LGA2066 Workstation Server Motherboard
It appears that the X299 Designare EX is not the only server-class motherboard Gigabyte has for Intel‘s HEDT LGA2066 CPU lineup. They also have the new X299 WU8 server workstation motherboard. It is listed at Chinese online retail store JingDong already, although it is not listed on the Gigabyte’s website yet. Since the listing in particular is officially from Gigabyte’s JingDong store, it is legitimate and not a rumour.
What Features Does the X299 WU8 Motherboard Have?
The X299 WU8 uses an extended ATX (E-ATX) form factor and forgoes the usual aesthetic bonuses found in Gigabyte and Aorus boards. That means no RGB LEDs and it comes in a no-nonsense black and grey colour scheme.
It has seven PCIe expansion slots and all of them are physically x16. However, only four are x16 electrically and the remaining three are x16 slots. It has a plex chip with the PCH, both of which are covered with a very large heatpiped heatsink. This of course, allows for that four x16 slots.
There are also two Intel Gigabit Ethernet ports, onboard buttons and Realtek ALC1220 with WIMA capacitors.
How Much is the Gigabyte X299 WU8 Motherboard?
The X299 WU8 is currently listed at ¥4999 CNY, which roughly converts to $718 USD or £560 GBP. It is unclear whether this is strictly for the Chinese market, or if that is only the initial availability.
