ROG Connect and RC Bluetooth
ROG Connect
ROG connect is a feature we have seen before on the Maximus III Formula, but it has been updated somewhat since then. This is a remote management feature that allows you to control the Rampage III via a second PC, usually a laptop. This is akin to an F1 engineer plugging a laptop into his car to perform engine mapping tweaks, or at least that’s the analogy Asus would like us to keep in mind when using the feature. Using ROG connect is easy. Firstly, install the software on your laptop and plug it into the Rampage via the included USB-USB cable. Next press the ROG connect button on the back of the board and you are good to go.
The software has some useful features such as the RC Diagram mode which allows you to monitor current/voltage/temperature/fan speed in real time, plotting it on a telemetry chart as it goes. You can also switch from one BIOS to the other using the software, and power the system on, off, reset it or clear the CMOS. Handily you can also monitor POST sequence, with the application showing where the system is hanging during start up if you overclock too far. You can choose from either a code format or the more useful "string" mode which explains what's going on in plain Chinglish.
You can also overclock your system using the ROG Connect feature, though you don’t get nearly as much flexibility as you do from within the BIOS. Base Clock, PCIE frequency, CPU Voltage, IMC Voltage, DRAM Voltage and CPU PLL can all be changed from the application however so Asus has covered the most important bases.
RG Bluetooth
The really awesome new ROG connect feature is a Bluetooth mode for smartphones. At time of writing Windows mobile 6.1 and 6.5 handsets are supported, as are Android 2.0 and 2.1 models. A couple of Nokia Symbian handsets also get the ROG treatment, though Apple fans will be disappointed. Iain from Asus assures me that an iPhone application is in the works and is almost ready for release into the App Store.
 
With hardware monitors, overclocking features and the 'RC remote' functionality you can do almost everything using RC Bluetooth as you can when using the full-fat application on a laptop. Whilst the software is still a little rough-and-ready this is definitely the future of overclocking. Being able to clear the BIOS without even having to access the rear of the PC is certainly exciting stuff and as the application evolves and is updated with more features, we can foresee a day where traditional BIOS-based tweaking is no longer required.
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