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ASUS teases Marine Cool motherboard for CeBIT '09

by Parm Mann on 27 February 2009, 10:47

Tags: Motherboards, ASUSTeK (TPE:2357)

Quick Link: HEXUS.net/qaq7y

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The biggest names in tech are getting ready to descend on Hannover, Germany for next week's CeBIT trade show. Manufacturers from around the globe will be on hand to demo the latest products and new ideas, but Taiwan's ASUS is getting started early.

As a pre-CeBIT teaser, it's showing off a concept that it calls the "Marine Cool" motherboard. ASUS is revealing very little at this early stage, but it's nothing short of stunning to look at.

ASUS claims the Marine Cool is "a conceptual motherboard that addresses the most demanding of usage scenarios", but we're scratching our collective heads over some of the features.

The CPU socket looks to be Intel's LGA 775, so it doesn't appear to be a high-end board for Intel's Core i7. In fact, one might even consider it to be a mobile board due to the use of SO-DIMM slots. But then, the board is said to feature "a metal heat-pipe module to provide exceptional heat transference and dissipation for core components" so it looks to be overclocker-friendly.

Flip it over, and things become even more unusual.

ASUS is lining the rear of the PCB (printed-circuit board) with a micro-porous ceramic backplate that's said to "improve heat dissipation by up to twofold".

Elsewhere, there's an on-board uninterruptible power supply, a built-in polymer battery and server-standard failover memory. This, clearly, isn't your average board. Whether or not it'll ever see the light of the day remains unknown, but we'll be certain to take a closer look when Team HEXUS hits CeBIT next week. Stay tuned.


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HEXUS Forums :: 8 Comments

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OK, thats just weird.

I like it though :)

The only reason I can think of, off the top of my head, for the weird memory and socket choices is that it is purely a concept board and they chose them to make it look even more different to everything else. The lack of full sized DIMM slots does catch the eye.
Maybe with the credit crunch they were just using up all the old bits and pieces laying about in their stock cupboards? They then put some shiny bits on an hey presto - A cheap prototype board.

Or am I just way to cynical?
cheesemp
Maybe with the credit crunch they were just using up all the old bits and pieces laying about in their stock cupboards? They then put some shiny bits on an hey presto - A cheap prototype board.

Or am I just way to cynical?
Unfortunately, I suspect you are not! ;)

Definitely got some features targetted purely at the “cool conceptual” look. If anything like it ever makes the light of day I'd expect 1366 / AM3 and a few standard DDR3 dimm slots. Although I quite like the SO-DIMM slots tbh…
I quite like it, but mainly just because it's not covered in primary colours like most boards.

Not sure about the ‘demanding usage scenario’s' it's supposed to survive looks a lot more lan party than 1st Recon. Can't see that UPS holding out for more than someone tripping over a power cord, love the idea, but I don't see it being much good at any kind of reasonable price.
Seriously do want. Shame my Dominator sticks wouldn't run in it though!