In a display of extreme luxury and engineering prowess, ASUS has reportedly created a truly unique graphics card: the GeForce RTX 5090 ROG Astral (Real) Gold Edition. What sets this particular component apart is its body, which is reported to be constructed from solid, pure gold.
This is not merely a gold-plated or gold-colored shroud. The card`s housing is said to weigh in at approximately 5 kilograms of genuine gold. While ASUS has not officially disclosed the total cost of this one-of-a-kind creation, experts estimate that the material cost for the gold alone would be in the vicinity of $500,000 at current market values, before accounting for the sophisticated RTX 5090 graphics board and cooling technology it houses. ASUS has indicated that this card is a singular piece, not intended for retail sale.
Naturally, the sheer volume of precious metal contributes significantly to the card`s overall mass. The total weight of the RTX 5090 ROG Astral (Real) Gold Edition is approximately 7.2 kilograms (over 15 pounds). Integrating a component of this weight into a standard PC chassis would present considerable structural challenges, requiring specialized support systems far beyond those typically found in consumer cases.
For context, ASUS does offer other high-end cards with gold aesthetics, such as the Astral Dhahab line, often targeted at Middle Eastern markets. However, those cards employ intricate designs and utilize gold plating, typically incorporating only around 6.5 grams of gold for decorative purposes. The `Real Gold` edition stands in stark contrast, elevating the concept of premium PC hardware to an entirely different, and significantly heavier, level of material extravagance.
Ultimately, the ASUS ROG Astral (Real) Gold Edition appears to be less a functional component for the average (or even affluent) PC builder and more a remarkable statement piece – a demonstration of technical capability and access to rare materials, potentially serving as a centerpiece for display rather than computation. It exists in a realm where hardware specifications take a backseat to material opulence, making it perhaps the most lavish piece of PC hardware ever conceived.
