ASUS AT COMPUTEX 2018
ASUS IS GEARING UP FOR A MASSIVE 2018 WITH A SLEW OF PRODUCT RELEASES DESIGNED TO MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF GAMERS LIKE YOUR FINE SELF. T he line-up includes new routers with huge amounts of bandwidth and low latency, amazing peripherals like headsets with Quad DACs for superior SNR and mousepads with Qi charging, new Aura products that’ll make your rig shine and immense monitors with brilliant colour gamuts and refresh rates. Asus are also entering product fields like power supplies and water-cooling for the first time. There’s so much to explore, so let’s get stuck into it shall we?
First up is Asus’ 802.11ax routers, including one of the first 10 Gbps gaming routers - the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000. Joining the AX11000 is the RT-AX88U. Both are 802.11ax gaming routers that support ODFMA and 160MHz bandwidth channels for low pings while maximizing throughput on Wi-Fi. Both have a Game Boost Hotkey that when pressed lowers pings and configures a dedicated Wi-Fi band for gaming. In addition, the GTAX11000 features a tri-band radio and a 2.5Gbps Ethernet port. Both of these Asus new routers include support for Asus AiMesh network extension technology.
Speaking of AiMesh, Asus will release the RT-AX92U 2-Pack, a convenient way to spread 802.11ax goodness around your home, making Wi-Fi dead zones a thing of the past. 2018 will also see the release of new Lyra mesh networking nodes. The Voice, which includes an Alexa-enabled smart speaker and the Trio, a set of two small and modern looking units to spread around your home.
For 2018, Asus is making the move into power supplies and watercooling. The ROG THOR is a unique PSU that looks stunning and comes in 850W and 1200W 80+ Platinum Rated flavours. There’s a cool OLED display on the side that shows real-time power consumption. The huge heatsink dissipates heat silently when under light load and a patented Wing-Blade fan cools everything down when things get intense. The PSU is Aura Sync compatible, so it can glow like with all your existing Aura gear. For those wanting to get the best performance out of their rigs, Asus will introduce the ROG RYUO and ROG RYUJIN all-in-one water-cooling kits. The RYUO comes with a 120mm or 240mm radiator, while the RYUJIN has 240mm or 360mm options and a hidden fan for the VRM and M.2 area. Both have sweet OLEDs that display real-time information like temperature, messages or even animations, while the RYUJIN also includes IP52 grade Noctua industrial fans for everlasting performance. Of course, they’re also Aura Sync compatible for a colourful experience. For 2018, Asus is making the move into power supplies and water-cooling.
After a new headset to yell trash-talk out to your buddies on Fortnite or Overwatch and to listen to some tunes? The ROG Delta headset plugs in via USB-C, providing a complete digital signal for the four (yes, four) ESS Sabre DACs, that when combined, produce crystal clear sound with an impressive 127dB SNR. The ROG Delta is also super comfy, enveloping your ears with synthetic leather cushions and a breathable mesh to stave off sweat.
If cables weigh you down, the ROG Strix Fusion 700 and ROG Strix Fusion Wireless headsets could be more your style. The Fusion 700 utilises Bluetooth 4.2 and USB 2.0 so it can be hooked up to your PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch and your smartphone or tablet. Touch controls on the left ear cup let gamers easily answer and disconnect from calls, as well as instantly adjust volume and other audio settings. The Strix Fusion Wireless uses dual 2.4GHz antennas for stable, low-latency audio transmission, even in environments with multiple Wi-Fi networks.
The ROG Gladius II Wireless gaming mouse is heavily influenced by esports pros and brings the same comfort and precision you love in the Gladius II Origin, but with 3 connectivity options: 2.4GHz dongle, Bluetooth or a removeable USB cable. The Gladius II Wireless features Pixart’s fourth generation PMW3390 optical sensor with 16,000DPI resolution for excellent precision and is Aura Sync compatible to match the rest of your sweet Aura setup.
You need a smooth mousepad for your rad gaming mouse and Asus has you covered with the Balteus Qi. Not only does it have a 32cm diagonal surface with a durable hard surface that offers consistent tracking and Aura Sync compatibility with 15 light zones around the edge, it has a built in Qi charger in the top right corner! Plonk your Qi compatible smartphone on there and it’ll charge it whilst you game, super useful. Asus has a solid pedigree of quality displays and in 2018 that continues with four absolute beauties for your eyeballs to feast on. The ROG Swift PG65 is a 65” 4K beast with 1000nits brightness, 120Hz refresh, Nvidia G-Sync support and DCI-P3 colour gamut. The ROG SWIFT PG35VQ is smaller at 35” but has a 3440x1440 Quantum Dot HDR display and manages DCI-P3 colour gamut whilst also supporting 200Hz refresh and Nvidia G-Sync. If ultra-wide immersive gaming is your thing, the VG49V is a 49” big-boy with an 1800R curvature, 3840x1080 resolution and 144Hz refresh with support for Extreme Low Motion Blur and GameFast for superior viewing comfort. Those who game on consoles as well as PCs will enjoy the 32” 4K CG32 console gaming monitor, which supports VESA DisplayHDR 600 10bit colour and DCI-P3 and is AdaptiveSync compliant. It’s also got a 4-port USB hub in the base of the monitor’s stand, so you can charge your controllers under the display when not in use.
Asus kicks the Aura Sync colour experience up a notch with ROG Halo - ambient RGB synchronization to reflect ingame action when LED strips are mounted behind the monitor. The CG32 console gaming monitor supports ROG Halo out of the box and for all other monitors, the ROG Aura Terminal hooks up to your PC over USB and with LED strips connected, brings games to life.
Asus is also proud to be part of the TUF Gaming alliance. Partnering with other major component manufacturers, the TUF Gaming Alliance is a burgeoning ecosystem of products like motherboards, DRAM, laptop and desktop PCs, chassis, keyboards, mice and headsets with gamerpleasing features that guarantee compatibility and aesthetic harmony.