ASUS Announces 970 Pro Gaming/Aura AMD Motherboard

ASUS Announces 970 Pro Gaming/Aura

The worlds first AMD 970 motherboard with NVIDIA SLI certification, plus gaming audio, networking and cooling, USB 3.1, M.2, and Aura RGB lighting

KEY POINTS

• Aura RGB lighting: Striking LED illumination casts an endless spectrum of colors across 970 Pro Gaming/Aura builds, with customizable effects
• Epic graphics: Support for up to quad-GPU NVIDIA SLI or up to quad-GPU AMD CrossFireX setups, for maximum graphics performance and flexibility
• Built for winners: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard and GameFirst networking technologies, plus SupremeFX audio with Sonic Radar II
• Gaming-grade everything: USB 3.1 Type-A, NVMe M.2, RAMCache acceleration, Gamers Guardian durability, and dedicated water-pump header

Taipei, Taiwan (26th January, 2016) ASUS today announced 970 Pro Gaming/Aura, the worlds first motherboard based on the highly-anticipated AMD 970+SB950 chipset, with official NVIDIA SLI certification for epic up to quad-GPU graphics, plus integrated Aura RGB the all-new, awesome illumination technology invented by ASUS.

As the latest member of the value-packed ASUS Pro Gaming series, 970 Pro Gaming/Aura has multiple exclusive features for superior gaming experiences. These include gaming-grade Intel Gigabit Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard and GameFirst technologies for fast, safe and lag-free networking, and SupremeFX with Sonic Radar II for flawless in-game audio that keeps 970 Pro Gaming/Aura gamers one step ahead on the battlefield.

Compatible with the latest processors for the AMD AM3+ socket, 970 Pro Gaming/Aura delivers flexible cooling with a dedicated water-pump header, plus intuitive Fan Xpert controls. The new board also has the very latest connectivity built in, including USB 3.1 Type-A and NVM Express (NVMe) M.2.

Exclusive RAMCache technology accelerates game loads, durable Gamers Guardian components ensure longevity, and smart DIY features protect users and ease every build.

Aura RGB lighting: Striking LED illumination with customizable effects.

970 Pro Gaming/Aura is the latest motherboard to benefit from Aura, the all-new LED-illumination technology invented by ASUS and exclusive to owners of ASUS motherboards. Aura makes it easy to light up any 970 Pro Gaming/Aura gaming rig with an endless spectrum of color combinations, as well as enabling loads of fascinating and fun effects.

Aura includes simple software controls for customizing the LED lighting. The intuitive interface lets gamers cast a stunning multi-color glow across their 970 Pro Gaming/Aura builds, including a breathing effect, color-strobing and color-cycling, plus the ability to change shades to indicate CPU temperature, or pulsate in time to the beat of favorite music.

Epic graphics: Support for up to quad-GPU NVIDIA SLI or quad-GPU AMD CrossFireX

970 Pro Gaming/Aura is the first AMD 970 chipset-based motherboard on the planet to receive official certification for compatibility with NVIDIA SLI, enabling up to two-way, quad-GPU setups for epic graphics performance.

AMDs own CrossfireX multi-way graphics technology is also supported, for up to two-way, quad-GPU graphics supremacy giving 970 Pro Gaming/Aura rig-builders total flexibility in their quest for maximum gaming performance and visual excellence.

Built for winners: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard, GameFirst, SupremeFX and Sonic Radar II

970 Pro Gaming/Aura has faster-than-fast networking, with tournament-level Intel Gigabit Ethernet, ASUS-exclusive LANGuard and GameFirst technologies to keep the connection fast and free from lag.

Intels LAN technology has the serious double advantage of reducing CPU overhead and offering exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput, significantly reducing the processors workload to free up power for the game.

ASUS LANGuard is hardware-level networking protection that employs signal-coupling technology and interference-reducing surface-mounted capacitors for rock-solid gaming connections and better throughput for online play, plus electrostatically-guarded and surge-protected components for greater tolerance to static electricity and improved protection against power surges.

Upgraded ASUS-exclusive GameFirst technology prioritizes game-related packets and allocates more bandwidth to games, eliminating laggy gameplay, streaming stutters and file-sharing slowdown 970 Pro Gaming/Aura gamers need only choose the Optimization, Game, Media Streaming or File Sharing preset to watch their networks fly. The latest GameFirst now includes Multi-Gate Teaming to team all available networks for maximum bandwidth and the smoothest-ever gameplay.

970 Pro Gaming/Aura is engineered with ASUS-exclusive SupremeFX audio technology for in-game sound thats alive with realism. The purity and stability of the remarkable 115dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is assured, with a shielded design, electromagnetic-interference (EMI) cover and voltage-protected 5V power supply.

Supreme FXs superior components, including the trusted Realtek ALC1150 codec, maximize acoustic performance and eliminate interference so only the very best audio is enjoyed through either gaming headsets or speakers. The red-line shielding is illuminated for beautiful aesthetics, and its even customizable, allowing users to create eye-catching lighting effects.

The new 970 Pro Gaming/Aura motherboard enables gamers to become hunters rather than the hunted with Sonic Radar II, a stealthy overlay that shows what opponents and teammates are up to on the battlefield all managed via a simple control panel and customizable game list. Sonic Radar II shows both the direction and origin of key in-game sounds, enabling ASUS gamers to practice enemy-pinpointing skill. It even includes Audio Enhancement technology to clarify every sound detail providing an audible heads-up to vital events.

Gaming-grade everything: USB 3.1, M.2, RAMCache, Gamers Guardian, and water-pump header

970 Pro Gaming/Aura has the newest connectivity built in, with up to 10Gbps USB 3.1, and an integrated M.2 socket for the latest high-speed solid-state drives (SSDs). It also includes uniquely-intelligent RAMCache technology to launch favorite games and apps launch at breakneck speeds. A dedicated onboard water-pump header ensures that best water-cooling efficiency is instantly accessible.

Gamers Guardian protections include the Digi+ voltage-regulator module (VRM) for ultra-smooth power delivery, DRAM Overcurrent Protection with resettable fuses, durable capacitors engineered to resist extreme temperatures, and a corrosion-resistant stainless-steel input/output (I/O) panel.

Easy-DIY features include one-clip Q-Slot graphics card installation, one-clip Q-DIMM memory installation, Q-Shield to prevents nicks and cuts during building and four Q-LED lamps for quick boot diagnosis.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

SPECIFICATIONS[1]
ASUS 970 Pro Gaming/Aura
Processor/CPU socket	AMD AM3+ for FX / Phenom II / Athlon II / Sempron 100 processors
Chipset	AMD 970+SB950
LED illumination	ASUS Aura, with the following modes: Static; Breathing; Strobing; Color Cycle; Music Effect; CPU Temperature
Memory	4 x DIMMs, up to a maximum of 32GB DDR3 2133MHz
Expansion slots	2 x PCI Express 2.0 x16 slots (supports x16, x8/x8) 2 x PCI Express 2.0 x1 slot 2 x PCI slots
Multi-GPU support	Quad-GPU NVIDIA SLI and quad-GPU AMD CrossFireX
Audio	SupremeFX eight-channel high-definition audio codec – High-quality115dB SNR stereo output – SupremeFX shielding technology – Jack-detection, multi-streaming, front-panel mic jack-retasking – Headphone amp – Optical S/PDIF-out port on back panel – Sonic Radar II
Storage	6 x SATA 6.0Gbps 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices supports (PCIe 2.0 x4 mode)
Networking/LAN	Intel I211 Gigabit Ethernet, anti-surge LANGuard, GameFirst technology
USB	2 x USB 3.1 Type-A port (on back panel) 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (mid-board) 14 x USB 2.0/1.1 ports (8 on back panel; 6 mid-board)
Dimensions / form factor	ATX 12 x 9.6in (30.5 x 24.4cm)

About ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the worlds 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 todays 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 4,326 awards in 2014 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC. ASUS has more than 16,000 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 5,200 engineers. Company revenue for 2014 was approximately US$14.5 billion.

[1] Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors.