ASUS Unveils RTX 5080 GPU Featuring Extra M.2 SSD Slot

As part of a recap video for Computex 2025, ASUS has unveiled its ProArt RTX 5080 SSD. This latest graphics card incorporates an M.2 slot, allowing users to add an extra PCIe 5.0 SSD to their systems. This is a fantastic development for ProArt users, as professionals typically desire as much high-speed storage as possible. The M.2 slot can support up to 8TB of SSD storage, representing a significant upgrade.

ASUS has implemented PCIe bifurcation to include this M.2 slot. This means that the sixteen PCIe 5.0 connectors at the base of this GPU are divided between Nvidia’s RTX 5080 and the M.2 slot on this GPU. While this isn’t a major concern, since Nvidia’s RTX 5080 is not expected to fully utilize the bandwidth available from this GPU’s PCIe slot, it does mean that some PCIe bandwidth is reserved for the M.2 slot rather than being available for Nvidia’s RTX 5080.

SSDs connected to this GPU benefit from the cooling provided by its heatsink and fans, ensuring they operate at low temperatures even during demanding storage tasks. According to UNIKO’s Hardware, ASUS has crafted a highly customized PCB design for this graphics card. Its GPU is configured differently compared to other RTX 5080 series GPUs. Another unique feature of this GPU is its support for USB Type-C, which is uncommon among RTX 50 series GPUs.

This isn’t the first occasion that ASUS has integrated M.2 storage into a graphics card. They previously released an RTX 4060 Ti model that included a PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot. Since the RTX 4060 Ti only utilizes eight PCIe lanes, its added M.2 slot does not infringe on the graphics card's bandwidth, making its design more straightforward than that of the ASUS RTX 5080 ProArt SSD.

At this time, it’s uncertain when ASUS will launch this new ProArt series GPU or what its price will be. If and when it becomes available, we anticipate that it will be on the pricier side. This uniquely designed product is not likely to be inexpensive and is targeted towards a premium audience. If you require an additional M.2 slot after filling your motherboard, you're likely investing thousands in storage alone.

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