ASUS ha annunciato di recente una nuova linea di video card denominata Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II con la quale il board maker punta a colmare il gap a oggi esistente, in termini di prestazioni e prezzo, tra le soluzioni Radeon R9 280X e Radeon R9 270X.

La nuova gamma include un modello di base, la Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II, caratterizzato comunque da un PCB e un sistema di raffreddamento personalizzati rispetto alla Radeon R9 280 reference, a cui risulta invece allineato in termini di frequenze di clock dei componenti cardine, e una variante factory-overclocked, la Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II TOP.

Entrambe le nuove schede grafiche sono sono equipaggiate con un cooler di tipo dual-slot basato sulla tecnologia proprietaria DirectCU II e con un VRM DIGI+. Lo stadio di alimentazione, inoltre, include dei condensatori POSCAP, particolarmente efficienti sia in ottica di stabilizzazione della potenza che di longevità dell'hardware.

Le nuove Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II sono basate su una variante della gpu a 28nm "Tahiti" di AMD che integra 1792 stream processor, 112 TMU e 32 ROP; il frame buffer, invece, è realizzato con 3GB di RAM G-DDR5 e scambia dati con il processore grafico attraverso un bus a 384-bit.

Il core grafico e il frame buffer della Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II lavorano rispettivamente a 827MHz (frequenza di base), 933MHz (massima frequenza di boost) e 5GHz, come previsto dal design reference. La versione TOP assicura invece, in corrispondenza delle grandezze menzionate in precedenza, i seguenti valori: 874MHz, 980MHz e 5.2GHz.

Le Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II e Radeon R9 280 DirectCU II TOP saranno commercializzate in tutto il mondo a partire dal 10 marzo.

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ASUS today announced R9 280 DirectCU II, a new graphics card powered by the latest AMD Radeon R9 280 graphics-processing unit (GPU) and fitted with exclusive DirectCU II technology for cooler, quieter and faster performance.

With ASUS DirectCU II technology on board, R9 280 DirectCU II runs up to 20% cooler and up to three times (3X) quieter than reference designs — and that means faster, quieter and more stable gaming. The new card has a base clock speed of 874MHz, which climbs all the way up to 980MHz when boosted.

The latest addition to the ASUS graphics card line-up also benefits from DIGI+, an exclusive voltage-regulation module (VRM) for incredible stability and reduced noise.

R9 280 DirectCU II also comes with GPU Tweak, an easy-to-use tool that teases maximum performance from the GPU and allows users to broadcast their enhanced gameplay — real-time graphics tuning and live streaming has never been this easy.

With 3GB of super-fast GDDR5 video memory and support for resolutions of up to 2560 x 1600, R9 280 DirectCU II delivers a truly fantastic gaming experience.

Exclusive DirectCU II thermal and CoolTech fan technologies for faster and quieter gaming
DirectCU II is an innovative thermal technology that’s exclusive to ASUS. It puts highly-conductive 10mm copper cooling pipes in direct contact with a card’s GPU so heat is dissipated quickly and with extreme efficiency.

The new card also features a unique CoolTech fan: this consists of a hybrid blade and bearing design, with inner radial blower and outer flower-type blades that provide multi-directional airflow to accelerate heat removal and enable highly stable graphics performance.

These ASUS innovations combine to enable R9 280 DirectCU II to run up to 20% cooler and three times (3X) quieter than reference designs — and that means faster, more stable gaming with very little noise.

Ultra-clean power supply for ultra-efficient, ultra-reliable gaming
R9 280 DirectCU II includes several more exclusive ASUS technologies. DIGI+ VRM reduces power noise by 30% and enhances energy efficiency by 15% compared to reference designs. DIGI+ VRM also widens voltage-modulation tolerance and improves overall stability and longevity — by two-and-a-half times (2.5X) above reference.

ASUS designed DIGI+ VRM with components of exceptional quality. DIGI+ VRM is built with extremely heard-wearing polymerized organic-semiconductor capacitors (POSCAPs), meaning R9 280 DirectCU II is built to last.

Easy advanced tweaking and fun live streaming
R9 280 DirectCU II comes with GPU Tweak, an exclusive tuning tool that allows quick, simple and safe control over video-memory clock speeds, cooling-fan speeds and power-consumption thresholds — allowing the card’s GPU to be pushed to its limits.

As well, the GPU Tweak Streaming tool lets users share on-screen action over the internet in real time, so others can watch live as games are played. It’s even possible to add a title to the streaming window along with scrolling text, pictures and webcam images.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING
R9 280 DirectCU II will be available worldwide from 10th March, 2014. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

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