2025, leaving enthusiasts eager to see how these cards stack up.
As CES 2025 approaches, the leaks have only heightened anticipation for NVIDIA, AMD, and ASUS announcements. Tech fans can look forward to exciting updates as the event kicks off next week.
