Let’s face facts. As the PC gaming population gets older (or at least those with a surplus of “Discretionary Income”), the desire to pay for a video card that lights up like the Las Vegas strip significantly decreases. One could even, almost, say that age and an interest in gaudiness are inversely proportionate. Instead, most mature PC gaming enthusiasts want a card that is not loud, in both audio and visual sense of the word. We want an understated card that is as soft-spoken’ as its conservative aesthetics would lead one to believe. We also want value for our hard-earned dollar. For many, this combination severely limits the viable options in today’s marketplace… or at least it does if one wants to still be able to look themselves in the mirror in the morning. Put bluntly, this large (and yet nearly untapped) demographic of GPU buyers were either forced to buy a ‘Founders Edition’ (and all the issues that go along with it)… or compromise a wee bit and pick up a Professional model (and all the baggage that go along with that series). Thankfully, MSI finally got the memo and realized this untapped potential was… untapped. Thus, the MSI ProAr… err… the MSI Founder… err… the MSI RTX 5080 16G Expert OC was born. On paper, this card appears to be tailor-made for buyers whose ages does not start with “1” or even a “2”.
One could even argue that this card is everything the mature gaming enthusiast could want, and a professional could want as well. We say this as much like the Founder’s Edition it uses a dual fan “push-pull” cooling configuration that is not as big as a house (i.e. slightly under 3-slot design that does not block off all the other PCIe slots on the motherboard like the big bois of the industry do); is not as long as a log (under 32cm in length); it is not as bog standard downdraft looking design (rather it uses that sweet flow through cooling + vapor chamber design that justifies the RTC 5080’s itty bitty PCB); it is not overly loud (0 RPM feature now included); does not cost a relative fortune (like the ProArts) and rather at ~1.1K USD costs only ~100USD more than the F.E. RTX 5080. Better still it does all that while still offering more ‘stock’ performance and more ‘self-overclocking’ performance than the Founder’s Edition. To be precise, instead of an official Boost rating of 2617MHz, MSI has bestowed upon this Blackwell GB203-400 a Boost of up to 2625 (albeit merely 2,617 without using MSI center).
Furthermore, as the dual “StormForce” 7-bladed fans are as big as the Founder’s Edition (~115mm) and yet are more advanced in their blade design, this dual fan model can offer whisper-quiet operation while outmuscling the FE option. Better still, it can do that while still offering higher “real-world” frequencies for those times when noise is not as paramount as performance. Something that usually meant stepping up the 3 (smaller) fan option models that made the ProArt a viable option for mature(r) gaming enthusiasts.
Put another way it offers the advanced performance features that make ProArt’s worth a look, and yet also offers all the mature and refined aesthetics that make the Founder’s Edition a rock star in the professional / business system build niche of the marketplace. All of which should translate to one heck of a card. Albeit one that may not necessarily appeal to everyone. Especially the younger crowd. Speaking as an older Gen X’er that actually is another tick in the positive column… as we rarely want to be seen using anything a goo… err “zoomer” would want to buy.
