Ask Me Anything - Official ASUS Representative

[frogo369]

1.If there's new motherboard for Ivy Bridge E, will features found on current Z87 boards like latest version of Bluetooth, 802.11AC, ROG's mini combo II card, be carried over?


Cannot comment on potentially upcoming or in development products. With that noted we continue to offer support for our current line of x79 Motherboards whether it be updating software packages or the UEFI to ensure superior performance, compatibility and overall functionality. With that in mind you can rest assured ASUS is always working on new and exciting projects.

2.If there are new Ivy Bridge E boards, then are you guys planning to make a dual socket ROG or TUF motherboards?
I'm still running on a Asus Rampage Formula and was about to upgrade to a Rampage IV Extreme, after I notice it's only got Bluetooth 2.0 instead of 4.0, I was a bit disappointed. :\

Cannot comment on potential or upcoming product. For most users using Bluetooth on the desktop it is used for peripherals where the 2.1+EDR on the Extreme meets an acceptable usage model. With that noted should we refresh you can rest assured we will use a newer revision. Keep in mind though though 4.0 only provides benefits to very specialized mobile devices. The main benefit of 3.0 or greater is the increase in throughput. This is only important if you sync or transfer files through bluetooth.

3.Also I saw the Bluetooth on P9X79 Deluxe has media playback controls you can use from a smart phone, does ROG Bluetooth have that too?

The Deluxe offer additional functions offered via the Wifi implementation offered on the Deluxe. Currently as the ROG series ( X79 ) do not offer Wifi these type of functions are not present.

4.When will we start to see SATA Express on motherboards?

The specification has not seen fully complete finalization or been fully validated. Until this occurs you will not see the specification be considered for integration. In the interim there are many other choices like PCIe based SSD solutions.

5. I seem to recall you guys have build a motherboard that's designed for lan parties where you can lock your keyboard and mouse to prevent others from taking it. What was that motherboard called again?

Our Gene series are models focus at portable gaming or small form factor gaming systems or lan parties. In our UEFI we do offer advance control options for USB port initialization. This may be what you are communicating?

Thank you

 

[8350rocks]

I would also like to request mini-ITX FM2/FM2+ boards...(assuming Kaveri is indeed FM2+ as leaked by AMD).

 

[frogo369]

Do you guys manufactor AsRock motherboards?
And how mouch tflops will the 780 ASUS have? DC2

ASRock is a competitor to us in all respects. We offer our own complete line of motherboards.

Our non reference GTX 780 meets and exceeds the performance of the reference GTX780 due to improve GPU Boost clocks due to reduce load based temperatures and allowing the card to clock higher.

 

[codo]

Could you perhaps give a little more concrete info on availability of the 780 directcu edition in NA? everything else for my new build is either received or on the way, I'd hate to have to go with evga as I bought a maximus v formula motherboard and would like to keep everything Asus.

 

[frogo369]

You don't have to answer this 1, but, what do you think of Crysis 3? What was good about it, bad about it, and the future of it?

I liked the game. It was engaging for me when I played it. Grpahics were good, but perhaps could have done with some optimizations. That being said, the Crysis franchise is known for being taxing on hardware. I expected nothing less. The surround sound on this game is great too.

As 40 years old however, my concentration levels are not what they used to be for gaming so I don't play things for long...hehe Even my favorite, the Street Fighter series doe snot get much air time these days.

-Raja

I thought Crysis 3 was awesome I think the gameplay dynamic offered by the suit allows for a really interesting way to play. Additionally the overall in game experience is amazing especially a high IQ and high resolution. I think i would state optimization is considerably better than Crysis 2 and is actually quite playable even on more moderate GPUs. With that all in mind I am hoping Crytek brings Ryse to the PC as I think it will continue to bring innovations to visual, gameplay and the overall experience similar to what Crysis did.

 

[Pailin]

More and more people are running Distributed Computing projects on their hardware 24/7 which generates lots of heat...

For example running my Asus 7950 Direct CUII TOP @ 1,040MHz (not a great clocking example sadly, but very reliable) pushes a lot of heat into my Antec P182 with extra from 120mm fan where optical drives should be.

Even with this extra ventilation my case has a more or less neutral pressure, with great flow - but still adds 9c to my Xeon X5650 @ 4GHz (Noctua NH-D14 cooled) temps.
- on hotter summer days with heavy Work Units that extra 9c can push my CPU to over 87c which is not cool

I would love to see more high end cards (like the HIS 7950 IceQ Turbo) make an effort to actively push at least a proportion of heat out the back of the case. Perhaps some kind of hybrid cooling dividing the heat output could be possible ?

Our focus on graphics cards design is creating superior to reference designs with key focus being on cooling and acoustics. Blower type fan as less efficient and louder than the dual axial/impeller based design we use. In some situations the delta can be greater than 15 to 20c. Additionally we do extensive testing on many chassis/cases and have found modern chassis with good airflow are only moderately impacted by heat that may be partially exhausted into the chassis. In addition blow based design can also increase internal chassis ambient temperatures due to hot spotting of the PCB due to considerably increase temperatures. As such it comes down to a combination of picking the chassis and layout for whatever GPU you use. As of now due to the superior performance we offer in our solutions we are still keeping focus on non blower based designs. With that noted we will continue to monitor feedback from our users and the community as a whole.

Cheers for the response

I must admit that although most heat is dumped into my case, my cards runs very cool. 67c @ 30% fan speed even on this rather warm day running folding@home. (normal weather never pushes it over 61c)

The silent running cool cooling solution + my history of Asus hardware tipped my hand after hearing a variety of cards here:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7950-review-benchmark,3207-12.html

 

[frogo369]

Question: I have a a ROG MvF board and I would like to know if/ when will AI suite 3 beable to run on my board?

AiSuite III was developed and validate don the Z87 chipset. As of now there are no plans to release it for previous chipsets. We have recently released updates for AiSuite II along with continued UEFI support for Z77 motherboards. As a whole while there are visual changes many of the key functions and features in AiSuite III are present in AiSuite II.

 

[Pailin]

Mods - maybe it would be nice to remind the UK site that this AMA Live now like the US site did

I am only here now because I by chance checked something on the US version.

Will do!

That was Fast!

Thanks ^^

 

[frogo369]

I would also like to request mini-ITX FM2/FM2+ boards...(assuming Kaveri is indeed FM2+ as leaked by AMD).

Thanks for the feedback. Overall we have not had the response for the community to dedicate resources to development of mini ITX for current AMD chispets. In addition there are considerable variables to incorporate and consider when developing mini ITX based solutions.

We previously offered a FM1 mini ITX solution ( F1A75-I Deluxe ) but did not have the response from the community as such no currently plans are in place for FM2. With that noted we are currently active in developing different form factor solutions for AMD chispets. One recent model is our new E2KM1-I Deluxe so watch out for more.

 

[frogo369]

I realize you can't get to all questions, but I'm hoping this one got lost rather than being unanswerable. Being deaf in one ear, your new Sonic Radar for ROG boards could be a howling big deal to me (and others in a similar situation). I don't know that I can afford another major upgrade so soon, so can or will these drivers be made available for other [Asus] boards? I have a Maximus V Gene that also has SupremeFX sound, and would love to get Sonic Radar for it too.

There is a possibility we may be able to release this software package to previous boards. We are working on doing this already on our ROG Xonar Phoebus sound card. While there is no guarantee this will occur Z77 is still active in us supporting it through software and UEFI based updates. Your feedback and inquiry in this respect are appreciated.

 

[rubix_1011]

What is the official ASUS stance on offering graphics cards in retail packaging with an already installed, full cover water block? It would seem logical that the stance taken on advanced cooling for GPUs would carry over into this segment...what are future plans to incorporate this? What is the current RMA policy for waterblocks on GPUs?

 

[frogo369]

Is there an Asus Rampage V Extreme and will it still be LGA 2011?

What is the outlook on LGA vs BGA ? Will you be forced to abandon the LGA socket and will this be just with Intel or both Intel and AMD ?

Sorry cannot comment on potential or upcoming product. You will have to keep a watch out for what may come out. Currently we are committed to our current Rampage Series Gene, Formula and Extreme. We are continually fine tuning and tweaking and improving performance, compatibility and overall usability via updates of the UEFI and software updates.

In regards to any socket questions all we can communicate is looking at our track record ASUS and its motherboard division is committed to performance and innovation and the flexibility that is offered in the PC DIY space. We are working to maintain this as much a possible and will continue working on boards focused at allowing the flexibility and features that interest enthusiasts.

I'm very disappointed that you can't comment on whether Asus plans to release new ROG Rampage Extreme/Formula motherboards for the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E processors. The whole reason I'm following this thread was to get that kind of information. Since Ivy Bridge-E is due to drop in September, I would think that Asus has already decided whether or not to release Rampage V boards that might include updated chipsets and features, such as onboard Thunderbolt and WiFi. Your existing Rampage IV Extreme/Formula are already great products, so only minor tweeks are needed. In fact, I'm planning on purchasing an i7-4960X when it's released, and I will buy the Rampage IV Formula even if it's not updated.

By the way, thanks for the info on when the GTX780 DCII will be available. I've been checking Newegg every day so that I can buy one when they are released.

It's very nice that Asus is participating in a forum like this. By taking the time to answer questions from the end users of your products, you are definitely building on the already great reputation of your company.

I've been building PC's with Asus motherboards for over 15 years, and I really like the consistent, high quality of your products.

John

Thanks for your support and feedback. I can comment on the fact we will support "upcoming CPUs" on our X79 motherboards fully. Please understand we are under NDA for topics you have asked as well as do not want competitors to be fully aware of what we may or may not do. With that noted we have also released new skus like our new P9X79-E WS which is possibly my favorite X79 board along with the Extreme and Formula.

As for the 780. I can guarantee you that you will love it. It is an awesome quality card the temperatures are fanatics and it is quiet and using a new fan and heatsink design ( 2 slot ). Even when overclocked you are not seeing temperatures above 65 to 67c.

Thanks again for the support.

 

[frogo369]

Hi I would like to know if in the future plan for a graphic card there will be one like the hd 4770 formula with the ajustable fan speed that will exaust to the back of the case. This is such a great card .Salutations scout_03

Our current focus is on our DirectCU II type heatsink and fan assembly designs. Based on extensive community feedback the majority of users have communicated wanting to ensure cool and quiet operation. Considering most modern chassis when correctly setup can offer solid airflow heat exhaust is of minimal concern and in some tests we have found blowers to offer worst temperature performance due to hot spotting internally that creates hot points around the card with build up of temperatures compared to considerably cooler non blow based cards. In the end you need to ensure you have a solid airflow layout and chassis to go with whatever GPU you go with.

 

[frogo369]

Unrelated question: The most powerful single-slot-width gaming graphics card anyone offers appears to be the HD7750 (and Asus doesn't have one; single bracket, but the cooler is too big). Does Asus have any plans to introduce any more powerful cards (AMD or nVidia) for "shoebox"-type cases that only have room for single-slot cards?

We are actively developing small form factor cards like our DC Mini graphics card. For ultra slim and low Z height chassis though we see more and more users being ok with the continually improving iGPU or APU graphics coming onboard processors. With that noted we will continue to monitor the feedback from the community on interest for higher performing single slot solutions.

 

[frogo369]

Are there any plans for a haswell thin mITX motherboard with 16x PCIe?

Currently our focus is on high performance standard mini ITX based solutions like our Z87-I Deluxe and Maximus VI Impact. With that noted we are currently evaluating design options and platforms for thin mini ITX. There are number of considerations as it is more common currently for OEM and ODM integration vs standard DIY oriented systems.

 

[frogo369]

Are you planning to make a (hybrid) tablet with the new AMD Temash inside? Preferably with Turbo Dock option.

We cannot comment on potential or possible product in development. With that noted we are active in looking at all current and upcoming SOC platforms for consideration into new products. As we monitor feedback from the users and community as a whole it helps to define where we should focus. In addition other factors such as performance, battery life, partner support and yields and overall supply chain are also factors. Deciding on SOC integration is one of the most complicated aspect of new mobile product design and develop. With that noted keep your eyes peeled for what we may release.

 

[8350rocks]

I would also like to request mini-ITX FM2/FM2+ boards...(assuming Kaveri is indeed FM2+ as leaked by AMD).

Thanks for the feedback. Overall we have not had the response for the community to dedicate resources to development of mini ITX for current AMD chispets. In addition there are considerable variables to incorporate and consider when developing mini ITX based solutions.

We previously offered a FM1 mini ITX solution ( F1A75-I Deluxe ) but did not have the response from the community as such no currently plans are in place for FM2. With that noted we are currently active in developing different form factor solutions for AMD chispets. One recent model is our new E2KM1-I Deluxe so watch out for more.

Thanks, it makes a great HTPC solution, and the form factors for those are typically pretty small!

 

[slomo4sho]

We previously offered a FM1 mini ITX solution ( F1A75-I Deluxe ) but did not have the response from the community as such no currently plans are in place for FM2. With that noted we are currently active in developing different form factor solutions for AMD chispets. One recent model is our new E2KM1-I Deluxe so watch out for more.

On-board processor ITX boards are an even smaller niche than ITX boards... I guess I will be looking elsewhere for a FM2+ board this winter.

 

[CheesyHotDogPuff]

Hello,
will there be any Z87 boards that will use the Z77 colour scheme?

 

[Onus]

I realize you can't get to all questions, but I'm hoping this one got lost rather than being unanswerable. Being deaf in one ear, your new Sonic Radar for ROG boards could be a howling big deal to me (and others in a similar situation). I don't know that I can afford another major upgrade so soon, so can or will these drivers be made available for other [Asus] boards? I have a Maximus V Gene that also has SupremeFX sound, and would love to get Sonic Radar for it too.

There is a possibility we may be able to release this software package to previous boards. We are working on doing this already on our ROG Xonar Phoebus sound card. While there is no guarantee this will occur Z77 is still active in us supporting it through software and UEFI based updates. Your feedback and inquiry in this respect are appreciated.

Thank you for your answer! I will keep my hopes up!
(and thanks for answering about the single-slot cards too)

 

[VectorRoll]

Not sure if you seen my questions on the first page but I have a different one that I now want to ask.

What MicroATX would you suggest for Phenom II 1100T CPU that you are still manufacturing?

I am looking for a new mobo that I can buy from a retailer. Something with USB 3.0, HDMI, and solid up to date chipset. Most of the ones I have been looking at are the mobos that have 880G/850, but they all seem to be sold out and/or discontinued. What is left is the 760 chipsets. That seems a bit outdated to me. Another thing I would like the mobo to support is the AM3+ as I want it to be able to be upgraded in the future if need be.

If the ones with the 880G chipsets are discontinued what are they going to be replaced with?

 

[erik-asus]

Hello,
will there be any Z87 boards that will use the Z77 colour scheme?

As of right now we have no reason to go back to the blue color scheme.

 

[Drifbau5]

What will the price range be for the ASUS Z87i-Deluxe and Impact? I really want to start my first ITX build with either one of the two. I want to know which one i can afford so I can get my other components with aesthetics in mind.

 

[puffpastry]

Thanks for your support and feedback. I can comment on the fact we will support "upcoming CPUs" on our X79 motherboards fully. Please understand we are under NDA for topics you have asked as well as do not want competitors to be fully aware of what we may or may not do. With that noted we have also released new skus like our new P9X79-E WS which is possibly my favorite X79 board along with the Extreme and Formula.

As for the 780. I can guarantee you that you will love it. It is an awesome quality card the temperatures are fanatics and it is quiet and using a new fan and heatsink design ( 2 slot ). Even when overclocked you are not seeing temperatures above 65 to 67c.

Thanks again for the support.

Thanks for your candor Juan (Frogo). I really am looking forward to my upcoming ROG PC build including the GTX780 DirectCU II. I'm going for a powerful but quiet build as I use the PC for recording acoustic guitar as well as gaming. I'm so glad the GTX780 DCII uses a 2-slot cooler as I tend to use up my PCIe slots (mainly recording related expansion cards). I also chose it because it's quiet and cool. I tend to record guitar these days more than game so it's nice to not hear the video card when I'm not using it.

One question regarding the GTX780 DCII. Will I be able to run custom fan curves/settings using MSI Afterburner? Will there be Asus software available to do this? I want the video card fan to be silent when I'm recording.

This may sound silly, but I would definitely consider the P9X79-E WS if it weren't for the color scheme of the board. The dark blue PCIe slots are fine, but the baby blue RAM slots are a deal killer for me. I can't build a beastly PC that has baby blue anywhere near it. My new case has a side window. The heat sinks on the ROG Rampage IV boards are also much nicer looking (more heavy duty). If you came out with an all black version of the P9X79-E WS, I would be all over that. Even if you went with the new, gold color scheme like the Z87 boards, for the P9X79-E WS, I would buy that as well (I love gooooooolld!). It would match perfectly with my Thermalright Archon SB-E X2 cooler fans (finally something to match those TY141 fans).

Speaking of black versions, is there any way to buy a new or refurbished (with warranty) Rampage III Black Edition motherboard. I still have an i7-980X and would love to build a PC around that board. I wish I had known about the Rampage III Black Edition when it was still available.

Thanks,
John

 

[bim27142]

Is Asus planning to release a Mini ITX version of your ROG ITX to Ivy Bridge Platform (Z77)?

As you may have known, most enthusiasts who currently own IB or even SB systems are really not keen on jumping to Haswell for apparent reasons.

I think Asus is really on the right track on this since the only thing holding most people back from Mini ITX is the absence of discrete quality on-board sound solutions which, ROG Mini ITX solved this by providing a daughter board for a discrete-quality sound solutions.

You already have the design and the tooling for such motherboard and probably you just have to replace the chipset and the socket. If Maximus Impact will not sell like hotcakes due to
Haswell which turned out to be a disappointment to some in the enthusiasts community, then
might as well, sell it to Sandy/Ivy platform... but I guess the bigger question is if this is even feasible and if it will be, how complex can the re-design be to have ROG Impact's design implemented on a Z77 chipset and 1155 socket.

Thanks and more power Asus!