ASUS Unveils Exclusive Technology to Unlock Latent AMD CPU Cores 

ASUS M4A89GTD PRO Series Motherboards Feature Hybrid Switch that Activates up to Four Cores for an Instant Performance Upgrade

Sydney, Australia, 1 March 2010 – ASUS today launched the M4A89GTD PRO Series motherboard that delivers added core processing power by enabling the instant unlocking of latent AMD CPUs. Incorporating the latest AMD 890GX chipset with an advanced AMD graphics core, the M4A89GTD PRO Series also supports both ATI CrossFireX and Hybrid CrossFireX technologies. Combined with advanced rendering from the DX10.1 graphics API, the series offers spectacular visual output.

“By supporting both integrated and discrete graphics processing, the M4A89GTD PRO Series delivers enhanced graphics performance that will excite and impress both hardcore gamers and multimedia users,” said Joe Hsieh, General Manager of ASUS Motherboard Business.

The M4A89GTD PRO Series is the first motherboard to natively support next-generation SATA 6Gb/s throughput from its SB 850 chipset. It also includes two external USB 3.0 ports for ten times faster downloads, data backups or sharing of content. Additionally, as part of the Xtreme Design line-up, the M4A89GTD PRO Series delivers exceptional reliability, safety and performance.

A Simple Way to Boost Performance with Core Unlocker

Equipped with an exclusive Core Unlocker feature, the M4A89GTD PRO Series allows users to enjoy an instant performance boost by simply turning on a switch on the motherboard. Doing so activates the latent AMD CPU cores and maximises processing to triple or quad-core for extreme performance, especially useful for supporting multitasking or intensive processing. By increasing the processing cores, users can achieve up to 103% better overclocking performance.

Automatic Tuning to Optimise Core Processing

Users can turn up the system performance by using Turbo Key II to auto-tune the system to an extreme yet stable state. To unleash extra processing capabilities, users simply need to turn on the dedicated Turbo Key II switch on the motherboard to activate intelligent optimisation.

Instant Graphics Acceleration with Integrated GPU Boost Tool

The M4A89GTD PRO Series includes a GPU Boost tool that instantly overclocks the integrated GPU in real time to deliver high-definition images at smooth frame rates. Its user-friendly interface also facilitates flexible frequency and voltage adjustments for more control over graphics optimisation. Additionally, GPU Boost has the ability to store and load overclocking profiles.

Faster than Ever with Next Generation SATA 6Gb/s and USB3.0* Support

The M4A89GTD PRO Series natively supports next-generation SATA 6Gb/s transfers, for twice the throughput of the previous SATA 2 specification, to accelerate the transmission of rich content and multimedia files. SATA 6Gb/s is also backward compatible with SATA 3Gb/s hard drives. Additionally, with USB 3.0 support, the M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 delivers up to ten times the data rate of the previous USB 2.0 standard—for faster data transfers from external digital devices. Users can now save a 25GB HD movie or a 4MB song in less than 70 seconds or 0.01 seconds respectively.

Specifications

Specifications are subject to change without prior notice. Please visit www.asus.com for more details.

* USB 3.0 is available on the M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 model

–       ends –

About ASUS

ASUS is a leading company in the new digital era, with an extensive product portfolio that includes notebooks, netbooks, motherboards, graphics cards, displays, optical drives, desktop PCs, servers, wireless solutions, mobile phones and networking devices. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home, office and person. ASUS won 3,268 awards in 2009, and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with the Eee PC™. With a global staff of more than ten thousand and a world-class R&D design team, the company’s revenue for 2008 was 8.1 billion U.S. dollars. ASUS ranks among BusinessWeek’s InfoTech 100, and has been on the listing for 12 consecutive years.

ASUS Motherboards: No.1 in the World

ASUS is the No.1 motherboard brand in the world, commanding the biggest market share globally. Today, one in every three computers houses an ASUS Motherboard. ASUS is the pioneer of numerous innovations that have gone on to become industry standards. Recent examples include the Hybrid Phase power design, Hybrid Processor and Hybrid Switch overclocking design, and Protect 3.0 for safe operation. With its decades of expertise and dedication to pushing the envelope of motherboard design, ASUS is poised to continue leading the industry in motherboard performance, safety and reliability.