Several next-gen Asus GPUs from Nvidia and AMD have been listed by hardware data aggregator momomo_us at X. Retailers and distributors are bracing their inventory as we approach CES next month. The leak suggests that Asus may introduce a new “Astral” sub-series of GPUs under its high-end ROG brand. In addition, two retailers, Intcomex and El Changarro, accidentally put up listings for the Asus ROG Astral RTX 5080 ahead of launch.
Asus categorizes its products into three distinct lineups: Prime, TUF, and ROG, ranked from most budget-friendly to most premium. The leaker mentioned three GPUs across Asus’ three product families: the RTX 5080 from Nvidia, the RX 9070 XT, and the RX 9070 from AMD. For the uninitiated, the RX 9070 XT is renamed RX 8800 XT since AMD’s RDNA 4 family will allegedly be rebranded RX 9000.
This leak asserts that the RTX 5080 will adopt 16GB of memory, which aligns with previous rumors. Likewise, the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 are rumored to sport 16GB of memory, though allegedly based on slower GDDR6 technology. The list suggests that Asus is developing a new Astral sub-series of GPUs, which might join Strix and Matrix under the Asus ROG umbrella. Astral is related to stars so that Asus might incorporate a white or silverish tone into these GPUs, but let’s wait for official confirmation.
ROG-ASTRAL-RTX5080-O16G-GAMINGROG-ASTRAL-RTX5080-O16G-GAMINGPRIME-RTX5080-O16GTUF-RX9070XT-O16G-GAMINGTUF-RX9070-O16G-GAMINGPRIME-RX9070XT-O16GPRIME-RX9070-O16GDecember 28, 2024
From what we can see, the listed models include the RTX 5080 based on the new ROG Astral series, which is probably exclusive to Nvidia. Next, we have the RX 9070 XT and non-XT cards in Asus TUF and Asus Prime flavors with a pinch of overclocking capabilities on select models.
With 16GB of VRAM based on this leak, the RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 may feature a 256-bit interface, a sigh of relief as AMD isn’t cutting down on memory. The RX 9070 non-XT should adopt a nerfed Navi 48 die with fewer CUs (Compute Units) and a lower TGP. On the flip side, its direct competitor, the RTX 5070 Ti, sticks with 16GB, dropping to 12GB for the RTX 5070, per rumors.
According to leaks, Nvidia’s Blackwell family, which includes the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, and RTX 5070 series, is expected to launch next month. While AMD’s starting lineup is unknown, the RX 9070 XT and the RX 9070 are potential candidates to compete with Nvidia’s RTX 5070 offerings.
