t-break: Tech @ Its Fastest » Asus

ASUS Rampage IV Gene Review

Taimoor Hafeez — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:30:21 +0000

As soon as Intel launched the new Sandy Bridge-E processors, you knew ASUS would bring out the big guns for the X79 platform. And sure enough, both the Rampage IV Formula and Rampage IV Extreme were one of the best performing motherboards we have tested.

Of course, not everyone wants to have a massive tower for their gaming rig, but for the power hungry user who wants high-end performance in a small package, ASUS has the Rampage IV Gene mATX motherboard.

Looking at the features list and the basic layout, the Rampage IV Gene looks like a cut down version of the Rampage IV Formula. Included with the Rampage IV Gene are similar accessories as well.

First off we have the ROG sticker and the door hanger, followed by the instruction manuals and drivers and utilities CD. A very handy sticker chart is also available for you to label all your cables inside the case. Then there are six SATA cables, one ROG Connect cable, an SLI bridge, and a set of Q-connectors. And bringing it home is the rear I/O panel cover.

AMD HD 7950 Review

Taimoor Hafeez — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 04:00:50 +0000

Often times AMD and Nvidia release their flagship GPUs with the launch of a new series of graphics card, but it’s the one under the newly crowned king that people most look forward to, the price/performance champion of the people. And in between all the festivities, we usually tend to overlook the middle sibling, the one who sits smack in the middle of the mid-range champion and the performance king. Today marks the launch of one such card, the AMD HD 7950.

The AMD HD 7950 is basically a cut down version of the HD 7970 released a month back. Clocked slightly lower than the 7970 and 256 lesser Stream units, the HD 7950 is made from the same wafer, with 384-bit bandwidth and 4.3 billion transistors and GCN architecture on a 28nm process. Our test units were all 3GB variants, although there will be 1.5GB HD 7950s coming out later, potentially costing $50 to $60 less than the 3GB versions.

Going by those specs and price, AMD has put the HD 7950 squarely against the current Nvidia champ, the GTX 580. And given that the 3GB price of the HD 7950 matches 1.5GB GTX 580s, expect a price drop very soon on the GTX 580.

So let’s take a look at our test cards today, both of which have custom cooling solutions and are factory overclocked to boot.

ASUS UX31 Zenbook Review

Taimoor Hafeez — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:20:27 +0000

Now that Ultrabooks have finally flooded the region, it’s easy to go out and pick up something you like. But don’t let first looks fool you, as every ultrabook looks extremely tempting, and a very budget oriented alternative to Apple’s famous MacBook Air laptops.

In the past we have covered the Acer Aspire S3 as well as the Toshiba Portege Z830, so today I’ll be looking at how the highest-end offering from ASUS stacks up against the rest of the ultrabooks. The Zenbook comes in a very simple case, with a basic assortment of supplies. You get the standard power adapter, with three different plug styles (great for when you’re travelling abroad) and a very sleek looking case sleeve.

This is the first ultrabook I have used with a Core i7 processor, and as such was worried about heat and noise, but the Zenbook pleasantly surprised me there. More on that later, though, let’s take a look at the Zenbook in all its glory.

Laptops may soon feature Kinect capabilities

Mufaddal Fakhruddin — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 12:30:37 +0000

Goodbye, webcams. It was nice knowing you. According to The Daily, laptop manufacturers may soon replace ordinary webcams with Microsoft’s Kinect sensor.

Apparently, Asus has already built a prototype. The laptop looks like a normal one (of course…), but has the three round eyes of the Kinect instead of the one tiny webcam dot on the top.

Microsoft is likely to license the technology to all of its partners. The capabilities of Kinect could easily be paired with Windows 8′s tablet-like interface.

Kinect is set to launch for PC next month.

ASUS HD 7970 Review

Taimoor Hafeez — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:31:16 +0000

As the whole PC community was partying last December when the AMD HD 7970s were out for review, our invitation was misplaced as the test unit AMD was supposed to send us didn’t come through until two weeks back. As such, I decided to wait for a retail HD 7970 to review the card. Finally ASUS came through with their standard HD 7970, and today I’ll be looking at stock and CrossFire HD 7970 performance.

For those of you who still don’t know the hoopla surrounding the AMD HD 7970, here’s a quick primer on the new Radeon architecture. First of all, it’s the first graphics card to use a 28nm GPU core, the smaller size bringing with it lesser heat dissipation and lower power consumption. Secondly the HD 7970 uses AMD’s new Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture which is a multi-purpose computation processor designed to handle various applications (not just games) of today and tomorrow.

The HD 7970 is the first implementation of the GCN architecture with double the L2 cache over previous generation VLIW4 architecture. This allows for a massive 2TBps bandwidth capacity across the core of the HD 7970.

The rest of the technical specs can be seen on the chart below:

Now let’s talk about the ASUS HD 7970 that I’ll be reviewing.

The packaging is standard fare for ASUS, nothing overly flashy on the box. Inside we have a manual, driver CD which comes with the ASUS GPU Tweak utility, a HDMI to DVI and a mini-DP to DVI cable. Furthermore we have a 6-pin power cable along with a CrossFireX bridge.

ASUS launches ROG Rampage IV GENE X79 mATX gaming board

Serge — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:55:19 +0000

Press Release:

Rampage IV GENE continues the legacy of Republic of Gamers motherboards by delivering gamers with enhanced performance that places a premium on fidelity and speed. SupremeFX III™ EMI-shielded audio guarantees better in-game sound, Intel® Ethernet LAN and ROG GameFirst technology boost online multiplayer performance, while ROG Extreme Engine Digi+ II digital voltage regulation promotes improved overclocking. The board further uses Black Metallic capacitors and NexFET™ Power Block MOSFETs for added durability and heat resistance. Unlike budget micro ATX boards, it supports 2-way NVIDIA® SLI™ and AMD CrossFireX™.

SupremeFX III™ audio
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) remains a detriment to quality sound, causing distortion and loss unless properly mitigated. Rampage IV GENE uses a custom PCB “red line” layout which physically isolates SupremeFX III™ hardware from the rest of the motherboard to eliminate interference and generate clearer, more precise, and deeper audio. Better sound helps competitive gamers with improved positioning and spatial awareness, in addition to promoting greater immersion. SupremeFX III™ comes with its own steel shield, a 1500uF capacitor for stable audio power delivery, plus gold-plated audio jacks. The setup has been tested to 110dB SNR, ensuring lossless performance. EAX® Advanced HD 5.0, Creative® Alchemy, and THX® TruStudio™ PRO are all fully supported. Rampage IV GENE comes bundled with a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi MB2 suite, providing the finest game audio of any micro ATX board, with realistic sound effect reproduction, lifelike music, and theater-grade movie sound.

Lag-resistant online gaming and multi-GPU support
Intel® Ethernet reduces CPU utilization by as much as 35% when processing online activity compared to systems using standard LAN, which combats latency and boosts packet transmission. Better network performance presents an edge for gamers, with the overwhelming importance of global online multiplayer gaming requiring faster connections for a smooth and competitive experience. ROG-exclusive GameFirst contributes to achieving this goal, working as a connection supervisor to prioritize bandwidth availability and ensure games receive sufficient resources, even when downloading occurs in the background. To further accommodate gamers, Rampage IV GENE supports PCI Express 3.0 and 2-way SLI™/CrossFireX™ for increased future proofing and flexibility.

Greater overclocking through improved endurance and stability
Rampage IV GENE ships with the exclusive ROG Extreme Engine Digi+ II design, consisting of digital voltage regulators for refined tuning and higher power efficiency. Gamers can adjust voltages in more precise increments, which aids in overclocking. Supporting this, Black Metallic capacitors and NexFET™ Power Block MOSFETs easily surpass the capabilities of generic parts. They resist heat better, last up to five times longer, and can take up to 20% higher temperatures than generic components, culminating in a highly durable and long lasting board that reduces the likelihood of instability even when running high intensity applications.

First X79 board officially certified by the USB-IF
In addition to its many advantages, the Rampage IV GENE has also secured the honor of being the first Intel® X79-based motherboard formally authorized and certified USB 3.0-ready by the USB Implementers Forum. Certification speaks of the extensive testing and compatibility assurance ASUS puts into every board from early development to shipping. Always committed to advancing technology and giving consumers the best performance possible, ASUS has gone further and self-developed USB 3.0 Boost to accelerate data speeds beyond reference requirements. The multi-mode design of USB 3.0 Boost increases device connectivity for both the traditional BOT protocol and the newer UASP, and its inclusion on ROG boards offers gamers even better value than before.

Complete range of X79 gaming boards
The release of Rampage IV GENE follows the previous launch of Rampage IV Extreme and Rampage IV Formula Intel® Socket LGA 2011/X79 Express Chipset-based models. The three maintain ROG leadership in the gaming and overclocking motherboard segments, providing consumers with superior performance and the finest quality in a vibrant PC gaming scene where technical excellence is critical.

Price and Availability: TBA

MSI Big Bang XPower II Review

Taimoor Hafeez — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:29:16 +0000

The original MSI Big Bang Marshal made quite a stir at the Tbreak office last year, and now with the new XPower II version, history is set to repeat itself.

Carrying the Big Bang moniker, the new XPower II motherboard is quite obviously an ATX sized monstrosity, but the packaging seems deceptively mid-sized. The glossy gold and black color scheme looks really nice, without looking overly flashy. It somehow reminds me of the design aesthetics of Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Given that a lot of attention has been paid to the design of the XPower II, the case has a flap which allows you to get a glimpse of the motherboard itself. All around it are lists of features that make the XPower II such a special board.

Opening up, you’ll notice a ton of manuals, cables and accessories. First off there are two quick start and installation guides. Then there’s an overclocking guide along with a ‘Certificate of Quality and Stability’. There is another overclocking record sheet, perhaps on this motherboard itself, which shows the highest overclocking results achieved by MSI’s own engineers. I believe this sheet was just given along with the review samples.

Moving along, we have a front bracket which has two USB 3.0 ports and a back panel eSATA bracket. Then there are eight SATA cables, three SLI cables for a 4-way SLI setup and a CrossFireX cable. Finally, there are the V-Check point connectors for reading voltage of various components.

Gigabyte GA-X79-UD7 Review

Taimoor Hafeez — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 11:32:50 +0000

When last I looked at one of Gigabyte’s high-end motherboards, it was found wanting. It was good, but for the price it wasn’t as great as some of its closest competitors. Today I’ll be looking at the G1.Assassin 2’s distant cousin, the GA-X79-UD7. This is Gigabyte’s mainstream entry on the higher-end scale for the latest Sandy Bridge-E platform.

Looking at the packaging, it seems that Gigabyte decided to go with some very subtle. The whole package is just white, with shades of grey. On the back are the features and a picture of the motherboard itself, wherein you’ll see the black and orange color scheme.

Opening it up we notice a host of accessories. First of there are 4X SATA cables, a 4-way, 3-way and 2-way SLI bridges along with a CrossFireX bridge. There’s a USB 3.0 3.5”bracket with 2 ports to be hooked up upfront or at the back.

Apart from the I/O panel, there’s a Bluetooth + WiFi adapter with two antennae. Closing off we have the eSATA bracket. All of these combined with a 3 or 4-way SLI could result in a completely jam packed rear panel of your desktop casing.

Asus HS-W1 Wireless Headset Review

Mufaddal Fakhruddin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:31:44 +0000

Maybe it’s a New Year resolution thing, but Asus has begun flexing its muscles in the hardware peripherals business as of late. We reviewed their noise-cancellation friendly Vulcan ANC gaming headphones a few months back, and today we have something more general purpose to have a look at.

The HS-W1 is a wireless headset that has all the trimmings of a good quality ‘companion headset’. For one, it’s sturdy and well built, despite its small size and slim profile. Asus also provides a carrying case that holds the headset, receiver and the USB cable, making it easy to carry around during long hauls.

The headset is also well designed. It’s not as imposing as the Vulcan, but then again it’s not a gaming headphone and has no business looking like one. It smartly manages its gloss and plastic to create a subtle appearance of class without being too snazzy or stylish. All the controls, as minimum as they are, are placed on the left can. The volume controls are fitted inside the shiny exterior, so you can click it to increase or decrease the volume. Below it is the power button with a small LED accompanying to show the current status of the headset (green is go, red is dead, etc).

As well as it is built, I found the headset to be lacking in comfort. It’s an on-the-ear design, so the cushion lays flat on the ear. Despite the enormous 70mm padding, it started hurting after 20mins of on-time. You can adjust the cans itself, so you might find a comfortable angle. Our Arabic Editor Serge Farrah was pretty happy with it, but that could be credited to his amazing flock of hair that probably made the headset float anyway.

Performance wise, the HS-W1 are an above average headset for music. While the sound produced was loud and clear, it wasn’t wholesome and engulfing due to the lack of bass and slightly flat soundscape. The headset weren’t exceptional for gaming either, though it performed well in sound positioning, surprisingly. I could pinpoint where the action was taking place in Team Fortress 2, which says a lot for the quality of the 40mm stereo drivers.

The mic is a big part of the package as well. The headset uses a simple mechanic that enables the mic if it’s brought forward, and disables it when slotted back. The mic works well for the most part, although I found that it captured a lot of the background noises than my own.

The wireless works well, although the tiny up-time of under 8 hours (from fully charged to completely dead) is rather disappointing. Of course, you will not have an 8 hour session, but if you listen to a lot of music, you will find yourself constantly charging the headset (which is probably a good idea to do anyway, if you are stationary). Wireless range varies – Asus claims it’s about 15 meters, although we could only muster out about 8 meters.

Conclusion
For its price, the Asus HS-W1 wireless headset is a decent buy. It’s compact, easy-to-carry, classy, and a good performer – just don’t expect it to outdo itself.

ASUS Rampage IV Extreme

Mufaddal Fakhruddin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:46:55 +0000

“For someone looking to build the ultimate Sandy Bridge-E based machine, I’ll highly recommend the ASUS Rampage IV Extreme. The stock performance is one of the best, with a lot of headroom for some serious overclocking endeavors. The Rampage IV Extreme caters to the hardcore overclocking crowd with all its onboard features, but with the new UEFI BIOS it’s simple enough for even newcomers to get the most out of their Sandy Bridge-E processors.”

Click here to read our full review.