VR-Zone got some more info on the ASUS Mars II.
ASUS is known for taking the fastest graphics cards and making them even bigger and badder. Their last headline-grabbing attempt with a Nvidia GPU was back in 2009, when they released the dual-GTX 285 Mars.
This time round, ASUS has shoehorned two GTX 580s onto a single PCB to create the Mars II. Each GPU is clocked at 782MHz, making the Mars II even faster than the (already discontinued) GTX 590.
| GTX 580 | GTX 590 | Mars II | |
| Core Clock | 772MHz | 607MHz | 782MHz |
| Shader Clock | 1544MHz | 1215MHz | 1564MHz |
| Memory Clock (effective) |
1002MHz (4008MHz) |
854MHz (3416MHz) |
1002MHz (4008MHz) |
| Memory | 1.5GB | 2 x 1.5GB | 2 x 1.5GB |
ASUS has spared no expense here: the Mars II sports a sturdy metal shroud with two 120mm fans, and a metal backplate covers the entire rear.
However, the Mars II is considerably wider than usual, in addition to taking up three slots. Its dimensions are 13" x 6.2" x 2.5", so chances are that it will only fit into the very largest casings out there.
Three 8-pin PCIe connectors are required, and ASUS has also thrown in a 100% fan speed button. If you have too much money, you can even buy two of these and run them in quad-SLI. One NEC Proadlizer is used for each GPU.
Each GPU gets an 8-phase power delivery system, and each set of memory 2 phases, making for a total of 20 phases on a single PCB. To help cool this beast, each heatsink has four copper heatpipes.
Word has it that the Mars II will retail for a wallet-blowing S$2499 starting from late August. This is a limited edition card so only 999 units will be sold worldwide.
