new information ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero

[Guiomar]

I'm new to LTT forums so I want to introduce myself.
 

Ok, If anybody is not yet familiar to this, ASUS claims to have just released the upgrade/update to the Crosshair VIII Hero, named the Dark Hero.

 

This is ASUS latest offering for the Mobo product releases. As of now, there are ZERO updates, news, release dates, etc. regarding to the Dark Hero (Seriously, I'm getting pissed off!!). I checked ASUS ROG page and this Motherboard doesn't show on their list:

https://rog.asus.com/ca-en/motherboards/rog-crosshair-series?FilterLevelTagId=84&tagID=905&items=

However, if you look at ASUS official page, it does show as a product release:

https://www.asus.com/ca-en/Motherboards/ROG-Crosshair-VIII-Dark-Hero/

I searched all over the internet and found no availabilities. Try Amazon, NewEgg, MicroCenter (USA), Canada Computers, Microbytes, etc. in North America and found "No Info" on the product. I did have a product listing on GamerCan website:

https://www.gamercan.com/p/go/go.asp?SearchString=dark+hero

 

It states that the motherboard is on backorder. I do question the validity of this website.

My question now is, when is the Dark Hero going to be ready for release, and when can we see more product reviews of this? I do see on YouTube about the Dark Hero:

video1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLRcYWoj11M

video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jmINBTJeJg

 

One more final question, when will Linus and LTT team be able to get their hands on the Dark Hero and have a robust review? I'm hoping they could get a substantial insight and I want to see if this can be overclocked beyond 6Ghz.

Check Reddit if claims are true: https://www.reddit.com/r/overclocking/comments/jomsdu/5900x_at_6ghz_and_asus_dark_hero_fun/

 

[Bombastinator]

and welcome.

Short version:

1 week from when you first heard about it to over a year,  to never, depending on various things.  Highest probability a few weeks generally. 

Long version:

treating this as a generic computer part, it would go something like:

”there was a recently announced computer part that isn’t yet available in stores but I am very interested in.  When will it be in store or when will there be more info available?”

 

The way this usually goes is reviewers get a part a long but extremely variable time before it is released but there are some sort of limitations  about what and when they can say.  Usually the when expires about a week or two before that product is due on store shelves.  If the product is known to be weak in a particular thing a reviewer can be told they are not allowed to talk about that thing but if a weakness is NOT previously know a reviewer generally is, so sometimes interesting things can come out.  Releases generally go by region so for example, China or the USA, or  the EU may get a product days weeks or months befor another region.  Sometimes they are only ever released in a given region and never make it out of them so  the product never becomes available in certain regions. 

[Guiomar]

28 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

The way this usually goes is reviewers get a part a long but extremely variable time before it is released but there are some sort of limitations  about what and when they can say.

The thing that irks me is why show a product if you don't have a proper release date to get this into full retail? If ASUS has issues with the board, they should address it rather than 'keep' it. I can see stores may have this item but plans to hold it back. Or, stores are waiting to have this on their shelves and have ASUS give an official announcement.

To me, this is a bad case of transparency and not being complacent about your word!

Other than you, is there anyone else who have info on this Motherboard?

[lorrigan27]

On 11/10/2020 at 4:25 PM, Guiomar said:

Other than you, is there anyone else who have info on this Motherboard?

I'm also new here, but I have been searching for any information I can find on this mobo. 

There are more yt videos on the board in question, notably der8auer (https://youtu.be/3CEFQxsgZ20), but it also featured in a Gamers Nexus overclocking stream very recently. 

Being based in the UK I've focused on UK retailers, of which I have found only 2 listing the product, and neither of which know a thing about release date or pricing. 

One retailer explicitly said they weren't under NDA, they just don't have any details on their internal system. Asus aren't particularly forthcoming when it comes to contacting them either. 

My best guess from other speculation would be any time from now until mid-December, but it seems everyone is in the same clueless boat at the moment. 

[Blue4130]

On 11/11/2020 at 12:25 AM, Guiomar said:

.

To me, this is a bad case of transparency and not being complacent about your word!

Other than you, is there anyone else who have info on this Motherboard?

They are not a government agency, they don't need to be transparent about product releases. 

 

And nobody has insight other than people at asus. Be patient. 

 

The reason for press releases is twofold. One- build hype. 

Two- show what they are capable of making. 

[Bombastinator]

On 11/10/2020 at 10:25 AM, Guiomar said:

The thing that irks me is why show a product if you don't have a proper release date to get this into full retail? If ASUS has issues with the board, they should address it rather than 'keep' it. I can see stores may have this item but plans to hold it back. Or, stores are waiting to have this on their shelves and have ASUS give an official announcement.

To me, this is a bad case of transparency and not being complacent about your word!

Other than you, is there anyone else who have info on this Motherboard?

Marketing is a dark art.  Too frequently a full on black one.   Making announcements costs money.  Frequently really large amounts.  It’s not done casually generally.  there was a car ad done some years ago that was a completely confusing mess.  It was intentional.  There was some sort of research that said if a person is confused they look harder and remember things better.  The only information they actually wanted to come across was the logo to improve brand recognition.
 

Could be you are thinking and doing exactly what the marketing team wants.  
 

Marketing is psychology and anthropology with the ethical requirements removed. 

Edited November 13, 2020 by Bombastinator

[Insomniac1989]

Hi Guiomar,
Thanks for posting this, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I did find the following which seems to suggest that this item is on Back Order until November 18th. What I think is happening is ASUS knows that there are going to be people who will be buying Ryzen 5000 at launch (no matter how hard I tried, I was not able to get one at launch). To them, they figure that users will buy out the stock of the non fanless model, and that way when they finally run out of stock, they can reduce this, and not have to worry about another model being returned as a non-seller.

I'm going to wait, because the Rear IO of the ROG Crosshair is what I love, and the idea of a fan on my motherboard reminds me of the crappy old Abit motherboards I had when I was younger, those things were hot, loud, and failed.. all the time.

 

Fingers crossed it's sooner!

[Dubious]

Someone has written that they have Dark Hero being sent to them, but not gotten it yet, so I'm waiting to see if its true or not as the site they say they got it from, doesn't have it.

Some other site says they get 50+ in December

[Guiomar]

On 11/12/2020 at 6:59 PM, Blue4130 said:

They are not a government agency, they don't need to be transparent about product releases. 

 

And nobody has insight other than people at asus. Be patient. 

 

The reason for press releases is twofold. One- build hype. 

Two- show what they are capable of making. 

You can't just tell me or everybody else they don't need to be transparent about product releases! If you want your platform to grow as to NOT have ppl. buy another brand, why delay the announcement or go hiding?? 

In fact, I did have an insight on ASUS. 2-3 weeks is the wait. Being patient? Can't do that too. Why? Unless you can give me an actual sale of the MOBO before scalpers release their bots over the web, i'd be happy! So don't lecture me or others to be patient because you and I will definitely be looking on who gets these boards first!

Like you said....its building hype.

[Guiomar]

On 11/13/2020 at 1:01 PM, Insomniac1989 said:

Hi Guiomar,
Thanks for posting this, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I did find the following which seems to suggest that this item is on Back Order until November 18th. What I think is happening is ASUS knows that there are going to be people who will be buying Ryzen 5000 at launch (no matter how hard I tried, I was not able to get one at launch). To them, they figure that users will buy out the stock of the non fanless model, and that way when they finally run out of stock, they can reduce this, and not have to worry about another model being returned as a non-seller.

I'm going to wait, because the Rear IO of the ROG Crosshair is what I love, and the idea of a fan on my motherboard reminds me of the crappy old Abit motherboards I had when I was younger, those things were hot, loud, and failed.. all the time.

 

Fingers crossed it's sooner!

I did got a word with ASUS and they told me to wait for the next 2-3 weeks. What is annoying is that I asked them WHEN is the specific date or how can customers expect to get preorders for the dark hero. As usual, old typical customer service will make a bunch of excuses, telling me to check back for more updates and keep sending emails on when this product will come.

[Bombastinator]

The concept of “I can’t find something or other in stores! It must be a conspiracy!” Does not hold water for me.  Especially in the current environment.  I do get the impression that dark hero may have been announced too soon before public release for the good of the product though.

[Guiomar]

On 11/15/2020 at 10:23 AM, Bombastinator said:

I do get the impression that dark hero may have been announced too soon before public release for the good of the product though.

I think that's the case. Or, as you point out, many can't find something out in stores but in many instances, retailers DO hold them in stock. As an example: this morning, I was planning to buy a PS5 as a gift for a relative. The store told me they don't have anymore in stock. But Sony did announce they have enough PS5s to ship for retail outlets (including Online stores) across the globe. Given also this Covid-19 pandemic, I felt tech companies like ASUS will use this advantage to 'hype' a product. As you alluded, Marketing is a dart art and I could be a victim of FOMO. But then, I'm still going to wait. If I can't get the Dark Hero, I might as well get an Aorus Xtreme or an x570 Mobo capable to run the latest AMD tech.

[kkj1988]

Hi Guiomar,

Please don't give in...I too am waiting for the Dark Hero. I managed to find a Phanteks p500a case and back ordered a ryzen 5000 from Newegg, which should be arriving mid december. I hope my luck hasn't run out  and I don't want to be the only person waiting for it lol

 

Hope you get what you want  

[Insomniac1989]

It’s now December 2nd and this item is still not available. I called my local Canada Computers and they said likely February. Such a shame that I rushed to get a 5600x shipped to me for a motherboard that doesn’t even seem to be real outside of a few reviewers. I am now seeing strix e mobos disappearing likely being because they’re sick of waiting?

[Bombastinator]

6 minutes ago, Insomniac1989 said:

It’s now December 2nd and this item is still not available. I called my local Canada Computers and they said likely February. Such a shame that I rushed to get a 5600x shipped to me for a motherboard that doesn’t even seem to be real outside of a few reviewers. I am now seeing strix e mobos disappearing likely being because they’re sick of waiting?

Sounds right.  The issue with reviews is there is a delay between a product being reviewed and it being available.  It used to be 2 weeks or longer.  This to a degree is still true.  It’s just that the “or longer” has gotten longer and longer and applies to more and more products.  My attitude is if I want to see what products actually exist I look at a few stores.  If I can find a place that actually carries it it exists.  If I can’t it doesn’t.  This btw means that neither amphere or RDNA2 really exist. 

[Insomniac1989]

40 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

Sounds right.  The issue with reviews is there is a delay between a product being reviewed and it being available.  It used to be 2 weeks or longer.  This to a degree is still true.  It’s just that the “or longer” has gotten longer and longer and applies to more and more products.  My attitude is if I want to see what products actually exist I look at a few stores.  If I can find a place that actually carries it it exists.  If I can’t it doesn’t.  This btw means that neither amphere or RDNA2 really exist. 

I think the definition of this is a paper launch, anyways, my one preorder on pc-canada said December 15th so we’ll see. If not, I’ll take my gamble to find a strix e or a regular crosshair, and home for a passive mod or something