Conclusion
Manufacturers customizing video cards based on NVIDIA and AMD GPUs is what it is all about. Creating unique custom PCBs, heatsink and cooling solutions, factory overclocks, and added features not common to the GPU are what set video cards apart from each other. It is these features we look for as enthusiasts. Sometimes, a manufacturer will even go out of their way to make video cards suited for specific purposes, purpose-built video cards if you will.
That is what we have here today which we have now reviewed. We reviewed the ASUS DUAL GeForce RTX 2070 MINI OC Edition (O8G) video card which is purpose-built. ASUS has taken the powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 GPU and packaged it into a very small form factor video card package for Intel NUC 9 Enthusiast and Pro Kit builds, as well as any small form factor build. This is the perfectly powerful video card for ITX/mATX system builds and other small form factors.
Factory Overclock
ASUS did not skimp on this video card either. ASUS could have just left this video card at its default frequency, which in fact they do offer a model of. But on this O8G (OC Edition) version we reviewed today it actually has a factory boost overclock even though it’s been shrunken to a small form factor.
The ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 O8G MINI has a factory overclock boost of 1650MHz. In our testing, we found that the cooling is actually robust enough that NVIDIA GPU Boost raises it well above that while gaming. Our average clock speed was 1858MHz while gaming, meaning you’ll get higher performance than the rated boost clock. The small form factor and cooling are not holding the video card’s potential for GPU frequency back.
Overclocking
We also found that there was headroom for overclocking. ASUS has allowed enthusiast control via ASUS GPU Tweak II. We can raise the GPU Voltage, raise the Power Target, manipulate the fan speeds (independently even) and monitor hardware sensors. In our testing, we found that the Power Target has a small window of headroom at only +8. Therefore, we found that it was best to not use GPU Voltage in overclocking. Though we did try it, and we did get a very high GPU frequency alone up to 2040-2050MHz while gaming. However, this means we couldn’t have a memory overclock, and the fan speeds were quite high to maintain this.
Instead, we found that the best option was to just keep GPU Voltage at default and not mess with it. This still allowed a decent GPU frequency overclock near 2000MHz. In addition, we were now able to raise the memory up to 16GHz giving us more memory bandwidth. Because the GPU Voltage wasn’t as high, we only had to set the fans to 75% which kept the temps in the lower 60’s. You probably don’t even need to set them that high if you are ok with some upper 60’s temps, 60% should do fine.
Overclocking Performance
In terms of performance overclocking did the trick in raising performance around 7-10%. This put performance over that of a GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition. It also brought performance up to Radeon RX 5700 XT levels, and sometimes beyond depending on the game.
When you think about a small form factor build you don’t think too much about the possibility of also overclocking the video card. However, with this ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 MINI, there is going to be some overclocking potential there. ASUS gives you the tools to do it with enthusiast-level control. The video card is built robust enough to allow it. This means you’ll be able to have some real fun with your video card in your small system build giving you some options.
Default Performance
In terms of default performance, the ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 O8G MINI offered a high level of gameplay experience at 1440p and 1080p. We were able to play at “High” or “Ultra” settings depending on the resolution. It gave us over 60FPS framerates in many games, and in the more demanding games, all you have to do is drop quality settings by one notch. The video card lets you play at 1080p at maximum game settings or 1440p at high game settings.
The ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 O8G MINI performed very close to GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition performance. It does so at less power, and cooler temperatures to boot. These are good factors for small system builds. This means you’ll get near RTX 2070 FE performance at a lesser price, less power, and cooler temps.
Improvements
As always, we do have opinions on some improvements that we think could be made. We just wanted to offer our suggestions to ASUS, or whatnot, as to what some of our opinions are in some additions to make the product even more appealing.
Our first opinion is that we would like to see this form factor done in the faster GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER GPU. We do understand however, GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER is based on the TU104 GPU that GeForce RTX 2080 is based on, and not TU106 that GeForce RTX 2070 is based on. That more densily populated GPU may not conform as well to the small size and package the TU104 GPU is able to be put in. However, it would be nice from a performance perspective to pack that much performance in a small package.
It would be nice to either control the RGB coloring here or be able to turn it off. The colors chosen are nice for the RGB strip, but not having the ability to shut it off or change it reduces options.
The PCB length of the video card is actually shorter in length than the entire video card. The PCB extends only to 6.75 inches. ASUS could have actually reduced the total size of the video card even more if its heatsink and shroud did not extend past the PCB by an inch. At 6.75 inches in length, the video card would be even more compact and fit in even smaller scenarios. At 67c default GPU temp, there is headroom here to cut off more of the heatsink overhang. It would increase the GPU temp a bit, there is always a tradeoff. It could make for an even shorter video card on RTX 2070 TU106, but probably wouldn’t work for TU104.
Finally, we would like to see a backplate. Even if it is thin and doesn’t cover the entire surface. In small form factor cases and builds like Intel NUC 9 the backside components do come close to contact with other components or cables. It would be nice to see a little protection on the backside of the card from it touching other things in your small case.
Final Points
The power and temp profile of the ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 MINI OC is very impressive. Considering its size, it does remarkably well in power efficiency and GPU temp. It shows that while in cramped small spaces it should perform admirably. We wish we could test it in an Intel NUC 9 kit build, or small system build, we simply do not have the hardware for such testing at the moment. However, with all the testing we’ve done today on our test-bench all indications are that this video card will run very well and not be held back by its size.
It will, in fact, have plenty of potential in small cases. It will offer an enjoyable gameplay experience for its size. There is nothing comparable from the competition, in this size. This video card can perform as fast as the Radeon RX 5700 XT for gaming, and you cannot fit a Radeon RX 5700 XT in this size, or the same places as the ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 MINI will go. It performs similarly to the larger regular-sized GeForce RTX 2070 Founders Edition.
At $419.99 MSRP the ASUS DUAL RTX 2070 MINI OC edition is an appealing video card. It brings new life into the GeForce RTX 2070 series at a great price. It allows purpose-built computer builds for Intel NUC 9 kit builds, or small form factor computer builds. Even if you have a full-size case, this is a nice compact and great performing video card for any build. If space is a concern, you will want to look toward this video card as the first consideration on your list. You can’t get higher performance for this size for gaming.
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