ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the ROG Strix Radeon RX 590, an all-new gaming graphics card powered by the latest AMD Radeon RX 590 GPU and engineered with advanced cooling, reliability, performance, and customizable lighting.

ROG Strix cards take cooling to the next level, keeping temperatures low and dB levels quiet. It starts with MaxContact technology, which uses precision machining to create a heat spreader surface that makes up to 2X more contact with the GPU chip, helping to improve thermal transfer. As heat passes into the heatsink, three powerful Wing-blade fans spin up when GPU temperatures exceed 55 Celsius. Wingblade fans are a patented design that offers 105% more static pressure than traditional axial designs, ensuring air is dispersed through the entire cooling array.

ASUS today announced that its motherboards meet ambitious energy-efficiency standards laid down by the California Energy Commission (CEC), and due to come into force on January 1, 2019.

From this date, most new computers, monitors and signage displays sold or offered for sale in California must adhere to strict new power-consumption standards, with the aim of reducing energy use across the state and ultimately nationally. The regulations are expected to result in energy savings of up to 2,332 GWh annually, and reduce the cost of utility bills by up to US $373 million.

Under the new regulations motherboards are classed as computers. All existing and new ASUS and ASUS ROG motherboards will meet the CEC's tier-one specification for typical energy use (TEC) for computers.

A few weeks ago we talked about Intel problems in the production chain. The semiconductor giant was facing a shortage of 14 nm CPUs probably due to Intel allocating volumes from the same 14 nm++ node for its upcoming 9th Generation Core processors. That caused a clear rise in the prices of processors like the Core i7-8700K, which had a launch price of $359 and was hard to find for less than $400 a month ago. Prices have relaxed since then, but are still higher than their launch ones.

Intel's processor shortage could continue in the coming months, and in fact Jerry Shen, CEO of Asustek Computer, explained how the problem will continue until at least the second quarter of 2019. In his words, "the continued CPU supply crunch, escalating US-China trade disputes, and increasing competition in the notebook segment in Europe have pressed down Asustek's "operational visibility" for the fourth quarter of 2018 to the lowest level of 20% compared to an over 50% seen in previous years".

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is excited to announce two world-class extreme speed high capacity memory kits - DDR4-4266 64GB (8x8GB) and DDR4-4000 128GB (8x16GB) for the latest Intel Core X-series processors and X299 motherboards. Both kits are equipped with high performance Samsung B-die ICs and are validated on the ASUS PRIME X299-DELUXE II motherboard with the Intel Core i9-9920X and Core i7-9800X processors, respectively.

Dedicated to developing faster overclocking memory, G.SKILL is bringing 128GB capacity kits to the speed class of DDR4-4000, while maintaining an ultra-efficient CL19-19-19-39 CAS latency and 1.35V low voltage. It is the ultimate memory solution for building a super performance computer combining the highest capacity and extreme speed. This kit will join the G.SKILL Trident Z RGB family and has been validated on the ASUS PRIME X299-DELUXE II motherboard and with the latest Intel Core i7-9800X processor. The following screenshot shows the stress test result: (Note: Please refer to the "Specification" field of the CPU tab for the correct CPU model name.)

Thermaltake today introduced the Pacific V-RTX 2080 and Pacific V-RTX 2080 Ti full-coverage water blocks for ASUS ROG Strix series graphics cards based on the GeForce RTX 2080 and RTX 2080 Ti, respectively. These blocks are tailor-made for ASUS' custom-design PCBs for these cards, with heat-drawing bumps at just the right places, over memory and VRM MOSFETs. The blocks combine a nickel-plated copper primary material with a clear-acrylic top that has a stainless steel plate along the edge of the channel. A brushed metal finish back-plate also comes included. The top is studded with addressable RGB LEDs that can be controlled via ASUS Aura Sync RGB software. Both blocks come with mounts for standard G 1/4" fittings. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS today introduced its TUF Gaming GT501 mid-tower ATX case. Lending a semblance of the original TUF design philosophy is the up to 1.5 mm-thick galvanized steel that makes up the frame and metal panels, instead of the 0.5 mm SECC steel that's generally used in cases. This is the kind of steel you'd expect high-end PSU bodies to be made from. The left side panel is make from 4 mm-thick tempered glass, while the right side sticks with steel. You'll find a pair of cotton fiber handles, which can collectively hold up to 30 kg. Along most metal surfaces, ASUS applied a ceramic protective coat (the kind you'd find on motorcycle exhaust, wonder why). Front panel connectivity includes two USB 3.1 type-A and HDA jacks. Although there are no physical controls, the case plugs into one of your USB 2.0 headers to take input for its 4-channel fan controller, and RGB lighting, over Fan Xpert 4 and Aura Sync.

Inside, the TUF Gaming GT501 features a conventional horizontally partitioned layout, with the top compartment housing the motherboard tray with room for graphics cards as long as 42 cm, and CPU coolers as tall as 18 cm. The bottom compartment has the PSU bay with room for up to 24 cm long units, and two 3.5-inch/2.5-inch drive bays. Up to five 2.5-inch drives can be mounted behind the motherboard tray. The tray offers 7 normal expansion slots, and two vertical ones (riser not included). Ventilation includes either two 140 mm or three 120 mm front intakes; either two 140 mm or three 120 mm top exhausts, and a read 140 mm exhaust. The case measures 251 mm x 545 mm x 552 mm (WxDxH). The company didn't reveal pricing.

AAEON, a leading developer of advanced industrial solutions and AI hardware, launches the BOXER-6841M, a box PC built for both edge AI and machine vision applications. The controller is available in six different SKUs, with four AI models featuring PCIe(x16) slots for the installation of Nvidia GPUs, and two machine vision models fitted with a pair of PCIe(x8) slots for frame grabber cards.

Different BOXER-6841M models are built to support either Intel Core i desktop or Xeon server grade CPUs, and they all boast up to 32GB of DDR4 ECC or non-ECC SODIMM memory and two 2.5" drive bays. The four AI models can be fitted with up to 250W GPUs. To support the high power requirements of these GPUs, AAEON has designed the BOXER-6841M with two 12Vdc power inputs. This innovative feature lowers costs and makes the system more stable by reducing the level of wasted heat that would be produced by a single 24V input.

The GeForce RTX 2080 Turbo from ASUS is supposed to be a "baseline" RTX 2080 product, which the company can sell at $699, or closest to it. These boards were found to feature the TU104-400A-A1 variant of the TU104 silicon, which NVIDIA allows its add-in card (AIC) partners to ship factory-overclocked speeds with. At this point it's not known if all ASUS RTX 2080 Turbo cards feature the "A" variant TU104 chips, or if it's a lottery. Given that the ASUS RTX 2080 Turbo's PCB is largely based on NVIDIA's reference design, PC Games Hardware (PCGH) has been able to successfully flash the card's BIOS with that of the RTX 2080 Founders Edition cards based on the reference PCB, which have power-limits increased to the tune of 307 W, which facilitates not just higher GPU Boost frequencies, but also better sustainability of elevated boost clock states.

With its "Turing" family of GPUs, NVIDIA created ASIC variants along the lines of chips that board partners are allowed to factory-overclock, and those that they aren't. You can read all about that in our older article. Normally, the TU104-400-A1 silicon is intended for baseline cards such as the ASUS RTX 2080 Turbo, whereas the TU104-400A-A1 goes into factory-overclocked products such as ASUS RTX 2080 ROG Strix. The discovery of TU104-400A-A1 on the ASUS RTX 2080 Turbo makes it the cheapest option for enthusiasts wanting to flash it with BIOS of other reference-PCB based cards that have TU104-400A-A1 chips to increase power limits, and then simply pairing the card with custom liquid cooling, to manually overclock further, thanks to the increased power limits. We're not sure you can flash Founders Edition BIOS on cards that have reference-design PCBs but non-A ASICs.

ASUS, via its Republic o Gamers branding, today announced the Strix GL10CS gaming desktop, which fits full-size power into a compact 27-liter case that uses futuristic armor and ROG's obsession with speed as design inspirations.

Customizable Aura Sync RGB lighting can be controlled from Armoury Crate, a single utility that provides all-access configuration and monitoring of the GL10CS. GL10CS is equipped with up to a 6-core 12-thread Intel Core i7-8700 processor, capable of handling multiple concurrent workloads such as gaming, streaming and running voice communication for teammates. With up to 32GB of DDR4 memory, GL10CS effortlessly switches from productivity tasks to more demanding workloads provided by multi-threaded applications used by content creators.

Today TEAMGROUP joins forces with ASUS Gaming Alliance and releases the co-branded RGB solid state drive and RGB Gaming overclocking memory. T-FORCE DELTA S TUF Gaming RGB solid state drive (12V) and T-FORCE DELTA TUF Gaming RGB overclocking memory are both certified and strictly tested by TUF Gaming Alliance. The appearance combines TUF military camouflage pattern and the soul of gaming element. Both SSD and memory are able to synchronize RGB lighting effects with motherboard through ASUS Aura software, providing consumers colorful, eye-catching equipment and an experience in high-speed performance

The creative camouflage pattern of T-FORCE DELTA S TUF Gaming RGB solid state drive (12V) shows unique TUF co-branded gaming style. The magnificent and colorful RGB effects can be synchronized through ASUS Aura software, so consumers are able to create lighting effects freely with personal style. The read speed is up to 560 MB per second which is 4 times faster than traditional hard drive. Maximum up to 1TB of capacity not only satisfies gamers' requirements, but also provides a high-speed sensation after fully upgrading. Using 3NAND flash memory chip makes it durable, shockproof and offers a solid and total protection for gamers when saving or loading data.

ASUS showcased their XG49VQ, a behemoth of a monitor with a 49" diagonal across a 32:9 aspect ratio panel. This aspect ratio and the panels' size are married to a 3840 x 1080 resolution (2x 1080p) with a 144 Hz refresh rate. There's a 1800R curvature (which is likely essential in such wide panels), support for Freesync 2, 125% RGB coverage, and ASUS' Shadow Boost feature which makes it easier to spot anything in darker corners of any given game. There's HDR support via VESA's HDR400 certification.

With those features, ASUS is catering to two markets at once: professional and gamer. The added resolution and screen real-estate will feel right at home with users that do much horizontal work (my 2560 x 1080 panel is already plenty enough for two pages to sit comfortably side to side). The increased frequency response won't do much for professional work, but does tick one of those gaming checklists of late. With the specs and exotic streak on this monitor, though, don't expect pricing to come cheap.

ASUS today introduced a Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 co-branded variant of its ROG Swift PG258Q gaming monitor. This includes game branding on the front bezel, a Black Ops 4 logo projected below the monitor stand instead of the ASUS ROG logo (customizable), and the monitor's RGB LED embellishments glowing in Black Ops 4 shade of amber. The rest of this 25-inch monitor's feature-set remains unchanged: 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution, 240 Hz refresh-rate, a TN-panel, 1 ms (GTG) response time, 350 cd/m² maximum brightness, and support for NVIDIA G-Sync, along with ULMB (ultra low motion blur). Display inputs include DisplayPort 1.2 and HDMI. Available now, the ASUS ROG Swift PG258Q Call of Duty - Black Ops 4 Edition is priced at USD $549.

Update: ASUS reached out to us that their product page for this monitor had inaccuracies related to resolution, panel type, and response-time. We have hence corrected them.

During testing for our Intel Core i9-9900K review we found out that new ASUS Z390 motherboards automatically install software and drivers to your Windows 10 System, without the need for network access, and without any user knowledge or confirmation. This process happens in complete network-isolation (i.e. the machine has no Internet or LAN access). Our Windows 10 image is based on Windows 10 April 2018 Update and lacks in-built drivers for the integrated network controllers.

Upon first boot, with the machine having no LAN or Internet connectivity, we were greeted by an ASUS-specific window in the bottom right corner of our screen, asking whether we'd like to install the network drivers and download "Armoury Crate". This got us curious and we scanned the system for any files that aren't part of the standard MS Windows installation. We discovered three ASUS-signed files in our Windows 10 System32 folder, which, so it seems, magically appeared on our harddrive out of thin air. Upon further investigation we also found a new, already running, system service called "AsusUpdateCheck."

Videocardz, through their industry sources, say they've confirmed that ASUS is working on their own Radeon RX 590 ROG STRIX graphics card. The naming isn't a typo: the GPP-fueled AREZ moniker has apparently gone off the window for ASUS by now, and the RX 590 should be marketed under its (again) brand-agnostic ROG lineup. The product code (ASUS Radeon RX 590 ROG STRIX GAMING (ROG-STRIX-RX590-8G-GAMING) indicates the usage of 8 GB of graphics memory just like the RX 580, and we all expect this to be of the GDDR5 kind with no further refinements. It's all in the die, as they (could) say.

DeepCool today introduced an ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance co-branded variant of the GAMMAXX GT tower-type CPU air cooler. All that's changed are the TUF yellow foam embellishments along the fan-frame mounts, a TUF Gaming Alliance sticker along the impeller hub, and a new die-cast fin-stack top-plate that features the urban camo print that's part of the TUF branding. The impeller itself features a darker shade of gray than the glossy white that makes up the original's impeller. Out of the box, the RGB LED lighting of the fan is programmed to glow at ASUS' favorite shade of yellow for the TUF Gaming brand. The rest of the product is unchanged from the original.

Intel's 6-core "Coffee Lake" die was essentially a "Kaby Lake" die with two extra cores, and no physical changes to other components, such as iGPU or uncore. With its new 8-core "Coffee Lake" Refresh silicon, Intel has turned its attention to not just increasing the core-count, but also improving the processor's integrated memory controller, in addition to hardware fixes to certain security vulnerabilities. The 128-bit wide (dual-channel) integrated memory controller now supports up to 128 GB of memory. Intel's current DDR4-capable mainstream desktop processors only support up to 64 GB, as do rival AMD's Ryzen socket AM4 processors.

Support for up to 128 GB explains the emergence of off-spec memory standards such as ASUS' Double Capacity (DC) DIMMs. Samsung is ready with a JEDEC-compliant 32 GB dual-rank UDIMM memory module for client platforms. Introduction of 32 GB UDIMMs also comes amidst reports of DRAM pricing cool-off through 2019, which could make 32 GB dual-channel memory kits consisting of two 16 GB UDIMMs more affordable. The increase in maximum memory amount could also indicate Intel's seriousness to introduce 3D Xpoint-based Optane Persistent Memory modules as alternatives to DRAM-based main memory, with higher capacities compensating for worse latencies and data-rates compared to DRAM.

Scythe today introduced an ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance co-branded variant of its Kotetsu Mark II tower-type CPU air cooler. The Kotetsu Mark II debuted late-2017. Co-branded bits include a new aluminium fin-stack top-plate, which features the urban digital camo pattern and TUF Gaming Alliance logo, and a refreshed Kaze Flex RGB 120 mm fan, which comes with yellow rubberized fan-frame mounts, TUF Gaming Alliance branding on the impeller hub, and RGB LED illumination with addressable RGB header support, which you can control using ASUS Aura Sync RGB (and all other aRGB-capable software). Cosmetic bits aside, this fan has the same exact specs as the Kaze Flex PWM included with the original Kotetsu Mark II, with 300~1,200 RPM range, 16.6~51.17 CFM air-flow, and 4~24.9 dBA noise output. The cooler still measures 136 mm x 83 mm x 154 mm (WxDxH), weighing 645 g. Owing to the aRGB illumination and co-branding, the Kotetsu Mark II ASUS TUF Gaming Alliance CPU cooler could be a touch pricier than the original.

ASUS expanded its Workstation motherboard series with the new WS Z390 Pro, a socket LGA1151 board based on Intel Z390 Express chipset, featuring out-of-the-box support for 9th generation Core processors. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of one 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and an optional 6-pin PCIe power. A 10-phase VRM (likely 8+2 phase incorporating smart-doubling on the Vcore side). This board appears to be using a PCI-Express 3.0 x48 bridge chip to convert 16 gen 3.0 lanes from the CPU to two x16 downstream slots, which are further split to four x8 slots, depending on how you populate the slots. The slot configuration options are x16/x16/NC/NC or x16/x8/x8/NC or x8/x8/x8/x8. An additional open-ended x4 slot wired to the PCH makes for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity includes two each of M.2-22110, and U.2 ports, each with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. Networking interfaces include two 1 GbE ports, one of which is driven by Intel i219-LM, and the other Intel i210-AT. USB connectivity includes six USB 3.1 gen 2 ports on the rear panel, from which one is type-C, two additional USB 3.1 gen 2 ports by header, and a USB 3.1 gen 1 2-port header. The 8-channel onboard audio solution combines an EMI-shielded Realtek ALC S1220A codec with audio-grade capacitors, a headphones amp, and ground-layer isolation. We expect a price of around $350 for this board.

Intel's high-end desktop platform raises the stakes with updated Intel Core X-Series processors that boast a lot more of everything, including cores, cache, bandwidth, and more. The additional processing power plows through CPU-intensive tasks, while the extra bandwidth lets you add more GPUs and NVMe SSDs to accelerate a wider range of workloads.

Anchored by the X299 platform, this upper echelon scales up to 18 cores with the new Core i9-9980XE. It's now joined by an even more exclusive chip with 28 cores and an entirely separate platform that redefines extreme desktop PCs. We have new motherboards designed to exploit the strengths of each CPU. The Prime X299-Deluxe II gives professionals and power users a flexible foundation for serious work and it is not alone, ROG engineers are also working on a new Rampage motherboard geared toward hardcore gamers and overclockers, while the ROG Dominus Extreme shows what's possible when our engineers have the freedom to go beyond traditional boundaries

Almost exactly one year after introducing six-core Coffee Lake processors alongside Z370 motherboards, Intel is back with more cores, higher clocks and the new Z390 chipset. The new 9th Generation Intel Core processor family offers up to eight cores and 16 threads of parallel processing horsepower that's perfect for content creation, heavy multitasking, and other demanding workloads. With clock speeds as high as 5GHz on the flagship Core i9-9900K, these new processors also raise the bar for gaming performance, especially if you're streaming, recording, and chatting simultaneously.

ASUS is excited to support this new generation of Intel processors with a wide variety of new motherboards based on the Intel Z390 chipset. The collection is led by a diverse cast from the Republic of Gamers that elevates gaming and overclocking to new heights. ROG Strix offers more streamlined alternatives that include a mighty Mini-ITX model, while TUF Gaming focuses on the essentials to hit more affordable price points. Outside the gaming sphere, the Prime family serves up signature ASUS features in a professional package, and the WS sets the stage for serious workstations and prosumer builds.

G.SKILL International Enterprise Co., Ltd., the world's leading manufacturer of extreme performance memory and gaming peripherals, is excited to announce Trident Z RGB DC series DDR4 64GB (32GBx2) memory kits. Utilizing the latest Double Capacity DIMM technology closely developed with ASUS, the Trident Z RGB DC series DDR4 memory is able to provide double the maximum capacity of DDR4 UDIMM modules on select ASUS Z390 chipset motherboards.

NVIDIA selling its NVLink bridge at $80 (roughly the price of an entry-level motherboard) was sure to lure motherboard makers to design their own "premium" NVLink bridges. The first third-party bridge comes from ASUS. The new ROG-NVLink bridge is more functional than NVIDIA's bridge, the LED illuminating the company's ROG logo on the bridge does 16.7 million colors, and can be controlled by ASUS Aura Sync RGB software. The top of the bridge features a combination of glossy acrylic, matte aluminium, and brushed aluminium. The bridge comes in 3-slot (2 slots between cards) and 4-slot (3 slots between cards) spacing sizes. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Today, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), announced a collaboration with Activision and Intel to produce a range of limited edition Call of Duty : Black Ops 4 products in advance of the upcoming release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 on PC. Expanding on the recently announced partnership, with Activision, which allows consumers who purchase qualifying ASUS and ROG products access to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, similarly, consumers who purchase certain limited edition ROG Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 products will receive a game code that will allow them to access the Digital Standard Edition for PC at launch. In addition, a unique integration with ROG's AURA Sync technology allows the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 emblems and RGB lighting elements to echo what's happening during gameplay.

ASUS ROG Fan Connect is a feature that allows you to connect up to two of your case-fans to two standard 4-pin PWM fan headers present on an ASUS ROG Strix series graphics card, letting you synchronize your case's front intake and rear exhaust fans to the temperature of the GPU, and control them using the GPUTweak software. ASUS has introduced the feature with the Pascal and Vega architecture, and has since included it with its ROG Strix series graphics cards.

When we published our reviews of the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and its sibling based on the RTX 2080, we noticed something curious, and our readers were quick to spot it as well. ASUS did not add the Fan Connect 4-pin PWM case-fan headers on its GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Strix card, while the company's RTX 2080 card had them. Adding to the confusion, the PCB of our review sample had blank traces where the headers are supposed to be. This got our readers asking if the final product has those headers. The box doesn't advertise those headers anywhere, neither does the ASUS website, so it isn't a case of false-marketing yet.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced ROG Delta and ROG Delta Core, a new series of gaming headsets tuned especially for first-person shooter (FPS) gaming. The headsets feature Sony-certified Hi-Res Audio and are designed to be incredibly lightweight and comfortable.

ROG Delta is the world's first gaming headset with the industry-leading, hi-fi-grade ESS ES9218 QUAD DAC , which delivers impeccably clear and detailed sound to give serious gamers the edge they need to win. ROG Delta features a USB-C connector and comes with a USB-C to USB 2.0 adapter for gaming on PC, console or mobile devices without changing headsets. A one-of-a-kind, circular rainbow RGB lighting effect provides a stylish look that sets gamers apart on the battlefield.