ASUS unveils pricing of Z97 and H97 series of motherboards

ASUS Unveils Full Range of 9 Series Motherboards

Latest Intel Z97 and H97 chipset-based ASUS-branded, ROG, TUF and Workstation motherboards serve a wide range of computing needs

Singapore (2nd May, 2014) — ASUS today announced a complete lineup of motherboards built around the Intel® 9 Series chipset that features the LGA 1150 socket and supports Intel® 4th, New 4th, and 5th-generation Core™ processors (codenamed Haswell, Haswell Refresh, Haswell Refresh K-series / Devil’s Canyon). These new motherboard offerings from ASUS-branded, Republic of Gamers (ROG), The Ultimate Force (TUF) and Workstation (WS) Series feature exclusive technologies that maximize the potential of the Z97 and H97 chipsets to deliver better user experiences, performance, stability, and upgrade options.

“Since its founding in 1989, ASUS has prided itself on the outstanding quality of its motherboards. And today, 25 years later, our approach has seen us grow into the world’s best-selling and most award-winning motherboard brand. Taking into account the feedback and needs of today’s computing public, we’re proud to introduce our comprehensive 9 Series motherboard launch line-up across the ASUS-branded, ROG, TUF and WS Series motherboards. Whether for professional use, gaming, content creation, servers or simple, everyday computing, our motherboards cover every task,” said Jackie Hsu, Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Worldwide Sales, ASUS Open Platform Business Group.

ASUS-branded motherboards — optimized performance for a wide range of computing scenarios

ASUS-branded Z97 and H97 motherboards feature a stunning new design with a unique and distinctive perfectly circular heat-sink on the next-generation Platform Controller Hub (PCH) chip, and boast comprehensive features for users looking to create a high-performance PC, a potent gaming rig or a multimedia entertainment center.

5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5 optimizes PC performance with a simple click. It improves on its 4-Way Optimization predecessor with the Turbo App, tailored networking and audio settings, together with upgraded fan control, robust overclocking, energy savings and digital power. ASUS-branded motherboards also feature Crystal Sound 2 and Turbo LAN, which together deliver flawless audio and reduce lag to improve the gaming experience.

In PC home entertainment centers, ASUS HomeCloud turns the hard drive into a private cloud. The built-in Wake-on-WAN feature lets users wake and control the PC remotely with a smart device. Users can also stream multimedia content from the PC to any device. The capacity to interact with smart devices wirelessly is further enhanced by the inclusion of the ASUS-exclusive NFC Express 2 and wireless charger.

Ultimate Gaming Performance from ROG

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) unveiled Maximus VII Gene mATX, Maximus VII Hero ATX, and the new Maximus VII Ranger ATX gaming motherboards. All three motherboards sport the distinctive ROG black and red color scheme, feature premium components, black nickel CPU socket covers and improved circuit layouts.

ROG has also improved on the RJ45 LAN port with LANGuard; it uses advanced signal-coupling technology and premium surface-mounted capacitors to improve throughput. LANGuard also features surge-protected and electrostatically-guarded components (ESD Guards) to give ROG Maximus VII series motherboards industry-leading figures of up to 1.3 times the surge protection and 1.9 times the static electricity tolerance of traditional boards. The latest ROG-exclusive GameFirst III network optimization utility prioritizes game packets, allocating more bandwidth for games to ensure a smoother online gaming experience.

The ROG Maximus VII Hero and Ranger come with SupremeFX 2014; while Maximus VII Gene features the SupremeFX Impact II discrete audio card. These solutions utilize cutting-edge isolation technologies to minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI), premium ELNA® audio capacitors and 8-channel gold plated audio output ports, to provide precision-engineered audio that is on par with dedicated soundcards.

TUF server-grade reliability

Available in both ATX and mATX form factors, TUF Sabertooth Z97 Mark 1 and Gryphon Z97 Armor Edition motherboards feature TUF Fortifier, Thermal Armor, and Dust Defenders to ensure the ultimate in system durability and stability. The new onboard TUF ICe microchip delivers incredibly precise temperature monitoring and fan control whether adjusting settings manually or through the automatic one-click optimization feature found in Thermal Radar 2. TUF Fortifier uses a thermal pad attached to the motherboard, making the whole backplate a huge heat sink that directs heat away from key components such as VRMs and MOSFETs.  Thermal management is aided by Thermal Armor which optimizes airflow to aid in heat dissipation, while Dust Diverter technology blows dust up and away from the heat sink VRM.

All TUF Z97 motherboards, including the new Sabertooth Z97 Mark 2 and Gryphon Z97 models, feature reliable TUF Components for military-grade durability.

Total SATA Express solution plus high-speed M.2 support

ASUS is the only brand to provide a total SATA Express solution, from motherboards to Hyper Express, an exclusive SATA Express external enclosure compatible with all available chassis-equipped 3.5-inch drive bays. It can accept two high-speed M.2 modules, two mSATA modules or two 2.5-inch SATA hard drives, and allows them to operate at full speed. ASUS Z97 and H97 motherboards* have been tested and validated to meet SATA Express standards, including the Separate Reference Clock with Independent Spread Spectrum Clocking Architecture (SRIS), to ensure the very best SATA Express performance. M.2*, with its two native PCI Express 2.0 bandwidth and up to 10Gbit/s data transfer speeds, makes ASUS Z97 and H97 motherboards  ideal choices for operating system drives.

*See specifications for details

Critically-acclaimed reliability and performance

ASUS employs strict compatibility and validation standards, and ASUS 5X Protection ensures that the finest components are used for long-term reliability and durability; these include DIGI+ VRM, DRAM overcurrent protection, ESD Guards, high quality 5K-hr solid state capacitors and a corrosion-resistant stainless steel back I/O panel. Additionally, all motherboards are validated for compatibility with over 1000 devices, and undergo more than 7000 hours of rigorous endurance testing to assure quality and long-term reliability.

These motherboards feature the latest Intel Gigabit Ethernet for faster, smoother gaming sessions. It reduces CPU overhead to allot more processing power for gaming and offers exceptionally high Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP) throughput. The smooth mouse-controlled graphics-based BIOS has been improved and now includes EZ Tuning Wizard-OC and RAID. These tools intelligently tune system performance and streamline RAID configuration for faster data retrieval and backups.

Further information

For detailed information on the full range of ASUS-branded, TUF and ROG 9 Series motherboards, please refer to the three appendices attached to this document.

SPECIFICATIONS 1

ASUS-branded Z97 Series motherboards

ASUS-branded Z97 and Workstation Series motherboards

ASUS H97 Series motherboards

ASU Republic of Gamers (ROG) Series motherboards

ASUS The Ultimate Force (TUF) Series motherboards

[1]   Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors.

Full specifications are available at www.asus.com/sg

[1]Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. Please visit www.asus.com/sg and reference the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors List) for details.

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AVAILABILITY & PRICING