Asus reveals a gorgeous new liquid-cooled GPU, and I’m excited
At Computex 2023, Asus revealed a wide range of new gaming products, including the ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD and ROG Strix XG259Q monitors; the ROG Swift PG38UQ gaming display; the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless keyboard; and the ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme and ROG Strix Z790-A motherboards.
But for me, the most exciting new Asus release is the ROG Matrix RTX 4090 graphics card.
Gaming monitors and displays
Asus’ ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD gaming monitor boasts a 49-inch super-ultrawide (5120 x 1440) display, an 1800R QD-OLED panel with 144 Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time, and up to 1000 nits brightness. Ports include USB Type-C, DisplayPort 1.4, and HDMI 2.1.
The ROG Strix XG259QN gaming monitor features a 24.5-inch FHD display, 360 Hz refresh rate, and an under 1ms response rate. This monitor’s port selection includes DisplayPort 1.4, two each HDMI 2.0 and USB 3.2, and a headphone jack.
Asus states that its ROG Swift PG38UQ is the world’s first 38-inch 4K UHD gaming display to include a 144 Hz refresh rate, Adaptive-Sync technology, a 1ms response time, and 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 professional color gamut. The PG38UQ’s HDMI 2.1 port allows for native 4K 120 Hz gaming, and it also has DisplayPort 1.4. Support is onboard for Nvidia G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, and VESA AdaptiveSync 144Hz.
Motherboard and router
The two motherboards Asus announced are specifically designed for gaming. Its ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme is built for extreme performance and overclocking, while the ROG Strix Z790-A is made for style-conscious gamers who want a balance between exceptional gaming performance and striking looks.
Another new product is the ROG Rapture GT-BE98, which is the first quad-band gaming WiFi 7 router. Thanks to its WiFi 7 support, it boasts extremely high speeds and low latency, as well as a 6 GHz band with new 320 MHz bandwidth, 4096-QAM, and Multi-Link Operation (MLO).
Keyboard and other peripherals
Of the peripheral devices, the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless, the ROG line’s first 96% wireless gaming keyboard, is the standout. It has hot-swappable switches, including the new ROG NX Snow mechanical switches, and dampening foam with integrated switch-dampening pads. Two other keyboards were announced: the ROG Strix Scope II 100% keyboard with ROG NX Snow switches, and the ROG Strix Scope II RX with IP57 and ROG RX optical switches.
Also part of the Asus Computex 2023 reveal are two previously announced mouse pads. The ROG Moonstone Ace L is a large-size mouse pad featuring a tempered glass surface for ultra-fast glides. And the ROG Hone Ace XXL is an extended table-size version of the ROG Hone Ace Aim Lab Edition launched earlier this year that features an extra-soft, anti-slip polyurethane base.
Graphics card
Saving the most exciting news for last, Asus revealed a gorgeous new graphics card, the ROG Matrix RTX 4090, which is a revamp of the already massively powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090. According to the manufacturer, it’s a liquid-cooled graphics card and the first “liquid metal thermal solution directly on the graphics card’s GPU die, allowing for even lower temperatures for superior sustained performances, and lower noise.”
The ROG Matrix RTX 4090 also sports a 360 mm radiator with magnetic daisy-chainable fans, a more powerful pump, and a larger full-covered cold plate that keeps the card’s temperature cooler. Asus plans a Q3 2023 release window for its new graphics card, though pricing hasn’t been announced as of yet.
