ASUS today rolled out the ROG Cetra II Core, an in-ear, wired, gaming headset designed to go with ASUS ROG gaming notebooks, and the ROG Phone. The analog headset uses conventional 3-pole, 3.5 mm jack, and features an in-line mic within the control stock. Unlike the original ROG Cetra II, it lacks active noise-cancellation or concealed mic located in the earbuds; or even USB-C support. You still get the same 9.4 mm Essence Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) drivers designed for deep bass. The headphones are capable of 20 Hz to 40 kHz frequency response, and 32 Ω impedance. An aluminium body for the earbuds, 1.25 m-long tangle-counteracting cable, and a set of rubber ear-contacts make for the rest of it. The ROG Cetra II Core is expected to be priced at $50.

ASUS today announced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix LC II line of all-in-one, liquid, closed-loop, CPU coolers. The series includes five models—the ROG Strix LC II 240, ROG Strix LC II 240 ARGB, ROG Strix LC II 280 ARGB, ROG Strix LC II 360, and ROG Strix LC II 360 ARGB. These coolers are based on the 7th generation of AIO CLCs by Asetek, which feature variable pump speeds starting at 840 RPM, and improved ROG Strix fans included with the coolers. The round pump-block of the ROG Strix LC II is Asetek-standard, and compatible with AMD's sTRX4/sWRX8 CLC brackets.

The Strix LC II 240, ROG Strix LC II 240 ARGB are nearly identical in featuring 240 mm x 120 mm radiators, but the latter comes with addressable RGB LED-illuminated fans like the rest of the series. The ROG Strix LC II 280 is the first in the series to include 140 mm spinners, as it comes with a 280 mm x 140 mm radiator. The ROG Strix LC II 360 comes with the largest radiator of the series—360 mm x 120 mm, its ARGB model includes illuminated fans.

[Editor's note: The monitor is available for $399 in the USA or equivalent in other regions]

ASUS today announced the availability of ProArt Display PA148CTV, a portable 14‑inch FHD monitor with an IPS anti‑glare panel and capacitive 10‑point multitouch. Designed for creators, it is the world's first Calman Verified portable monitor, and it offers 100% sRGB and 100% Rec. 709 colour spaces. ProArt Display PA148CTV is also factory pre‑calibrated with a Delta E < 2 colour difference for exceptional colour accuracy. The ASUS Dial and Virtual Control Panel are designed to work with compatible Adobe software[1], providing users with controls and shortcuts to streamline their workflow. Users can download the beta version of ASUS Dial and Virtual Control Panel from the ASUS website. In addition, ProArt Display PA148CTV has a user‑friendly design and includes one micro HDMI and two USB‑C ports, an adjustable metal kickstand, and a tripod socket.

ASUS today updated its flagship AMD Radeon RX 6000 series graphics card lineup with the new ROG Strix LC Radeon RX 6900 XT TOP T16G. This card is visually identical to the ROG Strix LC RX 6900 XT O16G the company launched last December, but with a handful updates. The biggest of these is the new "Navi 21 XTXH" silicon, the highest bin of AMD's top RDNA2 chip, which enables at least 10% higher clock-speeds than the standard RX 6900 XT. ASUS has tuned this up further, with a max boost frequency of a stunning 2525 MHz, compared to 2365 MHz on the original (O16G). The game clocks have been increased to 2375 MHz, compared to 2135 MHz on the O16G. Notice how the game clocks of the new T16G are higher than the max boost clocks of the original O16G? That's the magic of the new XTXH silicon.

These apart, the company hasn't made any changes to the visual design. A liquid+air hybrid cooling solution dominates the product. The AIO liquid closed-loop cooling solution pulls heat from the GPU and surrounding memory chips, while a base-plate and a chunky back-plate pull heat from the other components, which is ventilated by a lateral blower. The AIO is cooled by a 240 mm x 120 mm radiator. The card continues to pull power from a combination of three 8-pin PCIe power connectors. The company didn't reveal pricing, but it's very likely to be close to 2 grand.

Ahead of its launch later this month, notebook OEMs are beginning to tease their upcoming gaming notebooks powered by 11th Gen Core "Tiger Lake-H" mobile processors that come in core counts of up to 8. ASUS will be hosting a media event tomorrow (May 11) launching its first "Tiger Lake-H" notebooks, which probably follows Intel's own public unveiling of the new processors. The teaser video to the ASUS event reveals at least two notebooks under the company's ROG Zephyrus brand, the Zephyrus S17, and the Zephyrus M16.

The M16 looks to be the more compact of the two, with styling characteristic of past generations of ROG Zephyrus notebooks. The lid-mounted LEDs now come in color. while the S17 is a whole different beast. The teasers reveal an elevated keyboard+touchscreen on the lower half of the clamshell. The gap between this elevation and the base probably opens up additional vents to cool the processor and GPU underneath. This could be the notebook from ASUS's lineup that uses the 65-Watt Core i9-11980HK, the 8-core/16-thread beast that can tick at speeds of 5.00 GHz.

ASUS today rolled out the TUF Gaming Capture Box CU4K30, a game-streaming capture box for HDMI. The box lets you plug in your HDMI source (PC or console), which plugs out to an HDMI monitor or TV. You can use audio from the HDMI source, or connect stereo 3.5 mm analog. The box connects back to your PC via 5 Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 1, through a type-C port (type-A to type-C adapter included).

The TUF Gaming CU4K30 allows recording or streaming at resolutions of up to 4K at 30 FPS, 1440p at 60 FPS, and 1080p up to 120 FPS; while the passthrough supports 4K up to 60 Hz, 1440p up to 120 Hz, and 1080p up to 240 Hz. The box is OBS Studio certified. It also features an ARGB LED diffuser along the front face, which can be controlled via Aura Sync. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS announced the availability of the ASUS ZenBeam Latte portable LED projector, one of the most popular products at CES 2021. Designed to deliver immersive video and audio experiences, ZenBeam Latte L1 provides bright projections ranging from 40 to 120 inches (diagonal) at 720p resolution, and it includes Harman Kardon audio. It offers users a more flexible option when streaming their favorite videos or movies, or conducting boardroom presentations, allowing them to adjust screen size that best fits their living or workspace. ZenBeam Latte L1 includes the Aptoide TV app that enables users to view rich video content that's optimized for large screen devices.

A recipient of multiple design accolades including the 2020 Good Design, 2021 Red Dot (Product Design), and 2021 Taiwan Excellence awards, the lightweight and compact ZenBeam Latte L1 resembles a coffee mug and is the world's first projector to feature a fabric outer layer, giving it a look that fits in any home or office. The integrated-fabric design enhances sound acoustics and provides cooling benefits by improving airflow. Internal cooling fins also help effectively dissipate heat.

ASUS today announced ZenDrive U8M, an all-new, high-style external DVD-writer drive that features the latest-gen USB-C interface to enable instant and convenient multimedia playback and data archiving. Imbued with the spirit of the iconic ASUS ZenBook series, U8M is the perfect complement to the latest-generation ultraslim laptops. It offers M-DISC support for creating long-lasting archives and includes intuitive software for easy, comprehensive backups.

ZenDrive U8M packs serious functionality into its robust, ultraslim 13 mm frame. Finished with the beautiful, Zen-inspired concentric-circle aesthetic, it effortlessly combines great design, solid construction and sophisticated style. For simplicity and speed, ZenDrive U8M connects via USB-C. This type of port is a feature of virtually all new laptops, including all new ASUS ZenBook models—so ASUS ZenDrive U8M is ready to plug right in. The smart little socket enables any-way-up connection convenience, empowering users to add instant multimedia playback or backup functionality to any modern Windows or Mac computer.

The upcoming ASUS CMP 40HX mining card has been tested and appears to offer mining speeds of up to 43.77 MH/s which is significantly higher than the 36 MH/s advertised by NVIDIA. The ASUS CMP 40HX cards were working in a power-optimized cluster and likely had memory clock speeds adjusted to achieve the 21% increase in hash speeds. The NVIDIA CMP 40HX is based on the TU106-100 GPU and was expected to launch in the first quarter but this release has been delayed with board partners still testing. The ASUS CMP 40HX will reportedly launch for 699 USD while the ASUS CMP 30HX launch price will be reduced from 799 USD to 599 USD.

Phanteks today announced its high-performance Glacier G6000 STRIX blocks and backplates for the ASUS ROG STRIX & TUF RX 6800/6900 Series cards. The new Glacier G6000 STRIX water block is designed specifically for the ASUS ROG STRIX & TUF RX 6800/6900 graphic cards to get the best possible performance. The new G6000 STRIX backplate also provides cooling to the back of the PCB while creating a clean aesthetic look.

The G6000 STRIX water block uses premium materials such as a nickel-plated copper base, clear Acrylic top, black or chrome aluminium cover plates and industrial quality VITON o-rings to ensure the best reliability and longevity. The 6 mm copper base and large fin area transfer heat with reduced flow resistance for outstanding cooling performance. All critical components such as the GPU chip, VRAM, VRM and PWM controllers are directly cooled by the copper base and aluminium backplate. The water block comes with integrated D-RGB lighting that beautifully complements your build and can sync with Phanteks' D-RGB accessories and compatible motherboards.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced that Strix XG43UQ, the world's first HDMI 2.1 gaming monitor, will be available in May. Strix XG43UQ features a 43 inch 4K panel with up to a 144 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms moving picture response time (MPRT). It also includes Display Stream Compression (DSC) technology. The HDMI 2.1 port enables gamers to enjoy 4K 120 Hz gameplay on the latest consoles.

The inclusion of AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology ensures smooth HDR visuals with low latency, while ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync (ELMB Sync) works simultaneously with variable refresh rate technology to eliminate smearing and motion blur for fluid and responsive gameplay. Strix XG43UQ has a maximum brightness of 1000 nits - more than three times that of OLED TVs. The monitor has a two-tone black and white finish with an all-white rear cover, and it features Aura Sync lighting technology for synchronised light effects with other Aura-enable components and peripherals.

ASUS today formally launched the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Ryujin II series all-in-one liquid CPU coolers. The second generation of Ryujin was first shown off in January 2021. The production version is unchanged. Launching in two variants based on radiator size—the Ryujin II 360 and Ryujin II 240, these coolers are characterized by a 3.5-inch true-color LCD display on the pump-block, and the inclusion of premium Noctua Industrial PPC 2000 PWM fans with the package.

The screen can be made to display anything from cool animation presets, to system monitoring, real-time cooling performance, and your clan's identity. The pump-block also has a concealed lateral fan that ventilates the CPU VRM area around the socket. The pump-block is functionally based on the 7th generation of AIO CLC technology by Asetek. The included Noctua Industrial PPC 2000 fans turn at speeds of 450 - 2000 RPM, pushing up to 71.6 CFM of air-flow at 3.94 mm H₂O static pressure. The company didn't reveal pricing.

We saw Gigabyte release the first NVIDIA CMP (Crypto Mining Processor) 30HX card last week, ASUS has now revealed their version of the card with RGB lighting. The ASUS CMP30HX-6G features the same design as the ASUS GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER DUAL EVO minus the display connectors. The card features a 2.7 slot design with a dual-fan cooling solution which appears to be the most common design for these cards. The clock speeds and memory configuration are identical to that of Gigabyte's which are both the same as the GeForce GTX 1660 SUPER on which the CMP 30HX is based on. The ASUS CMP 30HX will reportedly launch in May with a MSRP of 799 USD which is similar to other rumors.

Here are some of the first pictures of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, a high-end 16-inch gaming notebook in development, characterized with its tall 16:10 aspect-ratio display. This display will come in two resolution options—2560 x 1600 at 144 Hz and 1920 x 1200 at 165 Hz. Both displays support 100% DCI-P3 coverage, and are mounted via a 180-degree hinge. Things get very interesting with that's alleged to be under the hood. The 2021 ROG Zephyrus M16 is powered by 11th Gen Core "Tiger Lake H45" processors, with the top SKU powered by the 10 nm Core i9-11900H, an 8-core/16-thread beast. Graphics options go all the way up to the GeForce RTX 3070 Mobile. A PCI-Express 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD is also included. Given its early listings on Amazon, one can expect launch of these notebooks to be right around the corner.

ASUS today announced ASUS Chrome Enterprise devices, an exciting offering that combines the benefits of top-notch ASUS hardware with the business capabilities of Chrome OS. ASUS Chrome Enterprise devices are specifically built for business—enabled with Chrome Enterprise and housed in versatile, lightweight and robust ASUS Chrome devices to provide professionals with the tools they need to be effective and productive.

The lineup of ASUS Chrome Enterprise devices spans Chromebooks with clamshell and convertible designs and various form factors, as well as Chromebox models tailored to different business needs. With this offering, businesses can enjoy features such as zero-touch enrollment and Parallels Desktop for Chrome OS to optimize workflows for cloud-first devices.

It's close to impossible finding a Ryzen 9 mobile processor-powered gaming notebook with a high-end NVIDIA GPU. Having returned to the high-end discrete GPU market with the "Big Navi" Radeon RX 6000 series, AMD is looking to complement its Ryzen 5000M series "Zen 3" Cezanne mobile processors with high-end RDNA2 GPUs of its own. An upcoming model of the ASUS ROG G15 (2021) leaked to the web in a CPU-Z validation database (model: G513QY). This notebook packs a Ryzen 9 5900HX "Cezanne" 8-core/16-thread processor based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture; but more interestingly, the discrete GPU is Radeon RX 6800M.

The desktop Radeon RX 6800 (non-XT) and RX 6700 XT have shown that AMD has achieved performance/Watt parity/leadership over NVIDIA with high-end GPUs. VideoCardz reports that the RX 6800M is likely based on a maxed-out 7 nm "Navi 22" silicon, with 2,560 stream processors, and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 192-bit wide memory bus. The RX 6800M could play in the same performance league as the GA104-based GeForce RTX 3080 Mobile, given that the desktop RX 6700 XT is leveling up to the desktop RTX 3070. Given the 256-bit memory bus width of the larger "Navi 21" silicon, it's quite possible that AMD comes up with even higher mobile SKUs, so AMD-powered gaming notebooks finally match/beat Intel+NVIDIA combinations.

ASUS today announced Mini PC PB62, a durable computer that delivers powerful performance to provide flexibility, expandability and performance to suit a range of business applications, including digital signage, point-of-sales (POS) system, kiosks and intelligent vending machines. Mini PC PB62 is powered by the latest desktop-grade up to 11th Generation Intel Core processor and fast DDR4 3200 MHz memory.

Engineered for performance: 11th Gen Intel Core, DDR4 3200 MHz memory and Intel Optane
With the latest up to 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, Mini PC PB62 is caters for with support for either a 35- or 65-watt CPU - so it's ready to be specified for supreme efficiency or maximum performance. PB62 also has built-in support for Intel Optane H20 memory, the technology that greatly improves storage speeds, enables frequently-used documents, pictures, videos and applications to be accessed more quickly while improving overall system performance to maximize productivity and efficiency.

Intel Core i9-11900K processor, the flagship model from the 11th generation "Rocket Lake" CPU lineup, has been overclocked to more than 7 GHz by the "Rog-Fisher". Thanks to the report coming from VideoCardz, we have information that the top-end Rocket Lake processor is possibly a very good overclocker. Running at 7048 MHz, the CPU managed to achieve that frequency using "only" 1.873 V. There is no doubt that the system was being cooled by LN2, as such overclocks need it to remain stable, however, we don't have any data on that. The CPU was paired with the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Apex motherboard, designed for extreme overclocking purposes.

It is important to note that the CPU didn't run any benchmarks, as it was just validated at that frequency by Valid x86. The sample was likely supplied by Intel, so it could be a cherry-picked model. For the official benchmark results of Rocket Lake processors, we have to wait until tomorrow (March 30th), when NDA lifts.

ASUS has recently launched their first Ampere Series Phoenix card with the GeForce RTX 3060 Phoenix (PH-RTX3060-12G). The Phoenix features a 2.5 slot design with a single fan and measures just 17.7 x 12.8 x 5.1 cm which makes it the shortest Ampere GPU from ASUS. The card features the NVIDIA standard 1777 MHz boost clock but can be configured with the bundled ASUS software for 1807 MHz. The Phoenix includes three DisplayPort 1.4a connectors and one HDMI 2.1 along with a single 8-pin power connector. The card is now available to purchase from select retailers but official pricing and availability have not been released.

In a recent ASUS investor call from March 17th, a company representative explained the company's financial outlook and what it sees as its successes and failures in Q42020. In it, the company referenced the lack of NVIDIA graphics cards to satisfy demand as one of the major hurdles it has had to face. As the company said, "Our guess is that the gap might have been caused by lower yields upstream. As for when [Nvidia] can increase that yield is something hard for us to predict."

This is likely the clearest indicator we've had since NVIDIA's RTX 30-series launch that there is more than a demand problem for NVIDIA's Ampere graphics cards - there's a yield one as well. NVIDIA could have simply failed to predict demand for its graphics cards in wake of the recent cryptomining craze, and asome theorize a miscalculated allocation of wafers with Samsung on expectations of lower demand post-holiday season. That one doesn't make much sense, as by that time, COVID and its effects on tech market demand were already pretty clear. And while NVIDIA certainly doesn't have all available capacity at Samsung's 8 nm at its disposal, there should certainly be more available capacity for NVIDIA's RTX 30-series than say, for AMD's Navi graphics cards, which have to share the 7 nm wafers with virtually all other AMD products (from CPUs to mobile chips to enterprise solutions). The idea of lower upstream yields than would be ideal for NVIDIA does certainly come as a possible reason - a change in foundry partner comes with certain additional difficulties in adapting the design to that given processes' strengths and issues. As always, we'll just have to wait and see.

ASUS today launched a trio of custom-design AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics cards. These include the RX 6700 XT DUAL, the TUF Gaming RX 6700 XT OC, and the top-of-the-line ROG Strix RX 6700 XT O12G. All three a factory-overclocked cards, and while the company didn't disclose the clock-speeds, one can make out how the three stack up—the ROG Strix at the top, the TUF Gaming OC next, followed by the DUAL. The company will also sell reference-design RX 6700 XT cards. The ROG Strix RX 6700 XT O12G leads the pack with its latest-gen DirectCU III cooling solution that's featured across its custom RX 6000 and RTX 30-series lineup; which features a large aluminium fin-stack heatsink, a trio of the latest-gen Axial-Tech fans, a blinding amount of RGB bling, and the strongest VRM setup among the three, which pulls power from a pair of 8-pin PCIe power connectors, and other goodies such as dual-BIOS, RGB and case fan headers.

The TUF Gaming RX 6700 XT OC is next up, along with its acclaimed TUF Gaming cooling solution that exposes much of its heatsink's bare-metal, through an airy metal shroud; and uses a trio of Axial-Tech fans. This card pulls power from two 8-pin PCIe connectors, much like the ROG Strix, but is expected to have a slightly downsized VRM, and lower factory-overclocked speeds. You still get dual-BIOS. Lastly, there's the RX 6700 XT DUAL, slotted in the company's sober-looking PRIME family of motherboards and graphics cards. It features a more compact board design, with a lighter aluminium fin-stack heatsink that uses only a pair of Axial-Tech fans. This card pulls power from 6-pin + 8-pin connectors. All three are expected to launch on March 18, 2021.

Check out the latest B550 board from ASUS. Designed for professionals and creatives who need ultra-fast USB and Thunderbolt connectivity alongside stable and reliable operation. The B550-Creator is a great choice for those building a Ryzen based system with Ryzen 3000 series or Ryzen 5000 series CPUs. The board Features out-of-the-box UEFI support for both series of processors. The B550 Creator is the first AM4 motherboard with Thunderbolt 4 onboard! In addition, you have dual 2.5 Gbps LAN, dual M.2 slots alongside dual heatsinks. It also incorporates the latest ASUS M.2 Q-Latch design for simple and tool-free M.2 drive installation. For the latest generation of chassis, you also have front USB 3.0 connectivity as well as USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type Internal connectivity.

AMD has pulled what could be another sucker punch on NVIDIA with the announcement of its upcoming Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics card set at the $479 price point. Considering, of course, that there's availability; in case there's not, our very own btarunr defined AMD's claims quite well on the news post covering AMD's announcement. If there is actual availability, however, AMD has showcased eight different designs coming from its more high-profile partners: AsRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, PowerColor, Sapphire, XFX, and Yeston.

All the showcased graphics cards will feature the Navi 22 GPU and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, but all of them should differ from AMD's reference design in the power delivery: dual 8-pin configurations are the expected changes to the design, so as to allow for higher performance, higher power limit ceilings, and better potential overclocks. Expect all of them - all of them - to be priced higher than AMD's suggested (and we know how that suggestion goes nowadays) MSRP of $479. All of these cards should be available in some quantity come March 18th.

ASUS today rolled out the ThunderboltEX 4, an add-on card designed to give your PC full Thunderbolt 4 connectivity. The only catch here is that you'll need an ASUS motherboard with a Thunderbolt readiness header (which provides timing and other low-level system commands to the card). Also needed is a USB 2.0 header, of which you're likely to have plenty. The card features a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 host interface, and can be installed on any PCIe slot, x4 or larger. A 6-pin PCIe power input is also needed, as Thunderbolt 4 is capable of up to 100 W of power delivery per port, enabling single-cable RAID enclosures and monitors.

The ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 card puts out two Thunderbolt 4 ports in the USB type-C physical format, each with 40 Gbps of bi-directional bandwidth. The card provides DisplayPort passthrough for each port. You connect your graphics card to the ThunderboltEX 4 using the included DisplayPort to mini-DisplayPort cables. The card supports DisplayPort 1.4 passthrough, so you can scale all the way up to 8K resolution on the connected monitors, if your graphics card is game. Under the hood, the card features an Intel JHL8540 "Maple Ridge" Thunderbolt 4 controller. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Here are some of the first pictures of custom-design AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT graphics cards, in the form of the ASUS Radeon RX 6700 XT DUAL, and the TUF Gaming Radeon RX 6700 XT OC. Both cards feature 12 GB of memory, and use ASUS's latest generation of Prime Series DUAL and TUF Gaming board designs. The Radeon RX 6700 series is expected to compete with NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3060-series "Ampere" graphics card in the high-volume "sweetspot" segment. The ASUS DUAL card is a lot larger than it looks, measuring a little over 29 cm in length, and using a pair of 100 mm Axial-Tech fans to ventilate a large heatsink underneath; while the TUF Gaming OC is about as large as any of the other TUF Gaming cards from this generation. AMD is expected to announce the RX 6700 series at an online event, on March 3, 2021.