ASUS Introduces First Intel Thunderbolt 2 Certified Motherboard

By Nathan Kirsch

ASUS Introduces the Worlds First Intel Thunderbolt 2 Certified Motherboard

Z87-Deluxe/Quad features two Thunderbolt 2 ports, each with 20Gbit/s bandwidth

ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quad Motherboard

Fremont, CA (August 19, 2013) – ASUS is excited to announce the worlds first motherboard certified by Intel with Thunderbolt 2 technology, the Z87-Deluxe/Quad. Based on the new Intel Z87 chipset and ready for the latest 4th generation Intel Core processors, the ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quad ATX motherboard has two Thunderbolt 2 ports which allow for up to 12 simultaneously connected devices. Each port is capable of up to a 20Gbit/s transfer rate and is backward compatible with first generation Thunderbolt.

Z87-Deluxe/Quad has been subjected to a tremendous amount of compatibility, BIOS, as well as video/audio and other tests to verify its quality and design, said Joe Hsieh, ASUS Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Motherboard and Desktop System Business Unit. Being the worlds first certified motherboard for Thunderbolt 2 technology also means setting the standard for all of the upcoming products, which is something that ASUS has always done. GeForce GTX 780 DirectCU II OC Graphics Card

Twice the Thunderbolt Performance and Full4K Display Support

The first generation Thunderbolt standard has four separate transfer channels two upstream and two downstream with a maximum transfer rate of 10Gbit/s per channel. Thunderbolt 2 combines these four channels into two 20Gbit/s bi-directional channels, providing 4X the bandwidth of USB 3.0. Together with DisplayPort 1.2 support, Thunderbolt 2 enables simultaneous delivery of extremely high-resolution video to the latest 4K/2K (4096 x 2160 and 3840×2160) displays while still offering communication with other bandwidth-hungry devices such as hard drives. Additionally, the ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quads onboard HDMI port means that it can drive a total of three 4K UHD displays at once.

Thunderbolt 2 also supports daisy-chained connections with up to six devices on each port. With two Thunderbolt 2 ports, the ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quad can connect to up to 12 devices at once, reducing the need for separate hubs and helping to maintain a clutter-free workspace.

Cutting Edge Accessories and Apps

The ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quad includes a number of exclusive ASUS technologies. Dual Intelligent Processors 4 with 4-Way Optimization is an easy-to-use tuning tool that dynamically adjusts performance and cooling for reduced noise and increased efficiency with a single click. The UEFI BIOS presents a friendly graphical interface, making it easier than ever to set up shortcuts and favorites for quick access to the options that are used most often.

The ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quad also includes the NFC Express accessory, which can automate common PC tasks simply by tapping the supplied NFC tag or NFC-compatible smart devices to the box. NFC Express can be used to securely login to your Windows user account without the need to type in a password, and also provides the ability to launch multiple applications to create a particular workflow. Using the free Wi-Fi GO! & NFC Remote companion apps for NFC-compatible smart devices, users can also wirelessly synchronize photos and videos with their PC and remotely control their system by tapping the NFC Express box.

ASUS Z87-Deluxe/Quad Specifications:

  • 2 x Intel Thunderbolt 2 ports
  • 1 x HDMI port
  • 4 x DIMM slots
  • 3 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 slots
  • 10 x SATA 6Gbit/s ports
  • 8 x USB 3.0 ports with USB 3.0 Boost
  • 8 x USB 2.0 ports
  • ATX form factor

Specifications 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.

Full specifications are available at www.asus.com

About ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the worlds best-selling and 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 and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,168 awards in 2012 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC. ASUS has more than 12,500 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of 3,800 engineers. Company revenue for 2012 was approximately US$14 billion.