Fremont, California (May 10, 2016) -- ASUS today announced the ASUS X99-Deluxe II, X99-A II, X99-E, and the ROG Strix X99 Gaming motherboards. These four new motherboards are based on the Intel® X99 chipset with exclusive ASUS technologies that maximize the potential of the latest Intel Core™ i7 processor family for socket LGA 2011-v3.
Commenting on the new product line-up, Joe Hsieh, ASUS Corporate Vice President & General Manager of Motherboard Business Unit said: “Our X99 motherboards have consistently won awards from many respected publications and editors around the world. We are keen to offer best-selling, easy-to-use, stable and trusted motherboards. And we’re proud to introduce our new X99 motherboards allowing users to customize their experience and maximize performance in ways that simply aren’t possible with any other brand of motherboard.” Additional product information is available at ASUS PC-DIY
Pushing boundaries
The award-winning ASUS X99 Signature motherboard range returns to push the boundaries of PC hardware, adding many new features and technologies to elevate both performance and aesthetics — enabling PC-builders to create custom rigs on the finest foundations.
X99 Signature series feature 5-Way Optimization for one-click overclocking and fan tuning, delivering a tailored overclock and intelligently cooled system, effortlessly. With the newly upgraded Fan Xpert 4, X99 Signature motherboards take cooling to new heights, with the ability to detect PWM/DC fans on all headers, allow use of high-amperage fans, and control water-cooling pumps in both software and the acclaimed ASUS UEFI BIOS.
The new boards also feature ASUS Aura, with onboard RGB lighting and a 4-pin LED-strip header to create stunning illumination effects — all easily synced with an ever-growing portfolio of Aura-capable ASUS hardware.
Today’s graphics cards are heavy, which places considerable strain on PCIe slots, so we have developed a new PCIe connector called ASUS SafeSlot™ that utilizes a patent pending insert-molding process to incorporate metal bracing. This design is considerably stronger across all axes than any other solution on the market and ensures slots don’t get damaged by excessive weight or lateral force.
For performance enthusiasts, the ASUS pioneered OC socket returns, together with T-Topology trace layout, boosting memory overclocking headroom and stability for Intel’s latest processors. Next-generation connectivity is also a major theme of the refreshed X99 Signature series, with up to dual U.2 and M.2 slots, 3x3 802.11ac Wi-Fi*, USB 3.1 Type-A and reversible Type-C. The X99-Deluxe II also includes ASUS ThunderboltEX 3, a quick-to-fit expansion card for blistering transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps.
* Selected models only
The ROG Strix X99 Gaming
The Strix X99 Gaming motherboard is the newest Republic of Gamers recruit, delivering premium performance with a bold design and customizable colors.
Ten LED effects can be customized with ASUS Aura, the intuitive lighting control software for the built-in RGB LEDs and attached RGB strips via the integrated 4-pin RGB -strip header, allowing custom illumination that can be perfectly synchronized. Also included is a selection of logo decals that allow gamers to change the base color theme of the motherboard for a unified or personalized look.
On the audio front, SupremeFX negates the need for dedicated soundcards, thanks to careful layout tweaks and component selection. The audio driver package contains a plethora of exclusive tweaking tools to personalize acoustics while Sonic Radar II displays a stealthy overlay that shows what opponents and teammates are up to on the battlefield.
Wired communications are taken care of by Intel Gigabit Ethernet, which offers very low CPU overhead, exceptional TCP/UDP throughput and the security and connection stability that only Intel can deliver. The new GameFirst IV software optimizes network traffic for faster online gaming — ensuring bandwidth is prioritized where it’s needed.
Like its Signature series siblings, the ROG Strix X99 Gaming also has 5-Way Optimization, Fan Xpert 4, and OC socket, ensuring that every aspect of overclocking and cooling is catered for.
Gamer’s Guardian offers real-world protection for ROG Strix X99 builds, including the all-new ASUS SafeSlot, durable components and smart DIY features With onboard U.2, USB 3.1 Type-A and C, M.2, 2x2 Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO the ROG Strix X99 delivers cutting edge data transfer rates. To boost storage performance, the included RAMCache software intelligently caches an entire storage device to launch favorite games and apps at breakneck speeds.
Ultra-fast transfers: ThunderboltEX 3 add-on card delivers speeds of up to 40Gbps
The new ASUS Signature X99-Deluxe II, X99-A II, X99-E, and ROG Strix X99 Gaming motherboards all support ThunderboltEX 3, an Intel-certified Thunderbolt™ 3 card that enables breathtaking bi-directional speeds up to 40Gbps — four-times faster than other PC data-transfer cables. Thunderbolt 3 also supports daisy-chaining of up to six devices and has a reversible USB Type-C connector for compatibility with the latest USB 3.1 Type-C devices. It also supports the USB Power Delivery specification for fast, high-power charging of up to 36W. ThunderboltEX 3 is included with X99-Deluxe II.
Ready for VR and more
ASUS has been working closely with industry partners to optimize firmware and drivers for maximum performance and worry-free compatibility with the latest virtual-reality gear. Our Beyond VR Ready program tests ASUS products with the Oculus Rift® — and soon HTC Vive® and other VR headsets and accessories — to ensure they work together seamlessly. The new ASUS X99 motherboards will bear the Beyond VR Ready logo, indicating that they deliver an immersive experience you can rely on.
Virtual reality is too important to sit on the sidelines, so we’ve taken this leadership role in qualifying our hardware. Check out the Beyond VR Ready website for the growing list of ASUS motherboards and graphics cards covered by the program.
AVAILABILITY & PRICING
The ASUS X99-Deluxe II, X99-A II, X99-E, and ROG Strix X99 will be available at ASUS authorized resellers and distributors from tomorrow. Suggested MSRP pricing is listed below.
ASUS X99-Deluxe II $419
X99-A II $249
X99-E $219
ROG Strix X99 $339
About ASUS
ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets, smartphones and wearables. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,368 awards in 2015 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 17,000 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of over 5,500 engineers. Company revenue for 2015 was approximately US$14 billion.
