You require Z power

You require Z power

ASUS has sent us the P8Z68-V PRO motherboard, a new model featuring the just-released Intel Z68 chipset for Sandy Bridge processors. The Z68 adds to the performance of the existing P67 design, driving the point of better multimedia and integrated graphics home, plus shifting the focus more towards SSD storage.

ASUS is the only motherboard maker that’s been able to not just fit every new feature of the Z68 alongside extant Sandy Bridge traits, but has also taken measures to augment these with myriad additional boons that are perfect for performance and overclocking seekers.

Tune to your heart’s content

The P8Z68-V PRO includes the exclusive ASUS DIGI+ VRM digital power delivery architecture, which entails a digitally-controlled voltage regulator so you can modify voltages by very fine increments for better overclocking. Naturally, more precise power means a more stable PC, even when pushed to the limit. DIGI+ VRM is part of the ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 2 build, which also contains the TPU and EPU microchips: TPU is an overclocking engine, EPU a built in power consumption supervisor. Added to the coolness of three PCI Express 2.0 slots, all of these mean any PC built on the P8Z68-V PRO will be a dream platform for upcoming resource-magnets like id’s Rage and DICE’s Battlefield 3, both slated to be impressive tech demos.

Keep it Lucid

You’d think the engineers would run out of space with this much tech on one mobo, but that’s not the case. The good folks at ASUS have managed to get LucidLogix Virtu working on the P8Z68-V PRO. This dedicated graphics switching technology goes between the improved integrated graphics found on Sandy Bridge CPUs and any discrete graphics cards you have connected to the board automatically. Which resources are used varies by application, so performance is maintained while power consumption is reduced to lower your energy bills.

Virtu works seamlessly, you don’t have to do anything and there’s no fiddling around with complex settings. Unless fiddling around with complex settings is your thing, in which case you’re free to do just that.

Multimedia relit the video star

Key to the improvements offered by the Intel Z68 chipset is the inclusion of Intel Quick Sync Video enhanced video transcoding. Working on the hardware level within Sandy Bridge processors, Quick Sync Video helps with playback and authoring of HD video content. You get faster and smoother performance while watching HD video online or via optical media, plus uploading and rendering content goes much, much faster. Better still, ASUS engineers have been able to balance Quick Sync Video with the LucidLogix Virtu engine so every task gets handled by the best-suited component. There’s less latency as a result, since the CPU doesn’t need to spend as much time figuring out which graphics set to turn to at any given moment.

The solid state of things to come

Another new Intel feature that comes with the Z68 chipset is Intel Smart Response Technology. This one only works if you have a solid state drive connected to one of the SATA 6Gb/s ports, but if you do, it switches on to save you time and energy. What this technology does is partition 18.6GB of storage on your SSD for use as a cache. Frequently-accessed parts of the OS and other routine operations take place on the much faster SSD portion, while you still get to enjoy the copious amounts of storage offered by your traditional hard drives. Boot and load times are reduced, as is hard drive spin. The bottom line is a more power-efficient system that offers a quieter environment and less wear and tear in the long run while not compromising on storage space. It’s the best of both worlds, really.

If you’re in the market for a new PC build, this is the board to beat. It’s the latest and greatest, and loaded to the hilt with exciting new features. ASUS P8Z68 Series motherboards are available now.

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