Test results:
Now that our RTX 4090 TUF OC Edition has been fitted with its waterblock and cooling loop, it’s time to get down to business and evaluate the temperature gains. Our tests took place outside the case, and we connected the pump to a dedicated socket on our ROG Maximus Z690 APEX, as well as the Y-shaped fan connector and the connector to power the backlight. As you can see, the rendering is superb, and we almost have the impression that the board is transparent.
The RGB backlight can be managed directly via the Asus application, as it is connected directly to a 5v port on the motherboard. The default setting is rainbow mode.
In terms of RGB backlighting, the fans also feature full RGB, as shown in the photos below.
As far as our temperature readings are concerned, we carried out two test loops. First, under 3DMark Time Spy, we ran three consecutive benchmarks at 10-minute intervals, before running two further series. The temperature in the lab was 22.8°C. However, since this is a closed-loop system, it’s impossible to measure the water temperature. So we didn’t provide any graphs calculating the delta: T° GPU – T° air/water.
In terms of GPU temperature gains, we’re talking about 10.7°C and no less than 17°C for the Hot Spot. Memory also benefits from cooling, dropping from 66°C to 46°C. Admittedly, we thought we’d see a bigger difference, but we have an idea of the reason, which we’ll explain below.
The second test consists of three 10-minute stress tests with 5 minutes rest on the Superposition benchmark. Here, we gain 9.3°C for the GPU temperature and no less than 12.9°C for the Hot Spot temperature. Memory also benefits from cooling, dropping from 64°C to 48°C.
There’s no doubt, then, that the Alphacool Eiswolf 2 AIO system brings a breath of fresh air to our RTX 4090 TUF OC Edition. In the end, however, we were expecting greater differences in temperature compared with the original cooling system, but the explanation surely lies in this thought. Manufacturers have oversized their cooling systems for the launch of RTX 4090s, as is the case with our example of the day, the Asus RTX 4090 TUF OC Edition. This has resulted in body-built graphics cards, but on the other hand, excellent temperatures thanks to these excellent cooling systems.
The cooling system on our RTX 4090 TUF OC Edition is already doing the job perfectly, and even if the addition of a watercooling system brings a significant benefit, it’s the reason for a less glaring temperature difference than usual.
