Asus has introduced a new flagship RTX 4090 graphics card that uses an all-in-one liquid cooling system combined with liquid metal thermal interface. Dubbed the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090, Asus says that its advanced cooler combined with extremely efficient thermal interface will ensure the maximum boost clocks possible, with Asus taking clear aim of producing the fastest gaming graphics card on the market.

Proper power delivery and efficient cooling are main ways to enable consistently high CPU and GPU performance these days, so when designing its ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090, the company used its own proprietary printed circuit board (PCB) with an advanced voltage regulating module (VRM). Meanwhile cooling is being provided by an all-in-one liquid cooling system that removes heat not only from GPU, but also from memory and VRM, exhausting that heat via the attached “extra-thick” 360mm radiator.

But Asus says that its ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 has a secret ingredient that its rivals lack: liquid metal thermal interface material (TIM) that ensures superior heat transfer from hot components to cooling systems. 

Asus does not disclose what type of liquid metal TIM it uses for graphics cards (it uses ThermalGrizzly’s Conductonaut Extreme for some laptops), bus usually such thermal interfaces are made from gallium or gallium alloys, which are liquid at or near room temperature and are great conductors of heat.

But there are also some risks and challenges associated with using liquid metal thermal interfaces. Firstly, they are electrically conductive, which means that if the material spills or is not properly contained, it could cause a short circuit. Secondly, these materials can be corrosive to certain metals like aluminum. Thirdly, applying liquid metal can be more complicated than using other types of thermal paste, requiring careful handling and precision.

Asus says that it has been using liquid metal TIMs in its laptops for years, so using them for graphics cards does not seem to be a big challenge for the company. 

Image Credit: Future/TechRadar

Asus is not disclosing the complete specifications of the ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 for the moment, but it certainly hopes to make the graphics card the world’s fastest. It remains to be seen whether the product will indeed be the fastest out-of-box, but it will certainly offer a noteworthy overclocking potential when compared to regular GeForce RTX 4090 graphics boards with regular coolers.

The Asus ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 will be a limited-edition card available for sale in Q3.

Source: AnandTech – Asus Details ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090: Liquid Cooling Meets Liquid Metal

Corsair has introduced its new Dominator Titanium series of DDR5 memory modules that will combine performance, capacity, and style. The new lineup of memory modules and kits will offer DRAM kits up to 192 GB in capacity at data transfer rates as high as DDR5-8000.

The Dominator Titanium DIMMs are based on cherry-picked memory chips and Corsair’s own printed circuit boards to ensure signal quality and integrity. Also, these PCBs are supplemented with internal cooling planes and external thermal pads that transfer heat to aluminum heat spreaders, with an aim on keeping the heavily overclocked DRAM sufficiently cooled.

With regards to performance, the retail versions of the Titanium kits will run at speeds ranging from DDR5-6000 to DDR5-8000. Which, at the moment, would make the top-end SKUs of the highest clocked DDR5 RAM on the market. Corsair is also promissing kits with CAS latencies as low as CL30, though absent a full product matrix, it’s likely those kits will be clocked lower. The DIMMs come equipped with AMD’s EXPO (AMD version) and Intel’s XMP 3.0 (Intel version) SPD profiles for easier overclocking.

As for capacity, the Titanium DIMMs will be available in 16GB, 24GB, 32GB, and 48GB configurations, allowing for kits ranging from 32GB (2 x 16GB) up to 192GB (4x 48GB). Following the usual rule curve for DDR5 memory kits, we’ll wager that DDR5-8000 kits won’t be avaialble in 192GB capacities – even Intel’s DDR5 memory controller has a very hard time with running 4 DIMMs anywhere near that fast – so we’re expecting that the fastest kits will be limited to smaller capacities; likely 48GB (2 x 24GB).

Corsair is not disclosing whose memory chips it uses for its Dominator Titanium memory modules, but there is a good chance that it uses Micron’s latest generation of DDR5 chips, which are available in both 16Gbit and 24Gbit capacities. Micron was the first DRAM vendor to publicly start shipping 24Gbit DRAM chips, so they are the most likely candidate for the first 24GB/48GB DIMMs such as Corsair’s. And if that’s the case, that would mark an interesting turn-around for Micron; the company’s first-generation DDR5 modules are not known for overclocking very well, which is why we haven’t been seeing them on current high-end DDR5 kits.

Image Credit: Future/TechRadar

Corsair has also taken into account aesthetic preferences by incorporating 11 addressable Capellix RGB LEDs into the modules. Users can customize and control these LEDs using Corsair’s iCue software. For those favoring minimalism, Corsair offers separate Fin Accessory Kits. These kits replace the RGB top bars with fins, bringing a classic look reminiscent of the original Dominator memory.

While Corsair’s new Dominator Titanium memory modules are already very fast, to commemorate their debut Corsair plans to release a limited run of First-Edition kits. These exclusive kits will feature even higher clocks and tighter timings – likely running at DDR5-8266 speeds, which Corsair is showing off at Computex. Corsair intends to offer only 500 individually numbered First-Edition kits.

Corsair plans to start selling its Dominator Titanium kits in July. Pricing will depend on market conditions, but expect these DIMMs to carry a premium price tags.

Gallery: Corsair Unveils Dominator Titanium: Up to 192GB DDR5-8000 Kits

Source: AnandTech – Corsair Unveils Dominator Titanium DDR5 Kits: Reaching For DDR5-8000