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ASUS Announces ROG STRIX X370-I And B350-I Mini-ITX Motherboards For AMD Ryzen

Mini-ITX boards are among the most difficult to produce. Their diminutive 6.7" x 6.7" dimensions leave little real estate for slots and ports, let alone the extra features that make ROG unique. We're not willing to compromise your experience for a compact footprint, so it takes some time and creativity to make everything fit. But it's worth the effort, because our new Strix X370-I Gaming and Strix B350-I Gaming motherboards for Socket AM4 raise the bar for small-form-factor Ryzen builds. They match the cutting-edge features of their full-sized siblings, including liquid-ready cooling and addressable RGB lighting, and they combine an M.2 SSD heatsink and amped-up audio on an innovative riser card.

Graphics Cards Vendors Increase Orders in Wake of Expected Mining Sales Increase

DigiTimes is reporting that graphics cards vendors and AIB (add-in board partners) to both AMD and NVIDIA are increasing their orders for GPUs. Citing sources from the upstream supply chain, the report says that the reason for this is an expected increase in sales due to higher demand for cryptocurrency mining workloads. Most cryptocurrencies are mined on GPUs today, and there are miners that leverage both AMD and NVIDIA's architectures for increased mining performance. Whereas before mining was somewhat of a strictly AMD business, NVIDIA's architectures have also been developed for in most recent cryptocurrency mining efforts, which means that no one manufacturer is the sole source of mining GPUs.

As such, and counting on continued economic support for current cryptocurrency pricing (or even increase), Asustek, Gigabyte Technology, Micro-Star International (MSI), TUL, Colorful and Galaxy Microsystems have increased their orders from respective manufacturing partners. Since graphics cards pricing has stabilized and even decreased somewhat in recent weeks from their selling points just some months ago, this might mean that we'll finally see some graphics card models from both AMD and NVIDIA finally being retailed for their MSRP again. However, demand for mining-efficient GPUs is expected to increase alongside cryptocurrency value, so don't take this increased supply for granted - demand could spike at any moment, and with little warning.

ASUS Confirms Z270 Platform Could be Compatible with Intel Coffee Lake CPUs

In an interview with Bit-tech, ASUS ROG motherboard product manager Andrew Wu has let the proverbial cat out of the bag: apparently, compatibility of Z270 boards with Coffee Lake processors wouldn't have been impossible after all. When asked why the new Coffee Lake CPUs aren't compatible with the previously released Z270 platform, Andrew Wu explained that it" (...) depends on Intel's decision." Andrew Wu also went on to mention that Intel's stated power delivery reasons don't "make much difference", and that ASUS themselves could make their Z270 motherboards compatible with Coffee Lake. For that, however, they'd need "(...) an upgrade from the ME [Management Engine] and a BIOS update", for which "Intel somehow has locked the compatibility."

It seems all of that extra "pin-count" doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of the current Coffee Lake lineup with up to six core processors - the CPU socket and platform as designed with Z270 would have been able to handle the increased core counts and power loads. The question gets murkier with Intel's ability to release an 8-core CPU to the Z370 platform though - that particular amount of cores might indeed prove to be too much for Z270's power delivery. Making an educated guess, it would seem that Intel could have allowed for Coffee Lake compatibility on Z270 motherboards on CPUs up to 6 cores, but would need the new revisions on the Z370 platform to allow for operation of 8-core Coffee Lake chips.

ASUS ROG Strix RX Vega 64 Clock Speeds Revealed

ASUS may have been among the first to unveil its custom-design Radeon RX Vega 64 graphics cards with the ROG Strix Radeon RX Vega 64 (model: ROG-STRIX-RXVEGA64-O8G-GAMING), but kept its clock-speeds under the wraps. The company updated its product page, revealing the clock speeds. Out of the box, the card is clocked at 1298 MHz core, with 1590 MHz boost, and an untouched 945 MHz memory, against AMD-reference clock speeds of "up to 1546 MHz" GPU clock for the air-cooled RX Vega 64. It still pales in comparison to the RX Vega 64 Liquid Edition SKU, which ticks at 1677 MHz core and 1750 MHz boost. The company is yet to update the product page of its ROG Strix RX Vega 56 O8G.

AMD Readies AGESA 1.0.0.7 Update Enabling "Raven Ridge" APUs

AMD is readying an update to its AGESA micro-code. AGESA is an essential component of AMD platform motherboard BIOSes responsible for starting the processor at system start-up. Updates to it improve the motherboards' memory and CPU compatibility. Following its all-important AGESA 1.0.0.6 update that vastly improves memory compatibility of AMD Ryzen processors, the company is readying an even newer version. The new AGESA 1.0.0.7 update prompts significant changes to the structure of motherboard BIOSes, making it easy to implement support for upcoming socket AM4 chips, such as the "Raven Ridge" APUs, and the 2nd generation Ryzen "Pinnacle Ridge" CPUs.

Professional overclocker elmor, who is currently associated with ASUS ROG, responding to an Overclockers.net forums question about the Crosshair VI series motherboard, mentioned that AGESA 1.0.0.7 significantly changes the BIOS structure of AMD motherboards, which will make it easier implement support for future processors. "AGESA 1007 comes with support for Raven Ridge APUs. AMD has also changed the entire BIOS base structure so we have to do a lot of work to port everything to the new version, which may result in further bugs. The advantage is that it makes it easier to support future CPUs (Raven Ridge, Pinnacle Ridge)," he said. Updates to AGESA are distributed by motherboard manufacturers as BIOS updates.

ASUS Announces ROG Strix Radeon RX 560 EVO Graphics Card

ASUS today rolled out the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix Radeon RX 560 DirectCU II EVO graphics card (model: ROG-STRIX-RX560-O4G-EVO-GAMING), a variant of its custom-design RX 560 4 GB DirectCU II graphics card, which relies on the PCI-Express slot entirely for its power, and lacks any additional PCIe power inputs. ASUS seems to have made some pretty big hardware-level trade-offs to achieve slot-only power ability for this card.

The card comes with clock speeds that are below AMD-reference clocks, with 1149 MHz core, with a restrained 1187 MHz boost, and a software-enabled OC mode, which runs the GPU at 1197 MHz, against AMD-reference clocks of 1175 MHz core, 1275 MHz boost. The memory ticks at 6.00 GHz (GDDR5-effective), which is below the 7.00 GHz reference clock. What's even more curious about this card is it features just 896 stream processors, and not the 1,024 that are standard to the RX 560. The card features 4 GB of GDDR5 memory across the chip's 128-bit wide memory interface. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS Intros Hyper M.2 x16 Riser Card

ASUS rolled out the Hyper M.2 x16 riser card, an accessory which could prove useful for those who want to add up to four extra M.2 SSDs. The card features a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 upstream interface, which it splits into four 32 Gb/s M.2-22110 slots (up to 110 mm length), with PCI-Express 3.0 x4 wiring, each. The card doesn't have any serious HBA logic of its own, beyond simple circuitry to power the four M.2 drives, and put out power/activity status LEDs for each slot.

A monolithic, stylish brushed aluminium shroud doubles up as a heatsink for the M.2 drives. There's also a lateral-blower fan, which guides air from inside your case through the drives and outside through the perforated rear bracket. You can turn this fan off with a physical switch on the card, although there's no software-based fan-control. The card is 20.2 cm long, 9.6 cm tall, and 1-slot thick. The company is advertising the card to be compatible only with its X299 chipset-based motherboards, for now. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS ROG STRIX B350-I Gaming Motherboard Revealed by Online Retailer

Swedish online retailer Inet has listed an as-yet unannounced ASUS motherboard, the ROG STRIX B350-I-Gaming. It looks to be a smaller version of the ROG STRIX B350-F GAMING, featuring similar black styling, as well as ASUS's AURA Sync RGB lighting technology, in a mini-ITX format. According to Inet, the board features the AMD B350 chipset that is the board's namesake, with AMD AM4 processor support as well as up to 32 gigabytes of DDR4 3200 MHz (OC) RAM. As with most mini-ITX gaming motherboards, a single PCI-Express x16 slot is present for graphics card connectivity. However, belying the board's small size, the B350-I-Gaming features a wealth of connectivity options, including two external USB 3.1 Generation 2 ports as well as four USB 3.1 Generation 1 ports. Additionally, one USB 3.1 Generation 1 header, and even a USB 2.0 header are available internally. Four SATA 6.0 Gbit/s headers, along with two M.2 slots round out the connectivity options, all of which is great for a board this size. Gigabit ethernet as well as built-in wifi, and SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio are also featured.

While other mini-ITX AM4 motherboards are already on the market, the ASUS ROG brand has a loyal following. ASUS fans looking to build a Ryzen-powered machine with a smaller footprint will no doubt be waiting patiently for an official announcement, as the board is of course listed as Out of Stock on the retailer's site. The amount of connectivity options on such a small board will be a compelling option for portable LAN party machines, and gamers without enough space to house a larger ATX computer, without compromising on storage or speed. Inet has listed the board with a price of 1 899 kr, equivalent to about $233.49 USD. Comparing other product prices on the site with those on Newegg reveals a difference of up to 30%, so regional prices will vary and direct currency conversion is not necessarily a good indicator of local prices.

ASUS Motherboard Segmentation Explained - "Prime" Series takes Backseat

With its new Intel 300-series chipset-based motherboard family, ASUS is redoing the segmentation of its various motherboard brands, with the objective of avoiding too many similarly-priced products that bloat the lineup and confuse buyers. The company articulated its segmentation using a triangle (pictured below). At the bottom of this triangle is the mainline "Prime" series, and interestingly, the TUF (The Ultimate Force) series. The TUF series has until now been attributed to moderately expensive motherboards that are designed with very high durability. They are now relegated to the bottom of ASUS' product-stack, targeted at first-time builders and entry-level gamers. These boards are still built "tough" in that they feature high-grade components, but not as many CPU VRM phases as some of ASUS' more expensive boards.

Another revelation is that the company's mainline "Prime" series, which has served as the bedrock of the company's motherboard lineup before sub-brands such as ROG came along, is now entry-mid range, with just two SKUs based on the Z370 chipset. The Prime Z370-A is recommended for those users who want to cut through the marketing clutter and pick a board that maxes out this platform without too many frills. This move also ends the possibility of higher Prime-series SKUs such as "Deluxe" and "Premium," which were previously associated with SKUs bursting at the seams with onboard connectivity options.

Upcoming ASUS Z370 Motherboard Roundup

Normally, motherboards go on shelves at the same time as processors do. In this occasion, Intel has confirmed that their Coffee Lake processors will launch on October 5. As per tradition, images of some of the upcoming motherboards from various brands have been leaked on the web. Meanwhile, we know that many of you are already planning your future Z370 builds or deciding on which motherboard to accompany your PC upgrade. If you're a fan of ASUS products, we have a treat for you. From what VideoCardz have gathered so far, ASUS plans to release sixteen different models from their Republic of Gamers (ROG), The Ultimate Force (TUF), Strix and Prime series.

The ROG line will father five Maximus X models: Apex, Formula, Code, Hero with Wi-Fi AC, and Hero. There is no mention of an Extreme model, but our experience tells us that model usually comes at a later date. It's also possible that it may never see the light of day for this generation. From what we can make of the images, the Maximus X Hero will employ a 10-phase digital VRM design. The motherboard retains the black and grey theme with RGB illuminated heatsinks just like its predecessor. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality were present on the Code models and above in the previous generation. We're happy to see ASUS offering a Hero variant this time with those two functionalities.

ASUS Intros ROG Swift PG27VQ Curved 27-inch Gaming Monitor

ASUS today rolled out the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Swift PG27VQ curved gaming monitor. This 27-inch monitor with an 1800R curved TN-film panel, offers a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Bolstering its gaming credentials are a high refresh-rate of 165 Hz, response time as low as 1 ms (GTG), and support for NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. If the 16.8 million colors put out from the display panel itself aren't "RGB lit" enough for you, the monitor features RGB LED elements illuminating a motif behind the panel, and below the monitor stand's pivot; which can be controlled using ASUS Aura Sync RGB software.

Besides putting up a show, the RGB LED elements can be made to work as ambient lighting, which adapts to the display. The GamePlus technology lets you draw OSD crosshairs and frame-rate counter; and GameVisual, which are display presets for various genres of games (FPS, RTS, RPG, etc.). Other key panel specifications include 400 cd/m² maximum brightness, 170°/160° viewing angles, and dynamic mega-contrast ratio. Display inputs include DisplayPort 1.2 (needed for G-SYNC), and HDMI 1.4 (lower than standard refresh rate). The stand offers basic tilt adjustments. The company didn't reveal pricing.

GeIL Announces EVO-X RGB Memory with ASUS ROG Certification

GeIL - Golden Emperor International Ltd. - one of the world's leading PC components & peripheral manufacturers announced EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory. As world's first fully RGB illuminated DDR4 memory module with an ASUS ROG certification, EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory combines a significant performance boost with RGB lighting effects to give enthusiasts an excellent overclocking and gaming experience.

ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) is recognized as the leader in PC gaming and overclocking performance with a record for delivering the most innovative hardcore hardware for gamers and enthusiasts. GeIL is proud to work with ASUS ROG to provide gamers the most innovative gaming memory, GeIL EVO X ROG-certified RGB Gaming Memory. When paired with certain ASUS ROG motherboards, an automatic performance boost will be enabled for a better overclocking experience.

ASUS Intros ROG Strix X299-XE Gaming Motherboard

ASUS today rolled out its latest socket LGA2066 motherboard under its Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix brand, the ROG Strix X299-XE, hinting at "readiness" for 18-core i9-7980XE processors, which Intel plans to launch before the end of this year. This board is 99.999% identical to the ROG Strix X299-E Gaming, except for one difference that should make it to the "Spot the Difference" puzzle of your favorite tabloid - the VRM heatsink.

ASUS has given the X299-XE Gaming a slightly heavier CPU VRM heatsink, and has rigorously tested the VRM to not run into thermal throttling issues, especially when powering high core-count Core i9 processors. The Core X socket LGA2066 platform has already been criticized by professional overclockers as being "a VRM disaster." As we mentioned earlier, the Strix X299-XE is otherwise identical to the Strix X299-E, and it would be disappointing if ASUS attaches a premium for a few extra grams of aluminium and quality-control that should have been done for the Strix X299-E in the first place.

Custom-design Radeon RX Vega Cards by Mid-October

Still reeling under supply issues and overpricing, AMD's Radeon RX Vega line of graphics cards may finally be available in custom-design products from the company's AIB (add-in board) partners by mid-October, according to a Hardware.fr report. ASUS was the first to announce custom-design RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 graphics cards under its ROG Strix series, back in August. The cards were, however, nowhere to be found in the markets.

AIB partners will begin announcing their custom-design RX Vega series products in the coming weeks, with retail availability slated for mid-October. Radeon RX Vega 64 is currently available in three AMD-reference design SKUs, the standard reference-design, the premium "silver" air-cooled reference-design, which features a brushed aluminium cooler shroud and LED ornaments; and a more premium AIO liquid-cooled variant with higher clocks. The RX Vega 56 is available in vanilla standard reference-design.

GeIL Intros Super Luce RGB Lite DDR4 Memory

GeIL today introduced the Super Luce RGB Lite DDR4 memory series. These modules are practically identical to the Super Luce RGB Sync, which the company launched earlier this month, with a few key differences. The Super Luce RGB Lite lacks software-based RGB LED management, and has a preset combination of multi-color lighting that's put out from its diffuser. It lacks any cabling to the RGB header of your motherboard or RGB controller. This is in contrast to the Super Luce RGB Sync, which comes with a thin RGB cable, and supports software such as ASUS Aura Sync, giving you control over the lighting.

Under the illuminated heatspreaders, however, the Super Luce RGB Lite is identical to its sibling. Available in speeds ranging from DDR4-2133 to DDR4-3000, these modules come in densities of 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB, making up single-module and dual-channel kits of 4 GB, 8 GB (2x 4 GB), 16 GB (2x 8 GB), and 32 GB (2x 16 GB). There are also AMD Edition variants of these modules, which are individually tested by GeIL to work at their advertised speeds with AMD Ryzen processors. The modules are backed by lifetime warranties, and are expected to be about 10 to 15 percent cheaper than comparable Super Luce RGB Sync kits.

EK Intros Monoblocks for ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme and Apex

A special motherboard requires a special water block, so the tradition with monoblocks for ASUS ROG RAMPAGE series motherboards continues. EK Water Blocks, the Slovenia-based premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer is releasing new LGA-2066 socket based monoblocks made to fit ASUS ROG RAMPAGE VI Extreme and Apex motherboards. The EK-FB ASUS ROG R6E RGB Monoblocks have integrated 4-pin RGB LED strips which make them compatible with ASUS Aura Sync, thus offering a full lighting customization experience.

ASUS ROG Announces ROG Strix Fusion 300 Headset

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) announced Strix Fusion 300, the first gaming headset in the brand-new ROG Strix Fusion series. Featuring an exclusive, airtight chamber design, 50mm ASUS Essence drivers, built-in virtual 7.1-channel surround sound and ROG Hybrid ear cushions.

Strix Fusion 300 lets users enjoy fully immersive gaming experiences with uncompromising comfort and sound quality. Strix Fusion 300 is compact and lightweight to provide maximum comfort during marathon gaming sessions, and features a futuristic, metallic design accented by stylish lighting effects. Compatible with a wide range of devices - including PC, Mac, game consoles and smartphones - Strix Fusion 300 delivers immersive gaming and media enjoyment at home or on the go.

EKWB Releases ASUS PRIME X299 RGB Monoblock for ASUS X299 Motherboards

EK-FB ASUS PRIME X299 RGB Monoblock is a complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solution for four ASUS Intel X299 Chipset based motherboards that support new Intel Core X-series LGA-2066 socket processors.

Designed and engineered in cooperation with ASUS, this monoblock uses award-winning EK-Supremacy EVO cooling engine to ensure best possible CPU cooling. This water block directly cools Intel LGA-2066 socket type CPU, as well as the power regulation (MOSFET) module. Liquid flows directly over all critical areas, providing the enthusiasts with a great solution for high and stable overclocks. Like with every EK monoblock, EK-FB ASUS PRIME X299 RGB features high flow design and this monoblock can be easily used with weaker and silent water pump settings as well. This kind of efficient VRM cooling on an X299 platform additionally brings down the CPU temperatures compared to the traditional CPU water block and stock VRM heatsink cooling solution.

ASUS Intros ROG Horus GK2000 RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

ASUS today rolled out the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Horus GK2000 RGB mechanical gaming keyboard. A revision of the Horus GK2000 the company launched back in early-2016 with red LED lighting, the Horus GK2000 RGB, as its name suggests, updates the original with RGB LED lighting. The lighting can be controlled by ASUS Aura Sync RGB software, with which you can set color, brightness, and lighting patterns for each individual key. The keyboard features Cherry MX RGB series switches, with 16.8 million-color RGB diodes. ASUS bumped up the keyboard's onboard storage to 8 MB, to locally store not just your macros, but also your lighting settings. Available now, the ASUS ROG Horus GK2000 RGB is expected to be priced at USD $199.

GeIL Announces Super Luce RGB Sync DDR4 Memory

Golden Emperor International Ltd. - one of the world's leading PC components & peripheral manufacturers announced SUPER LUCE RGB SYNC Series Gaming Memory featuring RGB LED illumination. Inheriting the stylish design from the previous generation, SUPER LUCE RGB SYNC Series Gaming Memory upgrades the LED lighting effect from single color LED to RGB LED, providing the fanciest lighting effect for gamers looking for RGB memory products without cable management. Heat spreaders are available in black and white color themes to match different gaming PC build preferences.

With the demand for RGB illuminated PC components rapidly growing, not only hardcore gamers but also mainstream users are looking for fancy RGB gaming memory. Perfectly supporting ASUS AURA lighting control app, SUPER LUCE RGB SYNC allows users to enjoy the seamless synchronization of RGB lighting effects from the motherboard, graphics card, light strips, and memory kits. The cable-less design is a great plus to simplify the cable management.

ASUS Announces Designo Curve MX38VC, MX32VQ Monitors

ASUS is introducing the MX38VC and the MX32VQ, IFA 2017 product design award-winning products for their sundial-inspired aesthetic on the Qi charger stand and edge-to-edge frameless panels.with similar Qi-charging capability. The product names don't truly showcase the disparity between features in both monitors, so we'll do a rundown on both of them. The Designo Curve MX38VC is a 37.5" ultrawide, QHD+ 3840 x 1600 display with a 21:9 aspect ratio. ASUS is boasting of its SonicMaster technology on this monitor, technology which was co-developed with Harman Kardon. Display inputs on this monitor include 2x HDMI, 1x USB Type-C, and 1x PC audio input port. The MX38VC can sync with a user's smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth to play music wirelessly as well. The Qi-charger base also doubles as moody ambient lighting; the Halo Lighting base can synchronize with the audio output on the monitor's speakers.

The Designo Curve MX32VQ, on the other hand, has a smaller 31.5" WQHD 2560 x 1440 monitor with a more traditional 16:9 aspect ratio. It includes the same Harman Kardon-imbued built-in speakers, the Halo lighting base and Bluetooth integration. Ports are the same as the MX38VC, sans the USB-C port. Both the MX38VC and MX32VQ also support exclusive feature such as ASUS GamePlus and Adaptive-Sync. The 31.5-inch MX32VQ should retail in Europe for €550, while the larger and wider MX38VC will set you back some much less reasonable €1600.

ASUS Announces the 802.11ax-enabled RT-AX88U Wi-Fi Router

At IFA 2017, ASUS introduced a number of new products, from laptops to routers. One of the more interesting announcements made by the company was the RT-AX88U Wi-Fi router, which packs technology that is actually ahead of its time. The 802.11ax specification is expected to be finalized and publicly released only by 2019, but as with previous improvements to the 802.11 protocol, products supporting the standard are already hitting the shelves. remember that support for unfinished specifications is always subject to change, but if you're looking to purchase a new router and want to be as future-proof as possible, it doesn't get much better than this.

The next-generation RT-AX88U 802.11ax Wi-Fi supports unprecedented combined speeds of up to 5952 Mbps - 1148 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band and 4804 Mbps on the 5GHz band, with 4x4 MIMO in both bands. Only three companies - Quantenna, Qualcomm and Broadcom have 802.11ax-enabled silicon as of the end of August 2017; ASUS elected to use Broadcom's solutions. New technologies for the 802.11ax include OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing, which should enable better spectral efficiency in convoluted network conditions) and MU-MIMO (Multi-User MIMO). Thanks to this, the 802.11ax technology provides 4x faster throughput than 802.11ac technology on connected devices in dense environments, while also increasing network capacity and efficiency. This means the ASUS RT-AX88U supports more simultaneous data transfers than 802.11ac MU-MIMO routers, allowing more devices to have faster network access at the same time without waiting for each other - perfect for homes with a growing number of smart, connected devices. RT-AX88U uses TWT technology to reduce unnecessary communications to 802.11ax devices, reducing power consumption and improving device battery life. Pricing wasn't announced at time of writing.

ASUS Reveals HC102 Windows Mixed Reality Headset

ASUS is another company that will be launching hardware developed according to Microsoft's Mixed Reality specifications. The company has put out some details on its HC102 Mixed Reality headset, which put it on par with other offerings from the likes of Acer, Dell and Lenovo in terms of both features and design. 2x LCD screens display a combined 2880x1200 resolution (1440x1440 per eye), at a 90 Hz refresh rate and an acceptable 90º FoV (Windows' MR solutions typically have a slightly lesser FoV compared to pure VR solutions like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift).

Hardware-wise, ASUS also has the mandatory 6 DoF tracking, with an accelerometer and magnetometer increasing input data. A proximity sensor is also there, which we still haven't seen mentioned on other MR headsets. There are 2x inside-out cameras for positional tracking, and a 3.5 mm audio jack for your own high-quality headsets. All of this will set you back the same €449, with a pair of motion controllers, as the other options that have been announced on the market. It seems that vendors are generally locking in on Microsoft's recommended configuration - and the same price-tags - rather than differentiating through hardware and features - and, potentially, higher pricing. However, ASUS has done some work in making the HC102's design stand out a little more than the other solutions we've seen so far.

ASUS Intros TUF B350M-Plus Gaming Motherboard

ASUS introduced its first socket AM4 motherboard bearing the durable TUF branding, the TUF B350M-Plus Gaming. Built in the micro-ATX form-factor, the board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the AM4 SoC using a 6-phase VRM. The components that make up the VRM are of a very high grade, enough to warrant TUF branding. The AM4 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and the board's single and reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The second x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the AMD B350 chipset.

Storage connectivity includes one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, two of which are directly wired to the SoC. Display connectivity includes one each of HDMI, D-Sub, and DVI. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports (both type-A), eight USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel, two by headers). Networking is care of a single 1 GbE interface, driven by a Realtek RTL8111H controller. The onboard audio solution combines a 6-channel Realtek ALC887 CODEC (<90 dBA SNR) with audio-grade capacitors and ground-layer isolation. The board features RGB LED headers. Expect this board to feature a sub-$100 price-tag, while being slightly higher than comparable mATX AMD B350 motherboards due to the TUF value-addition.

ASUS Announces the RT-AC86U Gaming Router

ASUS has announced another entry towards their gaming router lineup. The RT-AC86U is an AC2900 dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi class router, boosted by NitroQAM and MU-MIMO, which boasts of 750 Mb/s on the 2.4 Ghz band and 2166 Mb/s on the 5 GHz one. 3x high-performance and high-gain antennas, 3x Gigabit ports and 1x WAN port provide connectivity options on this router. Security features include encryption and wireless access control functions.

Interesting features of the router include a 32-bit dual-core processor running at 1.8 GHz for its processing needs, 256 MB flash memory, and 512 MB of onboard RAM. The ASUS RT-AC86U Gaming Router is available for €249 or $199.
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