“The Gene is a fully functioning Intel X58 powered motherboard, complete with the overclocking heritage of the ROG line and ready for whatever hardware you can throw at it. This motherboard is designed to challenge small form factor case modders and builders into seeing what they can do with the smaller foot print. Imagine a LAN box with a set of components inside that make the full size cases at your next LAN party shake in their boots.”Here are some more Motherboard articles from around the web:
- ASUS Rampage II GENE: microATX mobo for Intel Core i7 chips @ HEXUS
- ASUS ROG Rampage II Gene X58 Micro ATX Motherboard @ Futurelooks
- Gigabyte EG45M-UD2H @ Guru of 3D
- Neoseeker reviews the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P
- The DIY Zotac Ion Motherboard Kit @ Hardware Zone
- Asus M4N82 Deluxe SLI AM3 Motherboard @ Bjorn3D
Smaller and less expensive but no missing features
The ASUS Rampage II Gene is a very odd duck, it is an X58 board that supports Core i7 processors, has six DDR3 DIMM slots, and dual PCI-E 16X expansion slots for either CrossFireX or SLI, but it is a micro ATX board. It is only 9.6″ by 9.6″, shorter than a GeForce GTX 275 896MB by almost a full inch, so it may look a little odd if you fully populate the Gene, you may not be able to see the board at all. The layout is impressive and well planned, the overclocking potential is large and it will set you back $250, which is almost as unique for an ROG board as its size. Drop by Hardware Canucks to see it in action.