ASUS Reinvigorates PC Gaming at ROG Unleashed

ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih debuts a new arsenal of ROG hardware for gamers

ASUS today reinvigorates PC gaming at the ROG Unleashed event in San Francisco, Calif. with an opening keynote from ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih, debuting a new arsenal of Republic of Gamers hardware catering for elite desktop and mobile PC gamers, and solidifying ROG’s leadership as a brand gamers can trust for the absolute best hardware available. "In the last decade, our dedication to superior design and engineering has allowed us to empower gamers with the most ferocious weapons," said Mr. Shih. "Over the next decade and those to come, we will continue this mission and push ROG forward with even more epic innovations designed for gaming domination."

ROG Unleashed celebrates nearly a decade of ROG innovations and showcases its unrivaled engineering talent with new products, including the liquid-cooled GX700 and all-new G752 notebooks, ROG Swift PG279Q and PG27AQ monitors, Maximus VIII series motherboards, G20CB desktop, and RT-AC88U router.

Windows 10

Driving the ASUS ROG notebooks and desktops is Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 operating system, which revitalizes PC gaming with new features such as DirectX 12 technology, Game DVR, and Xbox One™ Game Streaming. DirectX 12 technology enables game developers to extract every ounce of computing power from ASUS ROG notebooks, desktops, and components to bring lifelike visuals and smooth performance to compatible titles. The result is an incredible gaming experience unlike anything before.

Microsoft Game DVR functionality lets gamers capture video clips and screenshots while playing PC games to watch later or share on social media for everyone to see. Xbox One Game Streaming capabilities enable users to stream Xbox games, including exclusive titles such as Forza Motorsport 6, the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians, and others, directly to an ASUS ROG notebook, desktop, or system with ASUS ROG components.

“The new ASUS ROG line-up will enable a fantastic Windows 10 gaming experience,” said Terry Myerson, executive vice president of the Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft Corp. “We’ve worked closely with ASUS to ensure the ROG line has the optimized performance and responsiveness that PC gamers demand. I look forward to the hours of gameplay that the ROG line will enable for everyone who loves PC gaming.”

ROG GX700

Mobile gaming receives a new desktop-class competitor with the ASUS ROG GX700 powerhouse, which satisfies the computing needs of the most demanding desktop and mobile gamers. Unique to the ROG GX700 is a self-contained liquid-cooling dock that enables greater cooling performance, lower noise, higher performance, and superior overclocking capabilities. The liquid-cooling unit includes rigorously tested automotive-grade components to ensure long-term reliability.

Residing within the notebook is the latest 6th-generation Intel® Core™ i7 K-series processor that’s unlocked for easier overclocking, and a desktop-class NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX™ 980 graphics processor that’s also overclockable and ready for next-generation gaming. A 4K IPS display with NVIDIA GSYNC™ technology lets gamers pick their own path to next-generation gaming – 4K or VR – the GX700 is ready for both. When attached to the liquid-cooling dock, the ROG GX700 delivers a high-end desktop computing experience with exceptional overclocking features and capability.

ROG G752

Succeeding the award-winning ASUS ROG G751-series notebook is the all-new G752 that features an evolved ROG look consisting of a titanium grey base with cupreous accents for a clean and modern look. Beneath the new chassis houses the Mobile 3D Vapor Chamber cooling system that incorporates heat-pipes and dual fans to independently cool the CPU and GPU for maximum cooling efficiency that strikes the perfect balance of performance and noise for uninterrupted gaming marathons.

The ASUS ROG G752 series arrives in a variety of configurations powered by 6th-generation Intel Core i7 quad-core processors paired with a choice of NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M, GTX 970M, and GTX 980M graphics processors with up to 8GB of GDDR5 video memory and a starting price of $1,499 USD. NVIDIA G-SYNC technology is standard on all varieties. An anti-ghosting gaming keyboard that supports up to 30-key rollover, 2.5-mm long-travel keys, Thunderbolt 3.0 technology with USB Type-C, and up to 64GB of DDR4 RAM completes the G752 series to create one of the most future-proof gaming notebooks available.

"The new ASUS ROG notebooks, powered by 6th Gen Intel Core processors, offer gamers an amazing mobile gaming experience," said Kirk Skaugen, Intel senior vice president and general manager, Client Computing Group. "With the rise of mobile gaming, 6th Gen Intel Core processors deliver the ideal combination of power and performance to a fun, immersive, and truly mobile gaming device."

Available for the next 24 hours, as part of the celebration of nearly a decade of ROG engineering supremacy and ROG Unleashed, is an exclusive pre-order bundle consisting of the ROG G752VL-DH71 and ROG Shuttle backpack for $1499.99. The ROG G752VL-DH71 features the latest 6th-generation Intel Core i7 6700HQ processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 965M graphics, a 17.3-inch 1080P display with NVIDIA G-SYNC technology, 16GB of DDR4 RAM, 1TB of storage and Windows 10 for an amazing gaming experience. The ROG Shuttle is the perfect backpack for gamers on-the-go and easily accommodates the G752 and accessories.

ROG Gaming monitors

New gaming monitors join the ASUS family with the ROG Swift PG279Q and PG27AQ. Both use NVIDIA G-SYNC technology to eliminate screen tearing, minimize stuttering, and reduce input lag, resulting in an incredibly-smooth gaming experience free of distractions that can interrupt immersion. Thanks to IPS panel technology, they also produce rich, accurate colors with wide viewing angles.

The 27-inch ROG Swift PG279Q pushes its WQHD (2560x1440) resolution at refresh rates up to 144Hz, providing exceptionally fluid gameplay at ultra-high frame rates. And, when combined with GeForce GTX 960 or higher graphics cards, it can hit refresh rates up to an astounding 165Hz to deliver unrivaled gaming smoothness and overall responsiveness. An integrated Turbo button lets gamers instantly switch refresh rates to suit different scenarios.

For those who desire greater pixel density, the ROG Swift PG27AQ squeezes a 4K/UHD (3840x2160) resolution into its 27-inch panel. This eight-megapixel display produces amazingly sharp images and crisp text at 163 PPI. 10-bit color reproduction allows the PG27AQ to paint vivid visuals with a palette of 1.07 billion colors, making it ideal for not only gaming, but also photo editing and content creation.

ROG Maximus VIII Impact

Joining the ASUS ROG Maximus motherboard family for 6th-generation Intel Core processors is the highly anticipated Maximus VIII Impact – a mini-ITX motherboard engineered for gaming and performance enthusiasts. Due to space limitations, onboard connectivity, audio quality, power delivery, fan headers, and fan control is often sub-par on mini-ITX motherboards in comparison to their ATX counterparts. At ROG, such performance compromises are not an option — we have to find ways to work around constraints to ensure performance lives up to ROG standards. Using our engineering expertise and premium components, we have managed to surpass all expectations and deliver a mini-ITX motherboard that exceeds the performance capabilities of many ATX motherboards. Every aspect of the Maximus VIII Impact is designed to offer cutting edge performance without compromise.

To ensure stable overclocking that’s on par with the best enthusiast-oriented ATX motherboards, the ROG Maximus VIII Impact features Impact Power III technology, an exclusive power daughter card that utilizes Extreme Engine Digi+ components – MicroFine alloy chokes, PowIRStage® high current MOSFETs, and 10K Japanese-made black metallic capacitors for ultra-stable, low noise power delivery.

An onboard U.2 PCI Express® 3.0 x4 connector ensures the Maximus VIII Impact is ready for the latest extreme speed SSDs. Onboard network connectivity is catered for on two fronts – wireless and wired. An onboard 2 x 2 802.11AC MU-MIMO Wi-Fi card provides high-speed wireless connectivity, while wired network connections are handled by Intel I219-V Gigabit Ethernet that provides a stable, responsive network connection for uninterrupted gaming sessions. The bundled ROG GameFirst software package is compatible with both wireless and wired network connections and allows users to set program priority lists to ensure a smooth networking experience even when multi-tasking.

The Maximus VIII Impact includes ROG SupremeFX Impact III audio, which provides the finest audio quality with an ESS® ES9023P DAC and headphone buffer that can drive high-impedance headphones up to 600 ohms. The onboard component layout has been tuned to prevent noise leakage into audio pathways, allowing the SupremeFX Impact III audio module to deliver a consistent, high-fidelity audio experience.

ROG Matrix GTX 980 Ti

Despite using the same GeForce GTX 980 Ti GPU as other graphics cards, the ROG Matrix is an entirely different beast. ASUS tests each GPU to assess its overclocking potential and reserves only the very best for use in the ROG Matrix. Those chips are paired with a custom circuit board, power delivery, and cooling solution tuned to help you wring out every last drop of performance. The card is bursting with useful extras, too, such as RGB LEDs that change color based on the workload, a defroster that prevents condensation build-up with sub-zero overclocking, and a safe-mode button that can rescue you from overly-ambitious overclocks. More than just another GeForce GTX 980 Ti, the ROG Matrix is in a class all its own.

ROG G20CB Compact Desktop PC

Ready for the next evolution of immersive gaming is the Oculus Ready ASUS ROG G20CB desktop. The G20CB is powered by 6th-generation Intel Core processors with NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics cards for uncompromised virtual reality (VR) performance. Oculus Ready PCs pack the hardware necessary for the upcoming Oculus Rift VR experience — gamers just need to connect the Oculus Rift hardware to the ASUS ROG G20 to be prepared for lifelike VR experiences.

ASUS RT-AC88U

Making its global debut is the all-new ASUS RT-AC88U router, which is engineered for gamers and enthusiasts with speeds up to 2.1Gbit/s on the 5GHz band and 1Gbit/s on the 2.4GHz band for wireless network connectivity that matches and exceeds wired Ethernet performance. Wired network connectivity is available via eight Gigabit Ethernet ports to make the RT-AC88U the perfect home network router or wireless client bridge for users with multiple network-connected devices in a home theater rack that can’t be wired to the main router.

USB 3.0 connectivity lets users transform the RT-AC88U into the perfect network attached storage device (NAS) by simply connecting an external storage device. The RT-AC88U USB 3.0 port features a 20-percent speed improvement over previous-generation routers to achieve read speeds in excess of 100MB/s for high-speed data transfers. A USB 2.0 port is available to connect more storage devices, a printer, or a USB 3G/4G/LTE network adapter. When a USB 3G/4G/LTE network adapter is attached, the RT-AC88U lets users choose to configure it for load-balancing or automatic failover protection, giving greater performance or redundancy.

While having a fast router can help improve local network performance, online gaming depends heavily on WAN performance and efficient connections. Online games often execute an excessive number of hops to transmit and receive game data by default. To address this, the RT-AC88U features a built-in client and free subscription to the WTFast Gamer Private Network (GPN™), which optimizes WAN network routes via dedicated GPN™ servers to ensure consistently low ping times and reduced packet loss. By incorporating this client into the RT-AC88U’s firmware, gamers can access this functionality on any OS without needing to run the client on local machines.

The RT-AC88U also features ASUS AiProtection to help prevent virus, malware, and other network attacks. Placing this level of protection within the router saves users from needing to install expensive, resource-consuming anti-virus software on their PCs.

Nearly a decade of ROG

Launched officially in 2006, ASUS ROG is the leading brand for PC gaming hardware. ROG started out with a commitment to producing extremely innovative PC hardware that delivers the ultimate computing experience for gamers and enthusiasts globally. The ROG extreme team has engineered the best motherboards for each platform throughout the last decade and evolved to bring its engineering expertise to graphics cards, notebooks, desktops, monitors, and peripherals.

ROG systems and components are designed and engineered with thorough feedback from the community of ROG fans and users. In addition to hosting the ROG Unleashed press conference, ASUS invited loyal fans to celebrate nearly a decade of ROG engineering with early access to the latest systems and components before it goes on sale.