It’s been barely a month with the last TUF motherboard launched (Sabertooth X99) and we now have ASUS announcing yet another member of their SKU. This time however the motherboard is on the opposite spectrum of the line, representing the value oriented B85 chipset. The Trooper B85 has most of the TUF features ticked out, but as it is a B85 motherboard there is a limit to what ASUS can do here. The TUF hardware and software concoction is onboard, with EMI shielded audio (path separation is LED lit), six SATA ports (2x SATA 3Gbps, 4x SATA 6Gbps), one full PCIe 3.0 x16 slot and two more PCIe2.0 x16 slots (electrically wired at x4 and x1), two PCIe2.0 x1 slots and 10 USB2.0 and 4 USB3.0 ports. The audio duties are handled by the older (albeit cost effective) RealTek ALC887. The LAN chip is RealTek too, utilizing a 8111GR chip. ASUS has opted for these keeping in mind the price bracket they want to offer the B85 Trooper in.
Board Features:
Listing out the board features as per ASUS –
Server-grade reliability and military-grade strength backed by a five-year warranty
TUF Trooper B85 is built with military-certified components so it’s tough enough for the most demanding conditions, even under heavy loading. Japanese-made 10K black metallic capacitors offer 20%-better temperature endurance for a lifespan that’s up to five times (5X) longer, and TUF’s chokes are manufactured using high-grade anti-oxidization materials to provide better heat dissipation and unbeatable durability.
Every TUF Trooper B85 motherboard undergoes punishing burn-in tests, with temperatures of up to 55°C for 48 hours and at humidity levels as high as 90%. Every motherboard is also subjected to a 20-hour extreme-temperature test of up to 60°C at 90% humidity, as well as undergoing rigorous thermal-shock tests. ASUS TUF engineers have conducted over 7,000 hours of strict validation tests to make sure our motherboards are compatible with more than 1000 devices, so TUF Trooper B85 is primed to work with the maximum number of peripherals.
Full and exclusive protection against damage from electrostatic discharges
TUF Trooper B85’s LANGuard socket has advanced signal-coupling technology and premium surface-mounted capacitors to improve throughput. Tested to military standards, TUF LANGuard is certified for tough duty to protect the motherboard from lightning strikes and static electricity. TUF Trooper B85 also includes upgraded TUF ESD Guards 2 to defend numerous ports against sudden electrostatic discharge. Engineered to be two times (2X) stronger than before, TUF ESD Guards 2 covers all USB sockets and audio connectors – and exclusive pin-level testing on specific rear input-output (I/O) connectors is 30% higher than the previous TUF standard.
With many whole-build server-grade stability tests also thrown at the motherboard, TUF Trooper B85 can be trusted in all conditions – a pledge backed by TUF’s five-year warranty.
Superior LED-illuminated audio trace and flexible cooling controls
With LED-illuminated TUF Audio on board, TUF Trooper B85 makes short work of optimizing audio settings for any type of listening, from online chat to watching movies and relaxing to favorite music. The professionally-engineered hardware design features physical shielding and premium components to ensure precise separation of analog and digital signals, as well as minimizing crosstalk interference. The result is sound output that has exceptional clarity and fidelity, enhanced visually by the gorgeous LED-illuminated audio trace.
This motherboard should be available soon and is expected to be around INR 10-12K range. The product page can be accessed here : http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/TROOPER_B85/overview/
Source: ASUS
