I'm double checking for you. I was under the impression that it was only PCIe 2.0 by virtue of a lack of PCIe 3.0 drives but still PCIe 3.0 capable due to CPU lanes rather than PCH lanes. I'm sure I asked this question during my tour; I either remembered what I hoped, or what I heard, given the whirlwind of meetings that week. I'll update when I get an answer back.
I got a response: PCIe version not yet confirmed. Device is due out Q3, and they have time to choose either way. If you have a preference, note it here: I'm sure ASUS will be looking.
PCIe 3.0 x4 will reduce the main GPU slot to PCIe 3.0 x8, but in my testing at 1080p gaming, frame rates drop less than 1%. PCIe 2.0 x4 will give a full 16 lanes to the GPU, but might restrict some of the lane allocations for extra functionality. This effect is lessened by using a mITX board because there is less space for the extra functionality so the designers are restricted in what they can do.
I don't have a preference as I have a z77 and not compelled to upgrade until broadwell or beyond. If I was ASUS I would stick to PCIE 2.0 because: A) No current M.2 drives with gen3 B) PCIE 16X 3.0 might be more important in future video cards and is a more likely upgrade for a gaming motherboard.
Awesome, thanks for taking the time to ask. IMO, on the Mini-ITX boards, I am hoping that the combo card is 4x PCIe 3.0 from the CPU. Since the Mobo only has one PCIe slot for graphics, thus SLI or Crossfire is not even an option, PCIe 8x is more than enough so satisfy the requirement of even a top end GPU. I would rather lose the 1% FPS going from 16x to 8x and gain the added storage speed that can be brought with M.2 over 4x PCIe 3.0.
I would vote for PCIe 3.0. Waiting for drives to catch up is better than waiting for drives to be the ones that start. The faster the rest of the ecosystem is ready for a new technology, the faster we get the new technology. It would be nice if they could implement a BIOS feature to switch it from 2.0 to 3.0 (not sure if that is even possible) so that way we have the flexibility to upgrade in the future, or customize our current setup by deciding if we want to give the mPCIe device 3.0 bandwidth and sacrifice slight GPU performance, or give the device 2.0 bandwidth and keep the performance.
In the end, I think SSD's need more attention than GPU's right now.
I saw my MB up there in the Server section. The Z97-WS is a really nice board, but I have already had trouble with it. The DIMM slots 3 and 4 died on me after 10 days.
I understand that issues like this do come up once in a while. (I'm the admin of a server software test lab. As reliable as server hardware is, I still have about a quarter of my time taken up replacing defective parts.) Still, Asus's support system is a bit lacking when things do go bad. I started this ticket last Thursday, and they still haven't shipped my replacement board. The hoops I had to jump through took me until yesterday to get done, and they say they'll ship it within 48 hours. It looks like I probably won't have a replacement in time for the weekend. This has discouraged me from buying any of their server line for my employer. It just takes too long to get things swapped, specifically because their support system is flawed.
yeah, tried that. no luck. There are a couple solder points on the back of the board at the DIMM slots that look suspect, though. That's why I went for the RMA.
I've been waiting for precisely this article. Light on the details, but in any case at least we have an update on upcoming release dates, be it from here or other coverage of Computex.
Where did you got the specs from? The official ASUS site says "GTX 750 Ti" as GPU while you refer to a 750M which is in a completely different league in terms of performance =S.
It would be nice if ASUS initially offered a version of the GR8 without Windows 8 to hit a lower price point. I would rather have a Ubuntu + Steam (with in home streaming) + XMBC combo. More functionality than SteamOS and available now. Also, I hope the included Windows 8 is the Pro version otherwise it's another $100 to add WMC with the basic edition.
surprised there are not more UHD and 4k models. Not everyone wants a 30" monitor on their desk. I'm hoping to see more 24" UHD or 4K displays. Sure there is the Dell, but I kind of hate how Dells current industrial design looks with those awkward stands.
Wasn´t the MeMO Pad 8 going to be out with the Atom Z3580 and have a FullHD panel? From their own press releas: http://press.asus.com/PressReleases/p/ASUS-Present... I guess there are two models, the ME181C and the ME581CL, but I find terribly confusing that they call them both MeMO Pad 8
The ROG GX500 looks pretty interesting, The top and bottom shells are made og brushed aluminium, but what about the area around the keyboard? Is it plastic or matte black aluminium?
Any idea when and if Asus will offer to market a 24 inch monitor with G-sync? Why is Asus siting on G-sync? Can they give the buying community a firm date of when they will offer a monitor with G-sync? I have held my next purchase of a gaming monitor for over a year now. If all they are going to do is talk about G-sync and show mock-up monitors without ever coming to market with a product, I will purchase my second choice.
Hopefully the GR8 has a desktop cpu. If they are using desktop cpu parts, it would be nice if they have i5 and i7 T-Models as the cpu options (lowest is 35W TDP).
I just hope that the custom cooling for the cpu isn't that of a notebook cpu cooler as they did market this as being able to run quietly (small size and low noise are the high points for me). Overall, this custom-built PC has a lot of good potential as a good lan, media, and streaming pc.
It's great that companies like Asus think about education and other social areas. Technologies will now be introduced into the educational system at an incredible speed. Already there are a huge variety of educational websites. Wikipedia is one of the most visited sites in the world. https://edusson.com/ an online writing service, is one of the largest websites that is designed to help students learn. Every day, thousands of students search the Internet for educational materials, but this is scattered throughout the network. The state needs to create its own educational web resource where all necessary information will be collected and systematized.
We’ve updated our terms. By continuing to use the site and/or by logging into your account, you agree to the Site’s updated Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
23 Comments
Back to Article
457R4LDR34DKN07 - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
Are you sure the MPCIE combo IV is PCIE 3.0? JJ from ASUS told me it was PCIE 2.0.Ian Cutress - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
I'm double checking for you. I was under the impression that it was only PCIe 2.0 by virtue of a lack of PCIe 3.0 drives but still PCIe 3.0 capable due to CPU lanes rather than PCH lanes. I'm sure I asked this question during my tour; I either remembered what I hoped, or what I heard, given the whirlwind of meetings that week. I'll update when I get an answer back.Ian Cutress - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
I got a response: PCIe version not yet confirmed. Device is due out Q3, and they have time to choose either way. If you have a preference, note it here: I'm sure ASUS will be looking.PCIe 3.0 x4 will reduce the main GPU slot to PCIe 3.0 x8, but in my testing at 1080p gaming, frame rates drop less than 1%.
PCIe 2.0 x4 will give a full 16 lanes to the GPU, but might restrict some of the lane allocations for extra functionality. This effect is lessened by using a mITX board because there is less space for the extra functionality so the designers are restricted in what they can do.
457R4LDR34DKN07 - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
I don't have a preference as I have a z77 and not compelled to upgrade until broadwell or beyond. If I was ASUS I would stick to PCIE 2.0 because: A) No current M.2 drives with gen3 B) PCIE 16X 3.0 might be more important in future video cards and is a more likely upgrade for a gaming motherboard.k4z3t5ub4k1 - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
Awesome, thanks for taking the time to ask. IMO, on the Mini-ITX boards, I am hoping that the combo card is 4x PCIe 3.0 from the CPU. Since the Mobo only has one PCIe slot for graphics, thus SLI or Crossfire is not even an option, PCIe 8x is more than enough so satisfy the requirement of even a top end GPU. I would rather lose the 1% FPS going from 16x to 8x and gain the added storage speed that can be brought with M.2 over 4x PCIe 3.0.Freakie - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
I would vote for PCIe 3.0. Waiting for drives to catch up is better than waiting for drives to be the ones that start. The faster the rest of the ecosystem is ready for a new technology, the faster we get the new technology. It would be nice if they could implement a BIOS feature to switch it from 2.0 to 3.0 (not sure if that is even possible) so that way we have the flexibility to upgrade in the future, or customize our current setup by deciding if we want to give the mPCIe device 3.0 bandwidth and sacrifice slight GPU performance, or give the device 2.0 bandwidth and keep the performance.In the end, I think SSD's need more attention than GPU's right now.
dgingeri - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
I saw my MB up there in the Server section. The Z97-WS is a really nice board, but I have already had trouble with it. The DIMM slots 3 and 4 died on me after 10 days.I understand that issues like this do come up once in a while. (I'm the admin of a server software test lab. As reliable as server hardware is, I still have about a quarter of my time taken up replacing defective parts.) Still, Asus's support system is a bit lacking when things do go bad. I started this ticket last Thursday, and they still haven't shipped my replacement board. The hoops I had to jump through took me until yesterday to get done, and they say they'll ship it within 48 hours. It looks like I probably won't have a replacement in time for the weekend. This has discouraged me from buying any of their server line for my employer. It just takes too long to get things swapped, specifically because their support system is flawed.
extide - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
If both slots on a single channel no longer work you may want to try removing and re-inserting the CPU... Sometimes you can have issues like that.dgingeri - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
yeah, tried that. no luck. There are a couple solder points on the back of the board at the DIMM slots that look suspect, though. That's why I went for the RMA.martixy - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
I've been waiting for precisely this article.Light on the details, but in any case at least we have an update on upcoming release dates, be it from here or other coverage of Computex.
lemon1510 - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
Where did you got the specs from? The official ASUS site says "GTX 750 Ti" as GPU while you refer to a 750M which is in a completely different league in terms of performance =S.Ian Cutress - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
You are right, the GR8 is a 750 Ti - that's what I wrote in our original news item when it was announced. Corrected.rocktober13 - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
It would be nice if ASUS initially offered a version of the GR8 without Windows 8 to hit a lower price point. I would rather have a Ubuntu + Steam (with in home streaming) + XMBC combo. More functionality than SteamOS and available now. Also, I hope the included Windows 8 is the Pro version otherwise it's another $100 to add WMC with the basic edition.rocktober13 - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
*XBMCCalaverasGrande - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
surprised there are not more UHD and 4k models.Not everyone wants a 30" monitor on their desk. I'm hoping to see more 24" UHD or 4K displays. Sure there is the Dell, but I kind of hate how Dells current industrial design looks with those awkward stands.
TylerGrunter - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
Wasn´t the MeMO Pad 8 going to be out with the Atom Z3580 and have a FullHD panel?From their own press releas:
http://press.asus.com/PressReleases/p/ASUS-Present...
I guess there are two models, the ME181C and the ME581CL, but I find terribly confusing that they call them both MeMO Pad 8
churchgeek - Wednesday, June 11, 2014 - link
A 10-but display!pandemonium - Thursday, June 12, 2014 - link
ASUS really is becoming 'the' brand of choice for all of their vested markets.Thanks for the coverage!
X3ON - Thursday, June 12, 2014 - link
The ROG GX500 looks pretty interesting,The top and bottom shells are made og brushed aluminium, but what about the area around the keyboard? Is it plastic or matte black aluminium?
Nadrik23518 - Thursday, June 12, 2014 - link
Any idea when and if Asus will offer to market a 24 inch monitor with G-sync? Why is Asus siting on G-sync? Can they give the buying community a firm date of when they will offer a monitor with G-sync? I have held my next purchase of a gaming monitor for over a year now. If all they are going to do is talk about G-sync and show mock-up monitors without ever coming to market with a product, I will purchase my second choice.CknSalad - Thursday, June 12, 2014 - link
Hopefully the GR8 has a desktop cpu. If they are using desktop cpu parts, it would be nice if they have i5 and i7 T-Models as the cpu options (lowest is 35W TDP).I just hope that the custom cooling for the cpu isn't that of a notebook cpu cooler as they did market this as being able to run quietly (small size and low noise are the high points for me). Overall, this custom-built PC has a lot of good potential as a good lan, media, and streaming pc.
jimhsu - Saturday, June 14, 2014 - link
Any news on the UX303 (ultrabook form factor + discrete 840M)? That'll me my next notebook, if nothing better comes out in the interim.Matthew Wills - Thursday, May 16, 2019 - link
It's great that companies like Asus think about education and other social areas. Technologies will now be introduced into the educational system at an incredible speed. Already there are a huge variety of educational websites. Wikipedia is one of the most visited sites in the world. https://edusson.com/ an online writing service, is one of the largest websites that is designed to help students learn. Every day, thousands of students search the Internet for educational materials, but this is scattered throughout the network. The state needs to create its own educational web resource where all necessary information will be collected and systematized.