The latest innovations in the graphics solutions market are NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti and GeForce GTX 1050 video cards. After extensive testing of these models, we continue to get acquainted with individual non-reference versions. It’s time to take a look at the next representative of ASUS. Previously, we considered the ASUS Expedition GeForce GTX 1050 Ti video adapter, now let’s look at the top-end version in the face of the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.

ASUS ROG STRIX-GTX1050TI-O4G-GAMING

The video card comes in a small box. The package includes additional body pads, Velcro straps for wires, and a code for 15 days of the World of Warships premium mode. A good set, as for a representative of the budget class.

ASUS ROG Strix GeForce outwardly resembles older video adapters in this series. The same solid cooling with a large heatsink and a pair of fans, strict design. Given the low TDP, all this looks extremely serious.

The total length is 24 cm. The cooler occupies two slots.

The reverse side is protected by a metal plate. In the corner there is a six-pin auxiliary power connector. The regular version of the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti does not need additional power.

There is a small illuminated logo on the side of the cooler.

Backlight customizable via the ASUS Aura app. You can change not only the color, but also include different lighting effects with pulsation, etc.

The strict black look of the case can be diluted with additional overlays with red elements. These pads are included in the kit.

On the rear panel there are four connectors for image output: DisplayPort, HDMI and two DVI.

Under the casing is a large radiator with a massive base and two thick heat pipes. Direct contact of these tubes with the surface of the graphics chip is implemented.

The radiator is made up of a number of thin plates of small height, heat pipes pierce them along the edges.

The plastic casing with fans clings to the edges of the radiator with latches.

Two 10 cm Everflow T129215SM fans are used. Under the plastic frame to which the fans are screwed, there are sticky adhesive pads that improve grip and dampen vibration.

The ROG STRIX-GTX1050TI-O4G-GAMING uses a full-length PCB. The developer did not save on production and circuitry.

Soldered high-quality electronic components that meet the Super Alloy Power II internal standard. Everything, like the top ASUS video cards.

The graphics chip is powered by a four-phase voltage converter controlled by a uP9501P controller. The memory is powered by two phases.

The video card uses a full version of the new 14nm GP107-400-A1 chip with 768 stream processors.

Four gigabytes of memory are provided by four Samsung K4G80325FB-HC28 chips.

Factory frequencies are higher than recommended. The base frequency is increased from 1290 to 1380 MHz with Boost Clock 1493 MHz instead of the standard 1392 MHz. The memory operates at the prescribed effective frequency of 7 GHz.

All ROG Strix Gaming graphics cards support three working profiles with different frequencies. By default, the retail version runs in Gaming mode. There is also a Silent profile with lower frequencies and lower fan speeds, but initially they are so low that the «silent» mode is not relevant. OC Mode offers higher operating frequencies of 1392/1502 MHz.

Mode switching is carried out through the ASUS GPU Tweak II utility. This program also provides maximum opportunities for monitoring parameters. Other applications are supported, including MSI Afterburner.

For testing, we limited ourselves to standard frequencies, without resorting to OC Mode, since there will still be tests during manual overclocking. In gaming mode at 22°C indoors, the GPU reached 55-57°C. Table low performance was combined with low fan speeds. At the peak moment they could spin up to 1000 rpm, but after stabilization they worked at a speed of less than 800 rpm. This is illustrated below with screenshots of parameter monitoring during testing of Metro: Last Light and Tom Clancy’s The Division.

The real Boost frequency was kept in the range of 1810-1823 MHz, which is slightly higher than the frequencies of the previously tested top variants from MSI and Gigabyte. Short-term Boost peaks reached 1835 MHz.

In overclocking, ASUS ROG Strix also demonstrated maximum frequencies. The core was overclocked to 1480 MHz at the base frequency with peak Boost up to 1946 MHz. It is worth noting a large margin to increase the power limit. If it is blocked for simple GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, then for Strix this limit can be powerfully raised by 57%.

Real Boost stayed at 1924 with occasional spikes up to 1936 MHz. This frequency level was provided by increasing the voltage by 20 mV. These are the highest GPU frequencies among the video cards of this series that we have tested. Although the difference with other top models is at the level of 10 MHz. The memory worked stably at frequencies up to 4100 (8200) MHz, and this is also the highest result among the GeForce GTX 1050 Ti.

The fan speed was manually increased to 1200 rpm, which provided an even lower level of operating temperatures compared to the initial ones. Noise at such low speeds is nothing to worry about. The video card is quiet and cold.

Once again, we have seen that it is impossible to reach 2 GHz on the GP107, although it is within the power of older 16-nm Pascal processors. A significant increase in voltage allows you to additionally raise the frequency, but this does not provide complete stability. As an example, below is a screenshot of the 3DMark Time Spy heavy test with Boost at 1949 MHz and a memory frequency of 8328 MHz.