ASUS Announces 970 Pro Gaming Aura Socket AM3+ Motherboard

[btarunr]

ASUS today announced 970 Pro Gaming/Aura, the world's first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset, with official NVIDIA SLI certification for epic up to quad-GPU graphics, plus integrated Aura RGB - the all-new, awesome illumination technology invented by ASUS. As the latest member of the value-packed ASUS Pro Gaming series, 970 Pro Gaming/Aura has multiple exclusive features for superior gaming experiences. These include gaming-grade Intel Gigabit Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard and GameFirst technologies for fast, safe and lag-free networking, and SupremeFX with Sonic Radar II for flawless in-game audio that keeps 970 Pro Gaming/Aura gamers one step ahead on the battlefield.

Compatible with the latest processors for the AMD AM3+ socket, 970 Pro Gaming/Aura delivers flexible cooling with a dedicated water-pump header, plus intuitive Fan Xpert controls. The new board also has the very latest connectivity built in, including USB 3.1 Type-A and NVM Express (NVMe) M.2. Exclusive RAMCache technology accelerates game loads, durable Gamer's Guardian components ensure longevity, and smart DIY features protect users and ease every build.



Aura RGB lighting: Striking LED illumination with customizable effects
970 Pro Gaming/Aura is the latest motherboard to benefit from Aura, the all-new LED-illumination technology invented by ASUS - and exclusive to owners of ASUS motherboards. Aura makes it easy to light up any 970 Pro Gaming/Aura gaming rig with an endless spectrum of color combinations, as well as enabling loads of fascinating and fun effects.

Aura includes simple software controls for customizing the LED lighting. The intuitive interface lets gamers cast a stunning multi-color glow across their 970 Pro Gaming/Aura builds, including a breathing effect, color-strobing and color-cycling, plus the ability to change shades to indicate CPU temperature, or pulsate in time to the beat of favorite music.

Epic graphics: Support for up to quad-GPU NVIDIA SLI or quad-GPU AMD CrossFireX
970 Pro Gaming/Aura is the first AMD 970 chipset-based motherboard on the planet to receive official certification for compatibility with NVIDIA SLI, enabling up to two-way, quad-GPU setups for epic graphics performance.

AMD's own CrossfireX multi-way graphics technology is also supported, for up to two-way, quad-GPU graphics supremacy - giving 970 Pro Gaming/Aura rig-builders total flexibility in their quest for maximum gaming performance and visual excellence.

Built for winners: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard, GameFirst, SupremeFX and Sonic Radar II
970 Pro Gaming/Aura has faster-than-fast networking, with tournament-level Intel Gigabit Ethernet, ASUS-exclusive LANGuard and GameFirst technologies to keep the connection fast and free from lag.

Intel's LAN technology has the serious double advantage of reducing CPU overhead and offering exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput, significantly reducing the processor's workload to free up power for the game.

ASUS LANGuard is hardware-level networking protection that employs signal-coupling technology and interference-reducing surface-mounted capacitors for rock-solid gaming connections and better throughput for online play, plus electrostatically-guarded and surge-protected components for greater tolerance to static electricity and improved protection against power surges.

Upgraded ASUS-exclusive GameFirst technology prioritizes game-related packets and allocates more bandwidth to games, eliminating laggy gameplay, streaming stutters and file-sharing slowdown - 970 Pro Gaming/Aura gamers need only choose the Optimization, Game, Media Streaming or File Sharing preset to watch their networks fly. The latest GameFirst now includes Multi-Gate Teaming to team all available networks for maximum bandwidth and the smoothest-ever gameplay.

970 Pro Gaming/Aura is engineered with ASUS-exclusive SupremeFX audio technology for in-game sound that's alive with realism. The purity and stability of the remarkable 115dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is assured, with a shielded design, electromagnetic-interference (EMI) cover and voltage-protected 5V power supply.

Supreme FX's superior components, including the trusted Realtek ALC1150 codec, maximize acoustic performance and eliminate interference - so only the very best audio is enjoyed through either gaming headsets or speakers. The red-line shielding is illuminated for beautiful aesthetics, and it's even customizable, allowing users to create eye-catching lighting effects.

The new 970 Pro Gaming/Aura motherboard enables gamers to become hunters rather than the hunted with Sonic Radar II, a stealthy overlay that shows what opponents and teammates are up to on the battlefield - all managed via a simple control panel and customizable game list. Sonic Radar II shows both the direction and origin of key in-game sounds, enabling ASUS gamers to practice enemy-pinpointing skill. It even includes Audio Enhancement technology to clarify every sound detail - providing an audible heads-up to vital events.

Gaming-grade everything: USB 3.1, M.2, RAMCache, Gamer's Guardian, and water-pump header
970 Pro Gaming/Aura has the newest connectivity built in, with up to 10Gbps USB 3.1, and an integrated M.2 socket for the latest high-speed solid-state drives (SSDs). It also includes uniquely-intelligent RAMCache technology to launch favorite games and apps launch at breakneck speeds. A dedicated onboard water-pump header ensures that best water-cooling efficiency is instantly accessible.

Gamer's Guardian protections include the Digi+ voltage-regulator module (VRM) for ultra-smooth power delivery, DRAM Overcurrent Protection with resettable fuses, durable capacitors engineered to resist extreme temperatures, and a corrosion-resistant stainless-steel input/output (I/O) panel.

Easy-DIY features include one-clip Q-Slot graphics card installation, one-clip Q-DIMM memory installation, Q-Shield to prevents nicks and cuts during building and four Q-LED lamps for quick boot diagnosis.

For more information, visit the product page.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[newtekie1]

the world's first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset

970+SB950 has been around for a while now, this definitely isn't the first board to use it, and I wouldn't say it is highly-anticipated either...

 

[Parn]

Just as I guessed in the MSI new 970 board thread, big board manufacturers have started another round of dumping old stock before AM4 lands.

 

[ZeDestructor]

NVMe support.. I for one do not entirely want to see what exactly they did to the reference UEFI base to get there...

 

[ne6togadno]

970+SB950 has been around for a while now, this definitely isn't the first board to use it...

the world's first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset, with official NVIDIA SLI certification

 

[Chaitanya]

Just as I guessed in the MSI new 970 board thread, big board manufacturers have started another round of dumping old stock before AM4 lands.

Looks like only 970 chipsets seems to be around, no new 990 series motherboards announced so far.

 

[Ferrum Master]

NVMe support.. I for one do not entirely want to see what exactly they did to the reference UEFI base to get there...

a simple plain driver module... you can try to extract it and insert inside your bios...

 

[ZeDestructor]

a simple plain driver module... you can try to extract it and insert inside your bios...

Wonder how hard it would be to inject it into my Z77 board.. and inject my Windows 8.1 key while at it for good measure...

 

[hojnikb]

Wonder how hard it would be to inject it into my Z77 board.. and inject my Windows 8.1 key while at it for good measure...

not that hard actually. There are tutorials for this...

 

[okidna]

Looks like only 970 chipsets seems to be around, no new 990 series motherboards announced so far.

There's Gigabyte 990FX Gaming released last December, also MSI 990FXA-Gaming (back in June or August 2015 I think) and Gigabyte also re-released their 990FXA-UD3 and UD5 under new name scheme as Gigabyte 990FXA-UD3 R5 and UD5 R5.

 

[Hood]

970+SB950 has been around for a while now, this definitely isn't the first board to use it, and I wouldn't say it is highly-anticipated either...

Yeah, real clever misleading advertising, Asus - the first part of the statement
(the world's first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset,), a bald-faced lie,
is qualified by the parts added on at the end
(with official NVIDIA SLI certification for epic up to quad-GPU graphics, plus integrated Aura RGB).
I suppose this IS the world's first board that takes an out-dated 2011 chipset (which is itself the lowest tier and is using the exact same silicon as the older 800 series chipset) and adds SLI support, which nobody in their right mind would care about, and stupid LED lights (presumably to suck in the feeble-minded). I hope they have to RMA thousands of boards just for "LED lights not working" (a lot of their new boards have this "feature").

 

[Parn]

Looks like only 970 chipsets seems to be around, no new 990 series motherboards announced so far.

Anyone looking to build an AMD system now are most likely on a limited budget, so 970 helps to keep the cost down.

I remember back in the days the 990FX boards used to be high-end premium similar to some of the current top-end X99.

 

[Devon68]

I like it, but.....
Asus if you are reading this make a AM3+ board similar to your impact itx motherboards for intel. Then I might go for that board and a FX-8300 cpu.
If things stay the way they are my next rig will probably be and itx intel system.

 

[Fx]

If they keep the price reasonable, this is a great way to refresh modern connectivity (USB 3.1, NVMe) with yesterday's memory and CPU while waiting for Zen. Its not a bad looking board either.

 

[Chaitanya]

Anyone looking to build an AMD system now are most likely on a limited budget, so 970 helps to keep the cost down.

I remember back in the days the 990FX boards used to be high-end premium similar to some of the current top-end X99.

I am one of those who built a PC using 990Fx and Fx6100 CPU back in the day. That Pc is still running, although I am planning to upgrade at the end of this year when AMD, Intel and nVidia bring new CPUs and GPUs to market.

 

[Ferrum Master]

Wonder how hard it would be to inject it into my Z77 board.. and inject my Windows 8.1 key while at it for good measure...

I did it too for my X79.

Here, chop chop.

 

[newtekie1]

the world's first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset, with official NVIDIA SLI certification

It isn't even that, there have been 970+SB950 boards with SLI support for a while(and there is no other way other than official SLI certification to have SLI support).

But the thing was the highly-anticipated part. To anticipate something it has to be something new that we haven't seen yet, 970+SB950 isn't. They make it sounds like a new chipset, and it is ancient.

 

[H82LUZ73]

Hum The Very first run of 990FX chips were SLI /Crossfire certified,Why do they claim this 970 chip is?

Sweet looking board,But I`m happy with my Gigabyte UD5 990FX board.

 

[Countryside]

the world's first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset

Sry bro but i couldn't resist.

 

[FlanK3r]

https://flic.kr/s/aHskrCts3L

Soon in forum review

 

[newtekie1]

Hum The Very first run of 990FX chips were SLI /Crossfire certified,Why do they claim this 970 chip is?

SLI "certification" is nothing more than the motherboard manufacturer paying nVidia a licensing fee to allow SLI on their motherboards. All 990X/990FX/970 chipsets are technically capable of SLI, it depends on if the motherboard manufacturer pays nVidia the fee to allow a specific board to use SLI.

 

[ThE_MaD_ShOt]

Now with these new board where is the incentive for me to replace my trusty 990fx boards?

 

[azdesign]

whats the point changing led color when everything else in red?

 

[Ubersonic]

Compatible with the latest processors for the AMD AM3+ socket

The best 2012 has to offer

 

[newtekie1]

The best 2012 has to offer

The second best 2012 has to offer.