Review 2008

ASUS a incorporat nucleul grafic ATI Radeon HD 4870 in seria MATRIX de placi video performante.

ASUS ROG EAH4870 MATRIX
ASUS ROG EAH4870 MATRIX dispune de un PCB non-standard de culoare neagra si componente de calitate pentru overclocking sporit. Placa video este dotata cu un sistem de racire cu doua ventilatoare ce sufla aer peste lamelele din aluminiu dispuse circular, racind astfel si restul componentelor de pe placa.

ASUS EAH4870 MATRIX dispune de 512 MB de memorie GDDR5. Nucleul este tactat la 770 MHz, iar memoria la 920 MHz (3680 MHz viteza efectiva). Unul din marile atuuri ale seriei MATRIX de placi video este nivelul de control pe care il au utilizatorii asupra acestui hardware: se pot seta si controla profile de viteze de functionare, se pot monitoriza temperaturile si voltajele din anumite zone ale placilor, se pot seta manual tensiunile de alimentare, se pot monitoriza si controla vitezele de rotatie ale ventilatoarelor si, in plus fata de modelele de referinta, se pot seta moduri enhanced power-saving pentru un consum redus de energie.

Sursa: Matbe

• overclocking din fabrica
• sistem de racire foarte eficient
• monitorizare si control al voltajelor/turatiilor

• pret (probabil) piperat

Au aparut pozele versiunii retail a placii de baza ASUS Rampage II Extreme ce suporta procesoare Intel Core i7 (aka Nehalem, aka Bloomfield).

ASUS Rampage II Extreme
Rampage II Extreme dispune de un sistem de racire complet nou (fiind cunoscut de la diversele placi de baza Republic of Gamers), dar diferit fata de cel al versiunii de test (trebuie sa mentionez ca versiunea de test dispunea de un sistem de racire simplu bazat pe radiatoare de aluminiu independente, fara heatpipe-uri). Exceptand schimbarea sistemului de racire, ASUS Rampage II Extreme pastreaza facilitatile initiale:

• 6 sloturi DIMM cu suport triple-channel DDR3


• 16 faze de alimentare pentru procesor


• 3 faze de alimentare pentru memorie


• butoane integrate pentru power/reset si D-zeu mai stie


• contacte dedicate pentru masurarea tensiunilor


• 6x SATA II


• 2 porturi LAN Gigabit


• FireWire


• eSATA


• 3x sloturi PCI-Express x16 2.0 (SLI / CrossFireX)

De asemenea este inclusa in pachet si o placa de sunet dedicata SupremeFX 7.1 si modulul ASUS LED pentru observarea diversilor parametri ai sistemului.

Sursa: TechConnect Magazine

• sistem de alimentare generos (16 faze CPU, 3 faze memoria)
• dotari generoase (placa de sunet si modul LED)
• butoane integrate pentru diverse functii !?

• pret prohibitiv
• limitarea memoriei la 1.65V
• incompatibilitate water-cooling

Dupa succesul rasunator inregistrat de placa video ROG (Republic of Gamers) EN9600GT MATRIX, ASUS a lansat noul model ASUS ROG EN9800GT MATRIX/HTDI/512M.

ASUS ROG EN9800GT MATRIX/HTDI/512M
ASUS ROG EN9800GT MATRIX/HTDI/512M include functii de monitorizare si ajustare automata a voltajelor si frecventelor de operare pentru nucleu si memorii, ceea ce duce la temperaturi scazute si la o functionare silentioasa. De asemenea, este prezenta si tehnologia de overclocking dinamic pentru performante crescute in jocurile 3D.

Specificatii ASUS ROG EN9800GT MATRIX/HTDI/512M

Model	ROG EN9800GT MATRIX/HTDI/512M
Graphics Engine	GeForce 9800GT
Bus Standard	PCI Express 2.0
Video Memory	512MB DDR3
Engine Clock	612 MHz
Shader Clock	1.5GHz
Memory Clock	1.8 GHz (900MHz DDR3)
Memory Interface	256-bit
DVI Max. Resolution	2560 * 1600
D-Sub Output	Yes x 1 (via DVI to D-Sub adaptor x 1 )
DVI Output	Yes x 2 (DVI-I)
HDTV Output(YPbPr)	YES, via HDTV Out cable
HDCP Compliant	Yes
HDMI Output	YES**
Adaptor/Cable Bundled	1 x DVI-to-D-Sub adaptor 1 x HDTV-out cable 1 x Power Cable
Software Bundled	ASUS Utilities & Driver
Note	The card size is 4.376 inches x 9 inches

The Perfect Answer to Gaming Needs
A stylish design that comprises of daring lines, a futuristic-looking Hybrid Cooler and a black circuit board allows astute gamers to instantly identify the ASUS ROG EN9800GT MATRIX as a piece of top-notch gaming hardware; while the ROG logo prominently displayed on the cooler is a mark of promise to signify that this graphics card will deliver extreme gaming performances. Equipped with the ASUS Super Hybrid Engine, Hybrid Cooler technology and iTracker, 15% performance boosts in 3D mode can be achieved; while 30% less power consumption and much quieter cooling can also be guaranteed under the 2D mode - allowing gamers to fulfill their every gaming requirement.

Auto Hardware Detection and Adjustments with Super Hybrid Engine
The new Super Hybrid Engine technology showcases its intelligence via a two-fold process. First gathering detailed information about the GPU loading and temperature, memory and power IC; Super Hybrid Engine then calculates an optimized solution for the best performance. Furthermore, all of this happens in real time, without requiring any tinkering from users - making it easy to achieve multi-level GPU and memory voltage adjustments for the ultimate graphical performance or maximum energy savings.

Hybrid Cooler for Auto-managed Proactive Cooling
The leading and intelligent thermal innovation Hybrid Cooler draws its inspiration from Hybrid cars of the same namesake. With a revolutionary combination of the fan and heatsink solutions on one card, the Hybrid Cooler targets guaranteed performance with power savings in mind. When required, the fan and heatsink will work together for optimum cooling, while the fan is automatically controlled according to advanced GPU loading detection - providing users with more proactive cooling and power savings in the event of lower graphics utilization - much like real Hybrid cars.

iTracker Offers Easy User Selection for the Most Suitable Usage
The iTracker feature comes built-in with the Super Hybrid Engine technology, and offers 4 default profiles for entry-level gamers: namely the Optimized Mode, Gaming Mode, Power Saving Mode, and Default mode. This handy application is also able to display real-time graphics card information that includes the GPU/shader/memory clock, GPU/memory voltage, GPU loading, GPU/memory/power IC/ambient temperature, and fan speed. In addition, the 5th profile - the User Defined Mode, allows timely adjustments that include GPU/shader/memory clock, GPU/memory voltage, and fan speeds to suit different individual requirements.

Up to 15% Faster in 3D Mode
GPU and memory voltage boosts from 1.2V up to 1.301V and from 1.9V up to 1.92V respectively when the ROG EN9800GT MATRIX is running in 3D mode. This allows the GPU, shader and memory clock performance to be boosted from 600MHz up to 750MHz, from 1800MHz up to 2000MHz, and from 1512MHz up to 1753MHz respectively. Such unprecedented performance upgrades helps raise the ROG EN9800GT MATRIX's 3DMark Vantage Extreme Mode score from 2013 to 2308 - an unbelievable 15% speed improvement when compared to any other reference designed board*. Gamers can now feel the adrenaline rush of superb gaming performance - only with the ASUS ROG EN9800GT MATRIX/HTDI/512M.

Up to 30% Power Saved and Quiet Cooling in 2D Mode
While in 2D modes, less power consumption is required, and the ROG EN9800GT MATRIX is able to reduce GPU and memory voltages from 1.2V down to 0.9V, and from 1.9V to 1.8V respectively for great energy savings. Furthermore, the Auto Phase Switch technology optimizes the power supplied by the power phase for maximum power efficiency. In combining the exceptional voltage reduction with the Auto Phase Switch technology, the ROG EN9800GT MATRIX's power consumption is lowered from 46.27W to 32.44W - an astonishing 30% in savings when compared to any other reference designed board**. Additionally, Hybrid Cooler will help reduce fan rotation speeds in 2D modes - allowing users to enjoy much quieter cooling for comfortable computing environments.

Sursa: ASUS

ASUS a lansat noua placa video MATRIX ROG (Republic of Gamers) EN9600GT HTDI/512M.


De culoare integrala neagra, placa GeForce 9600GT MATRIX este echipata cu ASUS Super Hybrid Engine pentru detectarea si ajustarea automata a foltajelor, frecventelor si a vitezei de rotatie a ventilatorului de pe GPU. Cu ajutorul acestei functii, nucleul isi scade voltajul in modul 2D si opreste ventilatorul pentru o functionare absolut silentioasa. La nevoie ventilatorul porneste si isi adapteaza numarul de rotatii in functie de incarcarea si temperatura chip-ului video.

EN9600GT MATRIX este echipata si cu tehnologia iTracker, ce ofera patru profile de lucru: Optimized Mode, Gaming Mode, Power Saving Mode si Default mode. De asemenea sunt afisate in timp real vitezele GPU/shader/memorie, voltajele GPU/memorie, incarcarea nucleului grafic, temperaturile nucleu/memorie/power IC/ambient, precum si viteza de rotatie a ventilatorului.

Vitezele de functionare sunt de: 650MHz/1625MHz/1.8GHz (900MHz DDR3) nucleu/shader/memorie.

Pentru mai multe detalii: comunicat de presa: ASUS ROG EN9600GT MATRIX/HTDI/512.

Sursa: ASUS

ASUS a lansat noua serie de placi de baza ROG Maximus II Formula bazate pe e chipset-ul Intel P45.
Placile de baza din aceasta serie ofera o experienta audio desavarsita prin intermediul placii de sunet SupremeFX X-Fi. In plus, sunt incluse tehnologiile CPU Level Up (pentru overclocking dinamic al procesorului) si Extreme Engine power design (ce asigura tensiuni precise pentru stabilitatea sistemului). Pentru alimentare sunt disponibile 16 faze pentru CPU, 3 faze pentru northbridge si 2 faze pentru memorii.

High-Fidelity Environmental Sounds with SupremeFX X-Fi
The Republic of Gamers (ROG) is dedicated to delivering unsurpassed gaming experiences for the serious gamer. In the ROG Maximus II Formula, the bundled new SupremeFX X-Fi audio card provides gamers with life-like sound effects and 3D surround sounds to fully immerse them into their games. With an emphasis on high quality design, the Supreme FX X-Fi utilizes the ADI 2000B audio codec, Creative X-Fi suite, CMSS3D and Crystalizer technologies, and authentic EAX sound effects to produce top-notch virtual 3D surround sounds to bring gamers one step closer to “being really there” in their games.

Easily Upgrade CPUs with CPU Level Up
With CPU Level Up, gamers will be able to easily obtain CPU boosts to suit their gaming needs. All they have to do is select their desired CPU model from a list in the BIOS. Once it is chosen, the system will do the rest of the work and fine-tune the original processor to run at the speed of the desired CPU. Obtaining CPU boosts never been as easier!

Extreme Engine Design for Exceptional Performance
ASUS’ legendary engineering prowess has culminated in the new ROG Extreme Engine – a next-generation multi-phase power design that provides additional overclocking headroom for extreme user experiences. Comprising of a 16-phase power design for the CPU, 2-phase for memory and 3-phase for the north bridge; Extreme Engine will provide users with additional voltage options in the BIOS for higher performances. With only the best quality components used, stable power to components provides reliable operations; while a power efficiency of up to 96% and automatic power management ensure less energy is wasted and less heat produced – allowing gamers to enjoy the most stable potentials for the ultimate gaming experience.

CPU	LGA775 socket for Intel® Core™2 Extreme / Core™2 Quad / Core™2 Duo / Pentium® dual-core/Celeron® dual-core /Celeron® Processors
Chipset	Intel® P45/ICH10R with Intel® Fast Memory Access Technology
System Bus	1600/1333/1066/800 MHz
Memory	Dual-channel memory architecture max.16GB, DDR2-1200/1066/800/667 MHz, non-ECC and un-buffered memory
Expansion Slots	- 2 * PCIe2.0 x16 slots - 3 * PCIe x1 slots (the PCIEx1_1 (black) is compatible with audio slot) - 2 * PCI 2.2 slots
Storage	ICH10R Southbridge: - 6 *Z SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports
	Marvell® 88SE6121 controller: - 1 x UltraDMA 133/100/66/33 for up to 2 PATA devices - 1 x External SATA 3.0 Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go)
	Silicon Image Sil5723 - 2 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports
LAN	Dual Gigabit LAN controllers, both featuring AI NET2
High Definition Audio	SupremeFX X-Fi Audio Card: - ADI® AD2000B 8-channel High Definition Audio CODEC - Creative X-Fi capability - X-Fi interface Coaxial/Optical S/PDIF out ports
USB	max.12 USB 2.0 ports(6 ports at mid-board, 6 ports at back panel)
ROG Exclusive Overclocking Features	Pin Fin Thermal Module Extreme Engine: - 16-phase power design for CPU - 3-phase power design for north bridge - 2-phase power design for memory Extreme Tweaker - CPU Level Up
ROG Special Features	- LCD Poster - Onboard Switches: Power / Reset / Cls CMOS (at rear)