ASUS today announced its complete 2017 lineup of Z270 motherboards designed to maximize the potential of 7th Generation Intel Core processors. The new range includes the highly-anticipated next-generation Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus IX gaming motherboards – with Maximus IX Apex having already secured its place in history by claiming eight world records and 13 global first places in some of the world’s toughest benchmarks.
Also included in the lineup are the latest ROG Strix gaming motherboards for style-conscious enthusiast, the all-new ASUS Prime series for everyday customization and tuning, and the latest ASUS TUF boards with 24/7 stability and newly-added overclocking abilities. The ASUS workstation motherboard series has also been updated for the Z270 revolution – and all boards are loaded with exclusive technologies to enable users to extract every ounce of performance from Intel’s latest CPUs.
Commenting on the Z270 motherboard series, Joe Hsieh, ASUS Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Motherboard Business Unit & New Product Planning Division said, “Our previous generations have been validated and most awarded by many respected media outlets, proving that ASUS is the number-one motherboard brand. We strive to offer Best-selling, Easy-to-use, Stable and Trusted motherboards – that’s why we call them BEST. For our Z270 generation, we’ve taken innovation and customization to the max, with personalization features such as Aura Sync RGB lighting and support for 3D-printed components. We’ve also co-operated with Shapeways to launch a dedicated ASUS shop where users are able to purchase, download and customize and 3D-printable accessories worldwide – so they’ll never again have to stare into a drab, unexciting computer case. It’s time to unlock the power of 7th Generation Intel Core processors – and an ASUS Z270-series motherboard is the perfect way to do just that!”
Built for performance: Multiple overclocking-friendly technologies
ASUS is the world’s foremost motherboard manufacturer. Our world-class research-and-development teams are devoted to providing the best performance to users, with exhaustive testing that exceeds industry standards, giving users the ability and confidence to overclock to 5.0GHz or even beyond – and all with a single click from the ready-made UEFI profile. ASUS Z270 motherboards have multiple features to aid overclockers in their endeavors.
ASUS-exclusive 5-Way Optimization dynamically optimizes essential aspects of the system based on real-time use, including the all-new Stress Test Distribution feature that allows users to adjust the proportion of CPU and DRAM stress for the best overclocking performance. As well, the latest-generation Fan Xpert 4 allows users to monitor the GPU temperature to ensure cooler usage scenarios when the graphics card is under heavy loads, such as during 3D content creation or when gaming.
ASUS Pro Clock technology has a dedicated base-clock (BCLK) generator designed for 7th Generation Intel processors, enabling overclocked base-clock frequencies of up to 425MHz and beyond. It works in tandem with the ASUS TurboV Processing Unit (TPU) to enhance voltage and base-clock overclocking control, and boosts performance up to 5.4GHz and beyond.
Third-generation ASUS T-Topology takes DDR4 memory overclocking to new heights – up to 4133MHz or even beyond[2]. Refined manufacturing ensures ultra-consistent quality and minimal crosstalk between custom trace paths, so users can enjoy the thrill of overclocking DDR4 with time-aligned signaling for superior stability. And ASUS motherboards are tested for compatibility with industry-leading 790+[3] DDR4 memory modules – for great flexibility and reassurance.
Built for customization: Aura Sync and 3D-printable components
ASUS Aura Sync is the world’s first motherboard-RGB-synchronization technology, delivering distinctive light shows across Aura Sync-capable motherboards, graphics cards and peripherals for up to nine effects – all controlled via the simple and intuitive Aura app. The all-new Music mode is also able to pulse synchronized LEDs in time to the user’s favorite tunes. Users are able enhance their illumination still further, either via the integrated 4-pin/12V Aura RGB header or the included extension cable. Aura offers a brilliant spectrum of colors, and can even change shades to reflect the CPU temperature, providing valuable information at a glance.
ASUS has always strived to make it easier for users to customize the cosmetic appearance of their PC components, and now it has become the world’s first motherboard brand to support 3D-printed components – making it easy for users to print their own parts to customize the motherboard’s appearance, improve system performance or manage cables. Dedicated onboard 3D mounts that use the same screws as M.2 and standard motherboard mounting holes make fitting 3D-printed parts easy, so users can quickly add custom nameplates, cable covers, or even an M.2 fan holder to lower M.2 temperature by up to 30°C – preventing throttling. ASUS has also designed a series of 3D-printable accessories, including 2-way SLI bridge cover, fan grille, ROG-font letters and all sizes of cable combs, adding style to any build.
ASUS has also cooperated with Shapeways, the world’s largest 3D-printing service company, to launch the ASUS 3D Printing Store. This hosts the full selection of ASUS 3D-printable parts, enabling users to select the parts they want to print – replete with preferred materials and color – and order directly via Shapeways. For advanced customization, the original CAD files are available for download, allowing users to personalize them as much as they want before ordering parts via the Shapeways printing service or using their own 3D printers.
Record-breaking performance: Redefining limits for the 7th Gen era
The all-new ROG Maximus IX Apex motherboard is the latest ground breaking model in the ROG product family which brings players back to ROG’s roots, a one-of-kind community for world-class cutting-edge enthusiasts looking to reach the apex of gaming performance. With a performance-oriented layout, the Apex enables overclocking enthusiasts to go beyond the limits by using extreme cooling methods, including liquid nitrogen (LN2) or liquid helium (LHe)- and it’s already scored multiple world records (WRs) and global first places (GFPs), several being long-standing records. These include the best Intel Core processors CPU frequency processors, with a record of 7.383GHz on a single core and one thread and 7.328GHz on four cores and eight threads using the Intel Core i7-7700K.
