Here's a good example of what can be born in times of recession. ASUSTeK is planning on asking $1700 for its latest ASUS R.O.G. (Republic of Gamers) Mars limited edition graphics card. Well the card is an eye catcher for sure, but it's up to you to decide if it's worth the cash after all. On paper specs look almost too good to be true, the card will carry two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 (G200b) GPUs on a single PCB. Each main graphics proccessor will be complemented by 2 GB DDR3 memory for a total of 4 gigs working at 2484MHz with 512-bit memory bus width. Each of the graphics processors will operate at 648 MHz with 480 stream processors, meaning that R.O.G. Mars will be as fast at two GeForce GTX 285 graphics boards in SLI mode and faster compared to a standard NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 graphics solution. ASUSTeK engineer estimate that the card will offer 23% higher performance compared to the reference NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295. The ASUS R.O.G. Mars limited can also be paired in SLI, for a total of four GeForce GTX 285 graphics cores and whooping 8 GB video memory on a single desktop system. There will be only one thousand of ASUS ROG Mars graphics boards ever built, each will be marked with its own unique number. English Scan.co.uk is now taking pre-orders of the card for £1030.98, which is approximately $1700 or €1222.

In addition to the newly released P6T6 WS Revolution workstation motherboard, ASUS has one more announcement to make today. From now on owners of high-end ASUS motherboards will have one more feature that will justify the price premium they pay over other brands. It's called ASUS Premium Service (APS) program and it will help consumers requiring RMA to cross-ship defective boards for replacement free of charge. In addition APS motherboards will be serviced faster and with higher priority so you won't have to wait months. ASUSTeK's current motherboards that support the Premium Service include most of the Republic of Gamers (R.O.G.) series boards as well as the Intel X58 iCore7 P6T Deluxe mainboard. The R.O.G. models included are: CROSSHAIR II FORMULA, MAXIMUS II FORMULA, RAMPAGE FORMULA, RAMPAGE EXTREME, RAMPAGE II EXTREME, STRIKER II NSE, STRIKER II EXTREME, and STRIKER II FORMULA. Effective immediately, owners of the above motherboards can benefit from the ASP if needed and contact the ASUS Customer Service or visit the ASUS Live Support.

Synced with the launch of Intel's latest generation Core i7 processor and X58 chipset, ASUS is presenting the ROG CG6190 Gaming PC. This outstanding piece of hardware features Intel's latest platform and provides top-notch solutions to deliver the ultimate in gaming experience-catering to the most demanding gamers who are constantly seeking the best in gaming PC features, performance, and stability. Furthermore, the unique exterior design is inspired by ancient and modern armor with both Eastern and Western influences, and presents an aesthetic appeal that exudes pure power!

The functionality of NVIDIA SLI and ATI Crossfire on the same motherboard isn't something new, we saw Intel's high-end D5400XS "Skulltrail" support it, where it used BR-04 chips made by NVIDIA to support the SLI functionality. Not much has changed with NVIDIA's plans on cashing in on the first wave of Nehalem LGA-1366 processor even though it's not ready with a native chipset for the new Intel chip, the nForce 200 (BR-04) chips will be used on some motherboards based on the Intel X58 chipset, thereby making the motherboard support both NVIDIA SLI technology. ASUS will release a high-end motherboard targeted at the gaming and overclocking community branded under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) banner. This board, according to a recent presentation by ASUS supports SLI and Crossfire.

Derek Yu, responsible for the R.O.G. series, told NordicHardware that the new NF200 is already performing adequately in most cases, and above expectations in other. He also revealed that the NF200 (BR-04) chip is hot (temperature-wise), like so many other chips form NVIDIA, and that ASUS has had to look at a variety of cooling solutions to keep the temperatures at bay.

ASUS is preparing to unveil a number of new products during the upcoming Computex 2008, but one of them deserves special attention. Named ASUS EN9600GT Matrix, this will be a tricked out GeForce 9600GT video card equipped with a specially designed hybrid cooler. The custom dual-slot cooler of the card consists of a large aluminum heatsink with heatpipes and a fan that will start working only when the card runs 3D applications or the temperature rises considerably. Besides all this, the new card will come with a black PCB, single DVI and HDMI outputs and optical sound output. Clock speeds are still unknown, but the EN9600GT Matrix is very likely to be highly overclocked, considering the big cooler and the Republic of Gamers badge on its fan. More information about the card will be unveiled during Computex 2008.

ASUS, leading provider of high-performance graphics solutions, today launched the world's first VGA and multimedia docking station - the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamer) XG Station. With extremely detailed and impeccable design, the XG Station has attained the honorific of being conferred with the red dot design award honourable mention 2008. The XG Station is also bundled with the EN8600GT/HTDP/256M graphics card, and equipped with an Express Card interface - seamlessly integrating notebook computing with powerful PC graphical power. It also incorporates 4 USB 2.0 ports and Dolby Technology - doubling as a USB hub that delivers true AV enjoyment.

The more competition, the better for us. ASUS intends to take its place among Dell and Alienware, by commencing production of its first high-performance laptop under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) line. Dressed in a stunning aluminum alloy shell finish, the G70S holds two NVIDIA GeForce 8700M GT graphics working in SLI, Intel Core 2 Duo T9500 processor, 2GB DDR2 667MHz memory, two 300GB hard disk drives in RAID 0 or RAID 1, 17-inch widescreen display with 1440x900 resolution, HDMI outputs and Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate OS. Peripheral equipment includes a 2MP web camera, TV tuner, a wireless module with Intel Wireless-N wireless network support and built-in 4-in-1 card reader. More pictures are available at HKEPC.

In the ever-evolving world of computer gaming, gamers need top-notch solutions to keep up with current trends and requirements. This is where the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) steps in. With a goal and promise for gamers to experience the finest in terms of gaming, ASUS ROG unveils the latest hardware geared for the future of gaming at CeBIT 2008.

Fans of ASUS' original Striker Extreme motherboard may be pleased to see that an image and some detailed specs of the company's upcoming Striker II Extreme have been leaked onto the internet. All the info can be seen below, as expected the motherboard looks quite impressive.

I guess the R.O.G. series is no more about expensive and high-end motherboards only, since ASUS has surprisingly showed the ROG: G-SURF 365, a motherboard that is powered by NVIDIA's mediacore nForce 630 chipset. The board looks like a toy compared to every one of its bigger brothers. It will support all Socket AM2 processors, one PCI-Express x16 external graphics, and only two DDR2 slots for up to 4GB. The ASUS ROG: G-SURF 365 is said to be available now in some stores for just under € 75.