Original features, to say the least, on a graphics card that we're more used to seeing on smartphones or game controllers.
Earlier this year - on January 30 to be exact - NVIDIA launched its new range of graphics cards based on the Blackwell architecture. The first models available were the GeForce RTX 5080 and RTX 5090 before, week after week, other products were added to this generation: the RTX 5070 Ti, then the RTX 5070 and, finally, the RTX 5060 Ti, while we await the now imminent RTX 5060. Despite the expansion of the range, the GeForce RTX 5090 remains the most powerful model, and also the most expensive. That said, there are considerable price differences between the different versions of this RTX 5090.
The GeForce RTX 5090 ROG Astral thermal card © VideoCardz
At or near the top of the range is the ASUS GeForce RTX 5090 ROG Astral graphics card. This is a particularly well-equipped model that several testers had the opportunity to discover at the end of January. At the time of these tests, several highly advanced features were highlighted. These included the " Power Detector +" feature, which checks that the board is correctly powered. If power is not being distributed correctly, an alert is triggered. Another original feature is that ASUS has integrated multiple temperature sensors all around the GPU, enabling a " heat map " of the card to be established. The aim, of course, is to provide users with as much information as possible and prevent any problems.
Checking that the card has not moved © VideoCardz
At the time of testing, however, no one had noticed the integration of perhaps even more surprising functionalities. The VideoCardz site states that ASUS has implemented a small Bosch Sensortech BMI323 IMU chip that integrates a gyroscope and accelerometer. Two tools that we're not used to seeing on a graphics card, but whose purpose is not stupid. Indeed, a graphics card like the GeForce RTX 5090 ROG Astral is particularly heavy (over 3 kilograms), and the pressure exerted on the PCI Express port is considerable. ASUS has of course provided an additional support system, but with the gyroscope and accelerometer, it's above all possible to check that the card hasn't moved, and that its inclination presents no danger. Of course, if the modules detect any movement of the card, an alert is triggered. There's no stopping progress!
