New Details on ASUS ZEUS Emerge

[btarunr]

A star attraction at the motherboard section of ASUS booth was its ZEUS Dual-GPU X79 concept motherboard. We got a chance to talk at lengths with people at ASUS about the exhibit, and learned a few details beyond what we already know. To begin with, ASUS is likely using a pair of "Southern Islands" family discrete mobile GPUs, not desktop ones. Further, it's likely that the GPUs are 28 nm "Pitcairn" based. The two GPUs are installed in CrossFire configuration. The next big detail is that the design focus on [evidently] isn't the integrated dual-GPU, but to demonstrate the first Thunderbolt-equipped X79 motherboard. The ZEUS has not one, but two Thunderbolt ports. The third (and most depressing) detail is that it's "highly unlikely" that the ZEUS will ever make it to the market. Think of it as yet another tradeshow concept by a big company. Perhaps ASUS doesn't want the ZEUS to end up like the ROG GSurf-365, its first off-beat ROG motherboard, which went beyond the show-floor but didn't have market-success.



View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[freaksavior]

wow that's a lot of power connectors

 

[Completely Bonkers]

What a shame. I would like to see more mainboards with integrated (mobile) chipsets... providing very decent performance and low power consumption for the regular/workstation user. Better still if designed to allow asymetric crossfire with an additional high end desktop GPU PCIe card. Perhaps ASRock can step into the creative space

 

[btarunr]

ASRock isn't an AMD AIB / NVIDIA AIC partner. It can't just buy trays of bare GPUs.

 

[Shurakai]

God damn is that cool, pity they probably won't be hitting retail/online stores

 

[zomg]

We need more x79 in mATX with 8 dimm slots, without gpu

 

[ice_v]

so it's basically a dummy board...?

I think it would have some market since it is m-atx form factor...but that would depend on the performance of the GPUs and price of course

 

[Chaitanya]

if asus actually manages to bring that mobo to market, I definitely will buy it as it will look freaking awesome in a uATX case.

 

[blibba]

That's enough PCI-E power connectors for 450W of GPU. Why, Asus?

Also, I'll be amazed if that passive sink can keep two pitcairns anything close to cool. A single down-clocked GK104 would be faster and more power efficient anyway.

We need more x79 in mATX with 8 dimm slots, without gpu

This is full ATX. Use the memory slots for perspective, and compare with this:

 

[cadaveca]

Blibba, wtf is THAT?


mATX X79? DO WANT RIGHT DAMN NAOW!!!


ASUS sure has some awesome boards right now, I do gotta get my hands on them!!

 

[blibba]

Blibba, wtf is THAT?


mATX X79? DO WANT RIGHT DAMN NAOW!!!


ASUS sure has some awesome boards right now, I do gotta get my hands on them!!

Yup. Asrock do an X79 MATX, too. Probably Gigabyte and/or MSI as well, I'm not sure. And they work with 8-core Xeons...

 

[Random Murderer]

Blibba, wtf is THAT?


mATX X79? DO WANT RIGHT DAMN NAOW!!!


ASUS sure has some awesome boards right now, I do gotta get my hands on them!!

That's the Rampage IV Gene.
There are currently three m-ATX LGA2011 boards available, and all three offer SLI and CFX in the first and third slots at full x16 3.0 speed. The only one of the three I've seen hold a decent OC is the Rampage IV Gene, and that was a fully-loaded system(4.8GHz 3930k @ 1.41v 24/7, GTX560Ti SLI, 16GB DDR3-2400 @ 1.645v).

 

[Steven B]

looks cool

 

[LTUGamer]

We need more x79 in mATX with 8 dimm slots, without gpu

8 DIMM slots in mATX? That's impossible and useless. If you want to create hardcore rig choose ATX MoBo.

 

[Disparia]

Not impossible and only mostly useless

 

[Flanker]

If this is going to be one of those ridiculous enthusiest products, they might as well just slap a custom water block on the GPU's

 

[mastrdrver]

.....To begin with, ASUS is likely using a pair of "Southern Islands" family discrete mobile GPUs, not desktop ones. Further, it's likely that the GPUs are 28 nm "Pitcairn" based.....

With two 8-pins and two 6-pin PCIe power connectors, that doesn't make sense.

 

[Wile E]

Integrated mobile gpus (or just MXM slots) on a Mini ATX or ITX mobo would be perfect for a low profile gaming htpc or a nice and small LAN box.