ASUS today introduced White variants of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix custom-design GeForce RTX 30-series graphics cards. These card have essentially the same board design as the original ROG Strix RTX 30-series, but with streaks of matte-white and brushed-metal making up the cooler shrouds, back-plates, and impellers of the three Axial-Tech fans. The PCB underneath is still black. The RGB LED embellishments are identical to those on the original ROG Strix cards. The cards also feature the same factory-overclocked speeds as their original-design siblings.

Among the variants ASUS is launching are the ROG-STRIX-RTX3090-O24G-WHITE and ROG-STRIX-RTX3090-24G-WHITE, based on the RTX 3090; ROG-STRIX-RTX3080-O10G-WHITE and ROG-STRIX-RTX3080-10G-WHITE based on the RTX 3080; and ROG-STRIX-RTX3070-O8G-WHITE and ROG-STRIX-RTX3070-8G-WHITE, based on the RTX 3070. The company didn't reveal pricing, although we expect these cards to be priced at a slight premium over the original ROG Strix RTX 30-series.

When AMD introduced its Smart Access Memory technology, everyone was wondering will other GPU and CPU providers, namely Intel and NVIDIA, develop a similar solution to complement their offerings. The SAM technology is just AMD's way of naming PCIe resizable Base Address Register (BAR) technology, which has been present in PCI specifications for years as an optional feature. Why it's emerging now you might wonder. Well, the currently used PCIe revision has reached enough bandwidth on the bus to complement the complex data movement that GPU requires and now supports the use of the wider VRAM frame buffer.

It appears that not only AMD has this technology in its portfolio. ASUS has updated its BIOS firmware for its ROG Maximus XII Apex motherboard based on the Intel Z490 chipset, with some pretty interesting features. According to Tom's Hardware, we have information that the next release of BIOS firmware update 1003 for the ROG Maximus XII Apex motherboard will bring support for resizable BAR, making it a first on an Intel platform. For now, the beta 1002 BIOS supports it, however, a stable version will roll out in BIOS 1003. With the motherboard using PCIe 3.0 standard, a lower-bandwidth revision compared to AMD's platform, it will be interesting to see how resizable BAR is performing once the first tests come.

Update 09:45 am UTC: Chris Wefers, ASUS PR Germany, has announced that resizable BAR will be coming to all ASUS motherboards with Intel Z490/H470/B460 chipset, with alleged 13.37% performance increase in Forza Horizon 4, per ASUSes testing. You can see the test configuration in the image below.

ASUS today introduced a new iteration of their Strix Scope keyboard, the Strix Scope RX. The new keyboard is now offering ASUS-developed ROG RX Red Optical Mechanical Switches - ASUS is promising consistent wobble-free keystrokes, superfast 1-millisecond response, and up to a 100-million-keystroke lifespan. ASUS says these are the first switches in the world to feature a hollow-square stem design with embedded RGB LEDs to provide all-round per-key lighting, offering near-zero debounce delay.

ASUS calls attention to the twice-as-wide CTRL key, ensuring easy, infallible access during gaming sessions, and also mentions the Stealth Key (marked by, as they say, "iconic cloaked figure") which allows for immediate hiding of all open apps and sound muting for instant privacy (an interesting feature, wonder what its perfect use case would be...). A Quick Toggle switch allows to change the top keyboard row between Media or Function (Fn) key input. The keyboard also offers a single USB 2.0 passthrough, and features dust and spill resistance. The keyboard's top plate is built out of brushed aluminium. The ASUS ROG Strix Scope RX will be available from Q1 2021 in Benelux with an MSRP of €139.

AMD has just recently announced its next-generation Radeon RX 6000 series GPU based on the new RDNA 2 architecture. The architecture is set to compete with NVIDIA Ampere architecture and highest offerings of the competing company. Today, thanks to the well-known leaker TUM_APISAK, we have some Geekbench OpenCL scores. It appears that some user has gotten access to the system with the Radeon RX 6800 and RX 6800 XT GPUs, running Cinebench 4.4 OpenCL tests. In the tests, the system ran on the Intel platform with Core i9-10900K CPU with 16 GB DDR4 RAM running at 3600 MHz. The motherboard used was ASUS top-end ROG Maximus XII Extreme Z490 board.

When it comes to results, the system with RX 6800 GPU scored anywhere from 347137 points to 336367 points in three test runs. For comparison, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 scores about 361042 points, showcasing that the Radeon card is not faster in any of the runs. When it comes to the higher-end Radeon RX 6800 XT GPU, it scored 407387 and 413121 points in two test runs. Comparing that to GeForce RTX 3080 GPU that scores 470743 points, the card is slower compared to the competition. There has been a Ryzen 9 5950X test setup that boosted the performance of Radeon RX 6800 XT card by quite a lot, making it reach 456837 points, making a huge leap over the Intel-based system thanks to the Smart Access Memory (SAM) technology that all-AMD system provides.

The processors may be a few days away from availability, but the overclocking records are already trickling out. Darklord posted a CPU-Z validation for a Ryzen 9 5950X 16-core processor overclocked to 5898.63 MHz (or roughly 5.90 GHz), with all 16 cores and 32 threads enabled, and dual-channel memory. It appears to be a straight up multiplier overclock with the multiplier set to 59.0X, and stock base-clock. What's interesting, though, is the core voltage that this feat took—a scorching 1.656 V. Other components include an ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Impact X570 motherboard, dual-channel DDR4-3600 memory, and basic GT 710 graphics. There's no word on cooling, but with this kind of voltage, an extreme method such as LN2 won't surprise us. Find the validation here.

EK, the premium liquid cooling gear manufacturer, releases a new Momentum Monoblock for ROG Maximus XII Hero - an Intel Z490 chipset-based motherboard. The EK-Quantum Momentum ROG Maximus XII Hero monoblock is made available in Plexi and Acetal versions. The Plexi model is featuring addressable D-RGB LEDs compatible with ASUS AURA Sync software that offers full lighting customization for every single diode, at any given time.

This is a complete all-in-one (CPU and motherboard) liquid cooling solution for Intel Socket 1200 Series Processors. The monoblock is covering the entire VRM section of the ROG Maximus XII Hero motherboard. This monoblock boasts the latest generation Velocity cooling engine, used in the EK Quantum Lineup to ensure the best possible CPU cooling without reducing flow to other components. It cools the CPU, as well as the voltage regulation (MOSFET) module. Liquid flows directly over all critical areas, providing the enthusiasts with an excellent solution for high and stable overclocks. Like every EK monoblock, the EK-Quantum Momentum Maximus XII Hero features a high flow design, easily used in systems with weaker water pumps or lower pump speed settings. The Plexi version of this monoblock comes with sophisticated addressable D-RGB lightning, which connects to a standard 3-pin 5 V D-RGB addressable header on the ROG Maximus XII Hero.

As if on cue, AMD add-in board partners have started teasing their upcoming custom-design Radeon RX 6000 series graphics cards, which AMD claims are competitive with NVIDIA's fastest. Here's the first picture of the ROG Strix LC Radeon RX 6800 XT by ASUS, featuring a refreshing new board design that uses an AIO liquid cooler too cool the GPU, while other hot components such as the memory and VRM are cooled by heatsinks that are ventilated by a lateral blower. The GPU AIO cooler uses what looks like a 240 mm x 120 mm radiator. Both the cooler shroud and the radiator fans come with RGB embellishments.

Update 14:38 UTC: We also have pictures, courtesy of DonanimHaber, of the TUF Gaming RX 6800 XT OC, and air-cooled ROG Strix RX 6800 XT, which looks a lot like the ROG Strix series cards based on the NVIDIA RTX 30-series.

ASUS has held its Republic of Gamers (ROG) day, and at the event, there was a special graphics card. Spotted there was a GeForce RTX 3090 GPU in the form of ASUS ROG STRIX GUNDAM edition. With an appeal based on a famous anime series GUNDAM, ASUS has decided to launch a new product line made up of a motherboard and a graphics card. The new ASUS GeForce RTX 3090 ROG STRIX GUNDAM Edition features the same specifications as the regular RTX 3090 edition, just with an increased clock speed of 1890 MHz, three 8-pin power connectors, and a maximum power limit of 480 Watts.

The card features a white triple slot body with three fans cooling the heatsink. When it comes to the availability of this card, it is said to be a limited edition only sold to the Asian market. The price tag will carry a premium over the regular ROG STRIX model, with a cost of 16,999 Yuans (~2530 USD). The standard ROG STRIX model comes at a 1799 USD price tag, meaning that you will pay 730 USD more for this limited edition product. The availability is supposedly going to be even worse than with current cards, meaning that only a few people will get their hands on these if the current situation is any reference.More pictures follow.

As we explained in our older article about the new ASUS ROG Crosshair XII Dark Hero, AMD's Ryzen 5000 series Socket AM4 processors based on the "Zen 3" microarchitecture are unlikely to be accompanied by a new chipset, presenting motherboard makers with the opportunity to refresh their AMD 500-series chipset product stacks with new products. ASUS has a new premium product based on the AMD X570, in the form of the ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero. The company also unveiled a premium product based on the AMD B550 chipset—the ROG Strix B550-XE Gaming. While the Dark Hero is an incremental upgrade over the original Crosshair VIII Hero while retaining the PCB design, this particular board appears to be largely based on the ROG Strix B550-E Gaming.

ASUS has traditionally used the "XE" brand extension for ROG Strix series motherboard refreshes to denote improved CPU VRM, and this appears to be the case with the B550-XE Gaming, too. The board features a meatier 16-phase CPU VRM, with a more elaborate VRM cooling solution that uses larger heatsinks, which are interconnected by a flat heat-pipe, and unless we're mistaken, a 40 mm fan underneath the rear I/O shroud. The rest of the board's feature-set appears to be identical to that of the B550-E Gaming.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today launched a collaboration with ACRONYM, a leading technical apparel design agency, to create a special edition ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop that melds top-of-the-line hardware with a radical new vision for what technology can be. Available for sale worldwide starting today, this device is based on a design concept grounded in Errolson Hugh's vision of a more empowered user: not just a gamer, but a thinker and a creator.

ACRONYM 's co-founder Errolson Hugh has been a pioneer in the technical apparel industry since the company's founding in 1994. In the 26 years since, their agency has built an extensive design portfolio dedicated to fusing singular style with the latest technology. Whether they're designing product lines for Nike and Arc'Teryx, virtual video game gear for Square Enix / EIDOS, or creating clothing under their own flag, ACRONYM has a proven track record as a visionary in the apparel industry with a commitment to sourcing top notch materials to create utilitarian designs that go far beyond style.

Here's a much clearer picture of the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3090 "Ampere" graphics card by ASUS. A render of this card was revealed back in July, when the RTX 3090 was still speculated to be called the "RTX 3080 Ti." The card features the latest iteration of the ROG Strix design scheme by ASUS, with more shiny metal bits that conceal lighting elements. The cooler features a chunky aluminium fin-stack heatsink that's ventilated by three Axial-Tech fans. The card is 3 slots thick, and about an inch taller than what would constitute "full height." VideoCardz, which is also the source of the image, predicts that ASUS could use same board design for both the RTX 3090 and the RTX 3080. We've seen custom-design RTX 3090 cards featuring as many as three 8-pin PCIe power inputs, while those based on the RTX 3080 have been shown with two. With the RTX 3090 and RTX 3080 being based on the common silicon, the GA102, differing in memory and core configurations, the R&D costs for custom-design board partners is greatly reduced.

ASUS ROG has recently teased their upcoming ROG keyboard switches in a post captioned "Who's ready to switch up their gaming?!" with a picture of the upcoming switch. ASUS is holding a virtual launch event on September 1st where the switches will be officially announced along with a wide range of new ASUS products. This event will likely explain the rationale behind the development of these switches and their advantages compared to traditional Cherry MX switches. These switches feature the ROG eye logo indicating these will only be used in ROG branded keyboards.

ASUS today announced the ROG PG259QN monitor, a 24,5" monitor featuring a blazing fast 360 Hz refresh rates paired with a 1 ms response time. Of course, driving that refresh rate means that the monitor itself only offers 1080p resolution - albeit it does so using an IPS panel. Color-accuracy isn't reported as of yet, though, so save your money, at least for now, if you're also looking at color-critical applications. But the defining purpose for this monitor is for it to be one of the best solutions for twitch gaming scenarios. According to an NVIDIA-led study, gamers with a 360 Hz monitor improved their K/D ratio by 4% compared to using a "mere" 240 Hz solution, so there's that. The addition of a G-Sync module, according to ASUS, allows the PG259QN to have the best smoothness of any gaming monitor, bar none.

The ROG PG259QN supports ASUS AURA Sync, slim bezels, tilt, pivot, height, and swivel adjustments. I/O is guaranteed by 1x DisplayPort 1.4 cable and 1x HDMI 2.0 port, alongside 1x 3.5 mm headset jack and 1x USB 3.0 pass-through port, as well. No word on pricing at time of writing.

ASUS at its Asia ROG event announced a new monitor, approaching stores and shores (eventually). The ROG Swift PG329Q is being launched with a "Super Kill" marketing line, which aims to showcase just how impressive this monitor will be in aiding users' gaming capabilities. The ROG Swift PG329Q features a 32" "Fast IPS" panel - fast IPS here meaning that it's capable of running at 175 Hz whilst keeping a 1 ms Gray-to-Gray response time - all of this with IPS' renowned color rendition.

The monitor features a sane 2560 x 1440 resolution and HDR 600 certification from VESA, and thanks to the usage of Quantum Dot tech, will be able to offer 98% DCI-P3 color gamut coverage and 160% sRGB ultra-wide color gamut coverage. The monitor supports Adaptive Sync tech (whether via FreeSync or G-Sync compatible), as well as ASUS' ELMB SYNC technology. There's also the usual RGB tech going on in the back of the monitor. The ASUS ROG Swift PG329Q will be released in the fourth quarter of this year. No word on pricing, but expect a monitor with these features to be leaning heavily on the $ side of the equation.

ASUS today unveiled the ROG Falchion, a wireless mechanical gaming keyboard that fits into the new "65%" form-factor that's smaller than TKL. The keyboard offers 68 keys, with macros and function keys making up the deficit compared to most TKL or standard 104 keyboards. It comes in variants based on the switch used, and ASUS offers Cherry MX switches, with RGB illuminated keycaps, and per-key color customization.

The ROG Falchion also provides what ASUS calls an "interactive touch panel," which is essentially a capacitive strip that can be used as a volume rocker or scroller. Its wireless credentials include "gaming grade" 2.4 GHz RF with 1 ms response time, and up to 400 hours of battery life (with RGB lighting off), on a full charge. ASUS includes a hard case with the keyboard to help you carry it around. The company didn't reveal pricing.

HyperX, the gaming division of Kingston Technology, Inc., today announced the release of new and updated speeds and capacities for HyperX Predator DDR4 RGB and HyperX FURY DDR4 RGB memory modules and kits. Featuring memory kits up 256 GB and speeds up to 4600MHz1, the Predator DDR4 RGB and FURY DDR4 RGB memory modules are designed to pass rigorous certification test procedures and are Intel XMP certified and AMD certified Ready for Ryzen.

HyperX Predator DDR4 delivers fast frequencies and low latencies with speeds up to 4800MHz1 and latencies from CL12 to CL19. Predator DDR4 utilizes a black aluminium heat spreader and matching black PCB to complement the look of the latest PC builds. Predator memory is available in 8 GB, 16 GB and 32 GB single modules and in kits of two, four, and eight.

The gaming laptop market has grown significantly in recent years and ASUS ROG is capitalizing on this growth releasing several popular laptops across the entire price spectrum. ASUS claims to now hold the largest market share for any company in the gaming laptop segment with a global market share of 22.6 percent. This data was gathered in April 2020 and means that almost one in four gaming laptops purchased was an ASUS ROG model. This market success was likely thanks to their recent innovative devices such as the 300Hz Zephyrus S17 and the Ryzen 4000 Powered Zephyrus G14 which were both firsts in the gaming laptop market.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the release of new Electro Punk peripherals with a striking black-and-pink color scheme. First introduced in April, the Electro Punk colors can now be found on the ROG Strix Go 2.4 gaming headset, ROG Strix Scope TKL gaming keyboard, ROG Strix Impact II gaming mouse and other gaming and lifestyle accessories.

ROG Strix Go 2.4 Electro Punk is a USB-C 2.4 GHz wireless headset that enables stable, lag-free audio on smart devices, PC, Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox or Nintendo Switch (in Handheld mode). The Electro Punk edition features pink piping in and around the headband, ear pads, and ROG logo to give it that a special touch, while the rest stays bold black to prevent stains. Strix Go 2.4 has a detachable boom mic powered by AI Noise-Canceling technology that intelligently eliminates unwanted background noise for clear voice communication for work or play.

Here's possibly the first picture of an ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, which not only confirms NVIDIA's nomenclature for its next-generation GeForce RTX graphics cards, but also provides fascinating insights into the direction ASUS is taking with its next-generation ROG Strix graphics cards. The design language involves matte black metal surfaces accented by brushed metal elements that conceal more RGB LED elements. ASUS's Axial Tech fans do the heavy lifting along with a large aluminium fin-stack heatsink underneath. The mention of "RTX 3080 Ti" also casts a shadow of doubt over "RTX 3090" leading the lineup. We should learn more about what ASUS and NVIDIA have in store, as we inch closer to the September unveil of this series.

ASUS introduced the ROG Strix B460-H Gaming motherboard, expanding its ROG Strix family of motherboards based on Intel's mid-range B460 chipset for 10th generation Core "Comet Lake" processors in the LGA1200 package. The board joins Strix-F and Micro-ATX Strix-G SKUs based on this chipset. The Strix-H covers all platform essentials, but tops them with Intel Ethernet and a premium SupremeFX onboard audio solution. The Strix-H uses a simple 8-phase CPU VRM that pulls power from a single 8-pin EPS connector. The board offers a rear I/O shroud that has the latest generation ROG Strix design language, and a single-color (red) ROG illuminated logo. It also comes with an integrated rear I/O shield.

The LGA1200 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots supporting up to 128 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2933 memory (the maximum memory clock for the B460 platform is 2933 MHz); and a metal-reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The board offers two M.2 NVMe slots, both with PCIe gen 3.0 x4 wiring; and an M.2 E-key slot for WLAN cards. Other storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gbps ports. The board's sole networking interface is a 1 GbE connection driven by an Intel i219-V controller. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS silently updated its socket sTRX4 motherboard lineup with the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming. Whispers of this board along with a "Prime TRX40 PRO-S" model date back to February, when a Hardware Info report described them as near-identical successors of the ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming and Prime TRX40-PRO, with upgraded CPU VRM setups, as ASUS probably felt the two needed an improved VRM to cope with the rigors of a 64-core/128-thread Ryzen Threadripper 3990X processor, particularly overclocking it.

The company had already upgraded its flagship ROG Zenith II Extreme to the beefed-up Zenith II Extreme Alpha. The ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming is identical to the original ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming, right until you pop open its VRM heatsink. ASUS is using beefier 70 A phases with the XE, carried over from the original ROG Zenith II Extreme. The Extreme Alpha which now tops the lineup, uses even stronger 90 A power stages. The original ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming still very much does support the Threadripper 3990X, including overclocking it, though not as well as the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming. The Prime TRX40 PRO-S remains elusive. ASUS is pricing the ROG Strix TRX40-XE Gaming at USD $549.

ASUS today unveiled the White Edition variant of its ROG Strix Helios chassis, which the company debuted back in January. While "White Edition," normally implies a white color scheme, for the ROG Strix Helios, it means a silvery brushed-aluminium frame taking up most of the metal bits on the case's exterior. The piano black front facade along with RGB LED inserts remains, as do the black top mesh and nylon straps. The interiors are all matte-white, including the horizontal partition. ASUS suggests pairing this case with one its Prime series motherboards, or the ROG Strix Z490-A Gaming; and White Edition variants of its ROG Strix White Edition PSUs, its ROG Strix graphics cards, and gaming peripherals. The rest of its feature-set is identical to the original. The company didn't reveal pricing.

Ahead of its launch a leaked ASUS ROG marketing slide reveals Cinebench R15 performance comparisons between the new Intel Core i9-10900K and AMD's current MSDT flagship part, the Ryzen 9 3950X. The graphs also include Intel's previous gen flagship, the i9-9900K, which should provide a reasonable indication of where the new Core i7-10700K performance could land.

In the single-threaded Cinebench R15 test, the Core i9-10900K scores 222 points, while the 3950X scores 213, which is a 4.22% lead for the new Intel flagship over AMD's. The i9-9900K is 2.81% faster than the 3950X in the same test. The landscape changes completely with multi-thread. Armed with 16 cores and 32 threads, the 3950X tests 48.61% faster than the i9-10900K, and a whopping 94.14% faster than the i9-9900K, which means the 3950X should land around 90% (±5%) faster than the i7-10700K. Core i9-10900K vs. Ryzen 9 3900X should make for a fascinating contest.

ASUS is preparing an elaborate lineup of ROG Strix series gaming motherboards based on the Intel Z490 chipset, which we detailed in an older report. These include nearly all ROG brand extensions, with the Strix Z490-E(xtreme), Strix Z490-F(ormula), Strix Z490-H(ero), Strix Z490-G(ene), Strix Z490-I(mpact), and with this series, debuting is the Strix Z490-A(ce). The Strix Z490-A is positioned just a notch below the Strix Z490-E in the pecking order, and is the fabled "white Strix" that did the rounds earlier in the media. It features silvery aluminium heatsins, and a white rear I/O shroud. You still get three M.2 NVMe slots, but only two of them have heatsinks.

The Strix Z490-E still rules the roost, with its stronger CPU VRM solution that uses active cooling. The Strix Z490-F isn't far behind in terms of features, but you lose out on things like WLAN. The Strix Z490-H is targeted at value-conscious buyers, and next to the Strix Z490-G, is possibly the cheapest product in the lineup. It still covers essentials such as a gaming-grade SupremeFX audio solution, and Intel-powered 2.5 GbE networking. The Strix Z490-G is possibly ASUS's most premium Micro-ATX board based on the chipset. The Strix Z490-I is possibly the company's second most premium Mini-ITX board based on this platform, featuring elaborate active cooling for the VRM, top-notch connectivity, and an 8-layer PCB. Find specifications of the boards in the table below.More pictures follow.

Earlier today we brought you pictures and specs sheets of ASUS' top-tier ROG Maximus XII family of socket LGA1200 motherboards based on the Intel Z490 chipset. The rest of that slide-deck was leaked to the web by VideoCardz, revealing some fascinating specs common across the series. Apparently, a 6 PCB layers is the bare minimum for ASUS' lineup, which probably contributes to the elevated prices across the board. Some of the cheaper 300-series chipset motherboards make do with just 4 PCB layers.

The CPU VRM solutions are a definitely step up from the previous generations, designed to cope with rising electrical requirements of the 14 nm 10th gen Core processors. For the ATX and M-ATX models, 12+2 phase solutions appear to be the bare minimum for the ROG Strix Z490 series, and 9-phase for the cheapest Prime Z490 series. The ROG Strix Z490-E Gaming, which leads the ROG Strix Z490 series, tops the chart with a 16-phase solution that's probably similar to the one on the Maximus XII Hero. There's also a big innovation with memory optimization, series-wide. With its Z490 motherboard series, ASUS is transitioning from T-topology to daisy-chain, across the board. This is combined with the company's Optimem III automated memory optimization feature on select models, which enables you to populate all four slots on your motherboard with dual-rank DIMMs, and yet achieve frequencies as high as DDR4-3600, with timings as tight as CL16.