MARS II – Bringer of Games

Suds McSoapdish
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The ASUS Republic of Gamers have at long last sent us a final version of the new ROG MARS II, the most powerful graphics product in their arsenal and arguably the most powerful graphics card ever made, period.

This colossus is a triple-slot monster, so be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart, light of PSU, or cramped of case. It is for those who want to brandish the best in video prowess just in time for gaming season, as the MARS II will tear through the likes of Rage, Battlefield 3, Modern Warfare 3 and later Bioshock Infinite and Mass Effect 3 in 1600p or higher with all details on max like a planet streaking through the solar system.

As seen by the Hubble space telescope

The sweet and lowdown

Like the previous MARS incarnation, this giant is a dual GPU board. It features two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580s, each with 512 CUDA cores. The memory is 3GB of your finest GDDR5, clocked at 4008MHz. The cores run at a swift 782MHz, and the data bus defies the very concept of generosity with a twin 384-bit interface.

We can’t share specific performance and benchmarking information with you at this time, but suffice it to say, if you have the proper support hardware, the MARS II will really transform your gaming landscape, like a mammoth sand storm sweeping across the dusty plains of the red planet. OK, enough with the Martian similes.

Limited edition with the power of levitation!

They’ve created a monster

But of the good kind, the kind you actually want to create. Also, of the literally cool kind. Thanks to DirectCU II application, the MARS II uses all-copper heat pipes to mitigate heat, as well as dual 120mm fans that reportedly push up to 600% more air than a reference GTX 590. This is a nice touch, for sure, added to Super Alloy Power components that enhance performance potential, extend product lifespan and lower temps. It also means the MARS II is a potent overclocker, though why you’d want to overclock this beast is up for debate. But if you do want to overclock, then the included ASUS GPU Tweak has a friendly interface that lets anyone from novice to expert tune voltages and clocks to their heart’s content.

Look, it’s quite simple, if you crave the meatiest graphics card around for gamers, this is it. It’s got more hardware than your local Home Depot (or your local equivalent of choice), makes native DX11 performance look well and truly at ease, and comes clad in that chic ROG red and black colour scheme we love so much.

Either for yourself or for the gamer in your life, this is going to be a spectacular present for the holidays. Just keep in mind this is a limited production run, so you may have to buy early. And don’t expect a bargain, this will not be a cheap card!

And now, some photos.

Showing the DirectCU II twin fans

Back plate with twin openings for the GPUs

Rear I/O panel

Board layout showcasing the dual GTX 580s

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  • http://twitter.com/cloudsmesh Vishal

    Its a good looking Beast from ROG.
    Dual GPU unit with solid capacitors and chokes make it a Graphic powerhouse.
    I’m waiting for its price.  

  • http://twitter.com/GinUwiNLady Moira Washington

    ur first born will do nicely I’m sure.

  • Anonymous

    About $1700USD. Truly exclusive :P

  • http://twitter.com/cloudsmesh Vishal

    Price is also large as its size.
    Well why its price is such a high?,I mean its a dual GPU unit.

  • Anonymous

    Completely redeveloped PCB (several months engineering cost), several kilos of copper and alu on the cooler, two hand-picked GTX 580 cores all cost money.

  • http://twitter.com/cloudsmesh Vishal

    Yeah you are right and it is costly because its the fastest GPU in the market.