Asus ROG’s first FM2+ motherboard is due in stores near you. The Crossblade includes ROG hardware like Intel Gigabit Ethernet, GameFirst III, LANGuard, SupremeFX 2014, Sonic SenseAmp and KeyBot, in addition to the Sonic software sound suite featured with the company's recent Maximus VII series. Up to 3-way CrossFire is supported (8x 8x 4x), although it optimial supports 2-way via the red PCI-E 3.0 lanes (8x 8x) when FM2+ APUs are used. The eight SATA III ports can be combined together in RAID for large and fast storage arrays, and the DDR3 memory OC can be pushed up to and beyond 2,666MHz.

Crossblade Ranger is fitted with Intel Gigabit Ethernet and its networking capabilities additionally benefit from ROG-exclusive GameFirst III technology for no-delay gameplay.

ROG has even reinvented the RJ45 socket, with LANGuard technology. Signal-coupling technology and surface-mounted capacitors improve throughput, while surge-protected and electrostatically-guarded components (ESD Guards) protect against lightning strikes and static-electricity discharges.

With SupremeFX 2014, Asus says that isolation technologies minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI), while ELNA audio capacitors and eight-channel gold-plated audio outputs provide audio that’s as great as a dedicated soundcard. SupremeFX 2014 also features Sonic SenseAmp and Sonic SoundStage technologies. Sonic SenseAmp automatically detects analog-audio front-panel (AAFP) headphone impedance and adjusts the built-in amp accordingly, while Sonic SoundStage applies the best audio settings for popular game genres. Crossblade Ranger’s gaming-audio credentials include Sonic Radar II technology. Designed for first-person shooters (FPS), Sonic Radar II displays a stealthy overlay that shows what opponents and teammates are up to. Players see the precise direction and origin of in-game sounds such as gunshots, footsteps and call-outs.

In addition, the Crossblade Ranger includes KeyBot, a tool that lets users instantly 'upgrade' an existing keyboard simply by attaching it to the dedicated USB socket. Once connected, the KeyBot microprocessor is activated and the user is able to use their current keyboard to control multimedia playback, launch applications or assign macros to specific keys. ROG’s Auto Tuning technology enables Crossblade Ranger to unleash the power of AMD APUs with a few clicks. Enabled by the TurboV Processing Unit (TPU), Auto Tuning adjusts the CPU frequencies and ratios to offer precise voltage control and CPU-performance monitoring.

Crossblade Ranger is also compatible with ROG’s Front Base dual-bay gaming panel. When added to Crossblade Ranger, Front Base enables one-click performance boosting and real-time system monitoring.

Crossblade Ranger even comes with a ROG mouse mat free of charge.