Very solid motherboard
Pros: Very nice colour scheme, awesome overclockability, SATA 6, multiple audio connectors, 3-way SLI
Cons: Somewhat pricey
This being my first motherboard purchase I wasn't too sure where to look. However, after asking around here on OCN, I came to the conclusion to buy this.
There are multiple features that make this board worth its money. Its really in the small details that makes this shine. For example, the power on button is included on the motherboard itself which makes it so much more convienient when using in an open bench environment. The fail safe memory settings button might seem a little useless, but you'll appreciate it when your memory just refuses to work. Press the button and the memory settings go back to the lowest settings. Jump into the bios and change them back to the normal settings and you're done. That said, this process doesn't need to be done regulary - there are just some RAM sticks that don't work on the first try and this button is a life saver.
In terms of the BIOS, you get fine grain control over every aspect of the CPU. Many of the voltages can be controlled down to 10,000ths of a volt which allows for amazing control.
This board comes with the smattering of the usual I/O ports - gigabit lan, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 6 USB 2.0, firewire, optical out, 2x esata, and a grand total of 8 sata ports, 2 of which are SATA 6. The board does support RAID 0,1,10, and a couple others which I can't remember off the top my head.
The PCI-e lanes are well spaced and support 3 way SLI with compatible GPU's. The VRM's are well built and the 16+2 Phase power management ensures that the CPU and other vital components do not get damaged during overclocking.
Overall, I am extremely happy with this motherboard, and I would buy again if needed. That said, the chances are low only because of the older X58 platform.
There are multiple features that make this board worth its money. Its really in the small details that makes this shine. For example, the power on button is included on the motherboard itself which makes it so much more convienient when using in an open bench environment. The fail safe memory settings button might seem a little useless, but you'll appreciate it when your memory just refuses to work. Press the button and the memory settings go back to the lowest settings. Jump into the bios and change them back to the normal settings and you're done. That said, this process doesn't need to be done regulary - there are just some RAM sticks that don't work on the first try and this button is a life saver.
In terms of the BIOS, you get fine grain control over every aspect of the CPU. Many of the voltages can be controlled down to 10,000ths of a volt which allows for amazing control.
This board comes with the smattering of the usual I/O ports - gigabit lan, 2x USB 3.0 ports, 6 USB 2.0, firewire, optical out, 2x esata, and a grand total of 8 sata ports, 2 of which are SATA 6. The board does support RAID 0,1,10, and a couple others which I can't remember off the top my head.
The PCI-e lanes are well spaced and support 3 way SLI with compatible GPU's. The VRM's are well built and the 16+2 Phase power management ensures that the CPU and other vital components do not get damaged during overclocking.
Overall, I am extremely happy with this motherboard, and I would buy again if needed. That said, the chances are low only because of the older X58 platform.
