Asus commemorates three decades in the graphics card industry by offering 'extraordinary' RTX 50 rewards and a nostalgic video recap.
Asus, a Taiwanese multinational company founded in 1989, has made significant strides in the graphics card market. Initially focusing on motherboard manufacturing, Asus leveraged its expertise to innovate in the field.
The company's foray into graphics cards began in the mid-1990s. In 1996, Asus released its first graphics card, the Asus 375, which used an S3 ViRGE/DX chipset. This was followed by the Asus AGP-V3000, introduced in 1997, which was the first 2D/3D accelerator with full Microsoft Direct3D support.
Asus started addressing hardcore 3D gaming in 1997, partnering with Nvidia to create the Asus AGP-V3000, based on the Nvidia Riva 128 chipset. This marked the beginning of a long-standing partnership with Nvidia that would continue to shape Asus's graphics card offerings.
The mid-2000s to 2010s saw Asus releasing its own branded graphics cards, often in partnership with major GPU providers like NVIDIA. This period saw the introduction of various models, but specific details about a "375" model are not widely documented.
Asus became known for its high-performance graphics cards, particularly under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. This brand focused on delivering cutting-edge gaming solutions. One of the most notable ROG models was the Asus ROG Mars GTX 295, released in 2009. This dual-GPU card featured two NVIDIA GeForce GTX 295 cores and was renowned for its exceptional performance, innovative design, and hefty price tag.
While specific information about the "ROG Astral series" is not available, Asus continues to innovate under the ROG brand, focusing on high-performance gaming solutions with advanced cooling systems and cutting-edge GPU technologies.
Asus is currently hosting a competition from now until October 7, offering a mix of lucky draw and grand prizes. The grand prizes include the ProArt GeForce RTX 5080, ROG Strix GeForce RTX 5070 Ti, TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 5070, and the latest ASUS power supplies.
Justin from J Custom recalled purchasing an Asus ROG Mars GTX 295 by camping outside a retailer in 2009. The Mars edition of the Asus ROG Mars GTX 295 offered new aesthetics and was limited to a run of 1,000 units.
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Asus has launched a dedicated 30-years celebration site with mini-games showcasing graphics card milestones. The RTX 4090 Evangelion build by Nay from Tech Tesseract features a complete anime aesthetic, showcasing the creativity and innovation that Asus continues to bring to the table.
In summary, Asus's journey in the graphics card market has been marked by significant partnerships, innovative designs like the ROG Mars GTX 295, and a consistent push towards high-performance gaming solutions under the ROG brand. While specific details about some models and series may not be widely documented or may not be recognized under these names, Asus's contributions to the industry are undeniable.
Asus's exploration into the realm of technology extended beyond motherboard manufacturing, and in the mid-1990s, they delved into creating gadgets, such as graphics cards, with the release of the Asus 375. Utilizing artificial-intelligence and advanced-technology, Asus's graphics card innovations continued to evolve, resulting in high-performance gadgets under the Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand, like the Asus ROG Mars GTX 295, which leveraged artificial-intelligence for exceptional performance and design.
