The Colourful RTX 4090 NB EV-X is the primary third-party RTX 4090 (opens in new tab) graphics card we have had within the take a look at rig, and actually, I used to be shocked it is even greater than the humongous Founders Version that has already impressed me. The shock solely lasted till the MSI RTX 4090 Suprim X landed with an audible thud within the PC Gamer workplace, nevertheless, as a result of that is even greater nonetheless.
There is a purpose third-party variations of the primary Ada Lovelace era GPU are seemingly all delivery with graphics card helps. Attempt mounting this factor vertically in your chassis with out one and also you’re taking a look at a potent recipe for bending, and even shearing the PCI Categorical slot clear off your motherboard.
The Colourful RTX 4090 (opens in new tab), nevertheless, is a $1,600 principally reference-clocked card versus the really overclocked MSI, so you possibly can forgive it being a bit smaller. You solely have to go to a 3.5-slot design in case you’re actually pushing the ability, proper? It may possibly’t fairly resolve what to name this card, although. The retail field says ‘Battle Ax’ the product web page says RTX 4090 NB EX-V, however then additionally references a Battle Axe cooling array. That is axe. With an ‘e’. Enjoyable, eh?
However there’s nonetheless an incredible, tangible sense of worth when selecting up this chonk boi of a graphics card. The quantity of aluminium in that heatsink array, poking out from beneath the triple fan shroud, factors to the latent energy inside this factor.
And it is a fairly restrained design from Colourful, and truly not that vibrant. You may, in fact, change the RGB brand on prime of it through the iGame software program, however that is about it. The final Colourful card we checked out was its RTX 3080 iGame Superior OC (opens in new tab), which was a bit excessive, to say the least. Not simply within the angular RGB-lit shroud, but additionally in its push for aggressively overclocking the GPU at its coronary heart which made it quite flaky at launch.
The RTX 4090 Battle Ax, nevertheless, is stable, sq., and as far as dependable because the Nvidia Founders Version.
RTX 4090 NB EX-V specs
GPU: Nvidia AD102
Lithography: TSMC 4N
CUDA Cores: 16,384
Enhance clock: 2,565MHz
Reminiscence: 24GB GDDR6X
Reminiscence pace: 21Gbps
TDP: 480W
Dimensions: 327 x 151.2 x 67.1mm (over 3 slot)
Worth: $1,599.99
Once I stated it was principally reference-clocked that is as a result of its enhance clock is 2,565MHz versus the two,520MHz of the Founders Version card. Now, I do know some producers would nonetheless name that ‘overclocked’ so kudos to Colourful for not spouting that line in any of its advertising and marketing across the card.
Although I am not going to let the ‘menacing luxurious’ line move with out remark when it talks about that ‘diamond slicing design’ within the product description. With regards to luxurious, the very last thing I need it to be is menacing. It is up there with promoting your restaurant as providing ‘caustic gastronomy’.
That apart, the AD102 GPU will get the identical remedy as that within the RTX 4090 Founders Version, that’s to say an outstanding variety of CUDA Cores, all of the third Gen RT Cores and 4th Gen Tensor Cores, further cache, and 24GB of GDDR6X reminiscence to name its personal.
So yeah, nonetheless an absolute monster of a graphics card. If you wish to become familiar with the brand new tech I’ve already gone into depth with the Ada Lovelace structure (opens in new tab) within the FE overview.
The facility aspect of issues is the place it appears to be like a bit completely different, nevertheless. Colourful, like different producers, is recommending 1000W energy provides for the RTX 4090 (although MSI nonetheless says an 850W PSU is the minimal requirement), and it is also referring to the TGP as 480W, not 450W as with Nvidia’s personal card.
Once more, the 480W determine is what MSI is suggesting for its RTX 4090 Suprim in overclocked ‘Gaming Mode’.
Artificial efficiency
All these specs would have you ever anticipating the Colourful card to surpass the RTX 4090 Founders Version within the benchmarking stakes. However you would be mistaken. And perhaps that is all the way down to the precise design of Nvidia’s personal board. Nvidia’s engineers crafted the AD102 to cope with an enormous quantity of energy going by means of its 4N transistors, to the purpose that it is in a position to hit a median 2,716MHz in our testing.
And a part of that’s going to be all the way down to the 20 section energy design of its PCB, delivering a gentle circulate of fresh power to the GPU. This Colourful board, nevertheless, is sporting a 14+3 energy section design, which could clarify why we’re solely seeing a median 2,577MHz within the take a look at rig.
4K gaming efficiency
I used to be nonetheless in a position to overclock the chip to run at a gentle 2,865MHz by upping the ability limits and manually adjusting the clock pace within the iGame software program, however that took a bit work. Although it exhibits the ability design continues to be sufficient to get lots of efficiency out of the Colourful card. I’m nonetheless a bit unhappy I could not simply hit 3GHz, however I’ve but to correctly strive my hand at severely overclocking the RTX 4090.
This decrease clock pace is indicative of decrease efficiency throughout the board for the Colourful RTX 4090. However solely by a fractional quantity, and it’s nonetheless monumentally sooner than the RTX 3090 that got here earlier than it.
Energy and thermals
PCG take a look at rig
CPU: Intel Core i9 12900K
Motherboard: Asus ROG Z690 Maximus Hero
Cooler: Corsair H100i RGB
RAM: 32GB G.Ability Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-5600
Storage: 1TB WD Black SN850, 4TB Sabrent Rocket 4Q
PSU: Seasonic Prime TX 1600W
OS: Home windows 11 22H2
Chassis: DimasTech Mini V2
Monitor: Dough Spectrum ES07D03
The facility and thermal calls for of a third-party card will at all times be an vital a part of any choice on which RTX 4090 to purchase. Nevertheless it’s all quite degree relating to these metrics between the Founders Version and the 2 AIB playing cards we have examined up to now. The Colourful is the coolest-running, although additionally the slowest, which suggests its energy draw can also be low by comparability.
It is value noting that the MSI card within the benchmarks above is operating at virtually the identical pace because the Founders model, typically providing larger efficiency, however really appears a bit cuter by way of what it calls for on the ability aspect.
All these uncooked benchmark numbers apart, the Colourful RTX 4090 continues to be an ideal automobile for the majesty that’s DLSS 3 with Body Technology. That is among the stand out options of the Ada GPUs, and might be the factor that saves the RTX 4080s from trying a lot weaker by comparability. Body Technology is a few unbelievable AI-based wizardry, and makes even CPU-limited video games, similar to MS Flight Sim, completely—pardon the pun—fly.
And it appears to be like nice doing it. I might go up to now to say that DLSS 3 with Body Technology, at 4K even on the Efficiency setting, appears to be like markedly higher than operating the video games we have examined at 4K native.
So, the Colourful RTX 4090 Battle Ax continues to be primarily an RTX 4090, and which means it is a mighty highly effective graphics card. However Nvidia has engineered one other unbelievable Founders Version model, which stands aside from the accomplice playing cards, and implies that in case you have a selection that’s the one to purchase. It would at all times be $1,600 and I might at all times take that over any third-party model, overclocked, water-cooled, or no matter.