The graphics card is massive in terms of size and weighs around 2kg. The card measures 335 x 153 x 66 mm and takes up 3.5 slots worth of space for installation.
You would have to keep in mind the height when going for a triple or quad-slot card solution as your case or motherboard PCIe slot combination may not allow such a setup. The cooling shroud extends all the way to the back of the PCB and it requires a casing with good interior space for proper installation.
The back of the card features a solid backplate that looks stunning. The backplate offers a lot more functionality than just looks which I will get back to in a bit.
In terms of design, the graphics card rocks a singular color scheme which is matte black and along with some white and silver linings on the front, sides, and back. The SG series is the entry-level GPU offering from GALAX so don’t expect any fancy designs like the WTF, EX, or HOF series cards.
GALAX is going fully on board the RGB bandwagon with their SG series, offering multiple light zones on the front and sides of the card. The shroud itself extends beyond the PCB.
Coming to the fans, the card rocks triple 102mm ‘Wings 2.0’ fans. Each fan is comprised of 11 blades which have a very angular shape that is made to disperse hot air out of the card faster than standard designs.
GALAX also features a 0db fan technology on the fans which isn’t explicitly mentioned. This feature won’t spin the fans on the card unless they reach a certain threshold. In the case of the GALAX heatsink, that limit is set to 60C. If the card is operating under 60C, the fans won’t spin which means no extra noise would be generated.
I am back at talking about the full-coverage, full metal-based backplate that the card uses. The whole plate is made of solid metal with that add to the durability of this card. The brushed matte-black finish on the backplate gives a unique aesthetic. The graphics card also comes with a compact PCB design which means that the shroud, heatsink, and backplate are all extended beyond the PCB. The third fan blows air through the heatsink and blows it out from the cutouts that are situated at the very end of the backplate.
This is also where GALAX’s 1-clip booster fan plugs in. It’s an easy fit on the backplate and requires no additional screws to be used. The card has a 12V RGB In and a 5-pin fan header on the back of the shroud for the 1-clip booster 2.0.
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With the outside of the card done, I will now start taking a glance at what’s beneath the hood of these monster graphics cards. The first thing to catch my eye is the humungous fin stack that’s part of the beefy heatsink that the cards utilize.
The large fin stack runs all the way from the front and to the back of the PCB and is so thick that you can barely see through it.
Talking about the heatsink, there are two blocks of aluminum fins that are interconnected by six heat pipes running through the copper base plate and heading out toward the dual heatsink blocks. The heatsink is a slightly updated version of the one used on the RTX 3080 SG with an increased surface area for additional heat transfer.
There are several heat pads included for the VRMs and memory chips. They are full-sized, making full contact with the components to offer stable and efficient heat transfer.
GALAX adds extra protection to its impressive PCB by including a rugged anti-bending plate. This also acts as a memory and MOSFET cooling plate while the PWM heatsink with micro fins keeps the VRM cool under stressful conditions.
I/O on the graphics card sticks with the reference scheme which includes three Display Port 1.4a & a single HDMI 2.1 port.
GALAX GeForce RTX 4080 SG Teardown:
The GALAX GeForce RTX 4080 SG is a very power-hungry graphics card as showcased by its custom design. Being so, the card utilizes a single 16-pin connector which can deliver up to 450 Watts of power to the graphics card. The card is rated at 320W but ends up around 350W with its full power limit.
GALAX GeForce RTX 4080 SG RGB Lighting Gallery:
GALAX’s SG series cards utilize RGB technology to offer you a visually pleasing lighting experience on your graphics cards. Following is what the graphics card looks like when lit up.
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