TAIPEI—After yesterday's demonstrations of new tablets, all-in-one desktops, and ultrabooks at Computex 2012 here, it may have been tempting to think that Asus had abandoned the hard-core gaming and overclocking markets. Today the company proved that isn't even remotely the case.
At a press conference structured specifically around its Republic of Gamers line of products, which cater exclusively to enthusiasts, Asus unveiled an extensive line of products spanning every imaginable category, from components to peripherals and even full systems.
As might be expected at such an event, component lovers got plenty of attention. First up were the Maximus V Extreme and Maximus V Formula motherboards, both of which are based on Intel's Z77 Express chipset (for use with third-generation Core, aka Ivy Bridge, processors). The Extreme features a special overclocking focus, with heavy-duty Japanese Nichicon GT-Series 10K black metallic capacitors, which Asus claims last five times longer than standard solid capacitors, and a hardware-based overclocking attachment called OC Key that demystifies the process of squeezing every last drop of performance out of hardware.
You can also find Thunderbolt and mPCIe ports on it for even more (and higher-speed) extensibility. The Formula uses a special hybrid design that works equally well with air and water cooling thanks to its superior heat dissipation.
Both motherboards utilize the SupremeFX IV systems, which comprise premium audio capacitors, a 300-ohm headphone amplifier, and Red Line Shielding that isolates analog and digital signals to improve the quality of in-game audio. An optional attachment, called ThunderFX, is a multiplatform external audio enhancer that offers many of the same benefits, and includes environment noise cancellation. The ThunderFX also works with non-Asus motherboards, laptops, and even game consoles like the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.
The Matrix HD 7970 is a video card based on the Radeon HD 7970 chipset, the top of AMD's current line. It uses the same Digi+ VRM technology found on Asus's higher-end motherboards, and the 20-phase Super Alloy Power implementation the company uses on its more performance-oriented video cards. Its VGA Hotwire feature works with OC Key for direct control over the card's voltage settings, and support for GPU Tweak means the rest of the card can be overclocked safely and easily as well.
If you thought sound cards were extinct, you're wrong—and Asus is releasing a new entry in its Xonar family to prove it. The Xonar Phoebus boasts a 118dB signal-to-noise ratio and a 600-ohm headphone amplifier with three different gain settings, which should keep gamers and audiophiles happy. The card comes with a desktop control box that prevents you from having to snake headphone and microphone cables to the back of your computer, and the ROG Command feature reduces environmental noise (Asus says up to 50 percent) to make for a more pleasant gaming experience.
Asus hasn't forgotten other parts of the audio market, either, and has released two new gaming headsets. The Vulcan PRO ANC is an update of last year's Vulcan, which includes all of that model's features plus a compact USB audio dongle (to provide a hardware digital signal processing, or DSP, audio engine); the result is eight-channel 7.1 audio without the need for additional drivers. The Orion Pro is a lightweight headset with a retractable noise-filtering microphone, a 2.5-meter braided cable with inline volume control, 50mm drivers, and passive noise cancellation.
If all you need is a mouse, Asus has you covered there, too. The ROG GX1000 is equipped with a high-precision laser sensor (up to 8,200dpi in resolution), and is ergonomically designed with a brushed-aluminum body.
Building and outfitting computers isn't for everyone, however, and for those who would rather just unbox a system, Asus has three new ones.
The two G-Series gaming notebooks, the 15.6-inch G55VW and the 17.3-inch G75VW, are powered by Intel's new quad-core Core i7 processors and use Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M and 670M mobile graphics. They also use a new dual thermal system that vents heat out the rear of the laptop, the G55VW with a pair of fans, and the G75VW with dedicated CPU and GPU fans that have detachable (and thus cleanable) filters for longer-term efficiency. They also each have illuminated keyboards, multitouch touch pads, soft-touch palm rests, isolated arrow keys, and additional features designed to facilitate long hours of gaming.
The G55VW has also already received Intel's Thunderbolt certification, which means you can expect to see the high-speed data transfer port on that system, too, when it's released in July.
Last but not least is the Tytan CG8890. This powerful gaming desktop, which is based on a liquid-cooled Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition CPU (which, according to Asus, can be overclocked up to 4.2GHz without requiring a reboot), isn't just loaded with 16GB of RAM, Nvidia's super-fast dual-GPU GeForce GTX 690 video card, dual 128GB solid-state drives (SSDs) in a RAID Level 0 configuration, and a Xonar DX sound card. Its case also sports a unique polygonal design, 10-way venting, elaborate lighting effects, and a mechanism that automatically opens both sides simultaneously.
For more from Computex, see the slideshow below.
