Surprised they don't have USB C in there also. Everything else but missing out on the super fast and flexible new USB support. I'll wait some more. And ya, no EATX For me either anymore...
It's USB3.1 but still A style connectors, not the new C one. The addin board providing it is PCIe x4; so you're giving up a 4way GPU setup to use it. A minor concern for most people, but it goes toward the existing you can have it all but not all at once problem the board has.
I think they had to go EATX to fit all the PCI-e slots and a full size M.2. There is just a lot going on. I have the Z97 Maximus VII forumula and ASUS gave us a little riser card that limits the physical size of the M.2, so it is nice to see them able to use the full size with this one
"As with any purchase of a high end motherboard for gaming, taking it out of the box is an experience. Only a system builder that has to put together 50 systems a week would get bored of it."
Seriously. I think the only time I was even vaguely excited about all the stuff bundled in with a board was 14 years ago when I built my first box. The last time I cared about a major chunk of the bundled stuff was 8 or 9 years ago when I build my first sata box and needed new cables. Now...
Looking at the bundle on Newegg my reactions are: Are those cables with LEDs on the end?!?! Even if I had a case with a Window and wanted to bling my system out in the tackiest gamer style *gag*, those probably wouldn't be the right colors for what I wanted. I've got probably 10 sata cables for every sata drive I own at this point; that's the last thing I need now. Ditto for the collection of SLI bridges. I'll be OCing this box once when I first build it, after that point that OC handset thingy will be totally worthless; and even then sitting on the table is fine I don't need a stand for it. On the plus side, no USB/firewire bracket. On the minus side, it looks like they're missing the one useful bit of the bundle: the little header blocks that let you bundle all the front panel connectors into a single block where you can see what you're doing before plugging them in. (The fact that virtually everyone is using a decade+ old standard for how the headers are laid out; but no case vendor is willing to put them into a unified block continues to enrage me every time I build a new system.)
IIRC where Ian lives is so built up and has so many networks fighting for limited spectrum that all you'd see is a universal faceplant if he tried to do wifi testing.
Nice motherboard but i miss pci-e lanes, 2 pci-e are to little (in full x16 speed) And there should be 2 M.2 pci-e v3 x4 ports and where is the 8636 ports? otherwise a beutiful card have the x79 version myself. Ihope they come out with a updated board a x99 black maybe? I have used asus mainboards för maybe 20 years now and been wery satisfied with them but for x99 i have a asrock becouse of better features. if i could choice i rather have a asus board.
Sorry for the bad english in my last post ! I hope some motherboard manufacturer have the guts to take away sata express (to slow anyway for the fastest ssd ) and most of the sata ports (we may need them, now but in a few year who need it i use 1 for storing games on a ssd, the system is on a nvme disk (pci-e), and have the new 8639 ports instead. More M.2 pci-e v3 x4 ports and chip to double up the pci-e lines. then i would buy the motherboard.
"With 40 PCIe lane CPUs, the processor supplies x16/x8/x16/- in tri-GPU mode..." The Rampage V can only handle 16x/8x/8x for three cards. The X99 Deluxe is more flexible in this regard.
That I would like to know as well. According to the manual, when you have 2x 16x cards in your system you can't use the other PCIE3.0 slots (you can, but your second card switches to 8x mode). On top of that, putting anything into the bottom slot disables the M2 slot, so it's either M2 or the last slot. It's kind of brain dead, considering how they designed the X99 Deluxe. Using the M2 slot there switches the last slot to 4x 3.0 mode, so you can use both. It also allows a 16x/16x/8x configuration (and I think it can handle 16x/16x/4x and a full speed 4x M2 slot). Of course the slot spacing on that board is less optimal than on the Rampage V, but at least it allows using a large Noctua cooler without blocking the first slot. On the other hand, running the graphic card in 8x mode doesn't hammer performance much (if at all), but still.... I wish they released a Rampage V Black Edition capable of 16x/16x/8x or 16/16/4 + the M2 slot in 4x mode.
I have two r9 290X 8GB in crossfire taking up their designated slots, and an Intel 750 SSD 1.2 TB PCI-E SSD in the 4th red slot, AND an m.2 Samsung XP941, all of them running fine at the same time.
I think it should be 16x for both GPUs and the remaining 8 lanes split into 2 sets of 4 lanes for both PCI-E SSDs.
Even testaments to insanity like this board have limits; although I'd guess they ran out of space to run traces in the PCB itself or space to put PCIe switches/PLXes on to allow every combination of stuff all at once. You should be able to do what you want, red PCI slots 1/3 at 1 lanes and the m.2 slot with 4 lanes of PCIe 3.0. You could also run a 4x 2.0 SSD in the black slot with 2 GPUs at 16x.
Unfortunately, one of the casualties of not being able to route every possible combination of uses is 16/16/8 operation or 16/16/4 + 4 (m.2). I suspect we'll be seeing lane shortage angst until Skylake E comes out and bumps the PCH to 20 3.0 lanes. Unfortunately SkyLake E is still a year out.
They pulled it off (16/16/8 and 16/16/4/4) on the smaller deluxe, it makes me sad the Rampage V can't do it as well. The older Rampage IV can run in 16/16/8 mode too.
I like reading about these high end boards but I agree, I'd like to see full reviews of the cheaper mainstream boards. I just bought an Asus Z97-E and I had a hard time finding any reviews/information about it. I did figure out it is basically a Z97-A with a couple less features but there weren't even a lot of reviews for the Z97-A.
Well, I have one, so it can't be that far-fetched. Tis a lovely board, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't buy it mainly for the colour scheme. Oh and the 8 PWM fan headers. They rock and match up perfectly to my fan layout.
This board is many months old... why is the review coming out now?!!?!?
Saying that, it's a great board... If you are trying to use the M.2 SAS connector I should warn you that the cable will force your video card up in the first slot... Had a buddy blow his board that way (ASUS sent a replacement and acknowledged that it's a known problem!).
If you are trying to use a PCIE HD (I have the Intel 750), triple SLI AND use the USB 3.1 add-on card... let me know, as I'm still unable to get it to go (I thought I could get the SSD into the black PCIE_X4 slot, but there doesn't seem to be enough room with all the red PCIE_x16 slots occupied (3 TitanX and the USB 3.1 card)...
Why add a M.2 slot on a EATX board, with limit capacity, even more on a Extreme board ? The space is not a problem on a Big Tower, a PCI-e slot SSD is not limited on the PCIe lanes or capacity. maybe a day it'll possible to buy a full slot x16 PCIe 3.0 SSD for extreme performance... SATA Express is a waste of space, useless.. why a integrated Audio card ? If I can pay $500 for a motherboard I can pay $100 for a top of line Audio card of my choice. I don't see how X99 can match the X79 success. A underwhelming High-End platform that will look old in 2 month when Skylake will be out... 2 gen ahead... with the new DMI 3.0, new SAS ports, cheaper and faster.
Another thing... when reviewing such a high-end motherboard, why are all of the benchmarks (except for the last Shadow of Mordor one) in 720p or 1080p?
If you're buying a $1000+ processor and $400+ motherboard, you are most likely gaming at at LEAST 1440p, if not 4k...
Thanx for the review! Back in the day of Intel X38 Core2 Extreme, I had the Asus Maximus Formula SE MoBo, based on AnandTech's review! It would not die! But now that Asus has decided the ROG boards are not worthy of dual NICs, I won't go near them, as I got spoiled running a NAS off the 2nd LAN. It is also funny that Asus has never seen fit to integrate a cheezy $2 speaker on their MoBoz, when boot errors are detected/occur!
I like the RAMdisk solution - they should work on that in next generation of MOBOs. For instance add a Li-ion battery to keep RAM disk refreshed for some time - that would enable using it as 'normal' disk drive and boot the system option should be then added. I still remember in 2006 Gigabyte i-RAM card - amazing thing! (http://techreport.com/review/9312/gigabyte-i-ram-s... should make another one for PCIe 3.0. no need to wait for PCIe 4.0 - come on ASUS bring it on!
Im a high end, and target audience, user of this board. System specs: *CPU: Intel 5960x @ 4.2 ghz on Corsair H110i GT WaterCool Unit *Mobo: Asus Rampage V Extreme *RAM: 32 GB DDR4 G.Skill Ripjaws4 3000 (set to 2400) *Graphics: 2 x Titan X (Nvidia Reference cards) SLI *Monitor: LG 34UC97 curved 34" 3440 x 1440 @ 60hz *Storage A: Samsung SM951 512MB Windows 8.1 *Storage B/C/D: 2 x V-Raptor 1.0TB Raid0. 1 x Crucial M4 512MB. 12TB USB 3.0 External Raid0 *Case/PSU: Thermaltake V51+ Corsair AX1200i PSU + Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
People that are complaining "E-ATX kills it for me...". Well, go back and google the Extreme lineup from Asus. They have been E-ATX for a LONG time. These aren't, and never were, aimed at guys going for a tiny build.
I like the M2 slot. The SM 951 Im running as a boot drive (+ Star Citizen) gets performance that clobbers even a 2 x SSD Raid 0 setup. And, it tucks out of the way and is totally concealed beneath my #1 Titan X.
Anyway, if size is a concerning, don't waste your time ever looking at an Asus Extreme product. They will always be "max size"
One benefit I found from my old gene mtx board other than it worked so damned well was the fantastic resale on eBay - I bought it second hand and sold it 2 years later and got a lot of my money back. ROG are top of the line so people seek them out rather than cheaper boards. And this was a 775 chipset which was 2 generations old when I sold it.
Can I have a 5820k i7 running 2x980ti in 16x and 8x(or16x?) and then have my 951 M.2 running at its full speed on 4x as my Boot drive? The 5820k has 28 pcie lanes and so 16+8+4=28 But i would like everyones thoughts on this as its been impossible to find solid info thanks!
I would like to warn you on this one. You can't even run a single GPU + a m.2 on that board with a 5820k because it has 28 lanes. The board disables the 4th PCIe slot, which is shared with the m.2 slot, so no m.2 slot as soon as the bios takes over.
bottom line, you might boot from a pen drive, start to install your SO on the ssd, but after restarting, the bios wont detect the ssd (so you wont be able to select it as boot drive) because detecting your cpu, the board will shut the 4th PCIe (and your m.2 slot).
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dark4181 - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
No mention of NVMe support? EATX? Dealbreakers for me. I need ATX formfactor and NVMe support. Looks like I'm getting the X99-Pro/3.1freeskier93 - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Asus has already said all Z97 and X99 will have NVMe support, not sure why this would be an exception.SirGCal - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Surprised they don't have USB C in there also. Everything else but missing out on the super fast and flexible new USB support. I'll wait some more. And ya, no EATX For me either anymore...BPB - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
The article states there is a version with USB 3.1DanNeely - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
It's USB3.1 but still A style connectors, not the new C one. The addin board providing it is PCIe x4; so you're giving up a 4way GPU setup to use it. A minor concern for most people, but it goes toward the existing you can have it all but not all at once problem the board has.BPB - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Good points. I don't see a need for the new connector for a while, but I think Asus should have included it.Breit - Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - link
You know this board was released back in august 2014, right?movieman03 - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
I think they had to go EATX to fit all the PCI-e slots and a full size M.2. There is just a lot going on. I have the Z97 Maximus VII forumula and ASUS gave us a little riser card that limits the physical size of the M.2, so it is nice to see them able to use the full size with this oneDanNeely - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
"As with any purchase of a high end motherboard for gaming, taking it out of the box is an experience. Only a system builder that has to put together 50 systems a week would get bored of it."Seriously. I think the only time I was even vaguely excited about all the stuff bundled in with a board was 14 years ago when I built my first box. The last time I cared about a major chunk of the bundled stuff was 8 or 9 years ago when I build my first sata box and needed new cables. Now...
Looking at the bundle on Newegg my reactions are: Are those cables with LEDs on the end?!?! Even if I had a case with a Window and wanted to bling my system out in the tackiest gamer style *gag*, those probably wouldn't be the right colors for what I wanted. I've got probably 10 sata cables for every sata drive I own at this point; that's the last thing I need now. Ditto for the collection of SLI bridges. I'll be OCing this box once when I first build it, after that point that OC handset thingy will be totally worthless; and even then sitting on the table is fine I don't need a stand for it. On the plus side, no USB/firewire bracket. On the minus side, it looks like they're missing the one useful bit of the bundle: the little header blocks that let you bundle all the front panel connectors into a single block where you can see what you're doing before plugging them in. (The fact that virtually everyone is using a decade+ old standard for how the headers are laid out; but no case vendor is willing to put them into a unified block continues to enrage me every time I build a new system.)
Schickenipple - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
I'll second that comment about the switch/LED header blocks. I can't believe it's not a standard by now!DanNeely - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
It *IS* a standard though. The common layout you see in 99% of mobos is the one from an ATX spec from many years ago.marraco - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
What about wifi tests?Most wifi routers reviews never care about different routers performing different with various clients, like USB dongles, integrated wifi, etc.
So, it is very important to know the performance of integrated WIFI, vs USB dongle, versus other solutions.
DanNeely - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
IIRC where Ian lives is so built up and has so many networks fighting for limited spectrum that all you'd see is a universal faceplant if he tried to do wifi testing.arneberg - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Nice motherboard but i miss pci-e lanes, 2 pci-e are to little (in full x16 speed) And there should be 2 M.2 pci-e v3 x4 ports and where is the 8636 ports? otherwise a beutiful card have the x79 version myself. Ihope they come out with a updated board a x99 black maybe? I have used asus mainboards för maybe 20 years now and been wery satisfied with them but for x99 i have a asrock becouse of better features. if i could choice i rather have a asus board.arneberg - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Sorry for the bad english in my last post !I hope some motherboard manufacturer have the guts to take away sata express (to slow anyway for the fastest ssd ) and most of the sata ports (we may need them, now but in a few year who need it i use 1 for storing games on a ssd, the system is on a nvme disk (pci-e), and have the new 8639 ports instead. More M.2 pci-e v3 x4 ports and chip to double up the pci-e lines. then i would buy the motherboard.
aron9621 - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
"With 40 PCIe lane CPUs, the processor supplies x16/x8/x16/- in tri-GPU mode..."The Rampage V can only handle 16x/8x/8x for three cards. The X99 Deluxe is more flexible in this regard.
B3an - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Couple of questions... If i had dual GPU's, and a x4 PCIe SSD (Samsung SM951) would both GPU's still run at x16?And can the SM951 be booted from on this mobo? So that an OS can be installed on it.
aron9621 - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
That I would like to know as well. According to the manual, when you have 2x 16x cards in your system you can't use the other PCIE3.0 slots (you can, but your second card switches to 8x mode). On top of that, putting anything into the bottom slot disables the M2 slot, so it's either M2 or the last slot. It's kind of brain dead, considering how they designed the X99 Deluxe. Using the M2 slot there switches the last slot to 4x 3.0 mode, so you can use both. It also allows a 16x/16x/8x configuration (and I think it can handle 16x/16x/4x and a full speed 4x M2 slot). Of course the slot spacing on that board is less optimal than on the Rampage V, but at least it allows using a large Noctua cooler without blocking the first slot. On the other hand, running the graphic card in 8x mode doesn't hammer performance much (if at all), but still.... I wish they released a Rampage V Black Edition capable of 16x/16x/8x or 16/16/4 + the M2 slot in 4x mode.B3an - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
It's so retarded if i can't run two GPU's at x16 with a x4 PCIe SSD attached. This is meant to be their best mobo.I wonder if the Fury X will have much of a performance hit running at x8...
ChronoBodi - Tuesday, July 7, 2015 - link
Late response and first time post here:I have two r9 290X 8GB in crossfire taking up their designated slots, and an Intel 750 SSD 1.2 TB PCI-E SSD in the 4th red slot, AND an m.2 Samsung XP941, all of them running fine at the same time.
I think it should be 16x for both GPUs and the remaining 8 lanes split into 2 sets of 4 lanes for both PCI-E SSDs.
I have to check GPU-Z later to confirm the GPUs.
DanNeely - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Even testaments to insanity like this board have limits; although I'd guess they ran out of space to run traces in the PCB itself or space to put PCIe switches/PLXes on to allow every combination of stuff all at once. You should be able to do what you want, red PCI slots 1/3 at 1 lanes and the m.2 slot with 4 lanes of PCIe 3.0. You could also run a 4x 2.0 SSD in the black slot with 2 GPUs at 16x.Unfortunately, one of the casualties of not being able to route every possible combination of uses is 16/16/8 operation or 16/16/4 + 4 (m.2). I suspect we'll be seeing lane shortage angst until Skylake E comes out and bumps the PCH to 20 3.0 lanes. Unfortunately SkyLake E is still a year out.
aron9621 - Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - link
They pulled it off (16/16/8 and 16/16/4/4) on the smaller deluxe, it makes me sad the Rampage V can't do it as well. The older Rampage IV can run in 16/16/8 mode too.gammaray - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
How many of AnandTech readers need a board like that, or a x99 board review?I wish most articles were dedicated to mainstream motherboards.
DCide - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
An X99 is the most advanced you can go in the mainstream consumer arena, so I'd say that's a lot of readers!freeskier93 - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
I like reading about these high end boards but I agree, I'd like to see full reviews of the cheaper mainstream boards. I just bought an Asus Z97-E and I had a hard time finding any reviews/information about it. I did figure out it is basically a Z97-A with a couple less features but there weren't even a lot of reviews for the Z97-A.kael13 - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Well, I have one, so it can't be that far-fetched. Tis a lovely board, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't buy it mainly for the colour scheme. Oh and the 8 PWM fan headers. They rock and match up perfectly to my fan layout.der - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Under 20!JlHADJOE - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
8-8-8 for 28 lane tri-gpu is great! Too many other boards have retarted lane distribution.sabrewings - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
I lol'd when I saw it still has a PS2 port. Really? In 2015? I thought this was done away with on high end enthusiast boards?All dem SATA and USB ports though...
kael13 - Wednesday, June 24, 2015 - link
Gamers like them for N-key rollover on keyboards.frodbonzi - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
This board is many months old... why is the review coming out now?!!?!?Saying that, it's a great board... If you are trying to use the M.2 SAS connector I should warn you that the cable will force your video card up in the first slot... Had a buddy blow his board that way (ASUS sent a replacement and acknowledged that it's a known problem!).
If you are trying to use a PCIE HD (I have the Intel 750), triple SLI AND use the USB 3.1 add-on card... let me know, as I'm still unable to get it to go (I thought I could get the SSD into the black PCIE_X4 slot, but there doesn't seem to be enough room with all the red PCIE_x16 slots occupied (3 TitanX and the USB 3.1 card)...
mazzy80 - Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - link
Why add a M.2 slot on a EATX board, with limit capacity, even more on a Extreme board ?The space is not a problem on a Big Tower, a PCI-e slot SSD is not limited on the PCIe lanes or capacity.
maybe a day it'll possible to buy a full slot x16 PCIe 3.0 SSD for extreme performance...
SATA Express is a waste of space, useless..
why a integrated Audio card ? If I can pay $500 for a motherboard I can pay $100 for a top of line Audio card of my choice.
I don't see how X99 can match the X79 success. A underwhelming High-End platform that will look old in 2 month when Skylake will be out... 2 gen ahead... with the new DMI 3.0, new SAS ports, cheaper and faster.
frodbonzi - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Another thing... when reviewing such a high-end motherboard, why are all of the benchmarks (except for the last Shadow of Mordor one) in 720p or 1080p?If you're buying a $1000+ processor and $400+ motherboard, you are most likely gaming at at LEAST 1440p, if not 4k...
ggathagan - Monday, June 22, 2015 - link
Generally, sites will test motherboards and CPU's at lower resolutions to eliminate the GPU from the equation as much as possible.pseudoid - Tuesday, June 23, 2015 - link
Thanx for the review!Back in the day of Intel X38 Core2 Extreme, I had the Asus Maximus Formula SE MoBo, based on AnandTech's review! It would not die! But now that Asus has decided the ROG boards are not worthy of dual NICs, I won't go near them, as I got spoiled running a NAS off the 2nd LAN. It is also funny that Asus has never seen fit to integrate a cheezy $2 speaker on their MoBoz, when boot errors are detected/occur!
AnandKid - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
I like the RAMdisk solution - they should work on that in next generation of MOBOs. For instance add a Li-ion battery to keep RAM disk refreshed for some time - that would enable using it as 'normal' disk drive and boot the system option should be then added. I still remember in 2006 Gigabyte i-RAM card - amazing thing! (http://techreport.com/review/9312/gigabyte-i-ram-s... should make another one for PCIe 3.0. no need to wait for PCIe 4.0 - come on ASUS bring it on!skypine27 - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
Im a high end, and target audience, user of this board. System specs:*CPU: Intel 5960x @ 4.2 ghz on Corsair H110i GT WaterCool Unit
*Mobo: Asus Rampage V Extreme
*RAM: 32 GB DDR4 G.Skill Ripjaws4 3000 (set to 2400)
*Graphics: 2 x Titan X (Nvidia Reference cards) SLI
*Monitor: LG 34UC97 curved 34" 3440 x 1440 @ 60hz
*Storage A: Samsung SM951 512MB Windows 8.1
*Storage B/C/D: 2 x V-Raptor 1.0TB Raid0. 1 x Crucial M4 512MB. 12TB USB 3.0 External Raid0
*Case/PSU: Thermaltake V51+ Corsair AX1200i PSU + Windows 8.1 Pro 64-bit
People that are complaining "E-ATX kills it for me...". Well, go back and google the Extreme lineup from Asus. They have been E-ATX for a LONG time. These aren't, and never were, aimed at guys going for a tiny build.
I like the M2 slot. The SM 951 Im running as a boot drive (+ Star Citizen) gets performance that clobbers even a 2 x SSD Raid 0 setup. And, it tucks out of the way and is totally concealed beneath my #1 Titan X.
Anyway, if size is a concerning, don't waste your time ever looking at an Asus Extreme product. They will always be "max size"
Oscarcharliezulu - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
The grammar in this article is giving me headache. It reads like a clean up of a google translation.Oscarcharliezulu - Friday, June 26, 2015 - link
One benefit I found from my old gene mtx board other than it worked so damned well was the fantastic resale on eBay - I bought it second hand and sold it 2 years later and got a lot of my money back. ROG are top of the line so people seek them out rather than cheaper boards. And this was a 775 chipset which was 2 generations old when I sold it.godzrule - Monday, July 20, 2015 - link
Can I have a 5820k i7 running 2x980ti in 16x and 8x(or16x?) and then have my 951 M.2 running at its full speed on 4x as my Boot drive? The 5820k has 28 pcie lanes and so 16+8+4=28 But i would like everyones thoughts on this as its been impossible to find solid info thanks!Malahmen - Friday, January 27, 2017 - link
I would like to warn you on this one.You can't even run a single GPU + a m.2 on that board with a 5820k because it has 28 lanes.
The board disables the 4th PCIe slot, which is shared with the m.2 slot, so no m.2 slot as soon as the bios takes over.
bottom line, you might boot from a pen drive, start to install your SO on the ssd, but after restarting, the bios wont detect the ssd (so you wont be able to select it as boot drive) because detecting your cpu, the board will shut the 4th PCIe (and your m.2 slot).
You might be able to do that with a 5930k though.