Tom's Hardware's AMA With Asus, In Its Entirety

News
By Bestofmedia Team
published

Single-Slot Graphics And Temash-Based Tablets

Q. Disappointed that you can't comment on whether Asus plans to release new ROG Rampage Extreme/Formula motherboards for the upcoming Ivy Bridge-E processors. It's very nice that Asus is participating in a forum like this. By taking the time to answer questions from the end users of your products, you are definitely building on the already great reputation of your company. I've been building PC's with Asus motherboards for over 15 years, and I really like the consistent, high quality of your products.

A. Thanks for your support and feedback. I can comment on the fact we will support "upcoming CPUs" on our X79 motherboards fully. Please understand we are under NDA for topics you have asked as well as do not want competitors to be fully aware of what we may or may not do. With that noted we have also released new skus like our new P9X79-E WS which is possibly my favorite X79 board along with the Extreme and Formula. As for the 780. I can guarantee you that you will love it. It is an awesome quality card the temperatures are fanatics and it is quiet and using a new fan and heatsink design ( 2 slot ). Even when overclocked you are not seeing temperatures above 65 to 67c. Thanks again for the support.

Q. Are there future plans for a graphic card like the HD 4770 formula with the adjustable fan speed that will exhaust to the back of the case? This is such a great card.

A. Our current focus is on our DirectCU II type heatsink and fan assembly designs. Based on extensive community feedback the majority of users have communicated wanting to ensure cool and quiet operation. Considering most modern chassis when correctly setup can offer solid airflow heat exhaust is of minimal concern and in some tests we have found blowers to offer worst temperature performance due to hot spotting internally that creates hot points around the card with build up of temperatures compared to considerably cooler non blow based cards. In the end you need to ensure you have a solid airflow layout and chassis to go with whatever GPU you go with.

Q. Does Asus have any plans to introduce any more powerful cards (AMD or nVidia) for "shoebox"-type cases that only have room for single-slot cards?

A. We are actively developing small form factor cards like our DC Mini graphics card. For ultra slim and low Z height chassis though we see more and more users being ok with the continually improving iGPU or APU graphics coming onboard processors. With that noted we will continue to monitor the feedback from the community on interest for higher performing single slot solutions.

Q. Are there any plans for a Haswell thin mITX motherboard with 16x PCIe?

A. Currently our focus is on high performance standard mini ITX based solutions like our Z87-I Deluxe and Maximus VI Impact. With that noted we are currently evaluating design options and platforms for thin mini ITX. There are number of considerations as it is more common currently for OEM and ODM integration vs. standard DIY oriented systems.

Q. Are you planning to make a (hybrid) tablet with the new AMD Temash inside? Preferably with Turbo Dock option.

A. We are active in looking at all current and upcoming SOC platforms for consideration into new products. As we monitor feedback from the users and community as a whole it helps to define where we should focus. In addition other factors such as performance, battery life, and partner support and yields and overall supply chain are also factors. Deciding on SOC integration is one of the most complicated aspects of new mobile product design and development. With that noted keep your eyes peeled for what we may release!

Bestofmedia Team
17 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Aoyagi
    So I take it Asus is, in fact, not planning to broaden its AMD laptop selection since they didn't respond to the question about that. Unfortunate, I really liked the brand.
    Reply
  • kennai
    On page 8, the first answer is to the second question, and the second question is to the first answer. Was staring at that second answer for like 2 minutes being like, whaaaaat.
    Reply
  • kennai
    On page 8, the first answer is to the second question, and the second question is to the first answer. Was staring at that second answer for like 2 minutes being like, whaaaaat.
    Reply
  • bim27142
    They didn't answer my question. :( :( :(
    Reply
  • Madn3ss795
    I was excited so see any sights of an ITX AMD board from Asus. Sadly all answers led to a big "NO".
    Reply
  • slomo4sho
    Sadly, Asus is too Intel focused to concern themselves with any innovating anything on their AMD lineup.
    Reply
  • vmem
    11057585 said:
    Sadly, Asus is too Intel focused to concern themselves with any innovating anything on their AMD lineup.

    ASUS is a business, and like any good business they're only concerned with MAKING MONEY. this is actually a GOOD THING, they have a clear goal and they know how to go about doing it: make good products that consumers want to buy.

    a huge part of making money and running a business is getting brand recognition, something AMD has been TERRIBLE at until recently. and ASUS made their point clear, they're not favoring Intel, their marketing research simply says there is insufficient demand. this is because when you walk into best-buy or even microcenter, at least 90% of the people shopping there still equate Intel with CPU. when that changes, ASUS will focus on AMD more. it's really that simple
    Reply
  • vmem
    11055330 said:
    Awesome info here... though I'm kinda bummed they had no info about pricing on that 39" 4k monitor. I'm drooling at the thought of acquiring one of those since it's using a cheap VA panel, assuming ASUS doesn't get greedy and charge a ton for it.

    Can't wait to be rid of this 1080p plague.

    I don't think it's a simple matter of greed. they can't price it TOO cheaply, or else their 31" 4K monitor with the nice Sharp panel won't sell. They have to price it appropriately for the quality and the market. if I were to venture a guess I'd say it'll be around $2-2.5K when it comes out.
    Reply
  • lp231
    11057635 said:
    11055330 said:
    Awesome info here... though I'm kinda bummed they had no info about pricing on that 39" 4k monitor. I'm drooling at the thought of acquiring one of those since it's using a cheap VA panel, assuming ASUS doesn't get greedy and charge a ton for it.

    Can't wait to be rid of this 1080p plague.

    I don't think it's a simple matter of greed. they can't price it TOO cheaply, or else their 31" 4K monitor with the nice Sharp panel won't sell. They have to price it appropriately for the quality and the market. if I were to venture a guess I'd say it'll be around $2-2.5K when it comes out.

    From the web, the 31.5" will cost around $3799 to $4000. I expect the 39" to be close to $10,000.

    Reply
  • slomo4sho
    11057620 said:
    ASUS is a business, and like any good business they're only concerned with MAKING MONEY. this is actually a GOOD THING, they have a clear goal and they know how to go about doing it: make good products that consumers want to buy.

    a huge part of making money and running a business is getting brand recognition, something AMD has been TERRIBLE at until recently. and ASUS made their point clear, they're not favoring Intel, their marketing research simply says there is insufficient demand. this is because when you walk into best-buy or even microcenter, at least 90% of the people shopping there still equate Intel with CPU. when that changes, ASUS will focus on AMD more. it's really that simple

    AMD had nearly 50% market share in 2006 which has gradually dwindled to the current ~16-17% which is around a 10% drop from a year ago. The overreaching bias on tech sites over the years have fortified Intel's position as a monopoly over the CPU market and the lack of features such as PCIe 3.0 and Thunderbolt on AMD exemplifies the perception that AMD is inferior to Intel.

    The reality is that AMD has a clear advantage in integrated GPU solutions that would be optimal for small form factors but the lack of hardware and absence of media coverage perpetuates a fallacy that Intel provides the best solution for all computer needs.

    I, for one, will not be supporting Asus since ASRock and MSI continue to provide a much more balanced solutions on both platforms.
    Reply