ASUS expanded its mid-range TUF Gaming motherboard lineup with a new micro-ATX socket LGA1151 motherboard, the TUF B360M-Plus Gaming S. Built with the characteristic black+yellow color scheme and the polygonal shape, this board takes in 8th generation Core processors. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a 4+3 phase VRM. The CPU is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, and a reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Two other PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots, and three M.2 PCIe slots make for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity includes two M.2-2280 slots with PCIe gen 3.0 x4 wiring, one of which also has SATA 6 Gbps wiring; and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. The third M.2 slot is 30 mm long, has PCIe 3.0 x1 wiring, and is meant for CNVi WLAN cards. Networking is handled by an Intel i219-V controller driving a GbE interface. The onboard audio solution combines an entry-level Realtek ALC887 codec with 6-channel output, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 gen 2 (both type-A), four USB 3.1 gen 1 (three type-A, one type-C), two USB 3.1 gen 1 front-panel ports by header; and a number of USB 2.0 ports. The board features an RGB LED ornament at the top-right corner, and a 4-pin RGB LED header, controlled by Aura Sync RGB software. The board is expected to be priced around USD $120.

German professional overclocker Dancop got the Intel Core i7-8700K processor to work on an ASUS ROG Maximus IX Apex (Z270) motherboard, something that's not supposed to work. CPU-Z screenshots seem to confirm this unholy union between the 6-core "Coffee Lake" processor and a 200-series chipset motherboard, using a custom "0084" BIOS dated 11th June, 2018. Dancop then proceeded to overclock the chip to 7344 MHz using extreme cooling, and 2x 8 GB (dual-channel) DDR4-4000 memory. This bench-stable build was then used to bag a SuperPi 32M world-record.

There's a rather big catch, though. Half the cores on the i7-8700K were disabled, and so was HyperThreading (not that it's relevant to SuperPi). The 3-core/3-thread chip was still bench-stable at 7344 MHz, crunching SuperPi 32M in a world-record 7.609 seconds. The clock speed was achieved by dialing up the multiplier to 73.0x, with the base-clock probably untouched, at 100.61 MHz (with the +0.61 MHz probably being variance). Supporting this clock was a blistering core voltage of 1.984 V. A liquid-nitrogen evaporator was used to tame the CPU and motherboard VRM. Find the validation in the source link below.

A Vietnamese online store put up the first listing of a GeForce GTX 1180 based ASUS ROG Strix graphics card. The store even put out some specifications of the card, beginning with it being based on the "GT104" silicon, based on the "Turing" series. With "Turing" NVIDIA appears to be forking its GPU architectures on the basis of chips that feature DPFP (double-precision floating point) cores and Tensor cores, and those that lack both (and only feature SPFP cores). "Turing" is probably a fork of "Volta" that lacks both DPFP CUDA cores and Tensor cores; and sticks to the cheaper GDDR6 memory architecture, while "Volta" based GPUs, such as the TITAN V, implement pricier HBM2 memory.

Among the specifications of the GeForce GTX 1180 are 3,584 CUDA cores, and 16 GB of GDDR6 memory across a 256-bit wide memory interface. The memory is clocked at 14 GHz (GDDR6-effective), which works out to 409.6 GB/s of memory bandwidth. Pre-launch prices, just like most specifications, tend to be bovine excrement, which in this case converts to a little over USD $1,500, and isn't really relevant. What is, however, interesting is the availability date of September 28.

ASUS rolled out the Tinker Fanless Aluminium case, a custom-design case for the Tinker Board and Tinker Board S hobby-kits by ASUS that rival Raspberry Pi. The case is built from a block of aluminium with brushed-metal finish; which opens from one side (rear), held together by a single thumb-screw. It has cutouts for all of the Tinker Board's ports and connectors - four USB, an HDMI output, Ethernet, DC-in, two card slots, and slots for the optional WLAN module. The case has enough room to let you mount the SoC heatsink that's included with Tinker Boards. The case measures 90 mm x 67 mm x 36 mm (WxDxH).

In what looks like a move to get rid of ASUS-branded AMD Radeon graphics cards, the company announced a massive game-bundle promotion in the UK. The company is giving away Steam keys to four fairly old games with its Radeon RX Vega, RX 580, and RX 570 based graphics cards, that include not just ROG Strix models, but also Dual Fan, and Expedition sub-branded ones. Among the games are "The Surge" (2017), "Blood Bowl" Legendary Edition (2010), "Sprintires: MudRunner" (2017), and "Farming Simulator 17" (2017). Participating retailers include Aria, OCUK, Scan, Box, CCL, E-Buyer, and Novatech.

PCPer had the opportunity to disassemble the ASUS ROG Swift PG27UQ 27", a 4K 144 Hz G-Sync HDR Monitor and found that the G-Sync module is a newer version than the one used on 1st generation G-Sync monitors (which of course do not support 4K / 144 Hz / HDR). The module is powered by an FPGA made by Altera (Intel-owned since 2015). The exact model number is Arria 10 GX 480, which is a high-performance 20 nanometer SoC that provides enough bandwidth and LVDS pins to process the data stream.

The FPGA is sold in low quantities for $2000 at Digikey and Mouser. Assuming that NVIDIA buys thousands, PCPer suggests that the price of this chip alone will add $500 to monitor cost. The BOM cost is further increased by 3 GB of DDR4 memory on the module. With added licensing fees for G-SYNC, this explains why these monitors are so expensive.

ASUS's upcoming ROG GL504 Scar II, Hero II, and Zephyrus GM501 gaming laptops have one thing in common - 144 Hz/3 ms narrow-bezel panels. A source within the company confirmed that ASUS had partnered with AU Optronics to produce the new panel exclusively for its gaming laptops. The Taiwanese manufacturer even funded a portion of the panel's research and development. As a result, ASUS has exclusive rights to the 144 Hz/ 3 ms panel for at least a year. Gaming laptop competitors such as Gigabyte and MSI will have to wait it out or look elsewhere.

Certainly there are many display panel manufacturers in the likes of BOE Display, LG Philips, Samsung, and Sharp. Unfortunately, they don't offer a panel that is able to rival the 144 Hz/ 3 ms panel from AU Optronics, which is already in mass production. Consumers who aren't after a gaming laptop with a 144 Hz/ 3 ms panel have other viable options. The current offering on the market includes the MSI GS65 and Gigabyte Aero 15X that feature a 144 Hz panel with a slightly higher response time of 7 ms. And there's also the MSI GS63VR that comes with a 120 Hz/ 3 ms panel.

Just a while ago the first 4K 144 Hz monitors became available with the ASUS PG27UQ and Acer X27. These $2,000 monitors no longer force gamers to pick between high-refresh rate or high resolution, since they support 3840x2160 and refresh rates up to 144 Hz. However, reviews of early-adopters report a noticeable degradation in image quality when these monitors are running at 144 Hz. Surprisingly refresh rates of 120 Hz and below look perfectly sharp.The underlying reason for that is the DisplayPort 1.4 interface, which provides 26 Gbits/s of bandwidth, just enough for full 4K at 120 Hz. So monitor vendors had to get creative to achieve the magic 144 Hz that they were shooting for. The solution comes from old television technology in form of chroma subsampling (YCbCr), which, in the case of these monitors, transmits the grayscale portion of the image at full resolution (3840x2160) and the color information at half the horizontal resolution (1920x2160).

Ballistix announced its ASUS TUF Gaming Allinace co-branded Sport DDR4 memory module, and we got a chance to go hands on. These modules are essentially the company Sport series mid-range sticks with a ruggedized heat-spreader, and style elements from the TUF Gaming Alliance - black with sharp golden-yellow lines. The module comes in 8 GB (single-rank) and 16 GB (dual-rank) densities, which each come in two speed variants - DDR4-2666 and DDR4-3000, making up dual-channel kits of 16 GB and 32 GB, respectively.

ASUS today introduced the WS X299 SAGE/10G, a step up variant of the WS X299 SAGE it launched back in Q4-2017. As you can tell from the model name, this board's star-attraction is 10 Gbps Ethernet. It features not one, but two 10 GbE interfaces, replacing the dual 1 GbE interfaces of the original. These interfaces aren't backed by low-cost controllers, but the Intel X550-AT2 "Sageville," which is an $80 chip by itself, and drives both interfaces.

ASUS also used the opportunity to improve the CPU VRM a bit. Although it's still the same combination of chokes and MOSFETs, pulling power from two 8-pin EPS connectors, ASUS improved the secondary VRM heatsink, which pulls heat from the main heatsink over a flattened heat-pipe. This heatsink is now made of a dense aluminium fin-stack like the main heatsink, a section of which protrudes all the way to the rear I/O shield. The rear I/O now consists of four USB 3.1 gen 1 ports, two USB 3.1 gen 2 ports (including a type-C port), and the 8-channel HD audio cluster, besides the two 10 GbE ports. The rest of the board's feature-set is unchanged from the original. We expect a $100 premium over the original's price.

This Tuesday at its Computex presser, Intel unveiled an unnamed 28-core/56-thread HEDT (client-segment) processor that's capable of being bench-stable at 5.00 GHz. The chip is a client-segment implementation of the Skylake XCC (extreme core count) silicon, which features 30 Mesh Interconnect "tiles," of which 28 are cores and two integrated memory controllers. The XCC silicon features a 384-bit wide (6-channel) DDR4 memory interface, and it turns out that whatever SKU Intel is planning, will require a different motherboard from your X299 board that can handle up to 18 cores and 4-channel memory. It will require a client-segment variant of the LGA3647 enterprise socket from the Purley platform. One of the first of these is the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Dominus.

Clearly bigger than ATX, in being either E-ATX or SSI form-factor, this board draws power from two 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and three 6-pin PCIe, and has a gargantuan 16-phase VRM with two fan-heatsink blocks. Six DDR4 DIMM slots flank the socket, three on either side, each with its dedicated 64-bit wide path to the socket. The XCC silicon features a 48-lane PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex, and so the board could feature at least two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 capable of full bandwidth, among a boat load of PCIe based storage connectivity, and onboard devices.Update: This motherboard may have been a quick modification of the WS C621E SAGE, by removing one of its sockets, and modifying the rest of the board accordingly. Prototyping a board like that, for a company with ASUS' resources, would barely take 2-3 weeks by our estimate.

ASUS' backed TUF Gaming Alliance has been gaining tremendous traction in recent times, with many brands in the computing world launching products designed and branded under that initiative. Now, Ballistix has announced a new DDR4 product line, the SPORT AT DDR4 that aligns directly with the TUF branding and design philosophy.

ASUS today announced VivoBook Flip 14 (TP412), a stylish new addition to the VivoBook Flip Series of convertible laptops featuring a 360°-flippable display that allows this versatile device to be used in laptop, stand, tent and tablet modes - or anything in between.

VivoBook Flip 14 features an ASUS NanoEdge touchscreen with a 6.15mm-thin bezel for more immersive viewing. Powered by up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB memory for powerful and energy-efficient performance, VivoBook Flip 14 is also equipped with up to a 1TB SSD and a touchpad-mounted fingerprint sensor for one-touch login via Window Hello. VivoBook Flip 14 also supports the ASUS Pen active stylus for accurate input and writing with a natural, responsive feel.

ASUS today announced the new ZenBook Pro 15 with ScreenPad (UX580), a high-performance professional-grade laptop that innovates how the touchpad is used. The ZenBook Pro 15 with ScreenPad is built for demanding professionals who value power, top-end specifications, and innovation in an elegant design. The ZenBook Pro 15 provides compelling performance thanks to up to an 8th generation Intel Core i9 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti discrete graphics, ultra-fast PCI Express -based storage, high-speed 2400MHz DDR4 RAM, 802.11ac Wave 2 gigabit-class Wi-Fi and Thunderbolt 3 USB Type-C ports. The ZenBook 15 Pro with ScreenPad also features a built-in fingerprint reader for fast, convenient and secure one-touch Windows Hello login.

The ZenBook 15 Pro with ScreenPad's beautiful up to 4K display provides professional-level visuals covering 100% of the Adobe RGB color space and 132% of sRGB, and providing guaranteed color accuracy with a Delta-E (ΔE) color difference of less than 2.0. The ZenBook 15 Pro with ScreenPad also features ASUS' ultra-slim NanoEdge bezels for an immersive 83% screen-to-body ratio.

A Complete Hardware Overhaul, Featuring A New Design for 2018
Originally launched in 2013, the Polaris MK1 was 8Pack's ultimate gaming machine featuring an i7-3770K and two NVIDIA 6 GB GTX Titan cards, it was an incredible machine even by modern standards.

Today however 8Pack is proud to announce the release of the new Polaris MK2. Powered by a 4.7 GHz 12 core i9-7920X. The MK2 has been overclocked to its maximum potential for gamers who demand the very best 4K HDR gaming has to offer. Combined with two overclocked 11 GB GTX 1080Ti in SLI, the Polaris MK.2 also doubles as the ideal workstation solution too, able to tackle rendering and simulation-based tasks with ease. Starting at £9599.99 the Polaris MK2 is a tailor made system in every sense of the word, featuring chassis modifications, custom acrylic pass through plates and even a redesigned motherboard mount. It's truly a show of master craftsmanship.

Since its inception in 2006, the Republic of Gamers has pursued a mandate to push boundaries to deliver a better gaming experience. We started with motherboards, spread to virtually every DIY desktop component, and have been building hardcore gaming laptops for more than a decade.

The smartphones in that early era barely qualified as such, but they started a revolution that transformed the computing landscape. We watched closely as these digital sidearms became increasingly capable gaming machines and all-around computers, and we saw how developers harnessed their growing power to take mobile gameplay and graphics to the next level. We also gained insight from esports professionals, regular players, and game developers on how mobile gaming devices could be improved.

Computex 2018 is flush with socket AM4 motherboards based on the mid-range AMD B450 chipset, which will launch sometime later in Q3. Leading ASUS' pack is the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix B450-F Gaming. This board covers all the essentials to qualify as a gaming-grade product worthy of the ROG tag. Built in the ATX form-factor, it draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, conditioning it for the SoC using an 8-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to just one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, the second x16 slot is electrical x4.

Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gbps (of which two come from the SoC), and two M.2 slots, from which one is gen 3.0 x4 (32 Gbps), and the other is gen 2.0 x4 (20 Gbps). You also get two 10 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 2, six 5 Gbps USB 3.1 gen 1, gigabit Ethernet powered by Intel i219-V controller, and high-grade onboard audio with Realtek ALC1220A (120 dBA SNR) CODEC, electrolytic capacitors, ground layer isolation, and headphones amp. There isn't much of a lighting besides a glowing ROG logo at the rear I/O shroud, and a few addressable RGB headers. Expect this board to be priced around $120.

ASUS today announced the new ZenBook S, a brand-new design to the ZenBook family, featuring a new ErgoLift hinge that increases typing comfort, cooling and audio performance. Despite weighing just 2.3lbs and measuring just 12.9mm in height, the ZenBook S doesn't make any compromises, featuring up to an 8th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, up to a 4K resolution touchscreen with ultra-thin 5.9mm NanoEdge bezels, ultra-fast PCIe-based storage, up to 13.5 hours of battery life, and Thunderbolt ports that support fast-charging, external monitors and GPUs, and other peripherals. The ZenBook S has been honored with both the Best Choice of the Year and Best Choice Golden Award at Computex 2018.

New to the ZenBook line is the ASUS ErgoLift hinge. The ASUS Design Center's Ergonomics team carefully studied user usage habits and considered ISO standards that determine that the ideal typing angles rest between 5 and 12 degrees. After extensive testing, ASUS determined that a 5.5-degree delivers the best combination of benefits. The ErgoLift hinge tilts the ZenBook S's keyboard at a gentle 5.5-degree angle, helping to reduce discomfort during extended typing sessions.

ASUS today announced VivoBook S15 (S530) and S14 (S430), a pair of stylish and lightweight laptops designed for the young, and the young at heart. Both laptops feature bold color-blocking designs, with five vibrant color options and several textured finishes that let users fully express their personalities. The ErgoLift hinge replicates the feel of typing on a desktop keyboard for more comfortable typing, while the new three-sided NanoEdge display design provides an immersive viewing experience. S15 and S14 are powered by up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor, with NVIDIA GeForce MX150 discrete graphics. Both laptops feature dual-storage designs, with VivoBook S15 featuring up to a 512GB SSD and 2TB HDD.

VivoBook S15 and S14 have done away with boring laptop colors, opting instead for striking hues that catch the eye. ASUS designers have added a dash of style and personality to personal computing, adopting a color-blocking approach by pairing bright and bold colors for laptops that visually pop. These laptops are available in Firmament Green, Star Grey, Silver Blue, Gun Metal, and Icicle Gold. Firmament Green features a textured woven finish surrounding the keyboard, while Icicle Gold sports a brushed finish with diamond-inspired motifs. In addition to their color-blocking designs, S15 and S14 feature the innovative ErgoLift hinge to make long typing stints more comfortable. This unique design automatically tilts the keyboard by 3.5° when the laptop is opened to create the familiar feel of a desktop keyboard. The hinge also opens up extra ventilation space for more airflow around the underside of the chassis for improved cooling.

ASUS, the leading IT Company in server systems, server motherboards, workstations and workstation motherboards, today announced support for the latest NVIDIA AI solutions with NVIDIA Tesla V100 Tensor Core 32GB GPUs and Tesla P4 on its accelerated computing servers.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is translating data into meaningful insights, services and scientific breakthroughs. The size of the neural networks powering this AI revolution has grown tremendously. For instance, today's state of the art neural network model for language translation, Google's MOE model has 8 billion parameters compared to 100 million parameters of models from just two years ago.

To handle these massive models, NVIDIA Tesla V100 offers a 32GB memory configuration, which is double that of the previous generation. Providing 2X the memory improves deep learning training performance for next-generation AI models by up to 50 percent and improves developer productivity, allowing researchers to deliver more AI breakthroughs in less time. Increased memory allows HPC applications to run larger simulations more efficiently than ever before.

Since Republic of Gamers (ROG) inception 12 years ago, we've been on a mission to spread innovation to the different components comprising gaming and enthusiast PCs. Starting in 2006 with motherboards, we dared to defy conventional thinking in pursuit of our passion to produce the world's best gaming hardware. That drive led us to expand into graphics cards and laptops, and then into monitors and peripherals. More recently, we've also worked to ensure that these different pieces fit together more meaningfully, allowing you to build a complete system that reflects ROG style with your own personal flavor. The new ROG Thor 1200W Platinum PSU, ROG Strix Gaming Chassis plus the ROG Ryujin and Ryuo all-in-one coolers exemplifies these continued efforts.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Strix Fusion 700 and Strix Fusion Wireless, two new wireless headsets designed to provide gamers total freedom of movement and convenient connectivity for uninterrupted gaming experiences. ROG Strix Fusion 700 features Bluetooth 4.2, which lets gamers simultaneously connect the headset wirelessly to their phone and to their PC via USB, so they can answer incoming calls using intuitive headset touch controls without interrupting gameplay. ROG Strix Fusion Wireless features dual 2.4GHz antennas, 50mm ASUS Essence drivers and an exclusive airtight chamber design to deliver stable, great-sounding audio for gaming and entertainment. The ROG Strix Fusion Series has recently been recognized with a prestigious iF Design Award 2018, demonstrating why ROG products continue to be the preferred choice of gamers and enthusiasts around the world.

ROG Strix Fusion 700
ROG Strix Fusion 700 offers versatile connectivity with Bluetooth 4.2 for wireless connections to PCs and phones, and USB 2.0 for wired connections to PCs, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch. With Bluetooth 4.2, gamers can simultaneously connect ROG Strix Fusion 700 to their phone wirelessly and to their PC via USB, so they can enjoy high-quality gaming audio and answer phone or VoIP calls without interrupting their game - perfect for team chat. Intuitive touch controls on the left ear cup let gamers easily answer and disconnect from calls, as well as instantly adjust volume and other audio settings.

Whether you are a console player with the latest 4K capable console, a PC gamer looking for as much screen real estate as possible or a creative professional that likes to mix work and play, ASUS has a new monitor for you this summer. The new monitors include the CG32 4K console gaming monitor, VG49V gaming monitor or the ProArt PA34V professional monitor. ASUS is featuring our full lineup of monitors during Computex 2018 in Taipei, Taiwan at the ASUS booth, #M410 in Nangang Hall, from June 5-9. For additional information, product images and specifics on our new monitors and other products, please visit us at ASUS EdgeUp.

The PC gaming renaissance is bringing a new generation of recruits into the ranks. They're joining a community that's increasingly diverse and frequently unfamiliar with the intricacies of building a complete rig. TUF Gaming aims to make the process more approachable by smoothing out the wrinkles in the DIY experience. Designed for gamers seeking stability and performance at an affordable price, it focuses on delivering durable gear that can survive the rigors of punishing play now and still deliver reliability in the future.

TUF Gaming takes battle-hardened aesthetics in a forward direction. Although it started with motherboards, the family is expanding to peripherals and other components that embrace the same style, making it easier than ever to assemble a cohesive gaming setup. All-new additions include the TUF Gaming M5 mouse, K5 keyboard, H5 headset, and GT501 chassis developed by our own internal teams, plus an array of components produced by TUF Gaming Alliance partners. Complete systems like the TUF Gaming FX10CP desktop and FX504 laptop are also beginning to spread TUF Gaming values to machines that get you in the game right out of the box.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the ROG Strix (GL504) Hero II and SCAR II, all-new versions of the successful esports gaming laptops built exclusively for multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) or first-person shooter (FPS) titles. Both offer a narrow-bezel design that allows for a more immersive experience for gaming on the go. Their slim frame makes the display feel more expansive and keeps focus on the class-leading panel, whose 144Hz refresh rate and ultra-fast 3-ms response elicit unparalleled smoothness and exceptional clarity. In addition, both are equipped with Intel six-core Coffee Lake processors and NVIDIA 10-series GeForce GTX graphics capable of delivering triple-digit frame rates in popular esports titles. Carefully tuned cooling, via proprietary HyperCool Pro technology keeps crucial components running at top speed during intense gaming sessions, and other improvements included an enhanced HyperStrike Pro keyboard, upgraded the lighting, and a four-antenna WiFi system enhanced with ROG RangeBoost for faster, improved connectivity.

The ROG Strix Hero II is identifiable by the diagonal 3D texture on the lid and cyberpunk pattern on the palm rest. With GTX 1060 graphics, it's ideal for serving up triple-digit framerates in battle arenas. The ROG Strix SCAR II is the weapon of choice for first-person shooters. It's designed for battle with a camouflage-and-Kevlar finish, and is available with up to GTX 1070 graphics to handle the more demanding GPU requirements typical of FPS titles.