ASUS ROG range gets dual-GTX 580 MARS II video card, motherboards, more
ASUS’ glasses-free 3D gaming notebook will likely get most of the attention, but the Republic of Gamers team has also brought along plenty of kit for the DIY enthusiast. In addition to the ROG Crosshair V Formula series motherboard shown yesterday there are the ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z and ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z motherboards, plus the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 based ROG MATRIX GTX 580 and ROG MARS II graphics cards.
The ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z and ROG Maximus IV GENE-Z use the Intel Z68 chipset and ASUS’ overclocking system, but the GENE-Z shrinks things down to the microATX form factor. Both support both NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX, but can also intelligently switch between discrete and integrated graphics using the Lucid Virtu virtualization engine. Finally, there’s SupremeFX X-Fi 2 audio and Intel Ethernet with GameFirst for prioritizing online gaming network traffic.
Both new graphics cards use NVIDIA’s GTX 580 GPU, with the ROG MATRIX GTX 580 getting one of them and the ROG MARS II getting a pair. Each packs GPU Tweak for easier overclocking, as well as 19-Phase Super Alloy Power. Dual fans keep things cool, with ASUS claiming the MATRIX pulls through 600-percent more air and makes for 20-percent cooler operation than the NVIDIA reference design.
Finally, ASUS throws in some accessories, including the ROG Vulcan ANC Headset with an active-noise-cancellation system, and the VG278 3D 27-inch display, which has HDMI 1.4 and a built-in infrared emitter. No pricing or availability for any of the new ROG range.
original content by slashgear.com
