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Panthers do travel in groups, just look at all these Z77 boards

Subject: Motherboards | April 24, 2012 - 02:43 PM |
Tagged: asus, Sabertooth Z77, panther point, tuf

Now that so much of the functionality that used to be on the motherboard is now handled by the CPU, for instance the memory controller, motherboard releases are not what they used to be.  Motherboard manufacturers have come to terms with this and now it is extra features such as distinctive heatsinks, large amounts of extra ports and other addons that distinguish one board from another.  For instance the ASUS Sabertooth Z77 is a member of their TUF series which means that solid electrolytic capacitors and alloy chokes are used on the board and that it has gone through rigorous testing that goes far beyond electrical verification and includes physical abuse.  As you can see below it also sports a protective shroud over the majority of the components.  See how well it performs and what extras ASUS included on this board at [H]ard|OCP.

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"ASUS brings us another gem in the form of the Sabertooth Z77. It is one of the first in a new generation of Z77 Express chipset based motherboards which many will no doubt consider when Intel’s next generation Ivy Bridge processors drop soon. The beauty of it is, being LGA 1155, Sandy Bridge will work just fine, if not downright well."

Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:

Motherboards

 

Source: [H]ard|OCP

ASUS Demonstrates Z77 Motherboard Features at PC Perspective

Subject: Motherboards, Processors, Chipsets | April 23, 2012 - 12:05 PM |
Tagged: Z77, Ivy Bridge, Intel, asus, 3770k

Last week our good friends at ASUS stopped by the PC Perspective offices to bring along their entire new lineup of Z77 motherboards and show off the changes and new features being offered.  At the time, there we were something we couldn't show you including our overclocking demonstration as it was using the brand new Intel Ivy Bridge processor.  Not only can we now show you that but we have broken up the demo portion of the video in quicker, bite-sized segments. 

Overclocking

JJ Guerrero shows us the basics of overclocking Ivy Bridge both from the updated UEFI and the AI Suite II software.

 

WiDi on the Desktop

Did you know that desktop PCs using the correct Intel wireless controllers will be able to support Wireless Display technology?  

More videos after the break!!

Source: PC Perspective

ASUS finally bids farewell to Pegatron

Subject: General Tech | April 18, 2012 - 12:44 PM |
Tagged: Pegatron, fab, asus

Back in the ancient past of computer history, also known as 2007, ASUS split its self into numerous specialized companies with Asustek as the parent company overseeing all of the subsidiaries.  Since 2010, ASUS has been slowly separating from one of their offspring, Pegatron who is an original design manufacturer of ASUS motherboards, laptops and graphics cards.  Since there are a limited amount of quality motherboard manufacturers, which have limited production capabilities ASUS has split the load between several companies including ECS for motherboards and graphics cards and reached out to Foxconn and a handful of others for their mobile products.  Over the coming year we will begin to see these products coming out and it will be interesting to see if there is any noticeable difference in the quality of ASUS products in the second half of this year.  Get more information on the coming changes at DigiTimes.

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"Asustek Computer plans to decrease ODM production of motherboards by Pegatron beginning mid-2012 and completely end their ODM relationship by the end of the third quarter of 2012, according to component makers."

Here is some more Tech News from around the web:

Tech Talk

 

Source: DigiTimes

PC Perspective Live Review Recap: ASUS Z77 Motherboards

Subject: Motherboards, Chipsets | April 16, 2012 - 10:38 PM |
Tagged: asus, Z77, p8z77, video, live review, jj guerrero

A PC Perspective Live Review Recap is a recorded version of a previously live streamed event from http://pcper.com/live.  If you couldn't make the original air time, or simply want to re-watch, the on-demand version is provided below!

Over the weekend we had the pleasure of hosting ASUS' own JJ Guerrero, Senior Technical Marketing Specialist, at the PC Perspective offices.  He stopped by to talk to us, and to our readers, about the new Intel Z77 chipset built for the Ivy Bridge processor.  In the videos below you'll see a replay of JJ's visit where he details all of the launch Z77 motherboards including the P8Z77-V series, Sabertooth Z77, Maximus V Gene and Formula and even a mini-ITX version.

The second video includes some demonstrations of ASUS-exclusive features incluing USB 3 Boost, Fan Xpert 2, iNetwork Control, Wi-Fi GO! and more!

I would like to thank JJ and ASUS for stopping by to share so much information with our fans and we are looking forward to the Ivy Bridge launch coming up very soon!  We'll have a few more videos when that NDA is up detailing topics we couldn't discuss live, so stay tuned!

Source: PC Perspective

ASUS and Z77 Platform Live Review: We Want Your Questions!

Subject: Motherboards, Processors | April 14, 2012 - 01:26 PM |
Tagged: Z77, video, live review, Ivy Bridge, asus

In case you haven't noticed, there are Z77 motherboards for sale ahead of the launch of Intel's 3rd generation Core processor.  In line with the release of this new CPU, our friends at ASUS are stopping by the PC Perspective offices to give our readers a chance to see the company's entire Z77 lineup and their impressive new feature set demonstrated and explained on camera.

You will hear about features like Wi-Fi GO!, Digi+ Power Control, SupremeFX III audio technology, GameFirst networking technology, the mPCIe Combo Card, Fan Xpert 2 software and a whole lot more!  Stay tuned for our full Ivy Bridge processor and launch review!!

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We also want to use this opportunity to solicit questions from our readers and fans that they might have about the Intel Z77 chipset, the Ivy Bridge processor and the new line of ASUS Z77 motherboards.  You submit these questions in one of several ways:

  1. Leave a comment on this news post.
     
  2. Send me a questions via Twitter, to @ryanshrout.
     
  3. Leave a question on our Facebook page, http://facebook.com/pcper

To make things better, on launch day, we'll be giving away a few ASUS Z77 motherboards as well so be sure you submit your questions SOON!  We are recording the content for this on Sunday, April 15th, so hurry!!

Source: PC Perspective

PC Perspective Live Review Recap: Z77 Motherboard Roundup

Subject: Motherboards, Processors, Chipsets | April 13, 2012 - 11:37 PM |
Tagged: Z77, video, msi, live review, Intel, gigabyte, ECS, asus

A PC Perspective Live Review Recap is a recorded version of a previously live streamed event from http://pcper.com/live.  If you couldn't make the original air time, or simply want to re-watch, the on-demand version is provided below!

Z77 chipset based motherboards are already available and on the market and while we can't share performance or details on the Ivy Bridge processor yet, we can show off and discuss the Z77 chipset and motherboards.  In our Live Review we did a quick unboxing and preview of several models including:

  • MSI Z77A-GD65 - $169
  • Gigabyte Z77X-UD5H - $189
  • Intel DZ77GA-70K - $239
  • ASUS P8Z77-V Deluxe - $274
  • ECS Z77H2-AX (Non Golden Model - $164)

Source: PC Perspective Live

For your enjoyment; a little dual Xeon action

Subject: Systems | April 10, 2012 - 02:48 PM |
Tagged: asus, Z9 PE-D8 WS, E5-2660, E5-2687W, xeon

The ASUS Z9 PE-D8 WorkStation motherboard is a great platform for those looking to run two LGA2011 Xeon processors, as well as support for up to four GPUs from either NVIDIA or AMD.  As it is a PCIe 3.0 board, you can run two cards at a full 16x, with four cards they would all run at 8x speeds.  Overclock3D tried two different pairs of octocore Xeons, the 3.1GHz E5-2687W and the 2.2GHz E5-2660 to compare the effect of the base clock speeds on performance.  The faster machine is a F@H monster, running over 100,000 PPD, though in other tests it did not out pace the competition by such a wide margin.  That is especially true for gaming tests, where you seem to be better off with a highly overclocked i7-3960X.

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"What would happen if you combined the power of the ASUS Z9PE-D8 WS and two of the latest Xeon processors? We find out."

Here are some more Systems articles from around the web:

Systems

 

Source: Overclock3D

ASUS launches new ROG Maximus V GENE Motherboard

Subject: Motherboards | April 10, 2012 - 12:11 PM |
Tagged: Z77, ROG, PCI-E 3.0, maximus v gene, mATX, lga1155, asus

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Now in its fifth generation, ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) has launched its Maximus V Series motherboards with the Maximus V GENE. This micro-ATX powerhouse is built using the latest Intel Z77 chipset, which supports Intel’s latest LGA1155 processors. Featuring full PCI-Express Gen-3 capabilities with Intel’s 3rd Generation processor the Republic of Gamers team equips the Maximus V GENE with exclusive features such as the Extreme Engine DIGI+ II power control design, SupremeFX III gaming audio, Intel Ethernet with ROG GameFirst software and the newly added mPCIe Combo card.

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ROG Exclusive mPCIe Combo Card offer users the best expansion options
The mPCIe Combo card is a new innovation by the ROG team, combining the twin functions of mPCIe with mSATA into a single, extensible add-in card that still allows full use of the PCI-Express slots for multi-GPU graphics. Use an mSATA SSD with Intel’s Smart Response Technology to greatly improve hard-drive performance or as an ultra-fast OS drive to free up standard SATA ports for other uses. The combination of a standard mPCIe socket on the other side allows unique upgrades such as WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G/4G, GPS and other connectivity options.

Premium Hardware, Optimized Design, Best Overclocking
The Maximus V GENE is true to the Republic of Gamers core, as a motherboard built for overclocking. Do not accept imitations or compromise with first generation digital designs. The upgraded Extreme Engine DIGI+ II includes a 8+4+2 (CPU, iGPU, DRAM) phase design offers the best in precise digital power control from two DIGI+ controllers. Combined with class leading ROG UEFI BIOS functions, such as the new pre-configured memory IC profiles, specially sourced electrical components and industry first trace designs the Maximus V Gene yields an unmatched overclocking experience for enthusiasts.

SupremeFX III Sound – Premium Gaming Audio
Designed to bring gamers the best possible integrated audio, the SupremeFX III sound is a wholly separate audio PCB, identified by its ‘redline’ adjoining the main GENE V motherboard. SupremeFX Shielding technology maximizes the audio quality by further isolating the audio processing from EMI, encasing the chipset under a custom aluminum cap. Combined with a large 1500uF buffer capacitor to provide sufficient energy for even the loudest sounds, SupremeFX III attains a lossless audio of up to 110dB SNR. The addition of X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity, EAX Advanced HD 5.0, Creative Alchemy and THX TruStudio PRO complete the lineup of audio technologies that offer an incredibly immersive gaming experience.

Intel Ethernet, ROG GameFirst and LucidLogix Virtu MVP
Intel Ethernet and ROG GameFirst software combines up to 35% saving in CPU usage with network traffic prioritizing, while LucidLogix Virtu MVP support enables a new hybrid graphics mode that boosts overall GPU performance by up to 60%.

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Source: ASUS

iPad 3 (2012) vs. Transformer Prime: Tablet Titan Showdown

Author:
Date: April 6, 2012
Subject: Mobile
Manufacturer: Apple, ASUS
Tagged: transformer prime, tablet, ipad, comparison, asus, apple

Introduction, Design and Ergonomics

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Tablets are growing in popularity, but the market is still immature. There are only a handful of serious contenders sold in North America (discounting the cheap knock-offs you can find on eBay and other sites). 

Apple’s iPad is the clear leader in terms of sales. It is trailed by similar Android-powered options like the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Acer Iconia and (of coures) the ASUS Transformer Prime. We reviewed the Prime when it hit store shelves earlier this year and concluded that it was the best Android tablet money can buy. That makes a comparison with the new iPad obvious.

The constant stream of rants for or against Android and iOS devices in the media may lead you to think that the comparison between the two is highly subjective. I don’t believe that’s the case. There are a number of objective measurements that can be used to judge these products.

Yes, there is always going to be some degree of preference between operating systems, but we’re not really going to get into the iOS vs. Android argument here. That’s a topic that would require its own article, and most likely one several times longer than this comparison. Subjective points will be limited to design and ergonomics. 

Enough talk. It’s time for the competition to begin.

Continue reading our comparison of the new iPad (2012) and the ASUS Transformer Prime!!

Transforming ASUS' Eee Pad by shoving an Ice Cream Sandwich into it

Subject: Mobile | March 19, 2012 - 12:25 PM |
Tagged: asus, Transformer, ice cream sandwich, android 4.0, eee pad, eee pad transformer

The new ASUS Transformer Prime may have had Android 4.0, aka Ice Cream Sandwich, as its OS for a while now, but only recently has the same been true for the original Eee Pad Transformer.  The Tech Report upgraded their Transformer with the approved version of ICS and took it for a spin.  Many of the advantages they found were tied directly into the ASUS version which allowed the tablets base functionality to be integrated with the OS as opposed to being an app running on the OS.  That is not all however as they described the OS upgrade as feeling more like a hardware update thanks to the increased fluidity of the tablets responsiveness. 

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"Asus has been quick to roll out Ice Cream Sandwich updates for its Eee Pad Transformers. We take a closer look at the new OS to see how it fares on the Android tablets."

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Source: The Tech Report

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