ASUS appears to have remembered one of the main reasons it has become famous among computer enthusiasts, namely its capability of creating high-end motherboards. Just days away from the CeBIT 2009 computer show in Hanover, Germany, ASUS has unveiled a new concept for a high-end motherboard, dubbed Marine Cool. Designed unlike any other motherboard on the market, the Marine Cool concept will be on display at the company's booth at CeBIT, next week.

One of the main features of the Marine Cool concept board is a new backplate that boasts a “micro-porous ceramic” technology, which is said to deliver a quicker heat dissipation and also improve the structural integrity of the board. Through the cooling effects of the back plate the board's components will be able to better handle high-end overclocking and the stress of high-performance hardware components.

Another interesting thing about ASUS' Marine Cool concept motherboard is the use of two SO-DIMM memory slots, replacing the traditional, desktop-grade DIMM slots. This feature has its pros and cons, as it allows the motherboard maker to save some real estate space, while notebook-grade memories can perform well on mainstream systems. However, an SO-DIMM solution might not be a choice for a high-end overclocking platform.

As regards the passive cooling solution on the board, designed to effectively dissipate the heat over the board's Northbridge, Southbridge and PWM, ASUS appears to have taken its inspiration from some old sci-fi movie. The overall feeling of the board is that it provides users with support for technologies that are yet to emerge.

Fortunately, ASUS is expected to showcase the concept board at its CeBIT 2009 booth, next week. By that time we should know more about what are the company's intentions with the concept and if it sees such a board come to life, as part of an upcoming product.