Asus Copies A Gigabyte Feature, For A Change

So often we find that motherboard manufacturers copy techniques from each other, which is how so many of the features, though they have widely different names, are essentially as identical as can be, while getting around any legal infringements.

Maximum PC has an article that makes a change from what usually happens, which is that the followers copy from the leaders. Asus, is for many, the preeminent maker of PC motherboards, yet it is taking a page from supplier Gigabyte, and increasing the amount of copper used in the production of the board itself. Gigabyte has long maintained that numerous protections were offered by use of the extra, and expensive, material. Among those benefits are better heat dissipation, increased reliability over time, and fewer problems with electromagnetic interference.

When I saw the lede of the story, I was almost sure it was the Dual BIOS feature, which I think is a wonderful idea. Though I have never bricked a board over a BIOS flash, a certain amount of trepidation ensues, every time I undertake a BIOS update. Perhaps Asus will do this at a later date – we, the loyal, can only fervently hope.

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Gigabyte should be blushing. Why? Because Asus, highly regarded among power users for the company’s high-end motherboards, has taken a page from Gigabyte and quietly outfitted some of its motherboards with 2-ounce copper PCBs (printed circuit boards).

Well over half of Gigabyte-brand motherboards shipped during the week before Computex were 2-ounce copper, and by the end of the year, Gigabyte predicts the copper design will account for 80 percent of its boards. But what’s interesting about Asus following suit is that Asrock, an Asus subsidiary, at one time decried Gigabyte’s copper design as completely unnecessary.

Asrock went on a rampage sending out PowerPoint presentations to the press that not only said a 2-ounce copper design didn’t benefit cooling, but was actually harming the environment as well. Funny how watching another company gain marketshare can change one’s perspective, isn’t it?

I’m not quite as cynical as the above author, as I believe that the reasoning behind the move is much greater levels of customer satisfaction, followed by the obligatory price increases.

- though not easily read, the arrow points to the words 2 oz. Copper PCB. As you can see, it is an Asus branded board.

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