ASUS X99 Motherboard Launch Coverage

The ASUS X99 Channel Series

For the ASUS channel series of X99 motherboards there was a focus on five key points, shown above. We’ll be taking a more in-depth look at the OC socket in a moment but for now let’s look at the other main features.Up first is the roadmap. On the channel side we can see two of the three boards that were on display are mentioned: the DELUXE and A models. ASUS are also preparing a PRO variant which will be released at a later date. The WS board will also be released at launch but that isn’t strictly part of the Channel Series.

One of the unique features of the X99 platform and Haswell-E CPUs is that they have variable numbers of PCIe lanes, as a result the CrossFire/SLI support is going to vary not only by board but also by CPU.

To clear up any confusion ASUS have an LED system that recommends the appropriate PCIe slots to use based on the CPU installed and the lanes implemented on the motherboard.

In terms of the Dual Intelligent Processors 5 design this is basically the same as what we saw on Z97. The first key aspect is the Turbo App which allows you to tune CPU, network and audio profiles for certain applications. Next is the Fan Xpert 3 which allows you to control your fans with custom fan profiles from within the UEFI BIOS and within the OS using the provided software. This can auto-detect between PWM and DC fan types as well as use temperature sensor information to control fan curves. The TPU and EPU aren’t really anything to different to what we’ve seen on many generations of ASUS boards: TPU allows you to overclock while EPU allows you to save power. Finally the DIGI+ Power design allows for precise controls of voltages and power targets using a digital power delivery mechanism.A unique aspect of the Fan Xpert 3 design for X99 is the custom fan extension card. This provides an extra 3 fans that can be controlled via the Fan Xpert 3 design, the whole unit is powered by a molex and also offers three additional temperatures sensors for each of the fan connectors.

ASUS have imported some more of their advanced networking knowledge into the X99 portfolio, in particular on the X99 DELUXE board. The module provides 1300 Mbps through three antennae, two 5GHz and one 2.4Ghz. This wireless module is very useful because you can use it to hook your PC up to your WiFi network OR you can rebroadcast your WiFi network from your PC using AP mode: Handy if you have an ethernet connection on one side of the house but the WiFi signal is poor.

The last noteworthy feature is that the ASUS X99 channel boards can run and support a wide variety of Core i7 and Xeon CPUs as well as GeForce, Radeon, Quadro and FirePro GPUs: these boards are aimed at working users as well as gamers.