On Wednesday August 22nd, we were invited by ASUS France to take part in the press event organized for Gamescom 2023. The event didn’t actually take place at Gamescom, but in a warehouse rented by ASUS for the occasion. The brand’s idea was to bring together all its products in a dedicated location. Yesterday, we were able to bring you live via our Discord the moment spent there, as well as the information received during their discussions with Thomas from ASUS. We’d like to thank him warmly for his warm welcome and availability. Here’s a summary, a short video to take you through the afternoon and, above all, a series of photos taken on site at the ROG Gamescom 2023 event.
Once on site and after being welcomed by Thomas, we were able to meet several of our French-speaking colleagues. The press conference began at 4:00 p.m. sharp, and you can watch it again by following this link. Once the conference was over, we were able to access the area containing all the components and peripherals.
[nextpage title=”The ROG x Evangelion series: “]
As already mentioned in this newsletter, ASUS has unveiled its ROG x Evangelion series of components, centered around the EVA-02 and Asuka, the character from the famous Japanese anime Evangelion. PC hobbyists and anime fans can now purchase high-end ROG components and peripherals featuring the classic red and orange colors of the EVA-02, with Evangelion-themed visuals and custom graphics. The exclusive range includes a ROG Maximus Hero Z790 motherboard, ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB AIO cooler, ROG Hyperion gaming case, Herculx graphics card holder, peripherals and more.
[nextpage title=”ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card: “]
Aaaaaah, we’ve finally been able to see it with our own eyes and, above all, touch it for a few moments, but the good news is that a copy should be arriving at the editorial office very soon! The ROG Matrix Platinum GeForce RTX 4090 is the industry’s first graphics card to exploit the outstanding thermo-conductive capabilities of a liquid metal material on its GPU chip, delivering incredible temperatures, superior performance over time, and optimal operating silence.
What’s more, to dissipate heat, the graphics card is equipped with a 360 mm radiator featuring innovative chainable magnetic fans , a more powerful pump and a wider cooling plate, enabling unrivalled performance and the highest GPU boost frequency right out of the box. What’s more, this graphics card boasts an incredibly bold and modern design, perfect for the most high-end gaming configurations.
[nextpage title=”The Z790 chipset refresh: “]
This ROG event was an opportunity for us to discover three new motherboards, still based on the Z790 chipset. During the event, ASUS unveiled the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II, and TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi motherboards, which support 12th, 13th and next-generation Intel Core processors. These motherboards offer support for DDR5 memory and PCIe 5.0, giving users enhanced connectivity, advanced customization of their machine’s performance, efficient cooling solutions and a host of other features.
The ROG Z790 Dark Hero and the Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II feature WiFi 7 technology and the latest ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna, both of which enable significantly higher speeds by concentrating more data in each information transmission. More specifically, the ROG Z790 Dark Hero offers bandwidth of up to 320 MHz, while link speeds can reach 5.8 Gbps. The TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi, meanwhile, offers WiFi 6E support and includes the latest ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna for enhanced wireless performance and more convenient setup.
These motherboards feature exclusive ASUS technologies, such as AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation and ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile II (AEMP II), to simplify configuration and securely enhance performance. The boards feature numerous USB ports and support for fast charging on the front USB Type-C 20 Gbps connector, with power delivery tracking via USB.
What’s more, installation is simple, as these motherboards include practical features for DIY enthusiasts, such as the ergonomic Q-Antenna WiFi antenna, Q-LED control LEDs, the Q-Release button that frees the PCIe slot with a simple gesture, and the Q-Latch that lets you lock your M.2 SSDs with an integrated, screwless latch.
[nextpage title=”ROG OLED gaming monitors: “]
ASUS had also decided to showcase its screens. We were thus able to rediscover the ROG Swift PRO PG248QP Esports Gaming as well as the Strix XG49WCR Gaming model. But above all, it was an opportunity for ASUS to present its new OLED displays.
ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM :
The ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM is the world’s first 32-inch OLED 4K gaming monitor, featuring an ultra-fast refresh rate of 240 Hz and a response time of 0.03 ms (GTG). It takes advantage of QD-OLED technology to deliver a maximum brightness of 1,000 nits, outstanding color performance, a wide color gamut, exceptional contrast and improved sub-pixel layout for clearer, more legible text. The PG32UCDM features an innovative cooling system, including a custom-designed heatsink and graphene film on the panel to protect the OLED panel and reduce the risk of burn-in. The intelligent KVM switch allows users to control two devices with a single keyboard-mouse combo, without the need for additional hardware or software. Users can use Picture-In-Picture mode with keyboard shortcut keys to switch devices on the fly, maintaining control with a single keyboard and mouse. Finally, the PG32UCDM offers rich connectivity options, including DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1 and USB Type C with power delivery. Its estimated launch date is around Q1 2024.
ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM display:
The ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM is an ultra-wide (3440 x 1440) 34-inch 800R curved OLED gaming monitor that offers a 240 Hz refresh rate, a gray-gray response time (GTG) of 0.03 ms and incorporates a custom heat sink to lower operating temperatures and reduce the risk of burn-in. The PG34WCDM offers a maximum brightness of 1,300 nits and is DisplayHDR True Black 400 compatible, while its G-SYNC compatibility ensures ultra-smooth, tear-free visuals with low latency. Integrated Smart KVM allows users to control two devices with one keyboard and mouse, while USB 3.2 connectivity enables ultra-fast file transfers to two input sources. The PG34WCDM offers extensive connectivity, including DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.1 and USB Type-C with 90 W of power. This model should be available in the first quarter of 2024.
ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD monitor:
The ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD is a 49-inch super-ultra-wide (5120 x 1440) gaming monitor featuring a QD-OLED 1800R panel with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 0.03 ms response time for a super-immersive gaming experience. To enhance performance and ensure the longevity of the QD-OLED panel, the PG49WCD incorporates a bespoke heatsink and graphene film for improved heat dissipation, to reduce the risk of burn-in and increase peak brightness up to 1,000 nits². Integrated Smart KVM allows users to control two devices using a keyboard and mouse, without the need for specialized software or additional hardware. Users can even transfer files between the two input devices thanks to ultra-fast USB 3.2 connectivity. The monitor offers extensive connectivity, including a USB Type-C port with 90 W power supply, DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1. The PG49WCD will be available in October 2023 and will retail for $1,499.
[nextpage title=”Laptops:”]
Numerous notebook PCs were also present in the components and peripherals area, including the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 GZ301VIC, which we didn’t know before and which caught our full attention. You won’t believe your eyes when you see it, equipped with a 13th Gen Intel Core™ i9-13900H 2.6 GHz processor (6 P-cores and 8 E-cores), an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 32 GB LPDDR5, 1TB M.2 SSD 2230 NVMe, a 13.4″ ROG Nebula Display panel (QHD 16:10 2560 x 1600, WQXGA) and a backlit chiclet keyboard.
Here are some of the other machines we saw on this occasion.
[nextpage title=”ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro 7 WiFi Gaming Router:”]
The ROG Rapture GT-BE98 Pro is the world’s first quad-band WiFi 7 gaming router, and it harnesses the full potential of WiFi 7 with support for 320 MHz channels in the 6 GHz band to deliver speeds up to 160% faster than previous-generation WiFi 6. What’s more, 4K QAM modulation enables more data to be integrated during each transmission, resulting in peak data rates up to 20% higher, offering incredible speeds of up to 30,000 Mbps. What’s more, thanks to two other revolutionary functions – Multi-Link Operation and Multi-RU Puncturing – the GT-BE98 Pro can deliver faster, more efficient wireless connections. The GT-BE98 Pro is packed with gaming features , including three-level game acceleration, a gaming port and QoS technology that reduces lag and latency for gaming. Using the GT-BE98 Pro with systems equipped with WiFi 7 Z790 motherboards allows users to take advantage of the latest WiFi 7 features.
That’s it, we’ve finished our report on this afternoon’s ASUS press event in Cologne, and once again we’d like to thank Asus for the invitation.