Here are the first pictures of the Republic of Gamers Maximus VII motherboard series, from ASUS. The lineup will initially consist of three models, the Maximus VII Hero, the Maximus VII Ranger, and the micro-ATX Maximus VII Gene, with no signs of >$200 "Formula" and "Extreme" variants, or even the mini-ITX "Impact" variant. With MSI and ASRock setting up their "Gaming" and "Fatal1ty" sub-brand models at the $150 price point, ASUS is feeling the pinch of not putting an ROG Maximus-series model up at that price. Hence we have the Maximus VII Ranger, a $150-ish motherboard that could go head on against the Gaming 3 from MSI, and Z97 Fatal1ty Killer from ASRock. The $199 price-point is captured by the Maximus VII Hero, competing with the Gaming 7 from MSI. Future "Formula" and "Extreme" variants could compete at the $250 and ≥$300 price-points with the MPower and XPower models.

The Maximus VII Ranger features two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots wired to the CPU (x8/x8 with both populated), the third one is wired to the Z97 PCH, and is electrical x4. The board appears to feature a simple 8-phase CPU VRM, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, an M.2 slot, SupremeFX audio, and a single gigabit Ethernet connection, probably made by Intel. Moving on, the Maximus VII Hero. Which could feature a meatier CPU VRM, eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, one M.2, a similar expansion slot layout to the Ranger, and probably more connectivity options. The Maximus VII Gene is a feature-rich micro-ATX board, with a similar CPU VRM to the Maximus VII Hero, two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, an addition PCI-Express x1, an M.2, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Its connectivity appears to include a WLAN card with 802.11 ac. Among the new ROG-exclusive features introduced by this series, are Gamefirst III (packet prioritization), LANGuard, SonicRadar II (points to where a sound is coming from), KeyBot (keyboard macros), and TrueVolt USB (power stabilization for USB ports).

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Striker GTX 760 Platinum, a brand-new gaming graphics card powered by the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 graphics-processing unit (GPU), a beefy 4 GB of high-speed GDDR5 memory and engineered with exclusive cooling and power-stabilizing technologies.

The GTX 760 GPU is greatly desired by many gamers for being the performance sweet-spot, while Striker GTX 760 Platinum's DirectCU II cooling, CoolTech fan, DIGI+ voltage-regulator module (VRM) and Super Alloy Power components ensure cooler, faster, quieter gaming that also provides great overclocking potential.

ASUS' choice of decking its mainline motherboards in black and gold is coming to bite it, as the company unveiled one of the first of its "Gamer" line of motherboards. Simply put, these are boards from its mainline Z87 and B85 series products, but with black and red color scheme, and not many of the goodies that its expensive ROG (Republic of Gamers) series comes with. It's the idea of making entry-level and mid-range products more appealing to gamers that ASUS appears to have aped MSI on, even if MSI isn't the original "black + red" motherboard maker. That said, the B85-Pro Gamer isn't just a B85-Pro with fancy heatsinks. Its PCB resembles rather closely with that of the Z87-A.

To begin with, this slim ATX motherboard uses an 8-phase VRM to condition power to the LGA1150 socket. It's wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, and a single PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The other long x16 slot on this board is physically PCI-Express 2.0 x4, and wired to the B85 PCH. Three legacy PCI, and two PCI-Express 2.0 x1 make up the rest of the expansion area. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s, and two SATA 3 Gb/s. Display outputs (which we doubt gamers would use), include DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. ASUS worked on the networking and audio of this board. It features a rather premium Intel I217V GbE controller, and SupremeFX audio, with a 115 dBA SNR CODEC, electrolytic capacitors, a TI-made 300Ω headphones amp, and ground-layer isolation.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Matrix R9 290X and Matrix GTX 780 Ti, two new graphics cards that squeeze breathtaking performance from the latest R9 290X and GeForce GTX 780 Ti graphics-processing units (GPUs).

ROG Matrix R9 290X and GTX 780 Ti build on the renowned and highly-trusted ROG Matrix legacy as the coolest, quietest and most-readily-overclocked graphics cards available. DirectCU II cooling and CoolTech fan technologies combine with the brand-new Memory Defroster feature to create the perfect balance between spectacular power and out-of-the-box simplicity - all dressed up in the seductive ROG wardrobe.

AMD's dual-GPU flagship graphics card that runs a pair of 28 nm "Hawaii" GPUs is no unicorn, as the company began teasing the press about it. Dutch tech publication BouweenPC.nl dug up info that points to AMD naming the card "Radeon R9 295X2." The two "Hawaii" GPUs are expected to feature a core clock speed of no less than 1000 MHz, according to the report. It also adds that AMD is working on a air+liquid (hybrid) cooling solution for the card. Its cooler will feature heatsinks with a running air flow to cool the memory, VRM, and other hot ancillary components; while two liquid cooling blocks will dissipate heat form the GPUs. This would also mean that installing the R9 295X2 won't be as simple as pushing it into a PCIe slot, fastening a couple of screws, and plugging the PSU in. ASUS attempted a similar cooling solution for its Republic of Gamers ARES II graphics card.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the G750JZ, G750JM and G750JS, new additions to its highly acclaimed range of G-Series high-performance gamer-centric notebooks.

The latest G750 models feature a 4th-generation Intel Core i7-4700 processor and the brand-new enthusiast-level NVIDIA GeForce GTX 800M Series GPUs, and include exclusive ASUS TurboMaster GPU-overclocking technology to deliver desktop-grade gaming performance. With its awesome looks and components that are designed from start to finish with the needs of serious gamers in mind, G750 sets the standard for amazing portable gaming performance.

After just a little teasing ASUS has today opened the flood gates and published over a dozen images depicting its newest ROG Series graphics cards, the MATRIX R9290X (based on the Radeon R9 290X) and the MATRIX GTX780TI (GeForce GTX 780 Ti).

Both of ASUS' cards make use of a custom PCB and come equipped with a dual-slot cooler featuring two fans (one of which is a CoolTech fan), and a black nickel-plated heatsink boasting five direct contact copper heatpipes. The upcoming MATRIX models also have dual 8-pin power connectors, a 14-phase DIGI+ VRM, a backplate, dual-DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort outputs, and OC-oriented additions like the LN2 Mode Switch.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Poseidon GTX 780 with DirectCU H2O, a new graphics card with an exclusive hybrid thermal solution that enables extremely efficient cooling by either air or water.

The new card is powered by the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780 GPU (graphics-processing unit). With DirectCU H2O on board offering users the unique ability to cool either by air or water, ROG Poseidon GTX 780 achieves running temperatures that are up to 24°C lower than reference designs - that's up to 140% cooler for gaming performance that's up to 12% faster in both Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and BattleField 4.

Here are some more pictures of ASUS' Republic of Gamers Poseidon graphics card, after its unofficial unveiling last week. SweClockers scored a few interesting tidbits about the card, which is being exhibited at DreamHack, Europe's biggest gaming event. The biggest news of them all is the chip underneath that hot-rod cooler - it's a GeForce GTX 780, and not a GTX 780 Ti, meaning that it offers just 2,304 CUDA cores and 192 TMUs, and not the 2,880 CUDA cores and 240 TMUs of the GTX 780 Ti. The card is expected to come with a minor factory-overclock (not disclosed), but large overclocking headroom backed by not just its 10-phase Digi+ VRM, but also its cooling solution, which fuses an aluminium fin-stack heatsink with a full-coverage liquid cooling channel.

While EVGA is coming out with the GTX 780 Ti Kingpin Edition, ASUS is preparing its own custom-cooled and (most likely) factory overclocked GeForce GTX 780 Ti card, and it shall be known as Poseidon. The Taiwanese company offered a sneak peek of the card which will be part of the Republic of Gamers lineup and will feature a DIGI+ VRM, highly-durable Black Metallic Capacitors and the DirectCU H20 cooler which combines air and liquid cooling to allow for better performance and quieter operation.

DirectCU H20 packs two dust-proof fans, three heatpipes, a large heatsink and a water block. Based on the prototype card showcased by ASUS earlier this year we can assume the ROG Poseidon will have three working modes - air only, liquid only and combined (air and liquid). No word yet on the card's clocks, price tag or release date.

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium water cooling gear manufacturer, is preparing a a new line of water blocks for the latest ASUS Republic of Gamers Rampage IV Black Edition X79 LGA-2011 motherboard.

EK-FB KIT ASUS R4BE will be a complete water cooling solution for ASUS Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard consisting of two separate water blocks. These water blocks will directly cools Intel X79 Express southbridge (PCH) chip and power regulation (VRM / MOSFETs) module. The product itself will be available in both Original- as well as Clean CSQ design and will blend perfectly with the stylish look of this new ASUS motherboard.

ASUS today announced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage IV Black Edition, an E-ATX gaming and overclocking motherboard designed to unleash the full potential of Intel LGA 2011 Core i7 Ivy Bridge-E processors is available for pre-order at select sites.

Based on the Intel X79 Express chipset, the Rampage IV Black Edition includes all of the best ROG technologies and innovations for unrivaled gaming and overclocking performance. With its four PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots, two PCI-E 2.0 x1 slots and eight DIMM slots supporting up to 64 GB of overclocked DDR3 DRAM, the Rampage IV Black Edition has near limitless expansion possibilities, including support for both 4-way NVIDIA SLI and AMD CrossFireX.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced that in partnership with Ubisoft it will bundle Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag with the Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard and selected gaming PCs including Tytan G30 and the G750 gaming laptop.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is the newest instalment of the stealthy adventure title and its release has been awaited eagerly by gamers worldwide - and ASUS ROG will be Ubisoft's recommended hardware brand partner for the PC launch.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the launch of Matrix R9 280X Platinum edition and Matrix R9 280X standard edition, two new graphics cards powered by the latest AMD Radeon R9 280X graphics-processing unit (GPU). As dedicated gamers have come to expect from ROG, the new Matrix R9 280X graphics cards are tricked out with exclusive technologies and tools including an efficient copper-based thermal design for faster performance at lower temperatures, VGA Hotwire connections for voltage control, DIGI+ voltage-regulator modules (VRMs) for smooth and stable power and GPU Tweak, an easy-to-use tuning software that allows users to squeeze every last drop of performance out of their graphics card.

ASUS Republic of Gamers today announced Orion for Consoles, a gaming headset and audio-console package designed for today's most popular games consoles and computers. The latest addition to the Republic of Gamers (ROG) award-winning Orion gaming headset series, Orion for Consoles comprises a headset with 100 mm cushions for whole-ear cover and comfort. Orion for Consoles also features Spitfire II, a dedicated USB-powered audio console with built-in headphone amplifier for bolder sounds and environmental-noise-cancellation (ENC) technology for clearer in-game chat. Designed for use with Microsoft Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation 3 games consoles, PCs and Apple Mac computers, Orion for Consoles is ready to work straight from the box - no drivers required.

At the OC Main Event in San Francisco, co-hosted by ASUS, Corsair and Intel, the ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard was used to break five overclocking world records. Combining the Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard with ASUS GeForce GTX Titan graphics cards, the latest 4th generation Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition processors and Corsair Vengeance Extreme and Dominator Platinum DDR3 memory, world-renowned members of the international overclocking community worked with ROG engineers to claim new top scores with the 3DMark 11Entry, 3DMark 11 Performance, 3DMark Fire Strike, Cinebench, and quad-channel memory frequency.

"We are proud that previous ASUS X79 motherboards have dominated overclocking rankings by breaking 26 world records since the chipset launch," said Jackie Hsu, ASUS Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Sales, Open Platform Business Group. "The accomplishments we demonstrated here at the OC Main Event San Francisco are a testament to what is achievable by combining world-class R&D with incredible talents from the enthusiast community." Xavier Laurent, Director of Product Marketing for Corsair adds "As a company that creates products by enthusiasts for enthusiasts, collaborating with like-minded partners ASUS and Intel to break world benchmarking records using Corsair Dominator Platinum and Vengeance Pro memory was a natural fit. The success of the OC Main Event San Francisco demonstrates the continued strength of the enthusiast community and validates our commitment to this portion of the ecosystem."

ASUS has disclosed the details of the ASUS Open Overclocking Cup 2013 final which will be organized with support from Corsair. The AOOC 2013 final will be held in Moscow on October 5, 2013, as part of the Igromir 2013 expo to be hosted by the Crocus Expo Center from October 3 to 6, 2013. The ASUS booth will be located in Pavilion 1, Hall 1 of the Crocus Expo Center.

The ASUS Open Overclocking Cup 2013 final will be attended by the 13 overclocking teams from Europe and the CIS selected in the qualification round and by the winners of AOOC 2012. These are the best of the European overclocking scene, repeatedly placing in the top of HWBot.org with record-breaking results, so we can be sure that they can deliver their best in ASUS Open Overclocking Cup 2013 using components from ASUS Republic of Gamers and Corsair.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Maximus VI Formula, an ATX gaming motherboard ready for the latest 4th generation Intel Core processors and packed with exclusive ROG features.

Based on the new Intel Z87 chipset, Maximus VI Formula is brimming with the kind of innovative and exclusive features that ROG fans expect. CrossChill hybrid air and water-cooling gives efficient heat dissipation for extreme overclocked performance, SupremeFX Formula onboard audio with a dedicated 600ohm headphone amplifier ensures immersive high-quality audio and a mini-PCIe Combo II card adds dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi for next-generation wireless networking. Maximus VI Formula also features Extreme Engine DIGi+ III technology and high-quality electronic components for precise power delivery with stable performance.

EK Water Blocks, Ljubljana based premium water cooling gear manufacturer, is preparing a a new line of blocks for the latest NVIDIA GeForce GTX based ASUS DirectCU II series graphics cards and ASUS Republic of Gamers Z87 LGA-1150 motherboards:

ASUS Republic of Gamers Motherboards:

• ASUS Maximus VI Extreme
• ASUS Maximus VI Formula
• ASUS Maximus VI Hero
• ASUS Maximus VI Gene
• ASUS Maximus VI Impact

Graphics cards:

• ASUS GTX780-DC2-3GD5 GeForce GTX 780 3GB GDDR

ASUS announced that the Intel Z87-based Republic of Gamers Maximus VI Extreme motherboard has achieved a decisive 91% success rate at a Computex Taipei 2013 overclocking summit sponsored by Intel and Corsair. Additionally, the board tallied eight world performance records at a separate gathering that took place at ASUS headquarters, all mere days after its official launch.

Ten out of eleven wins at the Intel and Corsair Computex OC Main Event
Competing against top-tier overclocking motherboards from a variety of brands, Maximus VI Extreme took ten out of eleven top spots (or 91%) at the Intel and Corsair Computex OC Main Event. Full details found here.

ASUS launched its socket LGA1150 motherboard lineup with three products in its coveted Republic of Gamers (ROG) lineup, the flagship Maximus VI Extreme, the micro-ATX Maximus VI Gene, and the mid-range Maximus VI Hero. A little earlier today, the mini-ITX Maximus VI Impact joined the team with a stunning feature-set for its size. At Computex, we pictured the last piece of the puzzle, the Maximus VI Formula. Pictured below, this ATX motherboard based on the Z87 chipset is best suited for liquid-cooled rigs with 3-way graphics cards. It borrows a piece of technology over from the TUF series, a thermal armor that covers most parts of the board. The armor makes contact with a water block that actively cools the board's CPU VRM.

The Maximus VI Formula uses an identical CPU VRM to the Maximus VI Extreme. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS. A 4-pin ATX and Molex can be optionally connected to stabilize overclocks. The LGA1150 socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4), it lacks the PEX8747 bridge chip of its bigger sibling. Three other PCI-Express 2.0 x1 chips make for the rest of the expansion. Connectivity on the Maximus VI Formula includes ten SATA 6 Gb/s ports, eight USB 3.0 ports, SupremeFX audio, gigabit Ethernet (Intel controller), 802.11 ac WiFi, and Bluetooth 4.0. ASUS didn't reveal launch plans.

ASUS announced its first Republic of Gamers (ROG) motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, the Maximus VI Impact, which could go on to become choice number one for SFF gaming PC builders. Arguably the most feature-rich mini-ITX motherboard ever made, the Maximus VI Impact is a socket LGA1150 motherboard based on Intel Z87 Express chipset, which supports 4th generation Core "Haswell" processors.

The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, and conditions it using a 10-phase VRM that off-shoots into its own little PCB, with heatsink. The other three daughterboards on the Maximus VI Impact include the SupremeFX Impact, a sound-card with an audiophile-grade 115 dBA DAC, OPAMPs, and audio-grade capacitors; and an mPCIe combo card that lends it 802.11 ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0; and an ImpactControl card that gives overclockers POST diagnostic readouts and CMOS reset/restore at the push of a button, right from the rear panel.

The GTX 670 DirectCU Mini cooler earned ASUS engineers tons of respect (and hopefully sales) from enthusiasts. The same crew unveiled a new high-end graphics card in the company's Republic of Gamers (ROG) family, based on a performance-segment GeForce GTX 700 series GPU, the ROG Poseidon. The card features a unique new cooler that combines an air-based cooler, with a full-coverage liquid-based one. Users have the choice of running the completely on air, completely on water (with the fan shut off), or with both in concert (air+liquid). The solution works with a common full-coverage base that makes contact with the card's GPU, memory, and VRM, which is in contact with both a complex ain-array, and a coolant channel. An ROG logo on the cooler's top lights up red, and can either stay at a set brightness, or pulsate. The company didn't finalize clock speeds, or launch date.

ASUS today announced the PQ321 True 4K UHD Monitor, a desktop display with a stunning Ultra HD 3840 x 2160 resolution that's equivalent to four Full HD displays stacked side-by-side. The PQ321 has a 31.5-inch LED-backlit 4K Ultra HD display (140 pixels-per-inch) with 16:9 aspect ratio, and supports 10-bit RGB 'deep color' for vibrant images with more natural transitions between hues.

Along with the Z87 mainline (classic) series, ASUS unveiled its premium gamer-overclocker targeted Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus VI series, consisting of three models, the Maximus VI Hero, the Maximus VI Gene, and the Maximus VI Extreme. The Maximus VI Hero is the more affordable ATX model among the three; the Maximus VI Gene is the only micro-ATX offering, while the Maximus VI Extreme is the flagship motherboard from ASUS for socket LGA1150.

The Maximus VI Hero offers a 12-phase CPU power supply, most ROG-exclusive features, expansion slots that include three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4), eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports, SupremeFX onboard audio with ground-layer isolation, and essential connectivity options that include four USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and HDMI display output. We won't be surprised if Maximus VI Hero ends up being a sub-$200 option, to compete against similarly priced alternatives from ASRock and MSI.