The Founders Edition versions of NVIDIA’s RTX 5000 cards are notably smaller and slimmer than previous years, but that trend hasn’t necessarily translated to smaller third-party SKUs. Now, ASUS (who is, ironically, typically one of the manufacturers with the biggest cards) has released an RTX 5080 that might actually fit in your small PC build.
ASUS has unveiled its ProArt RTX 5080 GPU. It’s not a GPU that belongs in any of ASUS' gaming sub-brands, but rather, it belongs to the ProArt range. This means that this GPU is mostly meant for creators rather than gamers. But you can still game on it. It’s an RTX 5080, after all. You have 16GB of GDDR7 memory, 10,752 CUDA cores, and a 256-bit memory interface. It also features DLSS 4 with Multi-Frame Generation, which uses AI to significantly boost frame rates. So at its core, the GPU inside is still made for gaming, and you can use it for that if you want.
Why would you get this one over other GPUs, though? Mainly, because it’s pretty compact when you put it side by side with other RTX 5080 SKUs from other manufacturers and even from ASUS itself. It still has a three-fan design, which isn’t “small” by any means, but it also has a 2.5-slot design, which is a nice break from all the 3-slot or even 4-slot GPUs we’ve been seeing lately. This allows you to fit this GPU into a case that would otherwise not fit a massive, gigantic GPU. Think something like an SFF case, where you install a Mini-ITX motherboard inside and you barely have any room left for a graphics card.
It also looks really nice. Since it doesn’t try to do a gamer-y aesthetic with full RGB lights and “edgy” design, it manages to look like a pretty sleek piece of hardware, with wood pattern accents and just some tiny lights here and there. It won’t blow you away, but if you’re looking for a laid back design on your computer, this might be just what you need. Pair this with non-RGB RAM, an unassuming air cooler and a regular-looking motherboard, and put it all inside a sleeper case, and you’ll have the perfect sleeper build that’s still extremely fast—and you’ll likely be able to save a buck or two in the process since you’re not going for the parts everyone else is going for.
Unfortunately, the ProArt line itself tends to be expensive since it’s geared towards creators. We don’t have an MSRP for this, but it will be popping up in store shelves any day now, so keep that wallet ready. Check outASUS' websiteto know more.
