Asus Intros Limited Edition ROG MARS GPU: Twin GTX 285, 4GB RAM

Asus is no stranger to producing mighty NVIDIA-based GPUs, but the ROG MARS is something special. This limited edition card was first previewed a few months back, but most folks figured it was simply a proof of concept rather than a near-final card reader for shipment. Thankfully for those with fat wallets and an insatiable appetite for high frame rates, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) MARS custom-built graphics card is on its way to retail shelves, though we get the feeling it won't be there for long.

In fact, Asus tells us that the card will only be sold in North America on a "first come, first served basis," with the exact time and place of availability to be revealed on Asus' official Twitter page. As for specs, the card utilizes twin GeForce GTX 285 GPUs, a whopping 4GB of onboard RAM and the world's first 1024-bit memory bandwidth. Reportedly, the card is nearly 23% more powerful than a standard GTX 295, and it also boasts an improved thermal design with a 65% boost in heatpipe coverage and a 20% heat dissipation rate.

If you're sold, you best be one of 1000 to get in line. Yep--Asus is only crafting 1000 of these, each of which will be individually numbered and feature a 648MHz engine clock, 1476MHz shader clock, 1 VGA output, 2 DVI outputs, an HDMI output and a healthy dose of bragging rights.



ROG MARS hits North America

-- ASUS’ Limited Edition Enthusiast Graphics Card to sell in USA/Canada --

   
Fremont, CA August 25, 2009 - ASUS today announced the limited edition Republic of Gamers (ROG) MARS/2DI/4GD3 custom-built graphics cards as first showcased at Computex 2009 will soon be sold in North America on a first come, first served basis. The exact time and place of availability will be announced on ASUS' Official Twitter social networking page.

The Enthusiast’s Dream Card with ROG Innovations
Breaking away from the standard GTX 295 reference design, ROG engineers implemented dual NVIDIA® GeForce™ GTX 285 GPUs, awe-inspiring 4GB onboard memory and the world’s first 1024-bit memory bandwidth to spawn the ROG MARS graphics card. 23% more powerful than conventional GTX 295 graphics cards, the ROG MARS graphics card also features an improved thermal design that boasts a 65% increase in heatpipe coverage and a 20% heat dissipation rate—thus delivering extreme cooling, even during graphically intensive operations. With this exceptional innovation and design, gamers can realize ultra high resolution gaming with all graphics features maxed out - making every gamers dream a reality.

ASUS Ultimate Armaments
The ROG MARS utilizes the finest graphics card components for clean power delivery, effective cooling and redundant safety. EMI shielding around the card reduces interference by up to 66%. Covered chokes and Low RDS(on) MOSFETs run 25% more efficient and 15C cooler than standard components. A pair of fuses doubles the overvoltage protection found on reference designs, safeguarding your VGA card.

Each graphics card will be assigned a unique serial number. With only 1000 units slated for production, the ASUS ROG MARS is a masterpiece of power and performance for the hardcore gamer and overclocker.