ASUS ROG Fan Connect is a feature that allows you to connect up to two of your case-fans to two standard 4-pin PWM fan headers present on an ASUS ROG Strix series graphics card, letting you synchronize your case's front intake and rear exhaust fans to the temperature of the GPU, and control them using the GPUTweak software. ASUS has introduced the feature with the Pascal and Vega architecture, and has since included it with its ROG Strix series graphics cards.

When we published our reviews of the ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2080 Ti and its sibling based on the RTX 2080, we noticed something curious, and our readers were quick to spot it as well. ASUS did not add the Fan Connect 4-pin PWM case-fan headers on its GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Strix card, while the company's RTX 2080 card had them. Adding to the confusion, the PCB of our review sample had blank traces where the headers are supposed to be. This got our readers asking if the final product has those headers. The box doesn't advertise those headers anywhere, neither does the ASUS website, so it isn't a case of false-marketing yet.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced ROG Delta and ROG Delta Core, a new series of gaming headsets tuned especially for first-person shooter (FPS) gaming. The headsets feature Sony-certified Hi-Res Audio and are designed to be incredibly lightweight and comfortable.

ROG Delta is the world's first gaming headset with the industry-leading, hi-fi-grade ESS ES9218 QUAD DAC , which delivers impeccably clear and detailed sound to give serious gamers the edge they need to win. ROG Delta features a USB-C connector and comes with a USB-C to USB 2.0 adapter for gaming on PC, console or mobile devices without changing headsets. A one-of-a-kind, circular rainbow RGB lighting effect provides a stylish look that sets gamers apart on the battlefield.

ASUS today launched the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Ryujin line of all-in-one liquid CPU coolers for AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors. Positioned above the ROG Ryuo series, which opened to pre-orders earlier this month, the Ryujin was first showcased at the 2018 Computex. These coolers are characterized by a somewhat square pump-block design that resembles a that of a chipset heatsink; but is embedded with a 1.77-inch color OLED display that shows an animated ROG logo by default, but can be reprogrammed to show just about anything, such as clan logos, live CPU temperature/load monitoring, etc. Another innovation that sets the Ryujin pump-block apart from every other Asetek cooler out there, is a tiny lateral-blower fan embedded into the block, which ASUS claims can bring down CPU VRM and M.2 SSD temperatures by up to 20°C.

The Ryujin series comes in two variants based on radiator size, the Ryujin 240 (120 mm x 240 mm radiator), and Ryujin 360 (120 mm x 360 mm radiator). These are 27 mm-thick aluminium radiators, which are ventilated by matte-black Noctua IndustrialPPC 120 mm PWM fans that are part of the package. These fans each spin between 450 to 2,000 RPM, pushing up to 121.8 CFM of air, with noise output up to 31 dBA. As we mentioned earlier, the product pages for both models mentions that the coolers only support AMD socket TR4, with full coverage for the AMD Ryzen Threadripper integrated heatspreader. This could help ASUS command a slightly high price, given that it's catering only to the market that can afford HEDT processors.

ASUS ROG launched the ROG Thor 1200W Platinum and ROG Thor 850W Platinum power supply units, welcoming a new product category to the ROG family. The ROG Thor series is designed for enthusiasts who need a high-end PSU with advanced cooling, premium components, and customisable lightning.

In a PSU, component heatsinks are vital when optimizing thermal efficiency. The ROG Thor 1200W Platinum features custom ROG heatsinks that boast 2X more surface area than standard designs, and the ROG Thor 850W is similarly equipped. Having larger heatsinks and other premium components means cooler operation under load, an extended lifespan for key components, and silent operation long after standard designs spin up their fans.

Today, ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG), announced a partnership with Activision, for the upcoming release of Call of Duty : Black Ops 4 on PC. From September 10th to October 12th, ROG will be the first digital PC game bundling provider of Call of Duty : Back Ops 4. Consumers can gain access to the game by purchasing an eligible ROG product during the promotion period. With a strong dedication to PC gamers, the Call of Duty team and ROG have worked closely on a unique collaboration with their AURA Sync technology across multiple product lines.

"We are beyond thrilled to be partnering with ASUS Republic of Gamers in an unprecedented way for Black Ops 4," said Ander Nickell, Director of Partnerships at Activision. "Our development teams are hard at work making this the best PC Call of Duty game yet. ASUS ROG shares that commitment to the community, so it was a natural fit to bring our brands together to deliver something special to fans."

ASUS surprised many when they showed off their closed loop liquid CPU coolers at Computex this year, in the form of the Ryuo and the even higher end Ryujin series. Today we see that the Ryuo 120 and Ryuo 240 have made their way on to pre-order pages at popular UK retailers including Overclockers UK. The Ryuo series is based off an Asetek AIO design, presumably Generation 6 as used by other Asetek clients including CORSAIR and EVGA, with either a 120 or 240 mm radiator. ASUS's attempt at differentiating these is by the addition of a 1.77" "LiveDash" full color OLED screen on the top of the CPU cooler block/pump unit, with a USB connector that will no doubt help configure the display and other cooler settings via a software driver. The OLED screen can thus be used to display system stats, cooler settings or, if you wish, even a GIF or a custom static image.

The other differentiation comes in the form of "ROG-designed fans" that claim efficient, instantaneous cooling. The ROG Ryuo 120 and Ryuo 240 are up for pre-order at £129.95 and £149.95 respectively, with the prices including UK VAT. For comparison, the CORSAIR H100i PRO and the NZXT Kraken X52 240 mm coolers currently cost £114.95 and £124.99 respectively from the same store. Both the ROG Ryuo series coolers support a wide variety of CPU sockets, including AM4, sTR4, LGA 115x, LGA 1366, LGA 2011(-3) and LGA 2066. No release date, nor pricing in other regions, is available at this point.

Wireless gaming mice are back in vogue as manufacturers are powering them with lightweight lithium-ion rechargeable batteries or induction current; and as gamers are beginning to care less about the added input-lag of wireless peripherals. To compete with the likes of the Logitech G Pro, which launched to generally positive reviews, ASUS launched a wireless variant of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) Gladius II. The new ROG Gladius II Wireless retains the shape, button-layout, and grip of the original Gladius II, but is wireless, lacks the bottom RGB LED diffuser, and weighs 130 g, just 20 g more than its wired sibling. It also packs a more powerful sensor.

The ROG Gladius II Wireless uses a combination of 2.40 GHz RF and low-latency Bluetooth BLE to achieve input latencies as low as 1 ms. The mouse packs a 16,000 dpi optical sensor (compared to the wired original's 12,000 dpi). At any point, if you're not sure about playing wireless, you can switch to the wired mode on the fly, by simply plugging in the included USB cable to its micro USB connector located up front. The mouse is remapped as a new device by Windows, and USB is used for both input and recharging the battery. We expect the ROG Gladius II Wireless to be competitively priced to the Logitech G Pro Wireless (around $140).

ASUS today announced that the ROG Strix, Prime and TUF Gaming series motherboards built on the AMD B450 chipset and supporting the latest AMD Ryzen processors are now available. AMD's Ryzen platform offers an incredible desktop compute experience with multithreaded horsepower plus accessible overclocking and gaming prowess. Earlier this year AMD launched the second-generation Ryzen family with the updated X470 chipset designed to further enhance the performance of higher-end gaming and content creation rigs. Now, AMD is launching the B450 chipset for a new generation of affordable motherboards.

The B450 is streamlined for straightforward builds and smaller form factors, and ASUS has a complete collection available now. ROG Strix B450-I and B450-F Gaming elevate the platform with signature features for serious gamers, TUF B450-Plus and B450M-Plus Gaming focus on essentials and durability, and Prime B450-Plus, B450M-A and B450M-K put a more professional face on the platform.

In what looks like a move to get rid of ASUS-branded AMD Radeon graphics cards, the company announced a massive game-bundle promotion in the UK. The company is giving away Steam keys to four fairly old games with its Radeon RX Vega, RX 580, and RX 570 based graphics cards, that include not just ROG Strix models, but also Dual Fan, and Expedition sub-branded ones. Among the games are "The Surge" (2017), "Blood Bowl" Legendary Edition (2010), "Sprintires: MudRunner" (2017), and "Farming Simulator 17" (2017). Participating retailers include Aria, OCUK, Scan, Box, CCL, E-Buyer, and Novatech.

This Tuesday at its Computex presser, Intel unveiled an unnamed 28-core/56-thread HEDT (client-segment) processor that's capable of being bench-stable at 5.00 GHz. The chip is a client-segment implementation of the Skylake XCC (extreme core count) silicon, which features 30 Mesh Interconnect "tiles," of which 28 are cores and two integrated memory controllers. The XCC silicon features a 384-bit wide (6-channel) DDR4 memory interface, and it turns out that whatever SKU Intel is planning, will require a different motherboard from your X299 board that can handle up to 18 cores and 4-channel memory. It will require a client-segment variant of the LGA3647 enterprise socket from the Purley platform. One of the first of these is the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Dominus.

Clearly bigger than ATX, in being either E-ATX or SSI form-factor, this board draws power from two 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and three 6-pin PCIe, and has a gargantuan 16-phase VRM with two fan-heatsink blocks. Six DDR4 DIMM slots flank the socket, three on either side, each with its dedicated 64-bit wide path to the socket. The XCC silicon features a 48-lane PCI-Express gen 3.0 root complex, and so the board could feature at least two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 capable of full bandwidth, among a boat load of PCIe based storage connectivity, and onboard devices.Update: This motherboard may have been a quick modification of the WS C621E SAGE, by removing one of its sockets, and modifying the rest of the board accordingly. Prototyping a board like that, for a company with ASUS' resources, would barely take 2-3 weeks by our estimate.

Since its inception in 2006, the Republic of Gamers has pursued a mandate to push boundaries to deliver a better gaming experience. We started with motherboards, spread to virtually every DIY desktop component, and have been building hardcore gaming laptops for more than a decade.

The smartphones in that early era barely qualified as such, but they started a revolution that transformed the computing landscape. We watched closely as these digital sidearms became increasingly capable gaming machines and all-around computers, and we saw how developers harnessed their growing power to take mobile gameplay and graphics to the next level. We also gained insight from esports professionals, regular players, and game developers on how mobile gaming devices could be improved.

ASUS this Computex expanded its Republic of Gamers (ROG) family with not just AIO liquid CPU coolers, but also high-end power-supplies (PSUs). The company showed off its ROG THOR 1200W Platinum, a fully-modular PSU with a design focus on practicality, software interface, 80 Plus Platinum rating, and high-grade components. We hear that under the hood, the OEM is SeaSonic, and that for the most part, this PSU is identical to the Prime Platinum 1200W, with the added digital interface, and aesthetic makeover.

Update: We went hands-on with the ASUS ROG THOR 1200W Platinum, and have more details. To begin with, the PSU features several RGB LED accents all over its body, including an ROG logo, which you control over Aura Sync RGB (for which there's an addressable RGB LED header). The PSU features up to twelve 6+2 pin PCIe connectors, two 4+4 pin EPS, and an OLED display that gives you real-time power-draw readouts. The cooling fan is IP5X dust-proof, and stays off under a load/temperature threshold. You can override the 0 dB mode at the push of a physical button at the back.

ASUS added to the very long list of Republic of Gamers (ROG) branded hardware that can make up your gaming PC, with its first directly branded all-in-one liquid CPU cooler, the ROG RYUO 120 and the RYUJIN 240/360. Now, you might be thinking "hey look, it's yet another AIO cooler plastered with an ROG logo, a dash of RGB lighting, and a price-premium to make up for the brand," but pay close attention to the pump-block. It's studded with an actual 1.77-inch full-color OLED display, which shows the ROG logo out of the box, but when interfaced with software over a USB 2.0 header, it displays a host of things such as RPMs, coolant temperature, CPU temperature, a personalized logo, or even an animated GIF! This, besides an addressable RGB ring along the perimeter on the RYUO 120, and a polygonal element on the RYUJIN 240/360. If your interest is only piqued 99% by this point, allow the included Noctua IndustrialPPC fans, and M.2 SSD cooling to make up for the remaining 1% for the RYUJIN series. Not all Asetek-sourced AIO coolers are equal.

Well, if doubts ever existed, those have been somewhat dispelled in recent times, but this must be the final nail in the GPP coffin. Hopefully, it's also the proverbial nail to show customers Green, Red and Blue (seldom-remembered Intel was also a target) of what exactly NVIDIA's program entailed. NVIDIA found itself in a rather embattled field against tech publications and consumers alike when the first match was lit on what GPP was and what it forced NVIDIA partners to do with their brands. Turns out exclusively aligning them with NVIDIA products would give incredibly relevant advantages compared to partners who didn't, forcing an otherwise healthy ecosystem to converge on the dominant market player.

After around two months of story coverage, NVIDIA terminated the GPP program - begrudgingly so, and seemingly forgetting everything about the way things are meant to be played. However, some AMD partners had already announced some exclusive AMD-branded graphics cards, with new, market recognition-absent brands such as ASUS's AREZ and (it all seems to point that way) MSI's MECH 2 series of graphics cards. What were they to do in the wake of GPP's earlier-than-expected burial? These companies spent marketing and design funds to come up with new brands and designs, after all.UPDATE (22/05): ASUS informed us that the tweet which was the basis of the original report is not operated by ASUS. The company stated that it will continue to sell ASUS ROG and AREZ branded graphics cards side-by-side. ASUS is in the process of getting Twitter to take down the impersonating handle.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Strix GL503 and Strix GL703, a pair of advanced 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch gaming laptops powered by up to the latest 8th Generation Intel Core processors and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 10-Series graphics. Designed for esports, GL503 and GL703 feature the patented Anti-Dust Cooling (ADC) system to cope with the grueling demands of gaming marathons, while ASUS Aura Sync lighting lets gamers customize and sync the colors of their gaming setup. These slim and lightweight laptops have an eye-catching design with a black brushed-finish aluminum lid incorporating an illuminated ROG logo, and deep-red thermal fins.

Desktop-grade firepower to go
GL503 and GL703 provide desktop-grade firepower in a compact and lightweight chassis that's barely an inch thick. They are powered by up to the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processors that provide 23% more performance than the previous generation, and can be specified with up to 32GB of dual-channel DDR4 SDRAM to allow gamers to play games, stream videos, and surf the net simultaneously.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the Huracan (G21), a compact gaming desktop powered by up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics for extraordinary gaming. The Huracan has a unique magnetically-secured side cover that sets it apart from other gaming desktops. This foldable side cover can be opened to improve airflow into the system, and activate Aura lighting effects. The extra airflow provides the cooling needed for its high-performance components, so gamers can play the latest games at their most extreme settings.

Open up for More Performance
Opening the patented magnetically-secured side cover increases airflow into the system for better cooling. The sensors also activate the integrated Aura lighting effects. To ensure the very best gaming performance, the Huracan is powered by up to the latest 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor with up to 32GB of DDR4 2666MHz memory, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics. The Huracan is configurable up to a 512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD and a 2TB HDD; and up to a 2TB HDD with Intel Optane Memory technology is also available. Intel Optane enables SSD-like performance from a large HDD, accelerating overall system performance and improving responsiveness for a blazing-fast computing experience.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the Zephyrus M, the world's slimmest gaming laptop to be powered by up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and full-powered NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics. The Zephyrus M features an IPS-level display with a superfast 144Hz refresh rate, lightning-quick 3ms response time, and NVIDIA G-SYNC technology. It also features the new Active Aerodynamic System (AAS) to improve cooling performance under high load. ROG-exclusive software lets gamers switch between integrated and discrete GPU modes: the Optimus power-saving mode prolongs battery life, while the G-SYNC mode synchronizes frame delivery for smoother gameplay without tearing.

Elevating gaming performance to new heights
The ROG Zephyrus M brings gaming-desktop levels of performance to the gaming laptop scene, with up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8750H processor with 16GB of DDR4 2666MHz dual-channel memory, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 graphics. It also features cutting-edge storage with a 256GB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD and an additional 1TB Seagate FireCuda SSHD storage drive.

ASUS' top of the line X470 motherboard for the upcoming AMD Ryzen 200 series of CPUs has seen some sexy leaked images of it on the web. The new motherboard features, among other things, full drop-in support for AMD'snew 2000 series CPUs - without the need for any BIOS fiddling. The software features are expected to be on par with its X370 counterpart, with some added magic dust thrown in for the sake of keeping things fresh.

Hardware-wise, though, there are some slight changes as well. The most relevant of these is the addition of a second M.2 slot, for users who want to take their builds based on this form-factor to another level - smaller drives than the usual 2.5" is always welcome - and they usually look much better as well. One of the M.2 slots features a pre-installed heatsink for better heat dissipation. Other features include 6 SATA III ports (a decline from the X370 version's 8 due to the inclusion of the extra M.2 slot) and two less USB slots (from a total of 14 in the X370 to 12 on the X470) in exchange for a PS/2 port... Arguably the strangest "improvement" to the design. The heatsink design has been slightly reworked as well, in an effort to keep things fresh, but the power delivery mechanism seems to be the same. Don't ruin what works, right?

The folks at VideoCardz received a picture of a soon-to-be-released ASUS X470 motherboard from an unnamed sender. Judging by the motherboard's aesthetics and design, we suspect that it belongs to the Strix Series. Although there are no signs of the Strix branding on the motherboard, the rear I/O cover and the 8+2 phase VRM resemble the ones used on the ASUS ROG Strix X370-F Gaming motherboard. Initially, the "Republic" marking threw us off as ASUS isn't known for placing the Republic of Gamers branding on their previous Strix motherboards. The "Hybrid" marking remains a mystery though. The Chinese characters 玩家 that are located beside one of the memory slots literally translates to "Players", which certainly suggests that this will be a gaming-oriented motherboard. As of the time of this article, there are five confirmed X470 motherboards from ASUS: Prime X470-Pro, ROG Strix X470-F Gaming, ROG Strix X470-I Gaming, ROG Crosshair VII Hero, ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WI-FI), and TUF X470-Plus Gaming.

ASUS today rolled out the MG248QE, an entry-level 24-inch gaming monitor. This monitor misses out on the coveted Republic of Gamers (ROG) branding by ASUS, but is still targeted at gamers, albeit on a tight budget, owing to is sub-$300 pricing. Don't stop reading at Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) resolution just yet - you get 144 Hz refresh-rate, 1 ms (GTG) response time, and support for AMD FreeSync. Many of ASUS' GamePlus features are carried over from its ROG monitor lineup, such as GameVisual game genre-specific display presets, OSD crosshairs, timers, frame-rate counters, and monitor-based bezel-compensation adjustments for multi-monitor setups.

Other vital specs of the ASUS MG248QE include a TN-film panel with 16.7 million-colors, 170°/160° (V/H) maximum viewing-angles, LED backlit illuimation with low blue-light, 350 cd/m² maximum brightness, 100000000:1 "ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio," and passive anti-ghosting that takes advantage of the panel's high refresh-rate. Display inputs include HDMI 1.4a, DisplayPort 1.2a, and dual-link DVI. Since this monitor is succeeding the company's VG248QE with a slightly refreshed feature-set (FreeSync and low blue-light), we expect it to sell at a similar price-point $250-$280.

EK Water Blocks, the Slovenia-based premium computer liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is further expanding its RGB portfolio by releasing the EK-FC1080 GTX Ti Strix RGB water block that is compatible with all the current ASUS ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti models on the market. A while back, the GPU manufacturer had slight changes to the GPU PCB and now this full cover water block is compatible with all the PCB versions that are on the market.

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 full load and high overclocks. EK-FC1080 GTX Ti Strix RGB water block features a central inlet split-flow cooling engine design for best possible cooling performance, which also works flawlessly with reversed water flow without adversely affecting the cooling performance. Moreover, such design offers great hydraulic performance allowing this product to be used in liquid cooling systems using weaker water pumps.

ASUS has launched the third iteration of their Gladius gaming mouse, the Gladius II Origin (a missed chance for a Gladius III, uh?) There's a 12,000 DPI optical sensor under the hood (unclear if it's a PixArt solution), and the switches are both Omron-developed, though two different ones at that - there's an Omron D2FC-F-K switch and an Omron D2F-01F, with different clicking resistances, likely to incentivize sensitivity in the left mouse button. All in all, there are five buttons on this mouse (there's a DPI selector button and two thumb buttons on the left side of the mouse).

Other features include detachable, replaceable rubber and braided cables; RGB lighting with ASUS' Aura Sync support for the RGB zones (bottom, scroll wheel, and ROG logo); and support for ASUS' Armoury app. The Gladius II Origin weighs in at 110 g (sans cable), and has dimensions of 126 x 67 x 45 mm, and is available now from select etailers and retailers for $99.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Strix GL12, a gaming desktop with a unique combination of extreme gaming performance and striking, unconventional design. Strix GL12 is powered by up to a factory-overclocked 8th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 graphics for unmatched gaming prowess. It features an esports-ready, easy-swap 2.5-inch SSD tray that can be taken out and replaced in seconds, all without having to shut down the system. Strix GL12 has aggressive, angular 'slashes' across the front of the chassis, a transparent side panel, and customizable ASUS Aura Sync lighting effects.

Strix GL12 is powered by up to an 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8700K processor, with every processor having been tested and handpicked by ROG engineers to ensure the very best performance. When combined with Turbo Gear, these top-of-the-line processors can be overclocked to speeds of up to 4.8 GHz (hexa-core) - that's up to 50% faster than previous-generation processors. It's also even faster than Intel Turbo Boost, which overclocks to a maximum speed of 4.3 GHz (hexa-core).

ASUS introduced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Strix Fusion 500 gaming headset, a step up from the Strix Fusion 300 the company launched last September. The headset essentially retains the design of the Fusion 300, but steps it up with gold-metallic body panels around the cans, RGB multi-color LED diffusers replacing the red LED accents, which you can control via ASUS Aura Sync RGB software; and under the hood enhancements.

The headset uses a higher quality ESS Sabre 9018 DAC combined with ESS 9601 amplifier. The DAC has a high SNR, and puts out 24-bit/96 kHz audio. The enhanced audio setup is mated with 50 mm ASUS Essence drivers, and improvements made to the passive acoustic dampening material around your ears. ASUS included game-specific virtual-7.1 surround DSPs with this headset. Available now, the ASUS ROG Strix Fusion is priced at USD $179.99, about $50 pricier than the Fusion 300.

SiSoft's hardware database is a fountain of information for soon-to-be-released hardware if you have the patience to go through all the entries. On this occasion, we get a glimpse of AMD's future Ryzen 5 2600 processor. Similar to its predecessor, the Ryzen 5 2600 is a 65W six-core processor with twelve threads. However, this new model features a 3.4 GHz base clock which is 200 MHz faster than the Ryzen 5 1600 that we reviewed last year. It will also come with 6 x 512 kB of L2 cache and 2 x 8 MB of L3 cache. Being an engineer sample and all, take these specifications with a pinch of salt. According to the entry, the processor was tested on an ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero motherboard that sports AMD's X470 chipset. Unfortunately, we don't have any more details at this time.