Computex 2015: ASUS showcases new ROG gaming products and motherboards

Taiwan: ASUS showcased new Republic of Gamers (ROG), ROG -series gaming monitors and peripherals, ROG Certifiedproducts, and the ASUS Z170 motherboard at Computex 2015. This also includes the ASUS USB 3.1 product family, Strix GTX 980Ti graphics card, 4K/UHD (ultra-high-definition) displays, total networking solutions, the battery-poweredP3B projector, and five stunning case mods based on ROG and ASUS TUF moddedrigs.

On show are ROG Spatha and ROG Claymore, respectively ROG’s flagship gaming mouse and RGB gaming keyboard. Spatha is equipped with 12 buttons encased in apremium magnesium-alloy chassisand is optimized for MMO (massively-multiplayer online) games. Spatha includes both wired and wireless modes,comes with a stylish charging station andhas an exclusive socket design for easy switch upgrades. Gamers can customize their favorite effect acrossthree distinct areas,choosing from a palette of 16.8m colors.

ROG Claymore is a new RGB mechanical gaming keyboard with a detachable numeric keypad for user preference and available in four versions — with a choice of red, brown, blue or black Cherry MX RGB switches. Claymoreis finished with ROG’s signature Mayan detailing and has backlit keys that are individually customizable from the same 16.8-million-color palette as Spatha.

Three ROGgaming displays are on show — ROG Curved, Swift PG27AQ and Swift PG279Q.The 34-inch Curved display has a 3440 x 1440 native resolution, and a shallow-arc panel to envelope gamers in the on-screen action. Swift PG27AQ and Swift PG279Q are both 27-inch displays with in-plane switching (IPS)technologyand 144Hz refresh rates. Swift PG27AQ has a native 4K/UHD resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels, whilePG279Q is a 2560 x 1440-pixel (WQHD) display. Both offer wide viewing angles for the best gaming experiences.All three gaming monitorshave integrated NVIDIA G-SYNC display technology to deliver the smoothest, fastest and most breathtaking gaming imaginable.

Two MG series gaming displays are on show — the 27-inch MG279Q and MG278Q. These two monitorsboth delivera crisp WQHD resolution with a 144Hz refresh rate.The MG278Q has a near-instant 1ms response time, while MG279Q uses IPS technology to provide 178°-wide viewing angles. The MG series include AMD FreeSync technology for seamless visuals and smooth gameplay. ASUS-exclusive Ultra-Low Blue Light, Flicker-Free, and GameVisual technologies combine to provide comfortable viewing for even the most-extended gaming sessions.ASUS GameVisual Technology provides six preset display modes (Scenery, Racing, Cinema, RTS/RPG, FPS andsRGB) tailored to suit different game types.

Strix GTX 980Ti is the latest enthusiast-gaming graphics card, with ASUS-exclusive DirectCU III technology and a triple-wing-blade 0dB fan design to deliver maximum airflow for 30%-cooler and three times (3X) quieter performance. Strix GTX 980Ti includes ASUS Auto-Extremetechnology with Super Alloy Power II components for aerospace-grade quality and reliability. The new graphics card also benefits from ASUS-exclusive GPU Tweak II with XSplitGamecaster for intuitive performance tweaking and instantgameplay streaming.

The new ROG Certified program is an assurance that preferred gaming gear is designed to work perfectly with ROG products. ROG Certified products undergo extensive testing and validation by ROG engineers, and only the very best succeed. Several ROG Certified products are on display at the ASUS booth, including memory modules, cooling kits and cases from Avexir, BitFenix, Bitspower,Corsair, G.Skill, HyperX, In Win, Lian-Li andThermalright — and more partners are being added all the time. The ROG Certified logo will be clearly displayed on all certified products, which are available to purchase via our partners’ own channels.The terms of the ROG Certified program will vary by region.

Next-gen tech: Z170, USB 3.1 and Hyper Kit for full NVMesupport, plus total networking solutions

The ASUS Computex booth offers an insight into the near future, with an exclusive reveal of the ASUS Z170 motherboard. This work-in-progress design will tease the forthcoming 6th-generation Intel Core platform.

Visitors are able also to explore the world’s most complete USB 3.1 product line-up, plus the latest NVM Express (NVMe) storage technology via ASUS Hyper Kit. Products on display include ASUS motherboards with integrated USB 3.1 (both Type-A and Type-C, powered by ASMedia’sUSB Implementers Forum-certified ASM1142 controller), USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C expansion cards, USB Power Delivery (UPD) front panel that supplies up to 100W USB charging,and a new USB 3.1 SSD enclosure.To demonstrate the incredible 10Gbit/s data-transfer potential with ASUS exclusive USB 3.1 Boost, the booth will have two premium water-cooled desktop PCs equipped with both USB 3.1 and NVMestorage technology.

Home networks are increasingly complex, and ASUS Networking has a comprehensive range of fast, reliable and smart products to address every aspect of this complexity — many of which will be on display at Computex.

ASUS routers are easy to use and set up, and incorporate powerful features such as ASUS AiProtection with exclusive Trend Micro^™ technology, which protects the entire network and eliminates the need for individual device protection. To optimize the use of bandwidth in multi-device environments, the RT-AC3200 router uses innovative Tri-Band Smart Connect technology to automatically assign devices to the most suitable Wi-Fi band.

Large multi-floor homes or offices will benefit from routers such as RT-AC87U, with its ultra-wide coverage of up to 465m². To further enhance coverage and help eliminate wireless ‘dead zones’, ASUS offers a complete line-up of range extenders that provide overall speeds ranging from 300Mbit/s 802.11n to 1900Mbit/s 802.11ac.

In areas where 4G/LTE speeds are faster than conventional ADSL or cable broadband, the ASUS 4G-AC55U modem-router can connect to the internet at speeds of up to 150Mbit/s and share the connection over ultra-fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi. It can also be used as a mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for on-the-go use.

Tech in style: Design-conscious displays and battery-powered ultra-short-throw projector

The LX34 and the 27-inch 4K Frameless Monitorare two beautiful new displays from ASUS. LX34 is simply a work of art with a stylish curved design with a frameless bezel, and a stand cast in a shape reminiscent of liquid metal. LX34 offers an ultra-wide 3440x 1440-pixel resolution and in-plane switching (IPS) technology for 178°-wideviewing angles.

The 27-inch 4K Frameless Monitoris an iF Award-winning frameless LED display with a barely-there 1mm bezel and a stunning 4K/UHD 3840 x 2160 resolution, plus Advanced High Performance IPS (AH-IPS) technology with 178°-wide viewing angles. It sits atop an eye-catching, sundial-inspired stand.

Both new displays feature ASUS SonicMasteraudio, incorporating ICEpower, Bang andOlufsen technology for premium immersive audio.

ASUS P3B Battery-Powered Portable LED projector is a lightweight, and ultra-short-throw projector design that easily fits in a briefcase or bag. P3B features an LED light source with a 30,000-hour lifespan and provides crisp HD 1280 x 800 resolution projections at a maximum brightness of 800 lumens. P3B delivers ultra-short-throw projection, so it’s able to project a huge 58-inch-diagonal image from a distance of just one meter from the projection surface. It also has a Wi-Fi-projection mode for wireless streaming and presentations, and has an integrated 12,000mAh power bank that provides up to three hours of projection and doubles as a power bank for mobile devices

Outstanding mods: Custom rigs powered by ROG and TUF motherboards, and ROG graphics

The ASUS Computex booth is also home to numerous brilliant creations from some of world’s finest case modders.

Representing ROG is Ai Mask’s Hog and Great BW’s Maximus Command. ROG Hog is based on ROG’s incredibly powerful Rampage V Extreme X99 gaming motherboard and Matrix R9290X graphics card. Ai Mask is a big fan of both ROG and Harley-Davidson motorcycles, so combined his passions to create ROG Hog — an outstanding PC mod that thinks it’s a motorbike.

Great BW’s Maximus Command is inspired by Lego art, putting the powerful Maximus VII ImpactZ97 mini-ITX gaming motherboard in command of a system where the fun never stops — wearing its playful nature on its sleeve, with a Lego-styled bright-red ROG logo on the outside.

Rockcrawler X99 is focused around the TUF Sabertooth X99 motherboard, with a design that reflects the military toughness of TUF’s Sabertooth motherboards. Modder Alexander Hede’s vision was to have a military vehicle carrying a complete high-performance computer, with matte-black paintwork to lend Rockcrawler X99 a stealthy finish.

Ai Mask’s second creation for the ASUS booth is TUF Immortal. Inspired by the strength of TUF motherboards, Ai Maskencased TUF’s arctic-camouflaged Sabertooth Z97 Mark in Tropicana, a classic ruggedized, waterproof photographic-equipment case from Rimowa. Twinned with a Bitspower^® water-cooling kit TUF Immortal represents a formidable motherboard with formidable cooling in a formidable case.