“ASUS Quality · Solid as a Rock”! Since the establishment of ASUS Computer Inc. in 1989, it has transformed from a professional private brand into a globally marketed international 3C brand. ASUS has consistently adhered to uncompromising quality and innovation. With titles such as the world’s largest motherboard manufacturer, one of the top three graphics card manufacturers, and one of the top three consumer laptop brands, along with a range of wireless communication devices and smartphones, ASUS has become a pillar of modern information life.
In the information explosion era at the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, computers played a pivotal role in daily work, life, and entertainment. As the cornerstone of computer platforms, motherboards and graphics cards are crucial for consumers evaluating the excellence of a computer. Against this backdrop, ASUS motherboards and graphics cards, which emphasize quality and innovation, have come into the spotlight. Today, let’s review the classic ASUS products that have captivated audiences in the history of PC hardware!
Motherboard Section
1. 1989 – ASUS launched the world’s first personal computer motherboard 386/33
The Intel 80386, referred to as 386, is a model of x86 series CPU from Intel, first released on October 17, 1985. The 80386 processor was widely used in IBM PC-compatible machines from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, known as “80386 computers” or “386 computers”.
The widespread application of the 80386 transitioned PCs from the 16-bit era to the 32-bit era. Its powerful computing capabilities greatly expanded the application fields of PCs, rapidly developing commercial office work, scientific computing, engineering design, and multimedia processing. ASUS’s groundbreaking launch of the world’s first personal computer motherboard 386/33 accelerated the popularization of civilian computers!
2. 1999 – The classic Pentium era motherboard ASUS P2B-F
The ASUS P2B-F uses the Intel 440BX chipset, featuring BIOS virus protection and an integrated Winbond W83781D monitoring chip. P2B-F offers 5 PCI slots (2 ISA), along with 4 memory slots for greater expandability. Unlike other motherboards, P2B-F provides an external frequency of up to 150 MHz, with more selectable frequencies than before, supporting external frequencies from a minimum of 66 MHz to 150 MHz. This is primarily due to P2B-F adopting the new ICS frequency generator.
The new frequency generator supports 4 times the division. For a 133 MHz external frequency, options include /3 for 44.4 MHz or /4 for the standard 33 MHz. For 150 MHz, simply divide by 4 to get 37.5 MHz, which is no longer as exaggerated as before, improving usability.
Overall, the P2B-F is the Pentium II motherboard that offers the most external frequency, particularly suitable for users looking to fully exploit Pentium II performance. The ASUS P2B-F is one of the most classic products of the Pentium era.
3. 2004 – ASUS launched the world’s first motherboard supporting dual PCI-E graphics cards A8N SLi Deluxe
The ASUS A8N-SLI Deluxe motherboard is the world’s first motherboard to support NVIDIA SLI technology, allowing dual PCI-E graphics cards to work in parallel, thereby significantly enhancing the system’s 3D display performance. The nForce4 SLI chipset is designed between two PCI-E 8X slots. The nForce4 SLI supports 20 PCI Express channels, with graphics cards utilizing 16 channels. When SLI is enabled, the motherboard provides 8 channels for each graphics card, and when SLI is disabled, all 16 channels are allocated to one graphics card.
4. In 2006, ASUS launched the first motherboard of the ROG series specifically for gamers – M2-CROSSHAIR
As the first product of the ROG series: M2-CROSSHAIR is based on AMD’s AM2 series processors, primarily targeting top gamers and professional computer enthusiasts, providing these professionals with the best system performance and application performance.
This motherboard uses the NVIDIA nFORCE590 SLI chipset, positioning itself on the highest-end AMD AM2 platform. Compared to previous AM2 platform motherboards on the market, M2-CROSSHAIR not only inherits functional diversity but also significantly enhances usability and aesthetics. The motherboard features several light-emitting diodes that emit a blue glow when powered on, showcasing an extraordinary DIY experience.
At the motherboard I/O panel, ASUS has eliminated the LPT/printer and COM ports, replacing them with an LCD display to show the working status of the motherboard/accessories, featuring a standard DEBUG light function that is both intuitive and aesthetically pleasing. This design has not been standard on previous high-end motherboards, further showcasing ASUS’s design talent.
The motherboard’s configuration is more luxurious, with an independent audio module, 88E1116-NNC1 network control chip providing dual Gigabit network output, Silicon Image SiI3132 SATA 3.0Gbps controller supporting plug-and-play eSATA interfaces, and Texas Instruments’ TSB43AB22A control chip providing a 1394a interface. These configurations are typically found only in high-end motherboards, and ASUS’s possession of them further emphasizes its status as the “Motherboard King.” M2-CROSSHAIR also comes with the latest version of the popular testing software 3DMark 06 Advanced Edition and the Superbeam Array Microphone, which only picks up sound from the cone-shaped receiver while eliminating noise from all directions. This device effectively reduces external speaker or sound wave interference and minimizes echo, enhancing sound transmission effects, such as for Skype, online gaming, video conferencing, and recording.
5. In 2010, ASUS launched the fully equipped budget flagship motherboard – Sabertooth X58
The TUF series is positioned for the mid-to-high-end market. Unlike the ROG series, which emphasizes powerful overclocking and playability, and the Premium/Deluxe series, which focuses on luxurious materials and unique technologies, the TUF series emphasizes unique design and high-quality military-grade materials to provide users with stability, compatibility, and durability.
Sabertooth X58 uses ASUS’s exclusive Marine Cool technology, which includes: CeraM!X ceramic coating heat dissipation technology, CoolMem! memory fan bracket, military-grade capacitors and MOSFETs, and E.S.P. technology for optimized power usage.
6. COMPUTEX 2015 Best Product Award – ASUS X99-DELUXE/U 3.1 motherboard
As the most influential award at the exhibition, the Best Choice Awards are organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), selecting award-winning products based on marketability and unique design.
The ASUS X99-DELUXE/U 3.1 motherboard won the “Best Product Award.” It is equipped with the latest Intel X99 chipset, integrates the world’s first rapid USB 3.1 technology, and features ASUS’s exclusive function – OC Socket supreme overclocking base and five optimization functions, enabling dynamic optimization of personal computers. In terms of transmission capability, it supports dual M.2×4 interfaces (onboard and PCIE add-on card) with a transmission speed of up to 32Gb/s! Additionally, the appearance of the X99-DELUXE/U 3.1 motherboard is stunning, inspired by a racing motorcycle design. Its cool and minimalist exterior includes exquisite details and an eye-catching large white heat sink, showcasing a futuristic style while providing strong protection, meeting the strictest requirements of global DIY computer enthusiasts.
With numerous advantages in high-end products, ASUS’s mainstream budget motherboards still hold an irreplaceable position in the hearts of many players!
Graphics Card Section
1. 1997: ASUS AGP-V3000 graphics card
This graphics card uses the NV3 display core, commonly known as Riva128. It is based on a 128-bit 2D and 3D graphics core, with a core frequency of 60MHz, featuring a single texture processing unit pixel pipeline, achieving a maximum pixel fill rate of 60M Pixels/s, supporting 4MB SDRAM/SGRAM video memory, and a memory bandwidth of 1.6GB/s, using an AGP 1× interface. Its built-in hardware triangle processing engine can perform 500 million floating-point operations per second, generating 1.2 million triangles, matching the performance of Voodoo1. More importantly, it provides complete support for Microsoft Direct3D, being the first true 2D+3D graphics card with 3D acceleration on the market at that time. Compared to the mainstream Voodoo’s pure 3D acceleration mode, Riva 128 is simpler, cheaper, and more scalable. The improved RIVA 128ZX increased local memory capacity and supported AGP2X. The success of this AGP-V3000 signifies the beginning of ASUS’s rise in the graphics card business.
2. In May 2001, ASUS launched a product with automatic overclocking capability – AGP V7700
This product is based on the GeForce2 GTS graphics core, which can automatically increase its operating frequency during the running of large 3D games or complex 3D calculations to enhance performance.
In October 2001, ASUS won the Best Partner Award from NVIDIA, the world’s largest display chip manufacturer, which is the only award NVIDIA gives to its partners. The year 2001 was indeed a proud year for ASUS, as its graphics card shipments became the highest in the world, with nearly 500,000 cards produced monthly. From its start in 1996 to becoming number one globally in 2001, ASUS achieved this in just five years.
3. In 2004: Release of the v9980 ultra high-end graphics card
The ASUS v9980 ultra adopts the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 ultra graphics core, featuring the second generation cinefx 2.0 engine, which provides advanced pixel vertex shading processing and true 128-bit color accuracy, perfectly supporting DirectX 9. Cinefx 2.0 offers double the efficiency of the previous cinefx engine’s floating-point pixel shaders, executing shading programs more effectively for outstanding performance in actual games, making it a model of luxury high-end cards, with no shortcomings, and is the top choice for high-end players.
4. In 2006: Launch of the ENGT8600GTS series graphics cards featuring Silent Cool technology
The EN8600GTS Silent series, utilizing ASUS’s SilentCool patented cooling technology, pushes passive cooling technology to its peak. The ROG graphics card is emerging! The graphics card employs a patented SilentCool rotating heat sink design that ensures stable performance during large 3D gaming while completely avoiding noise during operation. This graphics card features a special heat sink method that guarantees high performance while significantly reducing computer noise, making it a high-quality graphics card that excels in both performance and silence.
5. In 2009: The new generation Matrix GTX285 Hacker
The GTX285/HTDI/1GD3 Matrix graphics card is hailed as “the smartest graphics card in the world” by industry insiders, thanks to its integration of the most advanced technology designs in the graphics card industry, making it a tailor-made product for hardcore gamers. The Hacker GTX285 made significant innovations over its predecessor, featuring key technologies such as the “Super Hybrid Engine” for automatic monitoring and adjustment of hardware load, providing up to a 14% overclocking performance boost, or reducing noise by 15%; a five-level LED hardware indicator to inform players of current GPU load; and iTracker2 software that monitors hardware status, offers five interface skins, and includes video memory timing settings, refresh, and recovery functions. In case of BIOS crashes, simply clicking the “Safe Mode” button will start it in safe mode and automatically restore the old graphics card BIOS; the “Extreme Cooler” heatsink increases the heat pipe coverage area by 46.5% and can adjust fan speed in real-time based on GPU load, enhancing cooling efficiency by 12%. This graphics card not only allows players to experience exceptional display performance but also the joy of unrestricted control, making it a powerful overclocking tool!
6. In 2015: ASUS STRIX 980 Ti, balancing performance and temperature control
The ASUS STRIX series gaming graphics cards incorporate multiple proprietary technologies, including DirectCU heat pipe direct contact cooling technology combined with a zero-noise fan design, providing significant airflow to enhance cooling performance and silence. Additionally, ASUS’s fully automated manufacturing process and SAP alloy power design ensure better quality and durability. Furthermore, with GPU Tweak featuring XSplit Gamecaster functionality, users can easily tune performance, stream live, and record gameplay.
To ensure that the top flagship non-public version GTX 980 Ti graphics card remains cool and quiet while delivering exceptional gaming performance, ASUS, the world’s most renowned graphics card manufacturer, equipped its recently launched STRIX GTX 980 Ti GAMING graphics card with the latest DirectCU III triple-fan cooler, allowing the product to operate stably at high core frequency settings, providing gaming enthusiasts with powerful gaming performance, excellent cooling capability, and good noise performance.
COMPUTEX 2016 ASUS Graphics and Motherboards New Product Outlook
As COMPUTEX 2016 approaches, we can reasonably and boldly predict that ASUS will launch a series of high-performance X99 motherboard products and high-performance GTX 1080 graphics card products focused on temperature control for the high-end market at this new product launch. Let’s wait and see!
