AMD hasn't given us much information about the upcoming Radeon RX 9070 and 9070 XT this CES 2025, but that hasn't stopped Asus from giving us a peek at its own versions of the new graphics cards.
The company has just announced its TUF Gaming OC and Prime OC versions of the next-gen AMD cards and probably the biggest change is how they approach cooling.
Instead of thermal paste on top of the GPU die, the TUF Gaming Radeon RX 9070 (XT and non-XT) OC and Prime Radeon RX 9070 (XT and non-XT) OC graphics cards will all feature a «phase-change thermal pad» that Asus says is «designed to give you reliable performance over the long term».
Asus explains: «The electrically non-conductive pad is a solid at room temperature but liquefies as it heats up. As it melts, it fills the microscopic gaps between the GPU and thermal module, providing superior thermal conductivity and enhanced heat dissipation, ensuring optimal performance, even for sustained, heavy GPU workloads. »Additionally, the phase-change thermal pads offer exceptional longevity.
They outlast traditional pastes by a significant margin, even for graphics cards that see heavy workloads on a regular basis.