EVGA Takes on PC Audio and a Surprise Kingpin 2080Ti at CES 2019

Being that this is CES and that EVGA is a video card company I was surprised to see that the focus this year was on a Sound card?.  Not just any sound card either as this is the final version of the concept they were showing a few years ago at CES.  The concept back then was a pure prototype in a black project box but showed that EVGA was attempting to diversify.

The EVGA NU is attempting to check all the boxes when it comes to PC Audio featuring RGB Lighting, internal heatsinks, EMI Shielding, dedicated power input, high-end capacitors, replaceable OP-Amps,  1/4 inch headphone jack, RCA Speaker outs, line and microphone outputs and a optical connection for 5.1 channel sound.

While the construction and features make this card seem like it is a high-end option the truth is they designed it to be a mainstream / mid-range card.  It will be priced to move with the intent that users will decide if EVGA makes a higher-end version.

Personally I hope they do with more OP-Amp options, and a break-out panel.  Or maybe just an external USB Headphone DAC so you can use it on both the PC and other gaming systems. 

Of course this would not be an EVGA CES without a KPE video card launch and they are showing a monster.  This ground up RTX 2080Ti design features a custom PCB, and hybrid GPU cooler however, there is a dedicated waterblock version for those with custom loops and the love for the KPE.

On the Hybrid cooler you will find an OLED display that will show anything that can be set in EVGA Precision (Much like the keyboard).  This will be absent on the waterblock version which is actually ok by me.

The card features the normal arraignment of overcocking controls including 3x 8-Pin PCI Express power connectors, USB connector, voltage test points and a fan header for whatever you might need a fan for. 

Just kidding, the fan header is for when you are running on LN2 and need a fan to keep the air moving around you.  Like previous KPE cards this one is designed for single slot configurations and should be the premiere overclocking video card in the 20-Series lineup.

Needless to say I want one though cannot decide if I want the waterblock version for higher clocks or the Hybrid for the OLED display.

Maybe both?