TrendForce reports that in the first quarter of 2023, global shipments of LCD monitors fell 7.4% QoQ to 28.8 million units, marking a YoY decline of 20.5%. Major brands, including Dell, HP, and Lenovo, experienced significant drops in shipment levels, falling by 15.6%, 22.8%, and 19.2% respectively.

On the other hand, several consumer brands saw quarterly growth in their shipments in the first quarter, primarily due to channels replenishing their inventories in March. Among these brands, AOC/Philips stood out, benefiting greatly from demand in the Chinese consumer market. Their shipments not only grew 10.9% QoQ but also increased 3.3% compared to the first quarter of 2022.

EK, the leading premium PC liquid cooling gear manufacturer, is introducing the EK-Quantum Momentum² Pro WS W790-ACE - Full Metal, a monoblock designed for the Intel LGA 4677 socket. This cutting-edge monoblock from the Quantum line is specifically engineered for the ASUS Pro WS W790-ACE server-grade motherboard. It features a full-metal design that possesses unrivaled durability and a premium finish. Notably, this Momentum² monoblock is EK-Matrix7 compliant.

For those seeking optimal performance, all Xeon CPUs of the W-2400 and W-3400 processor families whose product name ends with an "X" come equipped with an unlocked clock multiplier. This means the EK-Quantum Momentum² Pro WS W790-ACE is a perfect fit for unlocking their full potential via overclocking. This is a complete all-in-one liquid cooling solution for next-gen Intel Xeon Scalable CPUs, designed to directly cool the CPU and the motherboard's Voltage Regulation Module (VRM) sections. It is compatible with the LGA 4677 socket on the ASUS Pro WS W790-ACE motherboard. With its direct flow of cooling liquid over the motherboard's critical areas, this monoblock provides an exceptional solution for supporting high-efficiency workloads and uncompromising system stability under high-load operation and even overclocking.

Details of ASUS' upcoming Prime N100I-D D4 Mini-ITX motherboard has made an appearance in official pictures posted over at Fanlesstech, although the board was apparently shown at Computex. The interesting part here is that it's under ASUS' Prime branding, which suggests that this will be a retail product, rather than something that would only be available to OEM partners. The Intel Processor N100 is a quad core 3.4 GHz chip based on Intel's Alder Lake-N and it has a 6 W TDP, which means it can be passively cooled.

Although the SoC supports DDR4 and DDR5 memory, at least for this specific SKU, ASUS went with DDR4 support in the shape of a single SO-DIMM slot which accepts up to 3200 MHz memory. The board also sports a single PCIe 3.0 x2 M.2 slot, an M.2 slot for an optional WiFi module, a PCIe 3.0 x1 slot and a single SATA connector and a USB 3.0 header. The odd thing here is that the SoC supports a total of nine PCIe lanes, but ASUS only appears to have made use of four of them. Around the back is a pair of 10 Gbps USB Type-A ports, a pair of 5 Gbps USB Type-A ports and two USB 2.0 ports, a PS/2 port, a serial port, a D-Sub VGA connector, a DisplayPort and an HDMI port of unknown version—although the SoC supports DP 1.4 and HDMI 2.1—a Gigabit Ethernet jack and three audio jacks.

ASUS today announced ProArt Station PD500TE, an all-new tower PC meticulously designed to deliver seamless professional content creation. Powered by an up to 13th Generation Intel Core i9-13900 CPU and NVIDIA RTX A4000 graphics, plus support for NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics cards, PD500TE delivers robust and stable performance for processor-intensive tasks like video editing and 3D modelling. This latest addition to the popular ProArt Station lineup also has a new thermal design for efficient, quieter cooling.

To maximize its creator-friendly credentials, PD500TE has undergone an extensive Independent Software Vendor (ISV) certification process to assure compatibility with leading creative tools. It also features customizable ASUS Lumiwiz LED indicators, a power-button shield to prevent accidental shutdowns, and even rendering-progress email notifications.

ASUS is today honored to announce that the ProArt Creator Hub app has received a prestigious iF Design Award 2023 in the Apps/Software category of the Communications discipline. The iF Design Award is a globally recognized symbol of outstanding product design.

ProArt Creator Hub - the winner of a 2022 Red Dot Award in the Brands & Communication Design - Digital Solution category - is designed to expose users to the unique features and functions of their ProArt products. It's flexible and can be easily customized to the creator's needs, so they can quickly reap all the benefits with minimum effort. ProArt Creator Hub is included with all compatible ASUS products at no extra cost. The app provides a unified experience across all connected ProArt or ASUS creator devices, so creators can easily calibrate colors, adjust creative parameters and settings, monitor device performance, and optimize their workflows.

ASUS today announced ESC N8-E11, its most advanced HGX H100 eight-GPU AI server, along with a comprehensive PCI Express (PCIe) GPU server portfolio—the ESC8000 and ESC4000 series empowered by Intel and AMD platforms to support higher CPU and GPU TDPs to accelerate the development of AI and data science.

ASUS is one of the few HPC solution providers with its own all-dimensional resources that consist of the ASUS server business unit, Taiwan Web Service (TWS) and ASUS Cloud—all part of the ASUS group. This uniquely positions ASUS to deliver in-house AI server design, data-center infrastructure, and AI software-development capabilities, plus a diverse ecosystem of industrial hardware and software partners.

ASUS today announced the TUF Gaming AS1000, a portable high-performance M.2 NVMe 1 TB SSD with innovative cooling features to ensure ultrafast data transfers. TUF Gaming AS1000 uses a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x1 connection and is compatible with PCs, laptops, and the latest gaming consoles. This SSD has been subjected to stringent durability testing to ensure stored data is well-protected from everyday spills and knocks. Plus, bundled NTI Backup Now EZ software (valued at up to US$35.99) allows for easy data backup and recovery.

Military-grade toughness
The TUF Gaming AS1000 has been subjected to a rigorous battery of durability tests, including the U.S-military-grade MIL-STD-810H drop test and IP68 water-and-dust-resistance tests. Devices were dropped from various heights, submerged in water, and exposed to dust and dirt to ensure toughness, making the TUF Gaming AS1000 more than capable of withstanding accidental bumps, knocks, and spills.

ASUS unveiled the China-exclusive GeForce RTX 4070 Atlas Shark graphics card. If this card looks familiar, it's because the card is practically identical to the RTX 4070 Megalodon concept ASUS showed off at the 2023 Computex. The only difference between the two is that while the Megalodon features the proprietary power slot the company is introducing with its BTF-series motherboards (with their connectors and ports on the reverse side of the PCB); the new RTX 4070 Atlas Shark is a regular graphics card. It has no fancy power slot interfaces, and uses a regular 8-pin PCIe power input where you'd expect one to be. The card comes with a factory overclock of 2520 MHz, compared to 2475 MHz reference. You also get dual-BIOS, with the second BIOS engaging reference speeds and aggressive fan-speed management. ASUS is pricing the RTX 4070 Atlas Shark at RMB ¥3,299 (USD $464).

ASUS today announced ExpertBook B9 OLED, an all-new business laptop meticulously crafted from premium magnesium-lithium alloy to push the limits of lightness for ultimate portability and durability—elevating it to the status of world's lightest 14-inch OLED business laptop, weighing a mere 990 g.

With an environmentally-friendly design, brilliant 16:10 OLED display, AI-powered camera and noise cancelation for modern work experiences, the latest Intel Core vPro processor and a multitude of enterprise-grade security features, ExpertBook B9 OLED is the perfect partner for executives and business travelers. It ups both green credentials and professionalism, and sets a new benchmark for elite business laptops. ExpertBook B9 OLED is also backed by the imminent support of ASUS Carbon Partner Services.[ii] This service provides end-to-end delivery, assured quality, flexible and precise-carbon offset options that drive real, positive impact.

ASUS today announced the refreshed Vivobook 16 OLED (M1605), a slim-and-light laptop featuring up to an AI-enabled AMD Ryzen 7000 H-Series processor, and expertly engineered for everyday entertainment and productivity. Perfect performance is delivered by up to an AMD Ryzen 7000 H-Series processor with 16 GB RAM and up to a 1 TB SSD. Quiet and efficient cooling is provided by the dual-vented cooling system with two heat pipes and an IceBlade fan. The long-lasting up to 70 Wh battery gives users more freedom, and there's up to WiFi 6E for ultrafast connectivity.

This latest model features a superb OLED NanoEdge Pantone Validated display with 3.2K resolution, a 120 Hz refresh rate and a 0.2 millisecond response time - plus an 16:10 aspect ratio display for an extended view. The NanoEdge OLED displays offer up to a 1.000,000:1 contrast ratio with a screen-to-body ratio of up to 86.5%. It also benefits from TÜV Rheinland low blue-light certification to ensure eye comfort during long viewing sessions. The eye-catching slim and lightweight design is finished in a selection of on-trend colors. The 180° lay-flat hinge allows easy collaboration and sharing, and the comprehensive I/O capabilities include up to a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port with Power Delivery, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, a USB 2.0 port, an HDMI output, and an audio combo jack.

Here's the first picture of the bare PCB of the upcoming ASUS ROG MATRIX GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card, courtesy of der8auer, who was given access to the card as part of a G.Skill overclocking event. We spotted a fully assembled version of this card on the Computex floor earlier. The PCB is essentially of the same design as the ROG Strix RTX 4090, but with some major changes. The card draws power from a single 16-pin 12VHPWR connector, and we're hearing that the card's power limits will be the highest ever allowed by NVIDIA for any custom RTX 4090, perhaps even getting close to the 600 W continuous design limit of the connector.

The card features a 24-phase VRM for the GPU power phases, and a 4-phase VRM for the 24 GB of GDDR6X memory across a 384-bit memory interface. We cannot make out the exact DrMOS components for this VRM, but der8auer says these are 70 A-rated MPS-sourced DrMOS (the ROG Strix uses 70 A DrMOS sourced from OnSemi). Although one can't tell just by looking, ASUS says that it has deployed a network of SMD thermal sensors across the critical areas of the card, such as individual rows of memory chips, or DrMOS. This is essentially ASUS's inspiration of the late EVGA iCX. There is a physical dual-BIOS switch, some consolidated voltage measurement points, and some fan and lighting headers, but that's about it.

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced the Strix Scope II 96 Wireless gaming keyboard. Offering outstanding versatility, this compact keyboard features a 96% layout that retains all of the function and number keys found in a standard 100% keyboard, packed in a space-saving design. Gamers can pair the Strix Scope II 96 Wireless with up to three devices via Bluetooth. Users also have the option to use RF 2.4 GHz with ROG SpeedNova wireless technology and Omni Receiver, or a wired USB connection.

Pre-lubed, hot-swappable ROG NX Snow mechanical switches provide fast actuation, refined and linear keystrokes, and improved key stability. Built-in sound-dampening foam and a switch-dampening pad absorbs pinging noises and echoes to improve acoustics of the keyboard. Typing feel is exceptional as well, with pre-lubed, low-friction keyboard stabilizers enabling smoother keystrokes and stability for longer keys. The switches are topped with durable ROG PBT doubleshot keycaps or UV-coated ABS keycaps that offer premium feel and shine resistance. The Strix Scope II 96 Wireless will soon be joined by the Strix Scope II and Strix Scope II RX full-size gaming keyboards.

During the Computex 2023 show, ASUS had some interesting designs to showcase. Specifically, ASUS has made a GeForce RTX 4070 GPU concept without an external power connector. With NVIDIA's reference 16-pin power connector melting due to an insufficient connection, ASUS has decided to experiment by removing the connector from its GPU and placing the power source as an extra bus connector on the motherboard. Called GeForce RTX 4070 Megalodon, ASUS has made a custom power connector that goes hand-in-hand with the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 BTF motherboard that supports this connector, and the PSU cables go on the backside of the board.

Similarly to NVIDIA's 16-pin 12VHPWR connector, this custom design is also rated for up to 600 Watts of power delivery. This results in a design that facilities the user error of not correctly pushing the 16-pin connector and causing melting. For now, the connector is referred to as GC_HPWR, but there will be an official name at launch as the company plans mass production of this concept. You can see the design of the RTX 4070 Megalodon alongside the accompanying ASUS TUF Gaming Z790 BTF motherboard.

ASUS at the 2023 Computex launched the ROG MATRIX GeForce RTX 4090, its absolute top-end custom-design graphics card, designed to be the fastest money can buy. The card features the industry's highest factory-overclock for an RTX 4090, and has its power limits set squarely at 600 W, maxing out the single 16-pin 12VHPWR connector. The card also features the strongest VRM solution ever by ASUS for a graphics card, to hold this PL. The star attraction with this card is that it is marketed as the first graphics card that incorporates liquid metal technology.

What it essentially means, is that the cooling solution uses liquid-metal thermal interface material (TIM) for the GPU. The enthusiasts among you know how difficult it is to apply and maintain liquid metal, and ASUS is among the first companies to do this on an industrial scale, using a fully automated process. The company originally designed this mechanized liquid-metal TIM application technique for its high-end notebooks, but figured it could use it even for graphics cards. Liquid-metal TIMs offer the highest possible thermal conductivity as the TIM is pure metal. It's also electrically conductive, which is why application and maintenance is extremely difficult. ASUS innovated a cold-plate design specifically for this task, so the graphics card could survive international shipping from its factories. A third innovation by ASUS has been to develop a special multi-layer resin that protects the SMD components on the PCB against being shorted by the liquid-metal. ASUS is so confident in its liquid-metal technology, that the company is backing this graphics card with a comprehensive 5-year warranty.

At its Computex 2023 showcase and ASUS HQ tour for the press, the company has unveiled a new ASUS ROG concept graphics card based on the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 design, that actually has no standard power connectors, but draws power from the motherboard via a proprietary slot.

As noted, the graphics card is still in its concept phase, and actually draws power from a special PCIe like slot connector at the bottom of the graphics card. Of course, this also means that it will need a special motherboard, which ASUS had on display as well. The motherboard is based on a Z790 TUF Gaming motherboard, with a design that had all the connectors at the back of the motherboard. In addition to the standard power and other connectors like SATA ports, it also includes three 8-pin PCIe and single 12VHPWR connector, which are meant to power the graphics card. Of course, such motherboard also requires a special PC case that have cut-outs for those connectors.

When you're shopping for a gaming display, its refresh rate is often one of the top items on your checklist. But a high refresh rate is just one ingredient in the recipe for a great gaming monitor. It's also important to consider motion clarity: is the display equipped to minimize blur?

Today, we're ready to announce that the ROG Swift 360 Hz PG27AQN, already a fast display with excellent motion clarity, is about to get even better. After installing the latest firmware, PG27AQN owners will be able to use NVIDIA Ultra Low Motion Blur 2 (ULMB) to enjoy over 1000 Hz of effective motion clarity.

ASUS today announced the availability of the ExpertWiFi EBM68 and EBR63, two routers designed to serve commercial needs ranging from small cafes to medium-sized businesses. The ASUS ExpertWiFi EBM68 is a tri-band AX7800 mesh system suited to mid-size businesses or spaces with multiple-stories such as a hotel or a retail store, and the ASUS ExpertWiFi EBR63 is a dual band AX3000 business router suited to cafes, small offices or home offices (SOHOs).

With the ExpertWiFi series, ASUS uniquely delivers Self-Defined Network (SDN) and a variety of other innovative features to the business router ecosystem, including customizable guest portals with user-friendly interface and guidance for simple and accessible settings. They also bring VLAN and VPN support for advanced protection of business information and data, streamlined network expansion options, space-saving designs and easy device management with the new ASUS ExpertWiFi app.

ASUS today announced the ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 7600, ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 7600 and ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 7600 V2 graphics cards, which are designed to strike the perfect balance between affordability and gaming power, with stunning visuals and fluid performance. Key generation-over-generation upgrades make the ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 7600 graphics card a serious contender for a user's next gaming PC. Compared to the last-gen ROG Strix AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT, it operates more quietly while running at broadly similar temperatures, and it has a TGP (total graphics power) of 145 watts.

An efficient GPU and an effective cooling solution make all the difference. Two of the 11-blade Axial-tech fans keep a steady stream of cooling air moving through its 2.9-slot heatsink, and dual-ball fan bearings help ensure a long lifetime. Venting in the aluminium protective backplate provides another pathway for heat to dissipate from the card. It is equipped with 0 dB tech as well, so the fans will entirely spin down for silent operation whenever temperatures permit. A Dual BIOS switch lets gamers easily prioritize performance or quiet operation.

ASUS today announced the all-new 14-inch, 16:10 Chromebook CM34 Flip, delivering an exquisite blend of powerful performance and versatility to empower both work and study. This stylish laptop features up to an AMD Ryzen 5 7520C processor, and WiFi 6 and a long-lasting battery, so it's well-equipped to breeze through everyday tasks anywhere.

The versatile 360° ErgoLift hinge means Chromebook CM34 Flip has the flexibility to function in a diverse array of modes, while the optional garaged stylus enables intuitive input to jot down notes or capture ideas. To top it all off, military-grade durability, one-touch fingerprint unlock and a physical webcam shutter for instant privacy offer peace of mind—at home, in the office or classroom, or exploring the world.

ASUS today announced that it has achieved significant recognition at the Computex 2023 Best Choice Awards. The company's commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering exceptional products has resulted in several accolades, including the esteemed Computex 2023 Best Choice Golden Award for the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402) laptop. The ExpertBook B9 OLED business laptop, recipient of the Sustainable Tech Special Award, combines powerful performance with an incredibly lightweight and professional design. Launched as the world's lightest 14-inch OLED business laptop, it is also the first all-magnesium-lithium ASUS laptop to employ an eco-conscious manufacturing technology that reduces production materials by up to 29% and shortens manufacturing time by up to 75% to maximize energy efficiency.

ASUS also received multiple Category Awards for products including the ExpertBook B9 OLED laptop; the ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED (H7604), Studiobook 16 3D OLED (H7604JI) and Studiobook Pro 16 OLED (W7604) laptops; the ROG Rapture GT-BE98 router; the ROG Swift OLED PG49WCD monitor; the ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme motherboard; the ASUS HealthHub remote-care solution; and the ASUS PINBO robot. These accolades highlight our continuous pursuit of innovation, exceptional user experiences, and commitment to sustainability.

ASUS today announced a showcase of the latest HPC solutions to empower innovation and push the boundaries of supercomputing, at ISC High Performance 2023 in Hamburg, Germany on May 21-25, 2023. The ASUS exhibition, at booth H813, will reveal the latest supercomputing advances, including liquid-cooling and AI solutions, as well as outlining a slew of sustainability breakthroughs - plus a whole lot more besides.

Comprehensive Liquid-Cooling Solutions
ASUS is working with Submer, the industry-leading liquid-cooling provider to demonstrate immersion-cooling solutions at ISC High Performance 2023, focused on ASUS RS720-E11-IM - the Intel -based 2U4N server that leverages our trusted legacy server architecture and popular features to create a compact new design. This fresh outlook improves the accessibility on I/O ports, storage and cable routing, and strengthens the structure to allow the server to be placed vertically in the tank, with durability assured.

VideoCardz seems to be getting the scoop on all sorts of custom design Radeon RX 7600 graphics cards - this weekend it revealed factory overclocked models from ASRock and ASUS, only a couple of days prior to the expected product launch. The hardware news site was tipped off to the presence of boxed Sapphire PULSE cards sitting in an unnamed retail store's stockroom almost two weeks ago, and photos of actual hardware emerged two days later.

From the looks of things, Sapphire has chosen to update its dual-fan PULSE card design for the new Radeon GPU generation, but ASRock and ASUS have taken the easier path - the latest photo leaks indicate that both companies have opted to reuse cooling solutions from their older RDNA2 models. ASRock is reintroducing the Phantom Gaming OC and Challenger OC card designs as part of its RX 7600 GPU lineup, and ASUS is recycling its ROG STRIX and Dual cooler designs - these were previously slapped onto their Radeon RX 6650 XT offerings (launched back in 2022).

ASUS today announced the Marshmallow Keyboard, a compact and versatile wireless keyboard available in Oat Milk or Green Tea Latte finishes. Ideal for everyday computing, this durable keyboard features long-lasting up to 10-million-click switches, optimal scissor keys, and two-level adjustable kickstands. A pair of system switch keys enable effortless switching between Windows, ChromeOS, MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS modes.

Distinct colors
The ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard is available in striking Oat Milk or Green Tea Latte color schemes that stand out in a sea of black, beige or gray keyboards. In addition, essentials like the Spacebar, Enter, and Esc keys are in a darker shade for better visibility. These unique colors give ASUS Marshmallow Keyboard a smart, youthful look that perfectly complements ASUS Marshmallow Mouse MD100, as well as modern laptops, PCs, and tablets.

ASUS today announced NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 and 4060 Ti graphics cards for the ROG Strix, TUF Gaming and ASUS Dual families, delivering the latest NVIDIA architecture and cutting-edge tech such as DLSS 3 frame generation to mainstream gamers. The RTX 4060 Ti graphics cards will be the frontrunners for this series, and they will ship with a healthy 8 GB of VRAM. At a later date, ASUS will also launch variants of the ROG Strix, TUF Gaming, Dual, and Dual White RTX 4060 Ti graphics cards equipped with an even-larger 16 GB pool of VRAM. The extra helping of memory will give gamers with a taste for cutting-edge graphics extra headroom to dial up high-resolution textures and high-end visual effects in demanding games.

The ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4060, TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4060, ASUS Dual GeForce RTX 4060 and ASUS Dual White GeForce RTX 4060 are also coming at a later date. ASUS will share all the details on these graphics cards soon, so gamers will not have to wait long to learn more about them—or make one their own. These GeForce RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060-powered GPUs are designed to deliver incredible performance for mainstream gamers and creators at 1080p resolution at 100 frames per second with ray tracing and DLSS 3. The GeForce RTX 4060 product family delivers all the advancements of the NVIDIA Ada Lovelace architecture—including DLSS 3 neural rendering, third-generation ray tracing technologies at high frame rates, and an eighth-generation NVIDIA Encoder (NVENC) with AV1 encoding.

ASUS today announced that TWS, Taiwan's leading AI company, showcased its Formosa Foundation Model at AIHPCcon Taiwan AI Supercomputing Conference. The TWS Formosa Foundation Model is powered by the Taiwania 2 supercomputer and boasts an impressive scale of 176 billion parameters. The theme of this year's annual technology event, held on May 17th, was AI 2.0, Supercomputing, and the New Ecosystem. Numerous startups and AI 2.0 partners were invited to showcase their AI intelligence applications.

The Formosa Foundation Model combines the ability to comprehend and generate text with traditional Chinese semantics, offering enterprise-level generative AI solutions through a novel business model. These solutions provide flexibility, security, and rapid optimization tailored to industry applications while leveraging ecosystem partnerships, creating trusted AI 2.0 opportunities, and driving AI intelligence application innovation to capture the trends and opportunities in AI digital business.