Summary
- Some users discovered that Asus ROG RTX 50 cards have sensors for GPU sag detection.
- New feature reveals if the GPU is drooping, which is important for preventing strain on the system.
- The feature uses the accelerometer and gyrometer to check the GPU tilt angle without user knowledge.
It’s always weird when an update magically “adds” a new sensor or feature to a piece of hardware. Of course, it’s never actually magic; it’s just the manufacturer finally adding the driver code to identify a specific feature that has already been there. But boy, does it feel like it.
So, imagine how owners of the Asus ROG RTX 50 cards felt when they updated their GPU drivers and suddenly discovered that their cards have a gyrometer and accelerometer built in and had begun reporting their stats. Fortunately, there’s a good reason why those sensors are in there, and it’s pretty cool.
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So-so generational improvements, but a solid price if you can find one in stock.
The Asus ROG Astral RTX 50 cards can detect GPU sag
As spotted by VideoCardz, the Chinese website Uniko’s Hardware reported that some owners of the Asus ROG Astral version of the RTX 50 cards have discovered a brand new feature that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. As it reports (machine translated from Chinese):
Recently, some users of ROG ASTRAL series graphics cards have discovered that ASUS’s own graphics card software GPU TWEAK III has suddenly added a new feature that has never been seen before, called EQUIPMENT INSTALLATION CHECK. This CHECK is to check whether the graphics card is drooping (TILT DOWN). Interestingly, the GPU TWEAK III function has never been mentioned in the introduction of ASUS ROG ASTRAL RTX 50 series. The official website only introduces ROG ASTRAL-specific functions such as THERMAL MAP and POWER DETECTOR+.
It’s very strange that the feature isn’t even reported on ROG’s website, with users only just learning about it after an update brought the sensors to life. Still, it seems like a very handy feature to have.
It seems this new “Equipment Installation Check” tool uses the GPU’s accelerometer and gyrometer to detect how the card is angled. This is important because, as VideoCardz notes, these GPUs can easily weigh over 2 kg. If the GPU isn’t installed properly, it can begin to sag and put strain on the system or the card.
The Equipment Installation Check will give you a warning if it detects that your GPU is at a bad angle and even gives you a visual representation of how it looks in the case. It can then give you before and after statistics after you tweak it so you can double-check if the tilt has been fixed. Overall, it seems like a very good feature; if only Asus actually told people that it was in there.
