ASRock is serious about breaking the 1 million motherboards-shipped mark for this year. The company is going into the emerging Intel Z87 chipset-based socket LGA1150 motherboard market with an extremely strong lineup covering a wide range of price-points. The company is preparing as many as three OC series models, two Fatal1ty series ones, and six Extreme series models. A defining feature of ASRock's lineup is the introduction of onboard 802.11 ac WLAN controllers on select models. The "/ac" brand extension denotes this feature.

Three of the company's top models based on the Z87 Express chipset include the Z87 Extreme11, Z87 Fatal1ty Professional, and Z87 OC Formula. The Z87 Extreme11, available with the /ac option, is the company's flagship socket LGA1150 motherboard, maxing out the platform's feature-set, and augmenting it with an additional PCI-Express lane budget, Thunderbolt, 802.11 ac, and a plethora of connectivity options. The Extreme series targets consumers who want the most connectivity. Other models in the series include the Z87 Extreme 9(/ac), Z87 Extreme6(/ac), Z87 Extreme 4, and the micro-ATX Z87M Extreme4.

Seeing as how some of the newest socket LGA1155 processors, such as the Core i7-3770K, competes with Sandy Bridge-E HEDT platform, and how today's GPUs are beginning to benefit from PCI-Express 3.0 in x8 and x4 configurations, ASRock decided to go beyond its Z77 Fatal1ty Professional, and launched a new Extreme series model, with a focus on features and connectivity. The Z77 Extreme9 from ASRock crams has every square inch of its standard ATX size PCB with features.

To begin with, the Z77 Extreme9 uses a fairly strong 8+4 phase VRM, which is similar to that of the Z77 Extreme6. The CPU VRM MOSFETs are cooled by a fairly big heatsink, which shares its head with a neighbouring heatsink, which cools a PLX PEX8747 PCI-Express 3.0 bridge chip, which takes in the lone PCI-Express 3.0 x16 link from the processor, and drives four of the board's six PCI-Express 3.0 x16 long slots, enabling 3-way and 4-way SLI/CrossFireX capability. The other slots are electrical PCI-Express 2.0, and wired to the Z77 PCH.

ASRock is readying its second Fatal1ty-branded socket LGA2011 motherboard, the X79 Fatal1ty Champion. The company's first LGA2011 Fatal1ty motherboard is the X79 Fatal1ty Professional, which was launched in February. The new X79 Fatal1ty Champion will be launched on April 27. Those familiar with Creative Sound Blaster Fatal1ty line of sound cards will note Fatal1ty Champion as being a more feature-rich version of Fatal1ty Professional. In this case, the X79 Fatal1ty Champion is based on a completely new PCB, with the design idea of more expansion, and the latest Creative Sound Core3D audio solution.

The X79 Fatal1ty Champion features eight DDR3 DIMM slots (X79 Fatal1ty Professional has four), and a PCIe-only expansion slot layout. The LGA2011 socket is powered by a 12-phase DigiPower VRM, similar to the one on the Professional. The VRM heatsink is assisted by two other secondary heatsinks, to which heat is conveyed by a heat-pipe. One of these is connected to the PCH heatsink. Power is drawn by 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and one 4-pin Molex (angled, optional). The board features consolidated voltage measurement points, which are socketed to hold your multimeter's leads in place. The board will be augmented by a feature-rich UEFI BIOS setup program, and ASRock-exclusive features such as XFastLAN, XFastUSB, and XFastRAM will be included.

World's top 3 motherboard manufacturer, ASRock Inc, unveils its latest Intel 7-series motherboard at 2012 Annual Global Tour. The latest 7-Series motherboard supports 2nd and 3rd Generation Intel Core i7 / i5 / i3 Processors. Featuring unique XFast 555 technology (XFast RAM, XFast LAN, XFast USB), ASRock 7-Series motherboard allows users to experience "REAL" performance boost (up to 5X better) in terms of PC's overall performance, LAN speed and USB transfer speed. ASRock has built up a reputation for building bulletproof mobos with very competitive price tag. In 2012 Global Tour, ASRock will be showcasing the long-awaited motherboards based on Intel 7-series chipsets.

ASRock is working on not one, but two motherboard models based on the Intel Z77 chipset, under its Fatal1ty Professional series. The first of the lot is a standard-ATX Z77 Fatal1ty Professional, followed by the micro-ATX Z77 Fatal1ty Professional-M. The latter is ASRock's first micro-ATX Fatal1ty motherboard. The ATX Z77 Fatal1ty Professional could go on to be ASRock's flagship Z77 motherboard. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 20+ phase digital-PWM power circuitry, and memory by a 5-phase VRM, which make this board as much an overclockers' choice as gamers'.

Expansion slots include two each of PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x8/x8 when both populated), PCIe 2.0 x1, and legacy PCI; and one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to the PCH). There are plenty of SATA ports, including six SATA 6 Gb/s (two from the PCH, four from additional controllers), four internal SATA 3 Gb/s, and eSATA. ASRock seems to have deployed a PCIe bridge chip to yield more PCIe lanes. USB 3.0 connectivity includes two ports via front-panel header, and possibly four ports (if not more) on the rear-panel. Since users of this board will almost certainly be using discrete graphics, display connectivity is reduced to smaller ports (such as HDMI or DisplayPort).

The world leading motherboard brand ASRock announced today that it will be exhibiting at the CeBIT 2012 which takes place in Hannover, Germany from March 6th to 10th (Hall 17, Booth C32.) ASRock will launch a full range of the latest motherboard products and the premier home entertaining line of HTPCs, along with the exciting debut of its brand new IPC motherboard series.

ASRock will introduce an array of Intel's new 7-series motherboards, and unveil the brand new Fatal1ty X79 Professional motherboard at CeBIT 2012. Equipped with top-class components, the new ASRock/Fatal1ty X79 Professional is designed to exceed expectations of even the most dedicated gamers. Testing reveals support for up to an incredible DDR3 2624(OC) MHz, the system has very powerful OC capability and is also stable enough to completely run all the Hyper PI tests.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and power supplies for computing devices and systems, today announced the availability of the Fatal1ty 1000 Watt power supply, the latest high-performance PSU targeted at gamers and enthusiasts that demand maximum wattage, high efficiency, and a modular cabling configuration.

Dedicated to delivering premium power solutions, OCZ's latest PSU was co-developed with twelve-time world champion Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers in performance, stability, and ease of integration to reduce system downtime. Featuring individually-sleeved modular cables, the Fatal1ty Series eliminates unnecessary wire clutter for a cleaner overall presentation and superior airflow in high end systems that are packed with components.

Gamers need so much more from their PCs! With this concept in mind, Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel worked closely with ASRock engineers to develop a well-featured motherboard based on the exciting Intel X79 chipset. Equipped with top-class components, the new ASRock/Fatal1ty X79 Professional was designed to exceed expectations of even the most dedicated gamer!

"This Fatal1ty motherboard was designed to bring your gaming performance to the highest level. The Fatal1ty X79 Professional comes with a Fatal1ty Mouse Port that delivers the precise control needed to elevate your game." said Fatal1ty. "In addition to gaming functions, the board packs 4 PCIe 3.0 slots, supporting up to 4-Way SLI and 4-Way CrossFireX. This combination will make you deadly and feared in the battlefield."

Japanese built-to-order gaming PC maker Ark PC unveiled an AMD-powered variant of its Tathlum Gaming PC desktop (model: CY-AF8A99A-C2). The machine is built into a Cooler Master HAF 912 Advanced chassis, and is accompanied by a 23-inch full-HD monitor. In the driver's seat is AMD FX-8150 processor, seated on an ASRock Fatal1ty 990FX motherboard, with 8 GB dual-channel DDR3-1333 MHz memory, and AMD Radeon HD 7970 3 GB graphics. The processor is cooled by a Zalman CNPS9900MAX Red. Other components of interest include a Hitachi DeskStar 1 TB 7200 RPM SATA 6 Gb/s hard drive, onboard HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet. A SilverStone ST75F-SST-P 750W 80 Plus Silver PSU powers it all. Windows 7 Home Premium x64 is the OS of choice. The Tanthum CY-AF8A99A-C2 is priced at 167,800 JPY (US $2,175).

At the AMD & HardOCP Game Experience event held in Texas, gamers were asked to participate in a blind test. The test involved gaming on two sets of gaming PCs with two PCs each, in each set is an AMD-powered PC, and an Intel-powered one. Participants weren't disclosed which PC was driven by what, as they were assembled in identical-looking cases (no window), with identical monitors and other peripherals. The first set is of budget single-monitor HD gaming, while the second set is high-end three-monitor gaming.

After gaming on both rigs in each set, respondents were asked to tick on a sheet of paper, which rig gave them a better gaming experience, or if gaming both had no observable difference. AMD went into this exercise expecting that most respondents will select "no difference" as their option, and so that would bring good PR to AMD, but to their surprise, most respondents selected the rigs that was powered by AMD processors.

Although ASRock's lineup of socket LGA2011 motherboards is expansive, covering several price-points, and being available in various form-factors (ATX, XL-ATX, and Micro-ATX), all its X79 Extreme series motherboards launched so far, barring the X79 Fatal1ty Profess1onal, features the same black+silver color scheme. ASRock wants to add some color and side-branding to its X79 Extreme motherboards without necessarily investing much in coming up with new designs. Hence it came up with the idea of making Hasbro Transformers-themed motherboards.

On its Facebook page, ASRock disclosed some rough-sketches (for now, Photoshop quickies), of the X79 Optimus Prime, and the X79 Bumblebee, named after two of the most iconic Autobots from the franchise. These essentially look like the X79 Extreme9 with appropriately-colored heatsink shrouds and expansion slots. The quality of those pictures indicates that ASRock is still in the brainstorming stage of these products, seeking opinions of its Facebook fans, and it will be a while before these products take shape, if they take shape to begin with.

Since apparently six X79 motherboards aren't enough, ASRock is now putting the finishing touches on yet another LGA 2011 model, the Fatal1ty X79 Professional. This new, gamer-oriented board supports Intel's Sandy Bridge-E processors, and features a 2oz copper PCB, Premium Gold Caps, four DDR3-2400 memory slots, ten SATA ports (six are likely 6.0 Gbps while the rest are 3.0 Gbps), and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots enabling CrossFireX or 4-way SLI setups.

ASRock unveiled the first Fatal1ty-branded AMD platform product, a premium motherboard based on the AMD 990FX chipset, ready for AMD FX series processors in the AM3+ package. The board sports the signature Fatal1ty color scheme of black and red, and is geared for high-end gaming PCs. The AM3+ socket is powered by a 14-phase digital PWM power design, which is ready for even 140W chips. It is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3 with speeds of over 2000 MHz by overclocking.

Two of the unique selling points here is ASRock Fatal1ty XFast USB, a pair of low-latency and high-polling USB ports to plug in your gaming mouse and keyboard; and XFast LAN, which is a software layer that works to lower latency and prioritize internet bandwidth to applications. To top it off, there's a Fatal1ty-themed UEFI setup program that features some extra advanced settings.

ASRock gave its premium LGA1155 motherboard lineup a boost with the new Z68 Fatal1ty. Apart from being a Z68 chipset based motherboard modeled along the lines of its predecessor, the ASRock P67 Fatal1ty, the new motherboard features PCI-Express 3.0 graphics slots, that work on Sandy Bridge and future Ivy Bridge processors. The new third generation PCI-E interconnect can drive 1 GB/s of data per link, per direction. You'll need PCI-E 3.0 compliant add-on cards to make use of that bandwidth, current graphics cards will run at Gen. 2 speeds. One advantage here could be that AMD Radeon HD 5000 and HD 6000 series single-GPU graphics cards will run on Gen 2.1 mode, which has slightly higher bandwidth at its disposal thanks to its lower-overhead data coding scheme.

The ASRock Z68 Fatal1ty is designed for both gamers and overclockers, using high-grade components. The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 18-phase VRM, wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR3-2133 MHz (Ivy Bridge IMC's optimal memory speed). Featuring Intel Flexible Display Interface (FDI), the board allows you to use the integrated graphics. With the Lucid Virtu technology, you can switch between the integrated graphics, and discrete graphics cards. Expansion slots include two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical x8/x8 when both are populated), one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4, wired to Z68 PCH), and two each of PCI-E 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI.

OCZ displayed a new Fatal1ty-branded 1000W modular PSU at this year's Computex. The PSU bears 80 Plus Gold efficiency rating, and is fit for gaming PCs with up to three graphics cards, or "hardcore gamers", as the placard puts it. The PSU is partially modular, i.e., essential connectors such as 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS are fixed to the unit, while everything else, is detachable. OCZ is said to be using special cables that are flatter and a lot more flexible, to reach around tight spots in the case. The unit is cooled by a 130 mm fan that is red LED-illuminated. It is backed by a 5 year PowerSwap warranty by OCZ.

Long time Fatal1ty brand partner OCZ Technology showed off its latest range of DDR3 DIMM modules carrying the Fatal1ty Profess1onal badge. The module uses OCZ's Blade 2 series heatsink, which makes it slightly taller than conventional modules, and helps keep the module cool at high voltages. It is expected to be available in DDR3-1600 speeds, and optimized for Intel Sandy Bridge processors. Here, it's pictured on ASRock's P67 Fatal1ty motherboard.

Leading professional gamer Fatal1ty has branded all kinds of PC hardware, including peripherals, headsets, sound cards, graphics cards, and even motherboards made by erstwhile Abit. Motherboards with the Fatal1ty branding are making a comeback, this time under the charge of ASUS. It is reported that a new manufacturer is designing some socket LGA1155 motherboards based on the Intel P67 chipset using the Fatal1ty branding. The company will show off its latest motherboards at CES 2011, which will also be the time when Intel unveils its 2011 Core processor family. Socket LGA1155 processors, coupled with Intel P67 platform is the key segment that targets gamers.

UPDATE: The board in question is made by ASRock, it's called Fatal1ty P67. It features a high-end VRM, 3-way NVIDIA SLI/CrossFire capability, a high-grade 16-phase digital CPU VRM, a unique USB port that automatically steps up polling rate of gaming mice, THX audio, four SATA 6 Gb/s, and two USB 3.0 ports. Fatal1ty detailed the board himself, in the TweakTown article linked below.

Creative today announced a new line of gaming headsets that create a completely 360-degree, 3D audio experience, surpassing even 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound headsets. The new gaming headsets, called the Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Alpha and Sound Blaster Tactic 3D Sigma, are the first Sound Blaster headsets to feature a unique 360-degree audio system, which is also fully customizable. Using THX TruStudio technology created by sound engineers at Creative Labs in conjunction with THX, the Tactic 3D headsets can create audio above, below and all around the wearer.

Wearers can completely customize their audio experience through the software included with the headsets. The headsets will also ship with pre-made audio profiles created by professional gamers such as Johnathan 'Fatal1ty' Wendel, as well as members from international professional gaming teams compLexity and Dignitas.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs), memory modules, and power supplies for computing devices and systems, unveils the Fatal1ty 750 Watt power supply, a new high-performance PSU targeted at gamers and enthusiasts that prefer modular cabling.

OCZ is dedicated to delivering premium power solutions, and the new 750W was co-developed with Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, twelve-time World champion, to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers. "I worked with OCZ on this new modular 750W Fatal1ty power supply to give the strength and power to my PC; I need to win!!," stated Johnathan "Fatal1ty'" Wendel. Featuring new "low-profile" flat modular cabling with efficiencies in airflow and control, the Fatal1ty 750W PSU not only provides stable, efficient power, but also unique, user-friendly connectors that promote greater flexibility and organization inside the PC case. Featuring glowing red LED lights to add style, Fatal1ty power supplies are an ideal upgrade for users who need a computer setup able to take on hours of non-stop gaming. Additionally, Fatal1ty 750W power supplies are designed to perform even at elevated temperatures of up to 45°C, nearly twice that of the industry standard.

Creative Technology Ltd. today unveiled the Creative Sound Blaster Arena Surround USB Gaming Headset, a cutting-edge, all-in-one gaming headset powered by renowned Sound Blaster X-Fi technology, and also announced the availability of the Creative Fatal1ty Professional Series Gaming Headset MkII. Designed with the rigorous needs of gamers in mind, both headsets provide the ultimate gaming experience for those serious about immersing themselves in the game.

Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, the world's best known PC gamer, and Fusion-io join up at the Fatal1ty E3 booth to launch the ioXtreme, a solid state storage device for high-performance PCs and workstations using 64 bit operating systems. The ioXtreme eliminates application latency, delivering the kind of storage performance once limited to the world's fastest supercomputers.
Drawing from Fusion-io's industry-leading solid-state technologies, the ioXtreme is a PCI Express card that sits on the system bus filling the performance gap between RAM and disk drives. It adds 80 GB of non-volatile capacity, exponentially accelerating input and output, including file access, and improving application performance dramatically.

The GeForce 9400 GT graphics processor was originally conceived by the company to serve as an upgrade over the IGP, to provide multi-head HD video connectivity, video acceleration and a reasonable bit of GPU acceleration for CUDA-driven applications. It facilitates only some very casual gaming at low settings. XFX however, is looking to give it a gamer feel with a new Fatal1ty-branded SKU. Brand Fatal1ty represents a range of gamer-oriented hardware carrying the brand-marks of one of the most successful and popular professional gamers of our time: Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel.

The XFX GeForce 9400 GT Fatal1ty takes on the same XFX-design and adds Fatal1ty branding. Featuring 512 MB of DDR2 memory, this card uses clock speeds of 550 MHz core and 800 MHz memory. The features are pretty standard: 16 stream processors, a 128-bit wide DDR2 memory bus, DVI and D-Sub connectors for output, and a low-profile PCB design that makes it slim form-factor friendly. The product will be announced shortly, so we could know its price.

high reliability memory and components, today revealed the first power supply models under the Fatal1ty series, offering gamers stable and efficient power for their mainstream or high-end rigs. OCZ is dedicated to delivering premium power solutions, and the Fatal1ty series options are the first step to creating an exceptional gaming system for the unique power and cabling requirements of today's gamer.

Even though PC Power & Cooling is the premium power supply brand in the OCZ Technology Group, there are sometimes products that OCZ wants to release under their own name.One of these is this OCZ Fatal1ty branded power supply. It is still going through its final design stages. The cables are colored in red, the Fatal1ty logo is lit up red and the fan is red as well. Exact specs are still unknown, but expect something in the 850+ W range - we counted four PCI-Express 8-pin power connectors.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a worldwide leader in innovative, ultra-high performance and high reliability memory and PC components, today announced the first memory modules available in their Fatal1ty Series after the partnership was announced last month. These high-performance memory kits were co-developed with the expertise of Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, 12-time World champion, to meet the specific needs of fellow gamers. OCZ Fatal1ty Professional Series kits are the official memory modules of Championship Gaming Series (CGS), and feature incredible performance to power through the latest PC titles and contribute to the success of professionals and everyday gamers.

"OCZ worked closely with Fatal1ty and his team to design new memory kits that pair perfectly with the top selling motherboards for a superior gaming experience," commented Alex Mei, Chief Marketing Officer of the OCZ Technology Group. "Fatal1ty knows what it takes to win at the highest level of eSports, and these new kits deliver superior stability and performance to gamers whether you are a professional player on the Championship Gaming Series, or a weekend warrior looking to dominate when playing the latest titles."