The Polaris architecture was debuted by AMD in the RX 400 series almost 4 years ago, since then AMD has released two new generations of graphics processors, Vega and Navi. It seems that the Polaris architecture will be living on a bit longer with the release of the ASUS Phoenix Radeon 550 2GB GPU, based on the Polaris 12 GPU.

This product may seem familiar and that's because ASUS released the Phoenix Radeon RX 550 back in 2017, the new Phoenix Radeon 550 uses a different memory configuration of 2 GB GDDR5 / 64-bit / 6 Gbps which is a significant step down from the 2/4 GB GDDR5 / 128-bit / 7 Gbps of the Phoenix Radeon RX 550 especially considering that card was released 3 years ago. This new card seems to have been available to OEM's for some time and is only now making it's way to retail at a hopefully cheap price.

ASUS today announced the ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4), an ultracompact dual-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh router system designed to provide whole-home Wi-Fi 6 coverage in a stylish, space-saving format.

Available in three-pack bundles containing one router and two extension nodes, the ZenWiFi AX Mini is a Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) device offering Wi-Fi speeds1 of up to 1800 Mbps. It's designed to deliver fast and reliable Wi-Fi with easy setup and management. The units are ultracompact — ZenWiFi AX Mini has a footprint of just nine square centimeters — with a premium elegant design that suits any décor and also matches existing ZenWiFi devices. Users can download the free ASUS Router app for easy three-step setup. Free lifetime network security is provided by ASUS AiProtection, which is powered by Trend Micro and includes parental controls.

ASUS released a beta BIOS updates for its top AMD 400-series chipset motherboard that includes the AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.6 microcode. A HardwareLuxx.de community member tracking AGESA updates posted screenshot of a Crosshair VII Hero (X470) motherboard with a AGESA ComboAM4 1.0.0.6 version (not to be confused with AGESA PinnaclePI 1.0.0.6). The beta BIOS version for the motherboard bears version number 3101. The BIOS file was originally released to web by Shamino on the OCN forums, earlier today.

While not much is known about ComboAM4 1.0.0.6, the Beta BIOS 3101 for Crosshair VII Hero enables per-CCX overclocking, meaning that you can set different manual OC multiplier values per CCX on your processor. We're not sure if both "Pinnacle Ridge" and "Matisse" support it, or just the latter. We also don't know at this point if per-CCX overclocking is an ASUS innovation or a feature of ComboAM4 1.0.0.6. Find the BIOS ROM file here.

New manufacturing processes powered by AI and big data reduce defects that can go unnoticed by human inspection, resulting in improved product quality and efficiency. With the advent of the AIoT era, ASUS has embraced new technologies and methods to develop advanced manufacturing capabilities. At the end of 2019, ASUS expanded the company's AIoT business unit to be able to develop more solutions for industries and, in the process, renamed it the AIoT Business Group (AIoT BG). After consideration and planning around the three major aspects of successful manufacturing - design power, technical ability and continuous profitability - ASUS transformed operations to achieve the flexibility, speed, productivity and quality required for supply-side Industry 4.0 upgrades.

Detecting defects by hand is a major pain point and cause of inefficiencies in manufacturing processes. By investing in smart manufacturing solutions that utilize AI for producing metal peripherals, fans, printed circuit boards and other computer components as well as for system assembly, ASUS was able to remove efficiency bottlenecks and reduce losses resulting from misjudgment of manufacturing defects by factory employees. Moving forward, ASUS will continue to use artificial intelligence and big data to statistically classify different types of quality defects, determine their causes and improve processes at the source of defects to further improve and push the boundaries of manufacturing quality.

ASUS today unveiled the ThunderboltEX 3-TR its latest 2-port Thunderbolt 3 (40 Gbps) add-on card for ASUS Intel 400-series chipset motherboards that feature the TB3 header. The full height add-on card features a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 host interface, and puts out two Thunderbolt 3 ports in the type-C format. There are two mini-DisplayPort inputs so you can add DisplayPort passthrough from your graphics card for each of the two Thunderbolt ports. ASUS even includes a pair of short-length miniDP to standard DP cables. It also includes a USB 2.0 cable, and a cable for the TB3 header on your compatible ASUS motherboard. Under the hood is an Intel "Titan Ridge" JHL7540 2-port Thunderbolt 3 controller. The card requires a 6-pin PCIe power input. For now its compatibility list includes all Intel Z490 and H470 chipset motherboards by ASUS that feature the TB3 header.

ASUS today rolled out the Prime TRX40-PRO S socket sTRX4 motherboard for 3rd gen Ryzen Threadripper HEDT processors. This board is part of a mini-refresh of the company's sTRX4 product-stack, beginning with the ROG Zenith II Extreme Alpha, the more recent ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming, and now the Prime TRX40-PRO S. Launch of the three boards is triggered by the niche of enthusiasts that likes to overclock their Ryzen Threadripper 3990X 64-core/128-thread processors.

While the older Prime TRX40-PRO is perfectly capable of running- or even overclocking the 3990X, the new PRO S is better suited for the task, and comes with bolstered 16-phase CPU VRM with 70 A power stages, same ones found on the original ROG Zenith II Extreme, while the Extreme Alpha has been amped up with 90 A power stages. ASUS upgraded the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming the same way. The board's feature-set is otherwise identical to that of the original Prime TRX40-PRO. The Prime TRX40-PRO S is expected to be priced around the $430-mark.

ASUS and Janus Technologies Inc. today announced the launch of the new ASUS ExpertBook P5440FA laptop with BIOS-SHIELD technology. The two companies have teamed up to deliver a feature rich security solution and cloud service for small to mid-size businesses and their remote workers. Using BIOS-SHIELD technology embedded within the ASUS ExpertBook P5440FA, businesses will be able to manage PCs remotely while adding extensive security capabilities to each endpoint. The ASUS ExpertBook P5440FA-54-SHD is the first model within the ExpertBook P-Series family to include BIOS-SHIELD technology.

ASUS introduced the ROG Strix B460-H Gaming motherboard, expanding its ROG Strix family of motherboards based on Intel's mid-range B460 chipset for 10th generation Core "Comet Lake" processors in the LGA1200 package. The board joins Strix-F and Micro-ATX Strix-G SKUs based on this chipset. The Strix-H covers all platform essentials, but tops them with Intel Ethernet and a premium SupremeFX onboard audio solution. The Strix-H uses a simple 8-phase CPU VRM that pulls power from a single 8-pin EPS connector. The board offers a rear I/O shroud that has the latest generation ROG Strix design language, and a single-color (red) ROG illuminated logo. It also comes with an integrated rear I/O shield.

The LGA1200 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2933 memory (the maximum memory clock for the B460 platform is 2933 MHz); and a metal-reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The board offers two M.2 NVMe slots, both with PCIe gen 3.0 x4 wiring; and an M.2 E-key slot for WLAN cards. Other storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gbps ports. The board's sole networking interface is a 1 GbE connection driven by an Intel i219-V controller. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS today announced E210, E410 and E510, three value-packed 11.6-inch, 14-inch and 15.6-inch laptops. Designed to exceed the expectations of busy, budget-conscious students, E210, E410 and E510 deliver amazing value for everyday computing tasks. They have a youthful vibe and compact, lightweight frames with fresh, contemporary styling - featuring a unique deconstructed ASUS lid motif - and striking new colors that fit right in with today's dynamic lifestyles. E210, E410 and E510 are built to help users get more done, with productivity-enhancing features such as the innovative ASUS NumberPad for easy data entry and a 180° lay-flat hinge that makes it easy to collaborate or share content with friends or colleagues.

The ASUS E210, E410 and E510 have a youthful vibe that sets them apart. Their eye-catching lids are detailed with a pattern of modern slashes that form a unique motif made from a deconstructed ASUS badge. The bold look continues inside, where a bright yellow color-blocking Enter key takes center stage. The fresh design is complemented with three new contemporary colors. Peacock Blue and Dreamy White are striking iridescent shades that change hue as the viewing angle changes, and Rose Gold is available for those preferring a more subtle finish.

ASUS with its Intel 400-series chipset motherboards is introducing APE, or ASUS Performance Enhancement, a feature rivaling ASRock Base Frequency Boost (BFB). What it essentially does is override PL1 (power level 1) for 65 W-rated on non-K Core processors, allowing the processor to sustain higher clock speeds after the Turbo Boost algorithm has exhausted Tau (a timing variable that allows the processor to stay within elevated boost states, before having to fall back to base frequency). Several of ASUS's Intel B460 chipset motherboards feature APE with maximum PL1 override values set at 125 W for most of the motherboard models listed in the slide below, except for the top ROG Strix B460-F Gaming, which allows you to dial the value all the way up to 210 W.

ASUS is introducing this feature through BIOS updates for boards that don't have it. The slide details the minimum BIOS version for each of the board that debuts APE. ASRock, on the other hand, introduced BFB for not just its entire Intel 400-series motherboard lineup, but also most of its Z390 and B365 lineups. To be fair to ASUS, this feature is more relevant to chipsets such as the B460, H470, and B365, since Z490 already features options that let you play with power limits. Intel gives motherboard vendors the freedom to set power limits and Tau value, but non-K processors would still be limited by their nameplate base- and boost frequencies, so raising PL1 beyond a point has no impact.

ASUS silently updated its socket sTRX4 motherboard lineup with the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming. Whispers of this board along with a "Prime TRX40 PRO-S" model date back to February, when a Hardware Info report described them as near-identical successors of the ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming and Prime TRX40-PRO, with upgraded CPU VRM setups, as ASUS probably felt the two needed an improved VRM to cope with the rigors of a 64-core/128-thread Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor, particularly overclocking it.

The company had already upgraded its flagship ROG Zenith II Extreme to the beefed-up Zenith II Extreme Alpha. The ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming is identical to the original ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming, right until you pop open its VRM heatsink. ASUS is using beefier 70 A phases with the XE, carried over from the original ROG Zenith II Extreme. The Extreme Alpha which now tops the lineup, uses even stronger 90 A power stages. The original ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming still very much does support the Threadripper 3990X, including overclocking it, though not as well as the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming. The Prime TRX40 PRO-S remains elusive. ASUS is pricing the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming at USD $549.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced that overclockers have used the latest ROG Maximus XII Apex powerhouse motherboard to break a slew of world records and secure a raft of global first place scores. Marking a new performance milestone, overclockers took the Intel Core i9-10900K all the way up to 7.7 GHz frequencies on all 10 of its cores.

Because of the ongoing global situation, ASUS was unable to host its traditional overclocking gathering this year, so instead a smaller session took place at the ASUS headquarters in Taiwan - with local overclockers Jon 'Elmor' Sandström and Pieter 'Massman' Plaisier working alongside internal ASUS experts. Using a liquid-helium setup, the group managed to shatter the Intel Core architecture frequency record, the single-core Geekbench 4 record, and took global first-place positions in 10-core categories for Geekbench 3, Cinebench R15, and wPrime 32M.

ASUS today announced new motherboards featuring the latest AMD B550 chipset that bring the potential of PCI Express 4.0 to mainstream builds everywhere. AMD B550 motherboards enable 20 general-purpose PCIe 4.0 lanes from 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen desktop processors. The primary PCIe slot on all new ASUS B550 boards offers 16 lanes of PCIe 4.0 connectivity, and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen parts feature as many as four USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports running at up to 10 Gbps direct from the CPU itself.

ASUS also has exciting features to enhance its B550 motherboards like WiFi 6, 2.5 Gbps Ethernet, robust power delivery, increased DRAM speed and BIOS Flashback. The B550 chip itself gets an upgrade to PCIe 3.0 for its built-in lanes. These upgrades make B550 a tantalizing platform for mainstream builders throughout the world.

Slightly ahead of its launch, ASUS flashed a banner of its AMD B550 chipset motherboard lineup, revealing two other boards than the premium ROG Strix B550-E Gaming AMD unveiled in its platform unveil. These include an unnamed micro-ATX board slotted in the TUF Gaming series, and a entry-level Prime B550M-A micro-ATX board. The Prime board has our attention as its spartan layout could indicate that there will indeed be socket AM4 boards based on the B550 starting at $100, as AMD promised. The B550 has a distinct advantage over the B450 in the form of PCI-Express gen 4.0 for the main PEG and at least one M.2 NVMe slots; and an easier upgrade path toward 4th gen Ryzen "Vermeer" and "Renoir," than AMD's 400-series chipsets have.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is thrilled to claim yet another world record, in close cooperation with the ASUS ROG team, for the fastest memory frequency at an incredible DDR4-6666, achieved by the G.SKILL Trident Z Royal DDR4 memory with the latest Intel Core i9-10900K processor and ASUS ROG Maximus XII APEX motherboard, based on the new Intel Z490 chipset. Please refer to the video below to see the exciting record breaking moment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-vXqT3SKUM

Along with the latest release of the 10th Gen Intel platform, ASUS and G.SKILL worked closely to achieve a new world record for the fastest memory frequency. Using liquid nitrogen for extreme system cooling, this memory frequency world record is set at a whopping DDR4-6666. This world record is achieved with the ASUS ROG Maximus XII APEX motherboard, the latest ATX form factor motherboard based on the Intel Z490 chipset, and the Intel Core i9-10900K processor. See below for a screenshot of the world record specifications.

Model names of 55 motherboards based on the AMD B550 chipset were leaked to the web by momomo_us. In an unexpected surprise, it turns out that ASRock will have the largest lineup of motherboards, with 15 models. ASRock's lineup will be led by a premium Taichi model (already pictured), but will also include a Phantom Gaming Velocita model, besides Extreme4 and Steel Legend. MSI has the second largest lineup, with 14 models. There's a surprise here.

We earlier thought the MPG B550 Gaming Carbon will lead MSI's lineup, but it turns out that there will be a MEG B550 Unify model at the top. The rest of the lineup includes MPG Gaming Edge, MAG Tomahawk, MAG Mortar, and MAG Bazooka. GIGABYTE has the third largest lineup, with 12 models. The series is led by an AORUS Master model. There are several other AORUS Gaming SKUs based on this chipset - PRO, Elite, and their Mini-ITX variants. ASUS plans to bring 11 SKUs to the table, including four ROG Strix series boards that include Strix-E, Strix-F, and the Mini-ITX Strix-I. There are also three TUF Gaming SKUs, while the rest of the lineup is made up of the vanilla Prime series. Biostar has two models, and so does SOYO. AMD is expected to launch its B550 chipset in mid-June.

ASUS today announced the all-new ASUS - Google Meet hardware kit, a smart video-conferencing solution that enables stunning HD visuals. The original ASUS - Google Meet hardware kit first launched in 2014, delivering a simple and intuitive video-conferencing solution. After the success of this product, ASUS is excited to continue working with Google on a redesigned hardware kit that delivers an enhanced user experience.

The new ASUS - Google Meet hardware kit includes the compact ASUS - Google Meet Compute System, which is designed with a magnetic chassis for easy installation and the ports all on one side for efficient cable management, while the slim design allows for installation in environments with restricted access. To ensure long-term reliability under prolonged use, the newly designed Meet Compute System is built and tested to exceed industry requirements.

ASUS today unveiled the White Edition variant of its ROG Strix Helios chassis, which the company debuted back in January. While "White Edition," normally implies a white color scheme, for the ROG Strix Helios, it means a silvery brushed-aluminium frame taking up most of the metal bits on the case's exterior. The piano black front facade along with RGB LED inserts remains, as do the black top mesh and nylon straps. The interiors are all matte-white, including the horizontal partition. ASUS suggests pairing this case with one its Prime series motherboards, or the ROG Strix Z490-A Gaming; and White Edition variants of its ROG Strix White Edition PSUs, its ROG Strix graphics cards, and gaming peripherals. The rest of its feature-set is identical to the original. The company didn't reveal pricing.

With the COVID-19 global pandemic forcing entire payrolls to work from home, the demand for pre-built computers handed out by companies, or those purchased by workers at their own expense, has hit an all time high. ASUS expects a massive 30% surge in notebook shipments in Q2-2020, with Q1 having mopped up inventories across the globe. For Q1-2020, ASUS reported $2.12 billion in revenues, down 28.27% sequentially, and 23.3% YoY. ASUS expects that the surge in notebook sales started toward the end of March, and could go on until June.

ASUS today announced the W480 series workstation motherboard and workstation system designed to showcase the full potential of the latest Intel Xeon W-1200 processors. The ASUS W480 workstation series is the ideal choice for small-to-medium businesses and content creators seeking workstations delivering essential performance along with professional-grade reliability and security at a budget friendly price.

Teamed up with the latest Intel Xeon W-1200 processors featuring up to 10 cores, 20 threads, 5.3 GHz clock speeds, and 125 W and 128 GB DDR4-2933 ECC memory support, the ASUS W480 workstation series is purpose-built for 2D/3D CAD applications. The ASUS W480 workstation series also supports ASUS Control Center Express and ASUS Control Center, two versions of enterprise-grade IT monitoring and management software that simplify IT operations and improve productivity with comprehensive control and intuitive functionality.

ASUS today introduced the RT-AX86U, it's latest performance-segment dual-band Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) router. Armed with a triple-antenna setup (excluding a 4th discrete antenna on the PCB), the router offers dual-band speeds of up to 5700 Mbps (861 Mbps 2.4 GHz + 4804 Mbps 5 GHz), along with support for the latest WPA3 security standards. The router is NVIDIA GeForce NOW-recommended for the best possible latencies and bandwidth needed by the cloud gaming service.

The wired connections setup on this router is interesting: there are two WAN ports, one of which is 1 GbE, and the other 2.5 GbE. On the LAN-side, you get four 1 GbE connections. Besides the single 2.5 GbE connection, ASUS claims the router can aggregate bandwidth from two 1 GbE upstream connections (there aren't too many gigabit-fiber ISPs that provide fiber cable switches with 2.5 GbE ports). The router uses a 1.80 GHz quad-core Arm processor with 1 GB RAM and 256 MB flash memory size. The router also features a 5 Gbps USB 3.2 gen 1 port, to which you can plug in any USB mass-storage class device that can be shared across the network. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS, the leading IT company in server systems, server motherboards, and workstations today announced that ASUS servers achieved the highest rankings on the SPEC Power suite of benchmarks for energy efficiency performed by the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation (SPEC). ASUS selected the Intel-based RS720-E9-RS8 and AMD-based RS500A-E10-PS4 rack servers for these benchmarks to show the power and performance characteristics of ASUS servers on both CPU platforms and to demonstrate to customers how they can achieve faster deployments and higher energy efficiency for their IT infrastructures. These servers were tested using both Windows Server and Linux — the most popular operating systems used in data centers — to ensure the benchmarks results are relevant to real-world performance and operating conditions. These results are current as of April 16, 2020.

Here are the first pictures of an assortment of five premium AMD B550 chipset motherboards by five different manufacturers. With PCI-Express gen 4.0 (where it matters), CPU+memory overclocking, and multi-GPU being enabled for the B550, and more importantly, the chipset not needing any fan-heatsink, the B550 could be an important chipset for AMD in the battle to come against the 10th generation Core processor and Intel B460 chipset.

We begin with the MSI MPG B550 Gaming Pro Carbon WiFi, the company's most premium B550 offering, picking up the mantle from the immensely successful B450-based predecessor. The MSI board offers a single PCI-Express 4.0 x16 slot, that's reinforced, one M.2 PCIe gen 4.0 x4 slot, a second M.2 slot that's gen 3.0 x4; and a number of x1 slots. The board uses a 14-phase CPU VRM to support CPU overclocking. Connectivity includes 802.11ax WLAN, 1 GbE wired networking, a premium ALC1220-based AudioBoost solution, and heatsinks over both M.2 slots. As a Carbon, it features plenty of RGB LED embellishments.

ASUS has apparently begun listing motherboards on the as-of-yet-unreleased, as-of-yet-undetailed AMD A520 chipset. Lower in the chipset rung than AMD's X570 and B550 chipsets, the A520 is expected to not offer any dedicated PCIe 4.0 lanes by itself - at most, motherboards will support the same 20 PCIe 4.0 lanes offered by AMD's CPUs, with the rest I/O being PCIe 3.0-based in order to further cut platform and chipset costs.

All of the A520 chipset motherboards listed by ASUS seem to be in the mATX form-factor - which again makes sense, as having the most basic chipset in order to cut costs and then using the same PCB real-estate as more expensive chipset solutions doesn't seem like a wise choice. The listed motherboards are the
PRIME A520M-A; PRIME A520M-E; PRIME A520M-K; TUF GAMING A520M-A; and TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS. As you can see, these motherboards are set in the ASUS TUF and Prime product lines - there's no mention of any Strix-branded products.

MSI has announced that it is running an upgrade program for its Z490 motherboards. The program is valid for motherboards purchased from May 6th through June 15th. This program will essentially see you being rewarded with a Steam wallet code worth $50 should you purchase a new MSI Z490 motherboard to replace the old (or maybe just last-generation) motherboard you own from Intel. To this effect, MSI is requiring users to register their new motherboard online, take a picture of the boards' serial number, and upload another picture with your new motherboard and old one side by side - the ultimate shame towards your old, trusty piece of hardware.

The promotion applies to select MSI motherboards, with rewards being tiered according to the expense you had on the new MSI board. As such, users who acquired MSI's MEG Z490 GODLIKE or MEG Z490 ACE will be rewarded with $50 back. Users who purchased the cheapest Z490 motherboard, the MPG Z490
GAMING PLUS, however, will only see a $10 credit. Interestingly, MSI has included both its own, pre-Z490 motherboards as eligible for the upgrade program... As well as ASUS'. And that's it. No other manufacturers' boards are being accepted. Make of that what you will.