asus rog laptop dock

ASUS Premiers ROG XG Laptop Dock
Adds serious graphics and audio muscle to notebooks.
by Gerry Block
May 28, 2008 - Laptops are pretty great, as there's quite a lot to be said for always having your computer on hand, especially if you work on the net. For gamers however, the portable convenience of laptops comes at a heavy cost, namely the fact that even pretty expensive new lappies simply don't have the graphical horsepower to compete with standard desktop machines. Though you can spend a fortune on a really high-end gaming laptop and be pretty solid for a while, the fact that you won't be able to upgrade the GPU means you'll only on top for less than a year.

At long last, it appears as though someone has come up with a potentially great solution for those who love their laptop but want to play games with some extra muscle. ASUS has premiered the ROG XG Station, a new product the company calls the "world's first VGA and multimedia docking station."





Basically, the ROG XG plugs into laptops via their Express Card connector and then assumes command of the graphics and audio output, replacing whatever is inside the laptop with its own processors, which include a GeForce 8600GT with 256-MB of DDR3 RAM and an audio decoder chip packed with Dolby technology, like support for 5.1 surround sound output and various other niceties like Dolby Headphone and Dolby Digital Live. Even better, the ROG XG mounts the GeForce 8600 in a standard PCI Express slot so that it can be swapped out for something even newer and more powerful.

The big downside to the system seems to be that the ROG XG won't pipe its graphically enhanced output back to the laptop. Rather, it must be connected to a computer monitor, which kills the portability of the system. Nevertheless, we can still see a market for laptop owners who want to be able to game with some processing muscle while at home and yet still be able to grab their computer and get out door.

No release date seems to have been set, but those interested in even more ROG XG details should hit asus info page

 

This is the info on Asus Page:ASUS Launches World's First VGA and Multimedia Docking Station with ASUS ROG XG Station

ASUS ROG XG Station Wins Reddot Design Award Honourable Mention

Taipei, Taiwan, May 26, 2008 – ASUS, leading provider of high-performance graphics solutions, today launched the world´s first VGA and multimedia docking station – the ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamer) XG Station. With extremely detailed and impeccable design, the XG Station has attained the honorific of being conferred with the red dot design award honourable mention 2008. The XG Station is also bundled with the EN8600GT/HTDP/256M graphics card, and equipped with an Express Card interface – seamlessly integrating notebook computing with powerful PC graphical power. It also incorporates 4 USB 2.0 ports and Dolby Technology – doubling as a USB hub that delivers true AV enjoyment.



Reddot Design Award Honourable Mention
With more than 7,000 submissions from 60 countries, the international reddot Design Award ranks among the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world. In the first time in the history of these prestigious awards, the jury of design experts have honoured 137 products that have stood out from the others through especially refined and detailed solutions. The ASUS ROG XG Station is certified to be one such honourable mention, and is recognized as a product that sets itself apart from the competition with its successful design solution for providing a unique user experience.

Engage Mobility with Powerful Graphics Processing
With the explosion of popularity of high-performance, powerful laptops in recent years, there is an ever-increasing desire for computing users to utilize the same laptop computer at home, in the office, and also on the road. However, in order to conserve space, weight, and functionality, many of these sophisticated laptops have made sacrifices in terms of graphics, audio or processing power. By providing the power of a dedicated 3D graphics engine, users simply have to connect the XG Station to any LCD monitor, connect to the notebook via an Express Card connector, and then they are ready to game in with enhanced graphics. This setup easily provides users with a complete mobile notebook computing solution while retaining the advantages of high powered 3D gaming and multimedia experiences.

Sensational A/V Enjoyment
The XG Station also features enhanced audio and video functions with incorporated Dolby Technology – which encompasses Dolby Headphone, Dolby Virtual speaker, Dolby Digital Live, and Dolby Pro LogicIIx. This allows dynamic true-to-life quality audio to be achieved during PC gameplay, music or video playback. The Dolby Headphone enables 5.1 surround sound through any pair of headphones, while the Dolby Virtual speaker lets users experience 5.1-channel surround sound from just two speakers. Dolby Digital Live enables users to enjoy audio from the PC or game consoles through their home theater setups, and Dolby Pro LogicIIx transforms any stereo or 5.1 channel source into 6.1 or 7.1 channel surround sounds. Furthermore, with the XG Station, real-time overclocking can be easily controlled with the ergonomic knob design for simple GPU clock speed adjustments – providing the best audio and video experiences.

Large Information Display and Easy Controls
With the adoption of a large LED screen, the XG Station is designed with ease of use in mind. This easy-to-read screen provides clear displays of critical system status statistics that include:
• System master volume
• GPU clock speed
• Current GPU temperature
• Dolby® Headphone feature status
• Current actual Frames Per Second (FPS)
• GPU fan speed indicator
The XG Station also utilizes a dedicated control panel to let users control the settings through a GUI based interface; and can also easily switch modes between the notebook screen and the external LCD monitor.

Fast and Upgradeable Graphics Power
The XG Station is the world´s first docking station to provide a standard PCI Express slot for additional graphics computing power for notebook computers to deliver VISTA Premium graphical performances. It also conveniently accommodates future graphic upgrade possibilities for technologies such as HDCP. Lab experiments made on a notebook based on Intel 945GM and 965GM graphics connected to the XG station with an ASUS EN8600GT graphics card showed an astounding 12 and 6.7 times faster graphics acceleration respectively.

Specifications

Model XG STATION

Graphics Engine
GeForce 8600GT

Video Memory
256MB DDR3

Engine Clock
540MHz

Memory Clock
1.4GHz (700MHz DDR3)

Memory Interface
128-bit

Max. Resolution
Up to 3840 x 2400

Bus Standard
PCI Express X1

VGA Output
YES, via DVI to VGA Adapter

TV Output
YES,

DVI Output
DVI-I

Dual DVI Output
YES

Audio out
Headphone out *1
Microphone out *1

Adaptor/Cable Bundled
DVI to VGA adapter
HDTV-out cable
Power cable
Express Card cable

Software Bundled
ASUS Utilities & Driver

 

finally!!!!!!!!!!

 

Since there is an already active discussion about the ASUS ROG XG here, please continue it there.

Thanks

-Kdawgca
NBR Mod