ASUS announced the Ultimate Simplicity gaming PC hardware giveaway contest, offering participants a chance to win high-quality BTF ecosystem components designed to hide cables, for a super-clean build. The prize list is stacked from top to bottom: One lucky winner will take home the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF and ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 BTF Edition, and another will take home a TUF Gaming BTF bundle with the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi and the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX™ 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White Edition. Users also have a chance to win a combo of the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF and the ROG Hyperion GR701 BTF Edition, or the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi and the TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB.
Other prize winners may get a combo of a BTF chassis from ASUS partners and a BTF motherboard that is a perfect aesthetic fit, including the Corsair 6500X and ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF motherboard, the Cooler Master MasterBox 600 white and TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi, or the InWin D5 (black) and the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi. ASUS is also offering a stack of ROG Falchion RX Low Profile gaming keyboards, ROG Gladius III Wireless AimPoint gaming mice, and ROG Cetra True Wireless SpeedNova gaming headphones.
Gamers around the world are invited to participate. Simply follow the instructions on the contest website and submit an entry. The prizes on offer are sure to excite, and this contest is a great opportunity for all participants to win some amazing ASUS BTF and BTF partner gear. The contest runs from May 27 to June 30, 2024.
BTF vs. Advanced BTF: What is the difference?
The ASUS ecosystem of BTF components gives users plenty of options as they plan their hidden-connector builds. BTF stands for the Back-To-the-Future hidden-connector design, and it represents a paradigm shift in PC builds. With the combination of a BTF chassis and a BTF motherboard, users can tuck away nearly all the cables that connect directly to the motherboard, including the cables that supply power to the motherboard, connect 2.5-inch SATA drives, hook up case fans, and connect front-panel buttons and I/O.
But that is not quite all the cables in a modern PC build equipped with a powerful graphics card. GPUs often require more power than the PCIe® x16 slot can supply, so they require users to connect a PCIe power cable. For users that would prefer to hide that wire as well, ASUS offers the Advanced BTF approach. Advanced BTF motherboards include a graphics card high-power slot ready to supply all the power that a BTF graphics card needs. Users will need a card with a graphics card high-power (GC-HPWR) gold finger in order to build an Advanced BTF PC.
Motherboard and chassis options for a BTF PC
The BTF ecosystem of PC components ranges from affordable options well within the reach of most builders to cutting-edge components designed for PC enthusiasts ready to push all boundaries. The most budget-friendly BTF motherboards are the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi and TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi D4. These B-series motherboards deliver incredible value for any builder who desires the effortless performance of an Intel® Core™ 14th gen processor but does not intend to take advantage of CPU overclocking. While they do not go toe-to-toe with high-end ASUS Z790 options, these microATX motherboards might surprise users with their rich feature set. They offer a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot that is ready for the best graphics cards, plus a trio of onboard PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots to make it easy to build a spacious and speedy storage array. In addition, they feature fast networking with WiFi 6 and a 2.5 Gb Ethernet port.
Since the TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi and TUF Gaming B760M-BTF WiFi D4 hide all their connectors on the underside of the motherboard, they offer a strikingly clean aesthetic. Their clean lines, inky black color scheme and understated style make them an easy fit with a wide range of components.
A BTF motherboard does require a BTF chassis with cutouts in the motherboard tray that allow users to access the connectors. ASUS has several cases to consider, and it has partnered with many chassis manufacturers to give users even more options. The most affordable model is the ASUS A21 case. This wallet-friendly microATX chassis is ready for BTF motherboards right out of the box. With its support for 360 mm radiators, graphics cards up to 380 mm in length and CPU air coolers up to 165 mm in height, users enjoy broad compatibility with today’s PC hardware. Its mesh front panel provides excellent airflow, and users have ample space for cable management, thanks to its 33 mm-wide compartment behind the motherboard. The ASUS A21 is available in black or white, and it includes color-matching cables for a tidy look — not that many people are going to ever see cables in a BTF build.
Advanced BTF with TUF Gaming
TUF Gaming also gives users the components they need to construct an Advanced BTF build that goes the extra step to hide the PCIe power cables for their graphics card. It starts with a motherboard equipped with the necessary graphics card high-power slot, as in the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi. This fully loaded board leans into a classy white aesthetic that is a natural fit with the visual themes of BTF. With an enhanced power solution with 16+1+1 power stages, a six-layer PCB, ProCool sockets, alloy chokes and durable capacitors for stable power delivery, it is more than ready for Intel Core processors. It also features WiFi 7 support, a 2.5 Gb Ethernet port, an onboard USB 20Gbps Type-C® port, and a total of four PCIe M.2 slots.
An Advanced BTF build needs a GPU that is ready to receive its power through the graphics card high-power slot. The TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White Edition is the ticket to the hidden-GPU-power-cable party with its GC-HPWR gold finger. What’s more, it features a snowy-white style that perfectly complements the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi.
Otherwise, it is the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti SUPER that users know and love. It delivers a high-end 1440p gaming experience, and its deep 16 GB pool of VRAM makes it well-equipped to handle the VRAM-hungry games that users are starting to see in the gaming market. A generously oversized heatsink, a trio of Axial-tech fans and a vented backplate work together to keep temperatures and fan noise low.
The eye-catching white surfaces of the TUF Gaming Z790-BTF WiFi and TUF Gaming GeFore RTX 4070 Ti SUPER BTF White Edition might get users thinking about a color-matching PC case. For them, ASUS offers the TUF Gaming GT302 ARGB chassis.
Prepped and ready for great out-of-the-box cooling, equipped for wide compatibility with high-performance parts, and thoughtfully constructed inside and out for an easy PC DIY experience, the GT302 ARGB resets expectations for a mainstream case. On top of all that, it includes the motherboard tray cutouts users need to access the connectors on a BTF motherboard.
Dominant power and show-stopping style with an ROG Advanced BTF build
The most powerful and cutting-edge BTF components come from the ROG lineup. With these parts serving as the foundation for a build, users will have more performance, more versatility and bolder style — all in a super-clean Advanced BTF build.
The first BTF motherboard from ROG is none other than the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF. This cutting-edge board is the perfect partner for a high-end Intel Core processor, thanks to its beefy VRM featuring 20 (90A)+1(90A)+2 power stages. Thick VRM heatsinks keep vital circuitry cool under pressure. Across its impressive spec sheet, users will find an impeccable set of features: DDR5 support, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, a whopping five onboard M.2 slots (one wired for PCIe 5.0), dual onboard Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, WiFi 7 and more.
The high-end ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF motherboard deserves an equally mighty partner; so when ASUS selected the first graphics card to represent ROG on the BTF front, it went straight to the top. The ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 BTF Edition graphics card takes the highest-performance ROG Strix GPU and gives it even cleaner aesthetics by swapping out the traditional 16-pin external power connectors for a GC-HPWR gold finger. Without the power cable hanging off the side — and without any follow-up worries about whether the connector is firmly and completely inserted — users will be better able to appreciate everything this potent graphics card has to offer. Built with one of the finest GPU cooling solutions ASUS has ever designed, this large-and-in-charge card stays cool and quiet with its massive heatsink, scaled-up Axial-tech fans and patented vapor chamber. The diecast shroud, frame and backplate add rigidity, and they are vented to maximize airflow and heat dissipation.
Let us wrap up the ROG Advanced BTF build in a chassis that is worthy of the moment. A special edition of the ASUS award-winning chassis, the ROG Hyperion GR701 BTF Edition takes the original’s premium feature set and adds motherboard tray cutouts perfectly positioned for users to access the connectors of their BTF motherboard. It boasts outstanding cooling performance with its dual 420 mm radiator support, four 140 mm fans and built-in fan hub. In addition, it offers plenty of elbow room for even the beefiest of graphics cards, aiding the build process with a 34 mm-deep cable management chamber with a 46 mm-wide routing channel.
Choosing a power supply for a BTF build
Even though BTF motherboards change many things about the process of building a PC, they are compatible with standard power supplies, so users have a full market of options. That said, users are sure to have a seamless building experience when they use an ASUS power supply for their BTF build. All BTF components have undergone strict validation tests with ASUS power supplies to ensure the best compatibility, stability and performance. ROG and TUF Gaming power supplies are also equipped with flexible embossed power cables that make cable routing easier.
ASUS offers a wide range of power supply options from the ROG, TUF Gaming, and Prime product families, so all users can get a high-quality option that fits their needs and budget.
For users who would prefer a quick recommendation for a power supply suited for an ROG BTF build, a high-wattage ROG Thor PSU like the ROG Thor 1000W Platinum II is a great option. For a TUF Gaming BTF build featuring the TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super BTF White Edition, the TUF Gaming Gold PSU series offers complementary style and battle-proven durability at a great price. The TUF Gaming 750W Gold might be the perfect choice.
Even more chassis options from the BTF Alliance
To provide builders with a full menu of options as they choose a chassis for their next PC, ASUS has partnered with many of the biggest names in the PC case industry to create the BTF Alliance. Through this partnership, users will have their choice of a wide range of PC cases that are fully compatible with ASUS BTF motherboards. Options from Aerocool, be quiet!, Cooler Master, Corsair, DIY APE, InWin, Lian Li, Phanteks, Silverstone and Thermaltake are all in the works, and many are available right now.
For users who would like a panoramic view of their gear and a dual-chamber layout, there’s the Corsair 6500X. Cooler Master has added the MasterBox 600 to its popular MasterBox lineup, and on top of BTF motherboard support, it offers optimized airflow, versatile cooling options and two color options. The InWin F5 stands out from the pack with striking style and great out-of-the-box cooling, and the InWin D5 offers a fresh take on the classic black PC chassis.
