ASUS X99-Deluxe Motherboard Review

Overclocking and Conclusion

Overclocking

To give a feel for the overclocking performance potential of the X99-Deluxe board, we attempted to push it to known CPU-supported performance parameters with minimal tweaking. We were easily able to get the board running stable for over 4hrs at a 4.50GHz CPU speed, a 2400MHz memory speed, and a 4.0GHz ring bus speed with a 100MHz base clock. System stability was tested running the AIDA64 stability test in conjunction with EVGA's OC Scanner X graphical benchmark running at 1280×1024 resolution and 8x MSAA in stress test mode. Note that 32GB (4 x 8GB) of Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR3-2666 memory modules were used for the overclocking tests.

Note that this is is meant only as a quick preview of the board's performance potential. With more time to tweak the settings to a greater extent, pushing to a higher base clock and ring bus speed may have been achievable, in addition to an overnight stability run without issue.

Performance

The ASUS X99-Deluxe performed admirably, especially in light of the fact that it is an newly introduced platform using the latest in DRAM technology (DDR4). Its performance potential remains unrivaled with unexpected stability for such green technology.

Pricing

As of September 01, the ASUS X99 Deluxe motherboard was available at Amazon.com for $399.99 with Prime shipping. The board was also available from Newegg.com for $398.99.

Conclusion

ASUS has another feather in their cap with the X99-Deluxe motherboard. Not knowing what to expect from the combination of a new chipset, CPU, and memory technology, I went into the review with some trepidation. My concern quickly abated with an easy setup and lack of issues in running through the various testing scenarios. The X99-Deluxe is a well designed board that integrates features and ASUS-developed technologies from past board generations, making for a superior sythesis of form and function. I especially liked the small touches that ASUS put into the design, giving me the impression that they do listen to user feedback. One of the niftier features was the "mini-Armor" overlay they included over the rear panel and audio components. It gives some protection to sensitive areas on the board as well as giving the board a unique and sleek appearance. Another well thought out design was with the CMOS battery and M.2 slot orientation. Both were oriented in a vertical fashion and place so as to not impede other components. ASUS even thought to include a vertical bracket for the M.2 slot to give the sensitive PCB added protection and rigidity. The situations were this board really shines though is in its performance. Its stock performance numbers are some of the fastest I've seen on the test bench, in part due to the optimized 2011-V3 CPU and increased memory speed of 2133MHz.

The board did have a few minor challenges with it, the biggest being the lack of a CMOS reset jumper. Without a CMOS reset jumper, there is no way to be entirely sure that the remnants of a previous BIOS version are fully removed from the system, even after disconnecting the CMOS battery for an extended period. The other challenge was with the board overclocking. I was unable to get the board to stabilize with any base clock value over 100MHz, nor would the memory boot any faster than 2400MHz. However, the X99 platform, and this board, are both very new and have some maturing to do. I have no doubt that the overclocking potential for the board will be fully realized in the near future.

Strengths

• Stock performance
• Overclocking potential
• Board layout and design
• Mini-Armor overlay design
• Motherboard manual details and quality
• UEFI BIOS design and usability
• Performance of dual Intel GigE NICs
• CMOS battery placement

Weaknesses

• Lack of CMOS reset jumper
• Inclusion of Overvoltage jumper to unlock voltage potential for CPU voltage in BIOS