The Gene is a ROG board and you are basically paying the delta between the two prices namely for the ROG features (i.e. higher yields for overclocks due to extra features in BIOS/better components, ROG scheme, ROG brand, etc.). Is it worth the extra $50? I personally think so. I've always been a fan of the ROG series and I've owned multiplier iterations of the boards and I've had zero problems with any of them.