ASUS DIGI+ VRM 12-phase digital power delivery comes to graphics cards improved with Super Alloy Power components, while overclockers are bound to appreciate the inclusion of exclusive VGA Hotwire hardware overvolting and GPU Tweak software tuning. The new cards further support adapter-free AMD Eyefinity 6.

Overclocked to 1000 MHz – 75 MHz higher than reference

The HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP ships tuned to 1000 MHz, 75 MHz up from reference. This boost in clock speeds creates noticeable performance improvement, helping make greater use of the generous 3 GB GDDR5 video memory. The default increase in speed indicates the proprietary ASUS HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP design’s amenability to overclocking and performance pushing, making better use of the 384-bit memory interface and PCI Express 3.0 standard, which works at up to twice the speed of PCI Express 2.0.

DirectCU II leads to the coolest and quietest HD 7970 card available

Further design and engineering improvements to the ASUS DirectCU II thermal architecture have resulted in its finest iteration yet. The new design consists of six all-copper heatpipes in direct contact with the GPU, in addition to a 20% larger dissipation area than any previous versions. Cooling effectiveness increases by up to 20% compared to reference, helping the card run with improved stability and reliability – critical to successful overclocking. Since the card stays so cool, the dual fans can operate at lower speeds, contributing to a 14 dB quieter than reference experience that helps gamers focus on the action instead of the noise.

First graphics card DIGI+ VRM digital power design with 12-phase Super Alloy Power

ASUS has brought its acclaimed DIGI+ VRM digital power delivery design from motherboards to graphics cards, with the HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP serving as the launch vehicle. DIGI+ VRM has been applied via a massive 12-phase power design that uses digital voltage regulators to increase power efficiency, widen the voltage modulation range, and improve overall stability and longevity. Power delivery components utilize exclusive ASUS Super Alloy Power formulation, which reinforces capacitors, chokes, and MOSFETs with better manufacturing and materials to increase heat tolerance and stress resistance. Cards with Super Alloy Power outperform reference variants and last longer, offering consumers better value.

Easy DIY overvolting with VGA Hotwire

Derived from technology first implemented in ROG motherboards such as the Rampage IV Extreme, VGA Hotwire links headers on the motherboard and the graphics card with simple solder points. Users can alter voltages directly on a hardware level, resulting in more precise modification. Core, memory, and phase (PLL) voltages can be readily altered, opening up new overclocking opportunities.

Intuitive tuning via the GPU Tweak utility

Users who prefer a friendlier interface can utilize the ASUS GPU Tweak suite, which offers fast tuning of numerous card parameters, including clock speeds, voltages, and fan settings. GPU Tweak can control up to four cards at once through AMD CrossFireX. It features GPU clock and voltage syncing, plus 2D/3D switching and mode locking for higher 3D benchmarks. Users get more accurate system testing and higher scores in competitive overclocking scenarios. The utility offers auto driver/BIOS updates to keep cards in optimal working condition, and a handy monitoring widget that provides highly detailed multi-parameter information on demand. ASUS has also worked closely with Techpowerup to integrate GPU-Z into GPU Tweak, offering even more reliable graphics card data and tracking.

First HD 7970 card with four native DisplayPorts for six-screen AMD Eyefinity

The input/output logic of the HD 7970 DirectCU II TOP takes full advantage of the power of the hardware, offering users access to dual DVI and four DisplayPort connectors. As a result, one card can drive up to six screens – achieving HD/4K resolutions with no additional adapters. The efficient power of top-end 28 nm GPU technology means visuals look better than ever even on extremely large displays.

Also in: all-new ASUS HD 7950 DirectCU II TOP ships overclocked to 900 MHz

The HD 7950 DirectCU II TOP features the DirectCU II dual fan cooler and offers consumers superior performance compared to the 800 MHz HD 7950 reference card. ASUS has begun developing more enhanced versions of the HD 7950 that will feature additional exclusive ASUS technologies, including DIGI+ VRM and Super Alloy Power. These cards will ship during the remainder of Q1 2012. Further announcements will be made as products become available.

Today, ASUS officially announced the world’s first tablet with the NVIDIA®Tegra® 3 quad-core processor –the ASUS Eee Pad Transformer Prime. The Eee Pad Transformer Prime is ultra-thinat 8.3mm (0.33”) and lightweight at 586g (1.29lbs) while featuring a stylish metallic swirl design with class leading enhancements including ASUS Sonic Master audio technology, an HD 8MP rear auto-focus camera with LED flash and battery life rated for up to 18 hours when combined with the optional mobile dock. Pricing will range from $499(32GB) to $599 (64GB), with the optional mobile dock accessory priced at $149.

Featuring an ultra-slim form factor, the Transformer Prime is only 8.3mm(0.33”) thin and weighs in at a mere 586g (1.29lbs without dock).  This makes watching movies, surfing the web, playing games, taking photos, finishing up homework or video chatting with friends or family so easy and natural that you’ll wonder if the Transformer Prime was designed specifically with you in mind.  Its innovative metallic swirl design ismade of aluminum for a secure yet extremely comfortable grip that comes in two gorgeous colors: Amethyst Gray and Champagne Gold.

The Transformer Prime is the world’s first tablet to feature NVIDIA’s next-generation quad-core Tegra® 3 processor.  With the quad-core CPU, 12-core GeForce® GPU and vSMP technology, the Transformer Prime delivers an optimum user experience featuring smooth multitasking capabilities,lightning fast app loading,a rich and fluid web experience, full 1080P HD video for realistic media playback or recording and of course, incredible gaming performance that allows you to experience games in an entirely new way.

Fantastic Battery Life

While the Transformer Prime is extremely slim and light, ASUS did not forget about battery life.  Thanks to the advanced power management features of the Tegra® 3 processor and ASUS optimizations the Transformer Prime has a battery life of up to 12 hours*, but when combined with the mobile dock, it lasts up to an incredible 18 hours*, the longest battery life of any current tablet.  That’s enough battery life for a trans-ocean flight, all-night game session, viewing several movies on a long road trip or even video recording, editing, and then playing back your child’s school play all in 1080P HD clarity.

Unrivaled Visuals

The Eee Pad TransformerPrime boasts a wide 178° viewing angle IPS display, protected by Corning® Gorilla® Glass, which features new ASUS technology to enhance the brightness of the screen for a better outdoor reading experience while still offering a remarkably vivid and brilliant viewing experience of photos, books, videos, movies and web pages indoors. Thanks to Multi-Touch technology, you can use your fingers to do everything from swiping through photos, surfing the web, playing the latest games, typing emails, instant messaging, reading books or magazines, and starting your favorite movie.

A 1.2MP front camera allows for instant photos or high-quality video conferencing with friends, family or coworkers while an 8MP rear camera with auto-focus and LED flash takes brilliant photos or video thanks to a large F2.4 aperture, back illuminated CMOS sensor, touch-to-focus depth of field and low-light noise reduction to provide the clearest and sharpest photos or even 1080P HD videos.

Advanced Audio

The Transformer Prime offersimpressive audio capabilities in a tablet, powered by ASUS exclusive SonicMaster technology,renowned for crisp and acoustically accurate audio. It produces crystal clear sound with a wide sound stage, increased audio fidelity, and distinct vocal enhancements for an immersive audio experience with your favorite music track, video, or movie.

Unlimited Productivity

The Transformer Prime is offered with either 32GB or 64B flash storage options for quick, efficient and reliable access to your applications.  Both models featurea micro SD card slot, 3.5mm combo audio jack and micro HDMI port so sharing both what’s inside and on-screen is quick and easy. However, the function that gives the Transformer Prime its namesake is the mobile dock, which gives new meaning to the term versatility. This innovative and convenient design seamlessly provides the user with a keyboard and touchpad, along with limitless expandability options via the USB port and SD card slot.

ASUS will include several innovative applications likeSuperNote that is fantastic for its ability to take, draw or record notes andPolaris® Office which is great for staying productive with the ability to read, edit or create Word, Excel and PowerPoint (MS Office 97-2007) compatible files.  Thousands of top rated applications and games are also available at Android Market that fully takes advantage of the Transformer Prime’s amazing features and power.

Offering performance that is up to 22% faster than a reference GeForce® GTX 590* means the MARS II is fully capable of running today’s latest DirectX® 11 games at 1080P and above resolutions at maximum detail settings for truly immersive game play. In order to control this dominating graphics performance the ROG MARS II is bundled with the exclusive ASUS GPU Tweak utility, which puts users in direct control of a wide range of performance parameters, including clock speeds, voltages, and fan speeds that all are accessible via a friendly user interface.

DirectCU II Thermals ensure quiet operation and cool performance
Award winning ASUS DirectCU II technology means the MARS II GPUs are cooled directly with dual 120mm fans and an all-copper pipe and heatsink base design that results in up to 20% lower operating temperatures compared to a reference GeForce® GTX 590 design*. ASUS also incorporated a Turbo Fan button on the card itself, allowing users to instantly switch the fans to 100% speed, regardless of driver settings. This feature proves very useful in overclocking situations where heat is a factor, as does the solid aluminum shroud that conducts heat away much more efficiently than materials used in reference graphics cards. Rounding out the superior fan and heatsink technology on the MARS II is another ROG exclusive design that features a custom PCI Express bracing and support system that ensures reliable installation and rigidity that keeps the card placed firmly in its slot.

Super Alloy Power Design ensures long component life and improved performance
The ROG MARS II pushes the design envelope on a graphics card to the technological edge. As such ASUS is incorporating an exclusive Super Alloy Power (SAP) design that features a custom alloy mix of metals designed specifically for this card that are highly-magnetic, heat-resistant and anti-corrosive to improve power efficiency, enhance long term durability and achieve cooler operating temperatures. The custom designed 21-phase power architecture features SAP based chokes, capacitors and MOSFETs that ensure extremely stable and efficient power delivery for each GPU under a wide variety of operating conditions. As a result of this innovative and high-quality design the ROG MARS II offers superior overclocking stability and performance* compared to reference GeForce® GTX 590 designs providing users with the ultimate gaming experience.

Immersive Gaming and Visual Experience beyond expectations
In addition to providing a cutting edge design and incredible levels of performance, the ASUS ROG MARS II also supports immersive gaming and visual technologies like NVIDIA® Surround™ and NVIDIA® 3D Vision™.  NVIDIA® Surround™ technology provides gaming across three displays at resolutions beyond 1080P for a completely immersive gaming experience. NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ is the first solution that allows you to experience your games and movies – including support for Blu-ray 3D – in full HD 1080p stereoscopic 3D, and permits HD gaming on new 3D TVs (3DTV Play™).  NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ currently supports over 500 games with new titles being added all the time.

Two ASUS ROG MARS II cards can be paired together to support NVIDIA® Quad SLI™ in an SLI-Certified motherboard such as the award winning ASUS ROG Rampage III Extreme or Black Edition for the ultimate performance setup that allows you to crank up the graphics settings to maximum for an unmatched DirectX® 11 gaming experience* using NVIDIA® Surround™ technology.

See the incredible performance of the ASUS ROG MARS II in the ASUS event booth at PAX PRIME in Seattle, Washington on August 26th through August 28th , 2011.

New ASUS motherboard design to complement the new AMD Fusion platform
The ASUS F1A75 series are designed with the exclusive DIGI+ VRM and the most intuitive UEFI BIOS on the market. The F1A75-V EVO is the world’s first FM1 socket motherboard with dual x8/x8 PCI-Express for AMD CrossFireX support, while the entire range of ASUS F1A75 Series motherboards are designed to natively support the latest USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gbps standards.

ASUS F1A75 Series motherboards are based on the latest AMD A75 chipset and FM1 socket, which supports AMD’s new APUs. These include class leading performance from AMD Radeon HD 6000 series processor graphics with AMD Dual Graphics support. With an additional PCI-Express Radeon GPU to initiate Radeon Dual Graphics mode, the performance can be boosted up to 128 percent.

The APU Radeon processor graphics offers DirectX 11 technology, OpenCL Direct Compute and superb low power performance that is ideal for home media entertainment and gaming, without the need for an extra PCI-Express graphics card.

ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 2 with DIGI+ VRM on board
The premium F1A75 Series motherboards are equipped with DIP2, which features DIGI+ VRM technology in addition to the TPU and EPU. DIGI+ VRM power delivery allows a user to precisely adjust and control power settings digitally perfectly serving the APU specification’s power demand. Digital control differs from analog controls by eliminating digital-to-analog conversion lag, which helps to improve overclocking capabilities. This enables precise power flow adjustment and management as well as easy and flexible tuning, including extra DRAM power control for the AMD platform. System stability is also more efficient thanks to a smart thermal function, which includes phased temperature controls. For full system control, all features are accessible either by UEFI BIOS or AI Suite II. This all-in-one software offers diverse and easy-to-use functions, without the need to switch back and forth between different utilities while in Windows.

Media recognized most intuitive UEFI BIOS
Included on all F1A75 Series motherboards is the previously mentioned UEFI BIOS menu interface. UEFI BIOS allows a user to control and adjust their BIOS settings through a mouse-enabled interface for more user-friendly navigation. The built-in EZ Mode option also provides a drag-and-drop boot priority option for easier management of boot devices, while the Advanced Mode allows experienced performance enthusiasts to tweak more intricate system settings. Overclockers can also save screen caps of their settings by pressing F12 on the keyboard and saving it onto a USB thumb drive.

This motherboard uses the NM10 chipset, comes equipped with a 32nm Atom D2700 chip, a PCI-Express slot, two slots for DDR-3 RAM, four USB controllers, and built in 5.1 channel sound as well as DVI video. It also has a considerably sized passive cooler.

In recent years, ASUS has been one of the undisputed leaders in the field of ultra-portable devices. Continuing this tradition, the company’s new UX Series notebook computers are extraordinarily thin and light, while providing the high levels of performance that the company is known for. The new models will incorporate the ADATA XM11 solid state drive, making full use of the advantages of the SATA 6Gb/s standard.

“Our decision to go with ADATA SSDs was based not just on their strong showing in testing performance, but also on the company’s ability to achieve compatibility with our design requirements. We demand full performance from the latest SATA spec, in the smallest volume possible. ADATA was fully able to meet the challenge we laid down.” said ASUS Corporate Vice President & General Manager of Notebook Business Unit, S. Y. Hsian.

In addition to the extremely narrow and thin profile of the XM11, the implementation of the SandForce 2281 controller will bring native support for the SATA 6Gb/s platform in these new systems.

According to Simon Chen, CEO of ADATA. “We have historically been strong believers in the future and potential of solid state drives, and have invested considerable resources to make the most of this technology. We are glad to see our efforts recognized by ASUS, and are confident that our SSDs will maximize performance in these ASUS notebooks.”

The ASUS G53SX, which will be part of the “Republic of Gamers” product series, boasts a Core i7 Sandy Bridge processor, a NVIDIA Geforce GTX 560M graphics card with 2GB of video memory, an SSD drive, and also comes installed with 3D content creation software.

The laptop’s design is made with gamers in mind, as the keyboard is inclined on a 5 degree angle, the palm rests are rubber coated, and their are ample air circulation vents.

ASUS was sparse with details regarding the exact processor speeds and size of the SSD drive, instead focusing on the laptop’s glasses free 3D technology. ASUS claims that this display is able to convert 2D content into 3D and display 2D and 3D content simultaneously.

ASUS has not yet announced pricing or availability.

Named the “PadFone”, this device is an Android powered smartphone that docks into a touchscreen tablet. This concept is not entirely new as Motorola’s Atrix 4G has somewhat similar features.

Both the tablet and the smartphone have front facing video cameras for video conferencing, and will share the same SIM card for access the 3G network. ASUS has not yet confirmed whether the tablet will have WI-FI support that can be used without the smartphone attached to it.

When the smartphone is inserted into the tablet the user is able to access all the functionality of the smartphone whilst using the tablet’s bigger screen and keyboard. Users are also able to switch seamlessly between the two devices: a video playing on the smartphone will resume right where it left off when the tablet mode is engaged; an in-progress email on the tablet will be exactly where the user left it on the smartphone.

In a promotional video presented at Computex, ASUS says that the tablet will not simply “up-scale” from the smartphone but display content at its native resolution. No word yet on whether it will support HD.

ASUS has yet to announce a number of key details such as which Android flavour they plan to use, pricing, or availability. However, it is widely expected that the PadFone will be out for the 2011 holiday season.

The models available are the M5A99/97 Series, the TUF SABERTOOTH 990FX and the ROG Crosshair V Formula.

Featured models offer ASUS’s award winning UEFI BIOS and the second generation of Dual Intelligent Processors (DIP2), comprised of the award winning TurboV Processor Unit (TPU) and Energy Processor Unit (EPU) for superior performance and energy management.  The new motherboards will be the first on the AMD chipset based platform to support DIGI+ VRM (Digital power design) and both multi-GPU technologies, AMD’s CrossFireX and NVIDIA’s SLI.

The Maximus IV Formula is slated to handle absolute everything that could possibly be thrown at it, sporting 4 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots, allowing for 3/4-way SLI and CrossFireX, four USB 3.0 ports and SATA 6Gbps, also being a part of the ROG family it boasts all the typical ROG exclusive features. Pricing is anticipated at around $300.

Introduce with the x58 chipset, Asus is expanding its new “TUF” series with the TUF Sabertooth P67, which promotes high durability and stability with ceramic heatsinks and high grade components. Also, what may look like a cover to keep prying eyes out, is actually a protective scaffolding that is calling a ‘Tactical Vest’, to help protect the vulnerable motherboard PCB. The board features only two PCIe 2.0 x16 slots. No pricing expectations revealed.

For the mainstream, Asus has launched the P8P67 Deluxe and P8P67. The base model supports dual PCIe x16 slots and all the regular connections, while a ‘deluxe’ nets you an additional PCIe x16 slot, USB 3.0, SATA 6Gbps, bluetooth and 8.2 channel audio. Early reports indicate final prices of $200 for the Deluxe and $150 for the base model.

The company intends to offer the device in a few different flavours, including the 10-inch ASUS Eee Pad EP101TC which dumped Windows 7 Embedded Compact for Android 3.0; expected in March 2011 priced under $399. However, mention was made that W7 EC will be featured on a new model sometime in January 2011 for between $399 and $499.

The company’s flagship tablet will be the ASUS Eee Pad EP121, a 12-inch computing beast featuring the Intel Core 2 Duo ULV and running Windows 7 Home Premium. It also includes a docking station allowing the device to better equipped for typing when necessary. The release is scheduled tentatively for December 2010 and is expected under $1000. You don’t need a degree in marketing to know that means $999.

Lastly, details also emerged about the EEE Tablet which is a grayscale LCD slate device intended for reading and note taking, a competitor to devices such as the Amazon Kindle. The tablet will debut in October around $300 and features yet another OS; a custom variation of Linux.

Superb performance is available for users who demand reliability during high-intensity gaming sessions thanks to ASUS’ latest Extreme Engine Digi+ power delivery system featuring a Digital VRM controller, unique heatsink and airflow design, triple channel DDR3-2200 support, BIOS Flashback, Q-Fan Plus and the ROG Connect hardware-based tuning solution that offers incredible real time performance enhancement options. Sound Better. Play Faster. The ASUS ROG Rampage III Formula is the gamers’ motherboard.

ASUS’ Color Shine technology featuring a 400-nit brightness capability lets users enjoy vibrant colors while ergonomically-designed features like swivel, tilt angle, and height adjustments ensure viewing comfort even after prolonged periods of use. The VG236H features YPbPr, Dual-Link DVI and HDMI input ports to ensure a wide variety connectivity options. ASUS’ VG236H is the ideal monitor to experience the internet, Blu-ray movies, and games in 3D.

An Immersive Stereoscopic 3D Experience with NVIDIA 3D Vision Technology

The 23” ASUS VG236H monitor includes a NVIDIA 3D Vision kit*, which features a pair of active shutter glasses with alternate-frame sequencing technology that immerses users in their favorite 3D movie or gaming world. There are currently hundreds of NVIDIA 3D Vision compatible PC game titles** available on the market to enjoy along with exciting new title releases coming shortly.

Driven to Perform with Optimized Colors

The ASUS-exclusive Trace Free II technology combines a 120Hz refresh rate with a 2ms (gray-to-gray) response time that effectively eliminates ghosting to ensure a smooth gaming and movie experience.

ASUS Color Shine technology with 400-nit brightness provides brilliant and vibrant display colors in any application or movie. Color Shine technology uses multiple-color film layers instead of a single-film layer that reduces the diffusion of light allowing improved image clarity while at the same time enriching color density and saturation.

Ergonomically-designed for Viewing Comfort

To ensure user comfort the VG236H is easily adjustable to cater to almost any viewing angle. It can adjust swivel 150-degrees, height by 100mm, and tilt viewing angle. The VG236H provides a built-in cable management feature that helps conceal wires for clutter-free desktops.

Picked up by TechPowerUp, a dual GTX 480 graphics card, dubbed the “MARS II” features two GF100 chips on a single PCB. The two chips are joined through an internal SLI bridge utilizing an onboard nForce 200 bridge chip. Each GPU boasts an 8+2 phase VRM , 1.536 GB of memory and each matches the stock specs of the GTX 480.

To keep this mini nuclear reactor stable, the card’s PCB features 3 oz copper layers, and is powered by  three 8-pin PCI-E power connections.

Asus has said they will be developing a custom cooling solution, which, given the amount of heat that could be expected, may mean we could just see the world’s first ever GPU Air Conditioner (patent pending) cooling solution.

The best part is that the card will be SLI capable just in case you want to double the fun (as well as everything else).

Up until now, USB3.0 has been limited to only the back I/O panel, forcing case manufacturers to include front panel connections that wire up to the back of the motherboard. Asus has included a second NEC USB chip on the board to allow for both internal and rear connections without speed loss.

The board should ring in at a fairly average P55 price tag and Asus says they intend to further their support of USB3.0 in upcoming motherboards.

Now if only someone could direct me to the actual devices that utilize USB3.0…