EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium water cooling gear manufacturer, is proud to introduce EK-FC7970 Matrix, a Full cover water block engineered specifically for award winning ASUS Radeon HD 7970 Matrix series graphics cards.

This water block directly cools the GPU, RAM as well as VRM (voltage regulation module) as water flows directly over these critical areas thus allowing the graphics card and it's VRM to remain stable under high overclocks. EK-FC7970 Matrix water block also features a very high flow design therefore it can be easily used in liquid cooling systems using weaker water pumps.

ASUS today announced a new range of microATX motherboards with onboard HDMI and DVI ports for Intel and AMD processors with integrated graphics, and USB 3.0 ports with performance-enhancing ASUS USB 3.0 Boost technology. By removing the need for a discrete graphics card, the new motherboards provide a more affordable option for home entertainment PCs that can fully exploit high-performance USB 3.0 storage.

The latest Intel 22nm CPUs feature Intel HD 4000 integrated graphics, while AMD Socket FM2Athlon and A-Series APUshave integrated AMD HD 7000 Series discrete-level Radeon GPUs.The processors provide excellent 2D and 3D graphics performance, without the need for a separate graphics card, which in turn results in lower PC build costs.

ASUS today announced the GeForce GTX Titan graphics card, based on supercomputer-grade NVIDIA Tesla K20X architecture. The new card delivers the world's most powerful single-GPU performance to PC gamers and multimedia enthusiasts. It is optimized for DirectX 11.1 and PCI Express 3.0, with a GPU clock of 876MHz achieved by use of NVIDIA GPU Boost 2.0 technology. The ASUS GeForce GTX Titan offers 6GB of GDDR5 video memory clocked at 6000MHz.

It presents the advanced graphics processing power required to fully enjoy the next evolution in gaming technology and multimedia in standards well beyond full HD 1080p. The ASUS GeForce GTX Titan ships with the user-friendly GPU Tweak utility in the box, which allows customers to easily modify performance parameters through a clear yet detailed interface.

You may have read our report from earlier today, covering the main points that AMD was trying to make in its recent teleconference with the European press (which includes us). While in the call, we were a little jolted by the choices of words some of AMD's executives used to describe their company's consumer graphics outlook for 2013, how they believe they can hold out for almost the entire year with little or no major updates to their product stack, and more interestingly, a few above-the-belt jabs at NVIDIA and its upcoming GeForce GTX Titan product.

The crux of AMD's emergency meeting with the press was to bust some misconceptions spread in the press over the last couple of weeks, to tell them a Graham's Number of times that they still hold the fastest single GPU on the planet, which powers the fastest graphics card there is (ASUS ARES II). The most ironic part of AMD's emergency meeting with the press was the one in which they called GeForce Titan NVIDIA's emergency/knee-jerk reaction to AMD's getting cozy with game developers, and netting some of the biggest PC game launches of the season for its Never Settle Reloaded bundle.

ASUS today announced the TUF Series SABERTOOTH 990FX/GEN3 R2.0, the world's first AMD-based motherboard to feature PCI Express 3.0 for use with next generation high performance graphics cards. Up to three DirectX 11 graphics cards with 28nm GPU technology can be used via NVIDIA SLI or AMD CrossFireX to create desktop PCs with formidable graphics performance.

SABERTOOTH 990FX/GEN3 R2.0 also features renowned ASUS TUF Series thermal design for superior heat removal. Like all TUF Series motherboards, it undergoes military and server-grade testing to ensure absolute stability, reliability, and longevity. SABERTOOTH 990FX/GEN3 R2.0 is backed by a five-year warranty.

Over the last weekend, AMD hosted a teleconference with the press in which it charted out its strategy for 2013. Older reports led us to believe that the company's next-generation GPU lineup won't launch any time before Q4, but the press overlooked another possibility, that AMD could make additions to its existing HD 7000 series product family, before Q4.

The current Radeon HD 7000 appears "complete," due to the fact that there are products covering nearly every competitive price point. With the introduction of the GeForce GTX Titan, NVIDIA could gain two products in the price-range of $900-$1200, the other being GTX 690. AMD's various board partners, lead by TUL-affiliated ones, and HIS, launched the HD 7990 around the $800 mark, and ASUS topped things up with the Republic of Gamers ARES II at an unreal $1,600 point, which AMD claims is the fastest graphics card money can buy.

ASUS today announced global availability of the GeForce GTX 650-E, a motherboard bus-powered DirectX 11.1 graphics card that's ideal for desktop PCs with low-wattage power supplies The GeForce GTX 650-E combines DirectX 11.1 compatibility and 28nm NVIDIA GPU technology with a mere 60W power consumption, making it a very appealing upgrade option for users looking for a high-performance graphics card at an affordable price.

The ASUS GeForce GTX 650-E offers a quick and accessible upgrade for customers interested in affordable NVIDIA 28nm GPU technology. Powered from a PCI Express slot with a modest 60W average power consumption, the ASUS GeForce GTX 650-E is an ideal choice for users looking to upgrade their PCs without investing in a new power supply, making the process much easier and less costly. Available with 1GB or 2GB GDDR5 video memory, the ASUS GeForce GTX 650-E supports medium-to-high detail in current PC games, along with smooth 1080p full HD video playback.

A store listing by Danish online retailer Proshop reveals a couple of things, one, that NVIDIA's next flagship graphics card will indeed be called "GeForce GTX Titan," and two, it could be out of reach of a vast majority of enthusiasts. The retailer is listing an ASUS-branded card for 5,820.80 Danish Krone (US $1,046), and that's before Europe's famous taxation kicks in. After, that goes up to 7,276 DKK ($1,307).

If one has to infer performance of the card from this price, given that NVIDIA won't botch up price-performance in relation to GTX 690, the GTX Titan should perform on-par, or outperform the GTX 690. Even if it's a tiny bit slower, NVIDIA could focus its marketing efforts on the card's 4-way and 3-way SLI capabilities, using which one could outperform GTX 690 QuadSLI setups.

ASUS augmented its socket FM2 motherboard lineup with the F2A85-V, a lite variant of the F2A85-V Pro the company kicked off its Trinity APU-compatible motherboard lineup with. The new F2A85-V trims down on a few things over the -Pro variant, such as simpler independent VRM and FCH heatsinks with no heat-pipe connecting them, fewer APU power phases, and a lighter expansion slot layout that isn't ideal for multi-GPU setups.

To begin with, the F2A85-V features a 6-phase APU VRM that draws power from a 4-pin ATX connector, compared to the 8-phase one drawing from an 8-pin EPS, on the F2A85-V Pro. The FM2 socket is connected to four DDR3 DIMM slots, supporting a maximum of 64 GB of dual-channel DDR3-1866 MHz memory; and a single PCI-Express 2.0 x16. Other expansion slots include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to the A85X FCH), two PCI-Express 2.0 x1, and three legacy PCI slots.

ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, today announced the release of four new enterprise-level 1U and 2U rackmount NAS devices. These new devices consist of the four drive bay AS-604RS and AS-604RD models and the nine drive bay AS-609RS and AS-609RD models. All devices come equipped with the Intel Atom 2.13 GHz dual-core processor which combines supercharged performance with low power consumption. Furthermore, all devices are verified as VMware, Citrix and Hyper-V ready, providing businesses with a flexible and cost-efficient virtual storage solution.

"Our new rackmount NAS models include the type of hardware specifications required by the most demanding business environments such as dual gigabit Ethernet ports, eSATA and SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interfaces and support for hard drive hot swapping." said Johnny Chen, Product Manager at ASUSTOR. "The AS-604RD and AS-609RD models also feature redundant power supplies meaning that should the primary power supply fail, a second one will automatically start running to keep the NAS powered on. This undoubtedly gives businesses the type of 24/7, round-the-clock, uninterrupted access that they need."

TechPowerUp released version 0.6.7 of GPU-Z, the popular graphics subsystem information, monitoring, and diagnostic utility. The new release brings some feature-additions, support for more graphics processors, and stability improvements. To begin with, we made room in the GPU-Z window to display TMU (texture memory unit) count. Support for a large number of recently-launched GPUs, including Radeon HD 7870 "Tahiti LE," mobile GeForce 600 series MX, and from Quadro family, were added.

TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.6.7 also brings a few UI enhancements. To begin with, GPU-Z remembers window position from its previous session, cutting you time for positioning it right for screenshots. Next up, when minimized, its tray icon does more than just show you the app is running. Its tooltip (visible when hovered), displays some important sensor data. A new "-tab" command line parameter allows proverclockers to script-launch GPU-Z showing a specific tab. Among the bugs fixed are one related to a crash occurring on CrossFire setups (a Catalyst-related bug), another crash occurring on NVIDIA setups when updating sensor data (GeForce driver-related bug), temperature reading on AMD "Llano" APUs is improved.DOWNLOAD: TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.6.7, TechPowerUp GPU-Z 0.6.7 ASUS ROG Themed

The change-log follows.

Worldwide PC shipments totaled 89.8 million units in the fourth quarter of 2012 (4Q12), down 6.4% compared to the same quarter in 2011 and worse than the forecasted decline of 4.4%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. Although the quarter marked the beginning of a new stage in the PC industry with the launch of Windows 8, its impact did not quickly change recently sluggish PC demand, and the PC market continued to take a back seat to competing devices and sustained economic woes. As a result, the fourth quarter of 2012 marked the first time in more than five years that the PC market has seen a year-on-year decline during the holiday season.

The lackluster fourth quarter results were not entirely surprising given the spate of challenges the PC market faced over the course of 2012. IDC had expected the second half of 2012 to be difficult. Consumers as well as PC vendors and distribution channels continued to be diverted from PC sales by ongoing demand for tablets and smartphones. In addition, questions about the use of touch on Windows PCs vs. tablets slowed commercial spending on PCs.

ASUS did the unthinkable yet simple, by innovating the first AMD platform motherboard that features PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, the Sabertooth 990FX/GEN3.0 R2.0. Long naming aside, the board provides you a couple of gen 3.0 slots by using PLX-made 48-lane PCI-Express Gen 3.0 bridge chip.

While the board features four PCI-Express x16 slots, only two similarly-colored slots can be used at a time, of which two are PCI-Express 2.0 x16, wired to the 990FX northbridge, and two slots being x16/NC or x8/x8-capable, being wired to a PLX 48-lane PCI-Express Gen 3.0 switch, which in turn takes two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 links from the northbridge.

It looks like the void left by lack of socket LGA1150 motherboards is being filled by new LGA2011 HEDT ones, with ASUS joining in with the P9X79-E WS. The board is so big and feature-packed that its designers labeled it a workstation board that's built in the SSI-CEB form-factor (should fit in full-ATX cases that have room for EATX). The board features a 10-phase CPU VRM, seven PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, which are wired to the CPU through a couple of 48-lane PCI-Express bridge chips, support for 128 GB quad-channel DDR3 memory, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports (two from the X79 PCH, four from third-party controllers), four SATA 3 Gb/s ports, a couple of eSATA 6 Gb/s ports, four USB 3.0 ports, FireWire, 8-channel HD audio, and two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, which are each backed by Intel-made PHYs.

DTS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DTSI), a leader in high-definition audio solutions, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with ASUSTEK COMPUTER, INC (TSE: 2347), a top global producer of computers and consumer technology, to license its DTS Play-Fi technology for integration within ASUS' line-up of Windows-based products. Already a leader in the development and manufacturing of Windows-based computing solutions, ASUS will now offer integrated whole-home Wi-Fi audio streaming as part of its product portfolio. With DTS Play-Fi technology, ASUS products will enable consumers to stream lossless, high-quality audio from almost any audio source on a PC to their DTS Play-Fi-enabled home audio systems over a standard Wi-Fi network. It also gives users full control of the home speaker network-allowing users to set up, link, and stream audio to one speaker system or multiple speaker systems throughout the home at once.

"Our goal with DTS Play-Fi is to partner with global brands to make whole-home wireless audio streaming a standard feature that consumers everywhere can enjoy, especially now with the proliferation of online and cloud-based music choices available on PCs and tablets," said Brian Towne, executive vice president and chief operating officer, DTS. "ASUS' market position and technology leadership are well established, and we could not be more pleased to have them as a licensee in the Windows PC arena, to extend the music listening experience from its powerful PC platforms into the home with DTS Play-Fi technology."

Following its debut with more consumer-friendly 6-series NAS servers in the desktop form-factor, ASUStor is ready with its next line, which includes rackmount 4- and 9-bay NAS servers, targeting SMBs and enterprises. The two were exhibited at CES. Both models are based on the Intel Atom platform, featuring at least two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, some additional eSATA and USB 3.0 ports, and the 9-bay model even featuring redundant power supply. The two are based on ASUStor's ADM 1.0 software, which provides a third-party software environment for sysadmins to develop and deploy, specific to their setups.

ASUS today announced the Transformer AiO at CES 2013, the world's first all-in-one PC with Windows 8 and a detachable 18.4-inch display that doubles as a standalone Android tablet. ASUS also announced the Qube with Google TV media streamer that brings a wealth of online entertainment content to HDTVs, the PA249Q ProArt and VG248QE Fast Gaming monitors, and the WL-330NUL Pocket Router - the world's smallest router that gives easy wireless connectivity to travelers.

ASUS did a back-room unveiling of its E2KM1I-Deluxe feature-packed mini-ITX motherboard for HTPCs. The board leverages AMD's recently-launched E2-2000 dual-core APU, combining it with a desktop-grade FCH chipset that lends it six SATA 6 Gb/s ports (of which one is eSATA). The board features two standard DDR3 DIMM slots, expansion area includes a PCI-Express 2.0 x16, and an mPCIe (which is populated with an 802.11 b/g/n WLAN card). Boosting its HTPC credentials are the HDMI display output (with an in-built 7.1-channel HD audio stream), and a TOSLINK digital audio output. Other connectivity includes DVI, USB 3.0, gigabit Ethernet, and a number of USB 2.0/1.1 ports.

It's finally happened! ASUS took a long overdue plunge into the ocean of enthusiast storage, by unveiling the Republic of Gamers (ROG) RAIDR, a PCI-Express SSD that uses a number of mSATA SSD sub-units in an internal RAID 0 configuration that's abstract to the host. As it goes with every other ROG product, the RAIDR is dressed in secsi red+black, and uses a conventional full-height add-on card design that's completely covered by an EMI shield. The card connects to its host over PCI-Express 2.0 x4, and probably packs four mSATA 6 Gb/s sub-units, which make up various capacities.

ASUS ROG presents the fastest and most powerful graphics card currently available with the limited edition ARES II. Its dual Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition GPUs and 6 GB GDDR5 memory support provide the ultimate PC gaming experience in a space-saving 2-slot design. The ARES II features exclusive ASUS DIGI+ VRM and Super Alloy Power technologies for greater stability and product longevity. The bundled ROG Edition GPU Tweak utility allows customers direct access to graphics card overclocking and tuning options via a user-friendly interface.

Continuing the ARES legacy with collectible hardware for enthusiasts
Launched in the summer of 2010, the original ROG ARES provided a new milestone in graphics power that soon became an in-demand commodity among hardware enthusiasts and collectors. ARES II likewise debuts as a limited edition product, with only 1000 units produced. It ships in a special ROG-themed case, with each card featuring a laser-etched serial number on the aluminum backplate to denote its collectible status.

DisplayLink, the leading provider of technology for virtual graphics and USB-connected computing and ASUS, a global leader in the new digital era, today announced the launch of their VariDrive USB 3.0 Media Docking device, which has been honored by the CEA for 2013 CES Innovations. The Varidrive combines an external slot-loading optical Multi DVD combo drive, with a DisplayLink enabled SuperSpeed docking station for UltraBook expansion and is housed in an ultra portable form factor.

The new ASUS VariDrive product is the perfect match for UltraBooks and notebooks alike, providing all the much-needed peripheral expansion options that users today demand. VariDrive includes an 8X multi DVD read/write combo drive and a docking station with HDMI, VGA, Gigabit Ethernet and HDMI Audio, all in a stylish form factor.

In an interview with DigiTimes, ASUS general manager of motherboard business Joe Hsieh commented on reports of Intel abandoning CPU sockets in favor of processors being hardwired to motherboards in BGA packages. Hsieh said that the issue will not be as bad as people think and Intel could find a strategy that allows both soldered and socketed processors to be sold, which is much like today, except that hardwired processors are limited to notebooks (Core i3 and i5 processors in the BGA1224 package) and low-end Atom-driven desktop motherboards.

What lends Hsieh's statement weight, apart from the fact that he leads the biggest PC motherboard design team, is that Intel recently denied those reports, saying it would provide socketed CPUs for "the foreseeable future." Last month, Japanese publication PC Watch, credited for generally accurate tech predictions based on information at hand, reported that following its 22 nm Core "Haswell" CPU family, Intel could transform its entry-, mainstream-, and performance-segment client CPUs to hardwired BGA packages, probably leaving socketed CPUs only to HEDT (high-end desktop) and enterprise Xeon processor lines. Other PC motherboard vendors DigiTimes spoke with echoed ASUS' opinion, they don't believe Intel could "suddenly" completely change the way processors are sold to consumers.

ASUSTOR Inc., a leading innovator and provider of network storage solutions, today announced the release of three new NAS Apps for its well-received AS 6 Series NAS devices. These new Apps consist of Symantec Backup Exec's RALUS, an acclaimed backup solution, Dropbox, a popular cloud storage and sync service and DVBLink TV Server, a digital television App. Additionally, two of ASUSTOR's existing Apps are being upgraded with advanced features and enhancements. Download Center now features the new and convenient Smart Download Folder function. Its mobile App, AiDownload, has added a push notification function and is now available for both iOS and Android. Not to be outdone, the Surveillance Center App now boasts added Daylight Saving Time adjustments along with full compatibility with Panasonic's BB and BL camera lines. Interested users may begin enjoying these new Apps and upgrades by downloading them through ASUSTOR's App Central.

EVGA entered the Taiwanese market, which is the backyard of several major NVIDIA and AMD board partners, including ASUS, Gigabyte, and MSI. The American company launched almost its entire GeForce 600 series lineup, including GT 610, GT 620, GT 630, GT 640, GTX 650 Ti, GTX 660 Ti, GTX 670, and GTX 680. Missing in action are the flagship GTX 690, and non-reference design "Classified" series of graphics cards, in which EVGA puts in a lot of design, cooling, and PCB customization. EVGA's products are launched at leading ground and online stores, at competitive prices. They are backed by 5-year product warranties.

PROMISE Technology Inc., a leader in providing high-performance storage solutions for the rich media market and the leader in designing cutting-edge Thunderbolt enabled devices, is proud to announce creative professionals and power users on PCs can now leverage the unparalleled performance of the award-winning Pegasus J2 to power them through their creative projects. The ultra-portable PROMISE Pegasus J2, one of the first storage devices with Thunderbolt technology to be certified for PC by Intel Corporation, can deliver up to 750 MB/s of performance, yet it's pocket-sized, enabling users to harness high bandwidth to transfer, playback, or edit media directly from the Pegasus J2 from anywhere.