ASUS Raises the Performance Bar for AMD 890FX Motherboards

-- ASUS continues its innovation leadership by adding new features to unlock the full potential of AMD’s latest 890FX chipset and Phenom II processors. --


Fremont, CA (April 27th, 2010) - ASUS is proud to announce two boards based on AMD’ latest 890FX chipset, the Republic of Gamers Crosshair IV Formula and the M4A89TD PRO. These boards are produced with the philosophy that design matters, ensuring the best in performance, features, safety and reliability. Continuing with the award winning Core Unlocking technology first introduced in our M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 motherboard, ASUS announces Turbo Unlocker technology allowing for the best possible performance out of the AMD Phenom II Black Edition and 6-core processors.

Speaking on the inclusion of these two unique tools, Joe Hsieh, General Manager of Motherboard Business with ASUS, said: "ASUS will never stop developing the friendliest and most performance-boosting features available to consumers, whether enthusiasts, beginners or anyone else. Both Core Unlocker and Turbo Unlocker realize CPU potential, making them ideal for users looking for the best value on the best performance motherboards around."

Real Time Core Boost on All Phenom II Black Edition and Six-Core CPUs
ASUS Turbo Unlocker technology represents the next evolution in performance tuning for the AMD Phenom II Black Edition and Six-Core processors. Only a one-click input within the exclusive ASUS TurboV Evo software is required to attain even more computing power as Turbo Unlocker* intelligently adjusts CPU core clock speeds based on application workload. When running optimized single-core applications, Turbo Unlocker dynamically adjusts clock speed on a single processor core to ensure maximum performance. For multi-threaded applications, all processor core speeds are dynamically increased to attain the highest performance available. Performance enhancements via Turbo Unlocker occur instantly based on actual system conditions, so system operation is always safe, reliable, and stable.

ASUS ROG Crosshair IV Formula
ASUS is the Best AMD Choice for the Gamer, Enthusiast, or Overclocker
Both new 890FX solutions, the ROG Crosshair IV Formula and the M4A89TD PRO offer unrivaled flexibility and system performance. The ROG Crosshair IV Formula offers the best overclocking and gaming experience with dedicated hardware, software, and BIOS design for the hard-core enthusiast or serious gamer while the M4A89TD PRO features an affordable high performance platform intended for the computing enthusiast. For users looking for the next level in performance ASUS has refined our award winning TurboV Evo auto-tuning hardware and software implementation to easily provide enhanced system performance while ensuring stability and reliability.

ASUS M4A89TD PRO
Unrivalled CPU Unlocking Leadership
ASUS is proud to continue its award winning Core Unlocking innovation first introduced in AMD’s 700 series chipsets. ASUS’ unique hardware based unlocking technology remains the most reliable and successful way to unlock additional cores for performance improvements on motherboards using the AMD 800-series chipset. Now unlocking is easier, quicker, and more reliable than competing solutions. By pressing one key at system startup, ASUS Core Unlocker* then intelligently scans the supported CPU for functional cores and cache and automatically implements the safest yet highest performing setting without further user intervention.

Next Generation Connectivity
The ROG Crosshair IV Formula and the upcoming M4A89TD PRO/USB3 feature next generation technologies like native SATA 6Gb/s performance along with USB 3.0 connectivity. These super-fast connections bring users into the HD era with the speed and reliability needed to handle large file transfers quickly. Both motherboards feature two USB 3.0 ports, transferring data at up to ten times the speed of USB 2.0. SATA 6Gb/s offers twice the throughput of its predecessor ensuring the best performance possible from cutting edge Solid-State drives (SSD).

* Core unlocking and Turbo Unlocker results may vary with the CPU utilized and system conditions.
Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit usa.asus.com for more details

Powercolor HD5450 1GB DDR3 Video Card Review

For those of you in the market to build or upgrade a HTPC, you are in for a real treat. Up for review is the Powercolor HD5450 1GB DDR3 video card. While it is a competent basic video card, where it shines is the use in a HTPC. The Powercolor HD5450 has good enough gaming perfomance that you will be able to play your current release titles on it. It is not, however, a gaming powerhouse. But for approximately $50 retail, it is a bargain for what you get. And what you get are some of the features listed bellow:

292 million 40nm transistor count
Terascale 2 Unified Processing Architecture

DDR3 memory interface
PCI express 2.1 x16 bus interface
DirectX 11 support
Open GL 3.2 support
Image Quality enhancement technology
ATI Eye finity multi-display technology
ATI Stream accelleration technology
ATI Crossfire X multi GPU technology
ATI AVIVO HD video & display technology
ATI Powerplay power management technology

And not to forget the specs and feeds, they are:

Engine clock speed: 650 MHZ
Processing Power - 104 Gigaflops
Polygon Throughput - 650 m polygons/sec
Data Fetch Rate - 20.8 billion fetches/sec
Texel fill rate - 5.2 Gigatexels/sec
Pixel fill rate - 2.6 Gigapixel/sec
Anti-alaised pixel fill rate - 10.4 Gigasamples/sec
Memory Clock Speed - 800 MHz DDR3
Memory Data Rate - 1.6 GBps DDR3
Memory Bandwidth - 12.8 GB/s DDR3
Typical Power - 19.1 watts
Idle Power - 6.4 watts

As you can tell, it has some competent graphics processor specs. One thing not mentioned is it's 1/2 sized PCB and low 19.2 watts typical power are a great combination for a HTPC card. It feature three dufferent rear connectors, one each for VGAm HDMI, and DVI. And it has some great features for HTPC functionality. For this I want to focus on the ATI AVIVO HD video & display Technology. For this it's features are:

UVD 2 dedicated video playback accelerator
Advanced post-processing and scaling
Dynamic contrast enhancement and color correction
Brighter Whites Processing (blue stretch)
Independent video gamma control
Dynamic Video Range control
Support for H.264, VC-1, MPEG 2, and Adobe Falsh
Dual-stream (HD + SD) playback support
DXVA 1.0 & 2.0 support
Intergrated dual-link DVI output with HDCP - 2560x1600 max resolution
Integrated Display Port output - 2560 x 1600 max resolution
Integrated HDMI 1.3 output with Deep Color, xyycc wide gamut support, and high bit-rate audio. max resolution 1920 x 1200
Integrated VGA support - 2048 x 1536 max output
3D stereoscopicdisplay/glasses support
Integrated HD Audio controller
Output protected high bit rate 7.1 channel surround sound over HDMI with no additional cables required
Supports AC-3, AAC, Dolby Trult and DTS Master Audio formats.

What this mean is you get a video card that meets all the requirements for an HTPC. It features the video playback controller to playback all of your video files, including your blu-ray discs. Many of the manufacturers are including a DVI to HDMI output. With the built in support for high resolution audio, you can now hookup your HTAC to your surround receiver via HDMI. Thanks to the support of Dolby True HD and DTS Master Audio, that pocessing is done on the card. And to suport the features, hear are a few benchmarks:

3DMark06, 3DMark Vantage, and PCMark Vantage.

ATI hit a great one at this bow price point. For the money it performs well, with the ability to overclock for better performance. I overclocked it to 690MHz, and the memory to 890MHz. And for those looking for a card for their HTPC, it's a no brainer. It has all the features to handle all your video and audio processing needs. Its got the small size that is required. It also takes little power to run. And at only $50 dollars, it's cheap. I would recommend it. For more details and specs, check out Powercolors website at http://www.powercolor.com/.

Reference gear used: Asus P7P55D Deluxe mptherboard, Intel Core I3-540, 4GB Corsair DDR3-1600 XMS3 memory.

LiteOn eTAU208 External DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Review

When it comes to laptops, bigger isn’t always better. In fact, as is with netbooks, smaller is often better. This small size tends to come at a cost. To reduce the size, components such as the keyboard are reduced and some are even removed. One such component often removed is the DVD drive. If you want a DVD drive, you will need to look for an external drive.

To meet this need, LiteOn has realized the eTAUZ08 DVD/CD rewritable drive. It supports both + and – DVD formats, and even sports Lightscribe for disc labeling. The drive is a simple design with about the only thing special is its compact design. The case and top loading design and size remind me of a Sony Discman. And I do really like the well thought out cut-out on the bottom to hold the USB cable used to connect it to your laptop, or netbook.

Connecting the drive was simple, and my small laptop recognized it instantly. Windows was able to supply the drivers for it, so to use it as a DVD drive it was just a matter of plug and play. At an MSRP of approximately $50, it is a bargain, especially when you figure in the included Nero 8 software suite for DVD/CD burning. At 8 times burn speed the drive is not a speed demon, but it is fast enough for a laptop and any application without taxing your system.

The drive performed admirably with burning CD and DVD, and never gave me any plastic coasters. I can’t emphasize enough how much I liked the built in holder for the USB cable. Just throw the drive in your laptop bag, and you are always ready in case you need to use your drive. No external power is needed since it is powered thru the supplied USB cable. And if you are considering the purchase of a portable laptop without a DVD drive but are hesitant due to the lack of one, you can rest more assured. LiteOn has you covered. I would recommend you check out the LiteOn eTAUZ08 DVD/CD rewritable drive. And for more info and complete specs, check out their website at http://us.liteonit.com/us/.

Patriot launches worlds fastest DDR3 memory – Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition 2500MHz

Patriot launches worlds fastest DDR3 memory – Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition 2500MHz

World’s fastest enthusiast and performance DDR3 memory



Fremont, California, USA, April 26, 2010- Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash, storage and enthusiast computer products, today expanded their lineup of DDR3 memory solutions with the launch of its new ultra-high performance Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition Extreme Performance DDR3 memory for Intel® P55 platforms.
Patriot Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition modules pass a thorough qualification and screening process on multiple high-performance motherboards using the Intel® P55 chipset platforms and Intel® Core™ i7 CPUs to ensure performance at 2500MHz with latency timings of 9-11-9-27. These modules are targeted and designed specifically for performance enthusiasts and overclockers looking to set new benchmark records and push the boundaries of computing performance.
“Patriot has been delivering some of the fastest overclocking memory in the world, and our latest solution takes the crown as ‘World’s Fastest Memory’ ”, says Les Henry, Patriot’s VP of Engineering. “Our in-house engineering expertise and knowledge of the enthusiast market has helped us push the boundaries and set the standard for DDR3 memory speeds. With Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition 2500MHz modules we are showcasing our expertise and deep understanding of the enthusiast market to push the boundaries and achieve new speeds and performance capabilities with DDR3 memory.”
Patriot Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition module kits are geared as the ultimate upgrade for overclockers and enthusiasts looking to reach new heights in overclocking and benchmarking. Each module is individually hand tested and qualified in the Patriot lab at our headquarters in Fremont, CA. The Viper II Series Sector 5 Edition 2500MHz modules are specifically designed for Intel P55 platforms paired with Intel® Core™ i7 CPUs. Built with an extruded aircraft-grade aluminum heat spreader, Sector 5 2500MHz modules quickly dissipate heat from the memory ICs resulting in improved stability and reliability during extreme overclocking conditions. These modules will be offered as a 4GB kit (2 x 2GB modules) under the part number PVV34G2500C9K. In addition to the worlds fastest DDR3, Patriot is releasing two new module kits at 2400MHz and 2133MHz with timings of 9-11-9-27 and 9-9-9-27 respectively. Part numbers are: PVV34G2400C9K and PVV34G2133C9K.

Product Description
Model #
Timings
UPC
Warranty
Sector 5 2500MHz 4GB DDR3 memory kit
PVV34G2500C9K
9-11-9-27
0815530010029
Lifetime
Sector 5 2400MHz 4GB DDR3 memory kit
PVV34G2400C9K
9-11-9-27
0815530010012
Lifetime
Sector 5 2133MHz 4GB DDR3 memory kit
PVV34G2133C9K
9-9-9-27
0815530010005
Lifetime

For more information about Patriot’s Sector 5 2550MHz or other Patriot products and solutions, please contact your Patriot Sales Representative or visit http://www.patriotmemory.com/.About Patriot Memory:
Patriot Memory designs, manufactures and markets high performance, enthusiast memory modules, flash products, and computing technologies. Patriot products have become world renown for their extreme performance, reliability and innovation. Patriot Memory sells its products through original equipment manufacturers , retailers, e-tailers and distributors. It has operations in North America, Asia and Europe. Patriot Memory’s parent company, PDP Systems, Inc., was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Fremont, California, USA.
All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Kenwood Excelon X1200M "Gouriki" Class D Mono Amplifier Review

When it comes to car audio, high quality audio takes power to generate. To generate this power, we look to the help of amplification through external amplifiers. The bass frequencies are among the more difficult to produce. Clean bass, especially loud and deep bass requires great amounts of power. Subwoofer amplifiers are what we turn to, to provide the power for the bass many of us crave.

Kenwood has answered the call with the X1200M "Gouriki" Class D Mono Amplifier. Looking to their Japanese culture, the word "Gouriki" comes from the two Japanese Kanji characters that symbolize rigidity and strength, and power and force. The design seems to support their source of inspiration. The X1200M is a Class D design that features Dual Sigma Drive, Dual Power Supplies, as well as low pass and infrasonic filters. There is an internal cooling fan to keep cool this 1 ohm capable monster. It is also compatible with the optional wired bass boost remote. Rated at 800 Watts output at 4 ohm and 1200 watts at 2 ohms, with a 2400 watt max output, the "Gouriki" amp is a force to be reckoned with.

I was equally pleased to see that what looked impressive on paper also manifested itself in audio performance. The dual power supply worked together to provide stable operation no matter how hard I pushed it. The Dual Sigma Drive used a negative feed back loop circuit. This circuit helps to control cone movement, and thereby also reduces distortion. The end result also yields more accurate low bass response.

My listening tests showed the fruit of the design. The X1200M seemed to enjoy torturing my Vibe Audio EVO 12" subwoofer. Starting the listening tests with the gain set at 50%, the sub played loud and clean. Seeing that all was well I decided to, like a sports car, shift it into 5th gear with the pedal to the floor to see what it could do. I bumped up the gain to about 85%. This yielded an instant boost in output, with no additional detectable distortion. The built-in low pass variable filter from 50 Hz-200 Hz, also at -24 dB/oct. helped to maintain a clean output.

This clean amplification showed itself in all the tracks that I threw at it. Starting off with some of my favorite 80's beats I turned to Dead or Alive's: Lover Come Back to Me. There were a series of quick beats that were both tight and controlled, with surprisingly quick motor response for a 12 inch driver. The next track: You Spin Me Round, again had a series of quick beats as well as more spaced apart bass beats. Thanks in part to the Dual Sigma Drive, the fast beats were again tight, well controlled, and not muddy. The other beats were also clean with added depth.

Justin Timberlake's FutureSex was very demanding. I was glad to be able to crank up the volume even more on SexyBack. The bass was potently loud but the cone and motor movement were again well controlled even during long excursions. This again helped to ensure a clean sound. Bass Mechanic provided a plethora of pleasant beats and tones that also showed how it could handle low end extensions. The built-in infrasonic filter also appeared to nicely keep out unwanted subsonic frequencies. For those of you that have opted for a smallish box to keep some amount of trunk space, this feature could be crucial.

The X1200M seemed to put out 1200 watts at 2 ohms with ease, and could satisfy the most bass hungry fanatic. If you are in the market for a potent sub amp that is also a Class D design to help ease the strain on your electrical system, and maybe enjoy setting off car alarms in mall parking lots, the X1200M is worth checking out. I highly recommend it! My sub has never been more spoiled with this much quality audiophile power. For more information and complete specs, check out their website at http://www.kenwoodusa.com/.

Patriot Launches Family of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Peripherals

Patriot Launches Family of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Peripherals


New family of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 products help users enhance their desktop and notebook PCs with faster speed, latest generation USB devices

Fremont, California, USA, April 21, 2010 - Patriot Memory, a global pioneer in high-performance memory, NAND flash and computer technology , today announced it’s new family of SuperSpeed USB products as a part of its peripheral product line. Available immediately are the first two Patriot products offering USB 3.0: the PCUSB3PCIE and PCUSB3EXP adapter cards. The PCUSB3PCIE is an adapter card for desktop PCs that adds two SuperSpeed USB ports and fast data transfers of up to 5Gbps data throughput. The PCUSB3EXP brings the same speed and USB 3.0 connectivity to notebook computers using the ExpressCard connection found on recent generation notebooks.

Additionally, Patriot will soon offer a SuperSpeed USB 2.5” enclosure, Gauntlet, for notebook Hard Disk Drives (HDD) or Solid State Drives (SSD). With a durable all aluminum design, quality craftsmanship and fast data transfer speeds provided by the USB 3.0 interface, Gauntlet is the perfect solution for portable storage: support for large capacity drives and blazing fast transfer speeds that make media sharing fast and easy.

“Patriot’s mission of providing a diverse line of products that satisfy end users needs for technology solutions has always been a driving force within our company,” said Les Henry, Vice President of Engineering at Patriot. “Adding a family of SuperSpeed USB 3.0 solutions to our peripheral product line is a testament to the commitment of the Patriot team to offer consumers incredible performance, solutions to upgrade and enhance their computing experience, and our dedication to providing the latest technology products.”
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 supports up to 5Gb/s bandwidth, ten times faster than USB 2.0. These adapters support the full USB 3.0 functionality as well as being fully backwards compatible with USB 2.0 devices. Both the PCUSB3PCIE and PCUSB3EXP are designed with supplemental power input jacks to support power hungry USB 3.0 products. Both adapters are immediately available through your favorite Patriot supplier.

Product Description
Model # UPC Warranty
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCI-E adapter PCUSB3PCIE 0879699009829 2 years

SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Express Card Adapter
PCUSB3EXP 0879699009836 2 years

Gauntlet 2.5" SuperSpeed USB 3.0 enclosure
PCGT25S 0879699009898 2 years

For more information about Patriot’s products and solutions, please contact your Patriot Sales Representative or visit http://www.patriotmemory.com.

About Patriot Memory:

Patriot Memory designs, manufactures and markets high performance, enthusiast memory modules, flash products, and computing technologies. Patriot products have become world renown for their extreme performance, reliability and innovation. Patriot Memory sells its products through original equipment manufacturers , retailers, e-tailers and distributors throughout the world with operations in North America, Asia and Europe. Patriot Memory’s parent company, PDP Systems, Inc., was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in Fremont, California, USA.

All company and/or product names may be trade names, trademarks and/or registered trademarks of the respective owners with which they are associated. Features, pricing, availability, and specifications are subject to change without notice.

Evanesce, the Disappearing Electic Projection Screen for Today's Integrator

Electric Screen provides a ready-to-go installation with immediate availability for today's integrator.

April 16, 2010- Elite Screens, Inc. today announced the launch of its in ceiling electric projection screen for professional integrators, the Evanesce.







The Evanesce is encased in a white-finished aluminum housing that is durable and moisture resistant. There are tensioned and non-tensioned options available in matte white material for its wide diffusion uniformity along with a black backing to eliminate light penetration for a cleaner, sharper image. The MaxWhite FG™ is a 1.1 gain layered fabric screen material that is fiberglass-backed for increased flatness. The Award winning Elite CineWhite™ 1.1 gain black backed PVC tension material has side tab tension cords to provide flatness.

For the complete operational package, the Evanesce comes with Infrared (IR) and Radio Frequency (RF) receivers, remote controls, RJ45 wire connection and a 5-12Volt trigger to coordinate the screen's operation with the projector's power cycle. An external low voltage 3-way wall switch and an up/down RJ45 module are also included to maximize control options.


Pricing, Availability, Warranty



Elite Screens' Evanesce is currently available for Retailers, Commercial Integrators and Custom Installer in sizes from 84" to 139" using tensioned or non-tensioned materials in 4:3, 16:9, 16:10 or 2.35:1 aspect ratios. Optional Custom sizes, aspect ratios and screen material are available by special request.
Elite Screens has a 2-year manufacturer's warranty which is twice the industry standard. As further testimony to the quality of their product, Elite offers a 3-year warranty program for Government, Educational, Military and Religious organizations. Product is available for immediate distribution with prices starting at $1,349.


For more information about Elite Screen's various product lines, please visit our website at www.elitescreens.com

Pioneer GM-D9500F Class-FD Car Amplifier Review

When it comes to car audio, louder is traditionally considered better. Loud tunes also tend to be a result of large amplifiers. This no longer needs to be the case. Enter Class–D digital amplifiers. They are designed with improved efficiencies that allow them to have the same output of amplifiers much larger.

The Pioneer GM-D9500F is just one of those amplifiers. It features a balanced and dynamic sound with high output in a small footprint, and is actually a Class-FD for full range sound. They achieve the small size by being 80-90% more efficient than a traditional A/B design. The GM-D9500F looks great as well. It sports a simple modern design to look good in custom installs. For cooling they use black aluminum die-cast heat sinks and a hairline silver aluminum top plate for good heat dissipation for its 4 channels of 75 watts output to each channel.

The amp also has a lot of usable features and configurations. Bridgeable, the amp allows for 4/3/2 configurations. This means you can run it as a 4 channel, bridge it as a 3 channel, combining 2 of the channels together, or as a 2 channel combining the 4 channels into 2. These possible configurations allow you to run 4 door speakers into 4 channel mode, 2 door speakers and a sub in 3 channel mode, or 2 subs or 1 dual voice coil sub in 2 channel mode. There are also built in crossovers, with both high pass and low pass filters for using door speakers or subwoofers, selectable from 40Hz to 500Hz at -12 dB/Oct.

I have to admit I was impressed from such a small package. While this amp seemed to lack a little…oomph, kind of like a high output engine with limited torque, it did play loud and clean. And I know that is being a bit knit picky, especially at this price point. Comparing to my reference Rockford Fosgate Class A/B 4 channel amp rated around 60 watts a channel, the Fosgate provided that extra oomph and played a bit louder. It was not, however, quite as clean, and not as much definition as the Pioneer. And it is also over twice the size. I heard resolution and details in my music I had not heard before in the Fosgate.

Again I must say I was impressed. At only 8-7/8” x 2-1/4” x 7-7/8” it packs a lot of power. For those of you in the market for an amp and have the room for a larger Class A/B amp, the Pioneer GM-D9500F is still worth checking out. But some of you may be limited on space. The good news is with this little amp, it could fit the bill and actually not leave you wanting more. Reference gear used was Kenwood Excelon KDC-X991 receiver, Kenwood Excelon XR-S17P front components and Rockford Fosgate Fanatic HPC1206U coaxials in the rear. For complete specs and more info, check out Pioneer’s website at www.pioneerelectronics.com.

ASUS Launches the Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme Motherboards

ASUS Launches the Rampage III Extreme and
Maximus III Extreme Motherboards


-- The latest Republic of Gamers extreme series of motherboards are garnering
praise in the gaming and overclocking communities with world class
performance, features and stability. --


Fremont, CA (April 14th, 2010) - ASUS, the leading provider of high performance motherboards, launches the highly anticipated Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme motherboards in North America today. Featuring class leading designs and innovative features, the ROG Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme set a new standard for world class enthusiast motherboards. Rigorously tested and approved by leading enthusiasts, the Extreme series is engineered from the ground up for exceptional performance, stability, overclocking prowess, and most of all, reliability under extreme conditions.

Welcome To a New Age of Board Design
Computer enthusiasts and gamers alike have been clamoring for new and improved board designs along with expanded feature sets. How did ASUS meet these requests by offering the best balance between gaming and overclocking capabilities in an enthusiast level product?

It is simple; ASUS personnel across the company listened to, discussed with, and then implemented ideas from a variety of users in the gaming, enthusiast, and extreme overclocking communities. The world record breaking overclocking abilities of each board is attributable to superb hardware and BIOS designs that came about as the ROG team worked closely with key overclockers worldwide to ensure exceptional performance under extreme cooling along with comprehensive feedback on BIOS tuning.

While the new ROG Extreme series offers cutting edge overclocking capabilities it also provides an extremely stable and fast platform for gaming. It is this special balance between performance and stability that makes the new Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme boards so unique.

Innovation Design and Features in the Next Generation of ROG Extreme Motherboards
Solid and efficient power management is something every overclocker and enthusiast knows is critical in board design. ASUS’ new Extreme Engine Digi+, included on the Intel X58 based Rampage III Extreme and Intel P55 equipped Maximus III Extreme, allows new levels of control and performance by combining the best in digital and analog PWM designs.

New features help differentiate the ROG Extreme series from other motherboards when it comes to overclocking. These features include new LN2 mode and Q-Reset options that minimize cold boot problems during extreme overclocking along with dual 8-pin ATX power connectors and dual 4-pin Molex plugs to ensure proper is available to the CPU and Video cards respectively. In addition, the boards offer the ability to disable or enable the individual PCI Express x16 lanes so users can optimize the location of their video cards if custom cooling solutions are utilized or for debugging various setups.

ASUS implemented a new USB based BIOS flashing system that does not require a CPU, Memory or Video Card to update the BIOS. All the user needs is a working power supply to quickly update either onboard BIOS chip. The new ROG Connect software offers class leading overclocking and monitoring tools that can be controlled with a smart phone or a separate computer via quick connect technology to ensure the best possible overclocking experience.

The Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme also incorporate the latest in I/O technologies with full support for true SATA 6G and USB 3 to ensure the highest levels of performance for internal and external storage devices. The Rampage III Extreme introduces a class leading Intel based Gigabit network controller to ensure the user’s online experience is exceptional whether they are playing the latest game or viewing HD media content.

The Rampage III Extreme and Maximus III Extreme are available now at authorized ASUS retailers for an MSRP of $399 and $349 respectively.

###
For more information on the new Extreme Series, please log on to http://rog.asus.com .
Specifications and Features are subject to change without notice.

About ASUS
ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with an extensive product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, optical drives, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today's digital home, office and person. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company's revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek's InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.