-- The new Republic of Gamers Maximus II Formula delivers blazing-fast performance and 3D surround sound for an immersive gaming experience -- FREMONT, CA (June 23, 2008) - ASUS®, worldwide leader in component and notebook design and manufacturing, today released the ASUS ROG Maximus II Formula motherboard. Based on the Intel P45/ICH10R chipset and features ASUS-exclusive SupremeFX X-Fi sound card, this cutting-edge motherboard equips the gamers with performance and features needed to have an ultimate gaming experience. Available immediately through authorized ASUS North American dealers at an introductory MSRP of $289 USD, the new Maximus II Formula extends the ROG philosophy to deliver ground-breaking performance, uncompromised stability and unique features. High-Fidelity Audio with ASUS SupremeFX X-Fi Sound Card The Republic of Gamers is dedicated to delivering unsurpassed gaming experiences for the serious gamers, starting with crystal-clear 3D surround sound. Each Maximus II Formula motherboard comes equipped with a SupremeFX X-Fi sound card that takes full advantage of the ADI 2000B audio codec, the Creative X-Fi suite, CMSS3D and the Crystalizer technologies. SupremeFX X-Fi natively supports the EAX standard to produce top-notch virtual 3D surround sound. Boost CPU Performance with CPU Level Up With CPU Level Up, gamers can overclock the processor with ease to gain additional competitive edge. Once in the BIOS, gamers need only select their desired CPU speed and the system will do the rest, fine-tuning the processor, making it run at the desired speed with uncompromised stability. Extreme Engine Design for Exceptional Performance ASUS’ legendary engineering has produced the new ROG Extreme Engine – a next-generation multi-phase power design that provides additional overclocking headroom for extreme computing situations. Based on a 16-phase power design for the CPU, 2-phase for memory and 3-phase for the north bridge; Extreme Engine will provide users with additional voltage options in the BIOS. With only the best quality components, Extreme Engine helps dissipate the load among 16 capacitors as opposed to 8, resulting in more stable power distribution to the various components. This in turn results in a more reliable operating environment; while also improving power efficiency up to 96%. In addition, automatic power management technology ensures that less energy is wasted and less heat produced. For more information on the new ROG Maximus II Formula motherboard, visit http://usa.asus.com.