14 DAY TRIAL // ASUS, one of the leading manufacturers of computer motherboards, is expected to launch a new series of mobos designed to provide support for upcoming gaming systems. The new motherboards, which will be dubbed the “Gene” series, will come as an addition to the company's famous Republic of Gamer family. The first model to be released will be based on Intel's highest-performance chipset, the X58, providing users with support for Core i7-based computer systems.
Unlike other RoG motherboards, the new Gene series will feature a micro ATX form factor, which will enable system builders and high-end users to create smaller form-factor computer systems. As such, the new Gene series might end up as the base for upcoming high-performance, gaming-ready PCs that will boast a smaller, more convenient form factor.
The first board in the new series to be launched will be dubbed Rampage II Gene, and has recently surfaced in a news-article on bit-tech. It will provide support for Core i7 processors and triple-channel DDR3 memory, and it will boast two PCI-Express 2.0 x16 graphics slots with support for both NVIDIA's SLI and ATI's CrossFire multi-GPU technologies.
ASUS' Rampage II Gene will support an X-Fi sound solution from ADI and will likely include features such as TweakIT, available for other RoG mobos. Despite the smaller form factor of the new Rampage board, the price tag isn't likely to drop under $200, when it will become available in retail channels. That is because this product has been specifically designed for high-end users, with support for the latest technologies and hardware components.
Unfortunately, we have no details on a specific release date, but ASUS is expected to announce the new series of RoG mobos in the next few weeks.