ASUS Dual-GTX 285 MARS Detailed Further, Priced

[btarunr]

ASUS' pixel-crunching monstrosity, the dual-GTX 285 MARS 4GB was unveiled earlier this year at Computex. It claims to be the most powerful graphics card ever made, as it packs two fully-loaded GeForce GTX 285 GPUs which are factory overclocked, and equipped with 2 GB each of GDDR3 memory (4 GB total memory). The card further edges GeForce GTX 295, by using 512-bit memory interfaces for each GPU. The card further carries the clock speeds of GeForce GTX 285, at 648/1476/2400 MHz (core/shader/memory).

Fresh information suggests that that this limited-edition graphics card is another week away from shipping. 1000 units are produced in all, and the company doesn't plan on making any more. What's interesting however is that most, if not all, of these 1000 units have been pre-ordered and paid for. Enthusiasts don't seem to have a problem paying US $1250 (1250 EUR) for a piece, its price. Below are some tasty press-shots of this really tall accelerator, fully assembled. Pictures of its PCB and components can be viewed in our older article here.



Renowned overclocker Kinc put the card to a public overclocking demonstration. Two of these accelerators in quad-SLI were cooled with custom-designed liquid-nitrogen evaporators. We are gathering details of this feat. Techpowerup will be one of the first to take this accelerator for a spin, so watch this space for more.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[werez]

$1250 ok ..

 

[Mistral]

Ahh, a collector's item...

 

[Easo]

Ah, the money eater...

 

[wolf]

I wonder how good the bundle is for $1250.

Im thinking it comes with a few hot titles and more adapters, cables, stickers and other awesome crap than you can point a stock at for that kind of dosh.

 

[Frick]

I want two!

 

[btarunr]

Its target consumers don't care about value for money. It's evident with the fact that most of the 1000 cards are sold out already.

 

[mdm-adph]

Anyone know any other way to use four GTX 285's in quad-SLI? I guess to a lot of people that's worth $1000.

 

[Zubasa]

What a piece of junk for $1250.
C'mon not gold coated connectors?
And what about that cheap aluminum heatsink?

$1250 is enough to buy kilos of copper and coat it all over your greedy fat ass Asus.
The built quality just don't seems to match the price tag on this thing.

 

[Fitseries3]

only 1000 evga classified 759's where made and their price isnt $1250.

hell, asus only made 800 each of the p6t6 and p6t7 boards and they sell without the "limited edition" labeling at a somewhat more reasonable price tag.

i know this mars edition is special but geeeeez... cut us a break on the price a bit.

i'd price this card around $600 or so.

 

[1Kurgan1]

What a piece of junk for $1250.
C'mon not gold coated connectors?
And what about that cheap aluminum heatsink?

$1250 is enough to buy kilos of copper and coat it all over your greedy fat ass Asus.
The built quality just don't seems to match the price tag on this thing.

I think your forgetting production cost on something like this. They are only making 1000, I'm betting you they aren't making any money on making that small of a run of them, this is more like flexing to show whose top dog.

 

[Animalpak]

That exaust hole on the side is not large enough im sure this card will suffer overheating more than the dual pcb GTX 295.

1000 of this also 1000 GPU waterblock's too ?? lol

 

[Deleted member 24505]

They just know how to play rich enthusiasts like a fiddle.

 

[Kitkat]

yeah but where do u get a VCR to play it. they dont even make those anymore

 

[KainXS]

When the GT300 comes out and smokes this for 1/3 the price, I will be the first to call the people who buy this even if they're rich retards

the only reason I can see a valid reason for buying this at such a retarded price if if you 1 have millions and millions of dollars or 2 for testing purposes only

its not a collectors item

 

[btarunr]

When the GT300 comes out and smokes this for 1/3 the price, I will be the first to call the people who buy this even if they're rich retards

By then, they will have bought three of those GT300s. While on the way, call those who paid $1000 for an Athlon 64 FX, a retard too. See if they care.

 

[ArmoredCavalry]

I think your forgetting production cost on something like this. They are only making 1000, I'm betting you they aren't making any money on making that small of a run of them, this is more like flexing to show whose top dog.

Yeah but still, even if they make, say, $250 profit per card, that's a quarter million dollar profit!

 

[Static~Charge]

Enthusiasts don't seem to have a problem paying US $1250 (1250 EUR) for a piece, its price.

$1,250 US = 875 EUR. Either someone at Asus can't do math, or European customers are getting screwed.

Does it come with an external power supply, or do you need a 2000W PS in the computer?

 

[Zehnsucht]

Cool that they all got sold, but not unexpected.
Makes me think of this old thread:
http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=98777

 

[btarunr]

$1,250 US = 875 EUR. Either someone at Asus can't do math, or European customers are getting screwed.

Does it come with an external power supply, or do you need a 2000W PS in the computer?

Unfortunately, this card's EU price is 1250 Euro.

 

[theorw]

This card crosses the line of ENTHOUSIAST and brings its buyer to STUPID if not worse...

 

[mlee49]

Any details on the over clock he put on the cards? Clock settings? Voltage?

 

[mdm-adph]

Unfortunately, this card's EU price is 1250 Euro.

Now, that just ain't right.

 

[AddSub]

$1250? You will be able to pick up this "rare" item on eBay for around $100 or less 12 months or so from now. (You can expect all GTX2xx cards to take GM-like dive in value post GTX3xx release.) I remember few years ago some limited edition PNY 8800Ultra card cost nearly the same amount (around $1100 or so) and I remember seeing that same card about year after its launch going for around $150 on eBay. Another example was that "Gold" limited edition GeForce3 Ti 500 back in 2001 (gold colored PCB, not real gold though, something like only 500 were made), it was going for around $600 at launch. Little bit over a year later it was going for less than $150. Mass produced electronics, even in relatively smaller quantities, generally do not increase in value over time. (With few exceptions of course, but this "ASUS Mars" ain't it.)

 

[my_name_is_earl]

DX11 hardware is around the corner. Why release this thing in such tight space.