The new GPU family means strange and wacky graphics cards from AIB (a fan acronym for add-in board partner).

The fact that Nvidia's own Founders Editions cards have novel new designs that can keep Ampere RTX GPUs cooler also puts pressure on these AIBs. So while tried and true designs are being brought out again, a closer look reveals some more interesting options, including this rather cheeky 400W from Asus.

Initially, we didn't like Nvidia's new cooler much, but we're slowly growing to like it, and while the rest of the PCG team doesn't share our opinion on the matter, what the graphics card looks like is probably not worth fighting over.

Well, I didn't think so anyway. So, enjoy the show.

Palit RTX 3080 GameRock

I have to include this shiny RTX 3070 from Palit because Jacob threatened violence against me if I didn't rate this card, but he also likes the look of the G.Skill Trident Z Royal RAM He also likes the look of G.Skill Trident Z Royal RAM. Personally, I think it looks terrible. It looks like cheap plastic fake glass and I don't think this world needs it.

Colorful, I admit. But it is also ugly. I would rather take the violent option than place this in a window case or near a vanity mirror.

What is notable about this design is that all three Ampere cards use the same cooler, which is an efficient, if not necessarily optimal design. having a triple fan cooler on the RTX 3070 may be overkill, and stupid. It might give you enough room to get up to higher clocks.

Galax 1-clip Booster

This might put your hands on either side of your head. Sometimes this is better than putting a fan on the front of the graphics card. How about mounting it on the back? Voila. Amazing.

This is an interesting approach to improving cooling, similar to the under-over-fan design of Nvidia's reference blower. Me. I'm not entirely sure I'm going to like this. Having just returned from a test rig rebuild, I was a bit puzzled by the idea of mounting the cooler where memory is normally placed. But it's novel; Galax is clearly thinking outside the box.

In fact, I don't think we even know what the box is at this stage.

The colorful iGame GeForce RTX 30 Series Vulcan

While it may seem a bit unnecessary at first, having an LCD on the graphics card itself may not be so crazy. Maybe so, but bear with us. Logos and images (JPG and GIF compatible) may quickly lose their appeal, but what about a live display of GPU temperatures and memory load? I'd be interested, right?

The 48 x 120mm LCD display can be flipped over for normal installation to view images/information, or turned upside down if a vertical mounting kit is purchased. Aside from the screen, the Vulcan has a very standard 3-slot triple-fan cooler.

The colorful iGame GeForce RTX 3080 Neptune

Water cooling seems a bit of a stretch for Ampere, which makes sense given the RTX 3090's increased thermal needs, although AIB is definitely not the first to release such a product, The fact that several designs are already out there may mean that this is a watershed moment for easy water-cooling of GPUs. Because these will undoubtedly be overclocked and shipped at prices that would make the finest distilled water cry. But there are dreams to be had.

The Colorful Neptune looks pretty tasty, and the shiny ring will add a bit of color to your case. The center of the cooler has a mirrored finish and the rings are fully customizable. The press release calls it a 3-slot cooler, but it appears to be dual-slot. However, you need to plan for its radiator, which is only a twin 120mm fan design, which could get squeezed in the case if you're already checking out the CPU in an all-in-one. [EVGA GeForce RTX 3090 Kingpin

The EVGA Kingpin, on the other hand, looks a bit retro, with a Tim Burton Batmobile vibe. The card itself has a fan and radiator, which may seem a bit much, but at the same time should help keep the temperature super low. The Kingpin branding also provides improved overclocking performance.

Again, the dual-slot design is connected to a 360mm radiator. It also features a full-color RGB OLED display that "keeps you informed as you make history."