Introduction
In today’s review, the focus is on the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X video card. The SUPRIM X represents the top-of-the-line air-cooled RTX 4090 video card from MSI. The features of this particular model include: full cover brushed aluminum shroud, front and back, with particular emphasis on distinct design elements and beveled polished edging; improved TRI-FROZR 3S thermal design: raised fan cowls, new TORX Fan 5.0 design, and a massive vapor chamber heatsink; dual BIOS and improved PCB electronic components. This video card is pretty to look at and really big. It also has distinctive RGB elements on the front, top, and back. Our task today will be to find out if the looks, size, and features are up to the challenge when coupled with the RTX 4090 processing power.
MSI has a three-tiered RTX 4090 product stack. The video cards are the Ventus, Gaming TRIO, and the SUPRIM. In each case, there is a plain version and an overclocked version. The Ventus is designated by the familiar “OC”, and the Gaming and Suprim are denoted by an “X”. The overclocks increase exponentially as you ascend the product stack with the SUPRIM X having the highest factory overclock supplied by MSI. Also, the MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X is in rarified air as one of only a few air-cooled RTX 4090s with a Boost clock of 2625MHz right out of the box. Also in each product version, the shroud differs as does the presence of varying RGB elements. The Ventus has no RGB. There is also a liquid-cooled version of the SUPRIM X which carries the same overclock, but also a slight price premium over the air-cooled version. We recently reviewed it here.
The GeForce RTX 4090 was released in early October of 2022. We have a detailed review of all the specifics here. The MSRP of the Founders Edition is $1599. Our MSI RTX 4090 SUPRIM X is priced at $1699 and goes in and out of availability (more “in” than you’d think) on the store webpage at MSI. You can find this MSI RTX 4090 SUPRIM X at Newegg for MSRP on occasion as well. Otherwise, the card is available “on-the-street” for a much higher price. We are reviewing a full retail boxed card obtained from the MSI online store. This video card carries a 3-year warranty.
MSI GeForce RTX 4090 SUPRIM X 24G
From the box to the video card to the accessories, this is truly a top-shelf item. The package is big and thick to protect the card.
The fit and finish of the video card are simply superb. The edges of the aluminum shroud are beveled and polished to give a golden tint to them in the proper light. The full cover, front and back, is brushed die-cast aluminum. The metal is over 2mm thick. Where you can’t see, there is a stiff metal support bracket to help support the massive heatsink. The heatsink is a nickel-coated copper vapor chamber that runs the full length of the PCB. MSI touts a “wave” pattern to the fins and the addition of more thermal pads to the backplate to aid in cooling.
The fans are called TORX 5.0 by MSI. The 100mm fans are 9-bladed in three groups, connected by an interrupted outer rim. This apparently directs airflow more specifically and quietly. The fan cowls are raised slightly above the shroud surface to improve airflow. The BIOS is programmed to enable “ZERO FROZR” where-by the fans are stopped below a certain temperature.
A dual BIOS switch is positioned near the rear of the PCB. The 2-position switch is labeled “gaming” and “silent”. The gaming mode allows an increase of TBP to 480 Watts and more aggressive fan cycles.
When you pick this video card up, it’s heavy and thick. The design is identical to the 4080 SUPRIM X, measuring 13 ¼ x 5 x 3 inches. This nearly 4-slot card is however heavier than its 4080 brother by 3 ounces, weighing in at 5 pounds 5 ounces. The I/O is equipped with a 3 x rev 1.4 Display Port and 1 rev 2.1 HDMI. The RGB on the SUPRIM X is nicely subtle. There are chevrons flanking the fan ports, an “MSI SUPRIM” on the top edge, and a diamond on the backplate. The lighting is controlled by Mystic Lighting in the MSI Center software package download.
Accessories included in the box are pictured, a large mousing pad, and a video card support stand. The RTX 4090 requires sufficient power input. Included is an NVIDIA branded 4 port PCIe power adapter to the 16-pin 12VHPWR card connector. MSI recommends at least an 850 Watt PSU for regular use and a 1000 Watt if overclocking. The TDP in “silent mode” is 450W and in “gaming mode” is 480W. NVIDIA states that three PCIe connectors are sufficient for “stock” use.
Discussion (4 replies)
Join Discussion →Nice review. I remember really wanting this card when the 4090's came out, but couldn't find one. I ended up with the Gigabyte card instead which was fine. Now I own the Asus card which is a great card as well, so basically you can't go wrong with a 4090 right now.
Thanks for the great review @magoo ! I know that I really love the Liquid cooled version of this card. In terms of overclocking, I mostly had the same exact experiences as you but had to dial it back a little more for complete stability for all the games I play. I think I've got something like +120 on the core, don't remember the voltage but it ends up being ~1.050V as well, and averages 2850-2925 MHz. I was able to break 3000 MHz but Witcher 3 was very cranky with it. With the liquid version, I just leave the fan profile at stock and I've never seen it go above 66c but usually hangs 62-65 during extended gaming sessions. I also found the overclocking the memory didn't seem to provide any real gains so I leave it at stock. I also have seen pretty much the exact same power draw with my system.
I got my first Suprim X card, a 3090, a couple of years back and have become a fan of the line since. The build quality just blew me away but they are huge and heavy. If I didn't already have so many great cards in the house, plus some debt to pay off, I'd consider getting a 2nd Suprim X liquid for the 3700X rig but at this point, it wouldn't really make sense. However, when the time comes it'll inherit the one in the other rig whenever I do upgrade that one.
Nice writeup! I've got the same card and it's performed admirably (and better, for what it cost).
A few super minor bits I noticed while reading - on page two, the test system lists an "Enegmax" AIO, which I assume is an Enermax. :D
Resizeable BAR is also detailed there as being enabled for all testing, but the GPU-Z screenshot on page three shows it as being disabled.
Which BIOS was used for the testing? The card has a switch that can select two profiles, silent and game. The silent BIOS has a slightly lower power limit (480W) than the game mode (520W). I freely admit that I may have overlooked this part, but the note near the end about not seeing board power higher than ~420W during testing got me thinking about it. Either way, there's virtually no difference between them if you're not hitting power limits with something like 3DMark's Port Royal test (where I have seen 500W+). The fan curves are so close in both modes - which is to say, quiet - that I couldn't tell them apart if you paid me.
Again, great review as always.
@AKBrian , ReBar is enabled on my system, double checked, I saw that too.
Gaming BIOS used throughout.
As for Enegmax.....I suck at typing.