Saturday, January 9th 2010

ASUS Rampage III Extreme Smiles for the Camera

One of ASUS' premier offers for this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) event is a new high-end socket LGA-1366 motherboard, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Rampage III Extreme. The board succeeds the Rampage II Extreme which launched over an year ago along with Intel's then new Core i7 series processors. The new model based on the Intel X58 Express + ICH10R chipset, comes with four well spaced out PCI-Express 2.0 x16 slots, a new set of overclocking enhancements such as the ROG connect which lets you control the motherboard's overclocking from any Bluetooth and Java enabled mobile phone, SATA 6 Gb/s and USB 3.0 connectivity using ASUS' innovative PCI-Express 2.0 bridge implementation, and a more powerful CPU VRM to keep the board stable with bleeding-edge settings.

The board features an enhanced CPU VRM which is now powered by two 8-pin ATX connectors apart from two 4-pin Molex connectors. Some of these could be redundant and needed only for electrical stability. The CPU and memory power circuitry makes use of super-ML capacitors for cleaner power delivery. Voltage readouts are located next to the DIMM slots for accessibility. The motherboard makes use of slimmer component heatsinks that look to be made of the ceramic composite which the TUF Sabertooth P55 motherboard uses.
Expansion slots include four PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x16, NC, x16, NC; or x8, x8, x8, x8) depending on how they are populated, and one each of PCI-Express 2.0 x4 and PCI. A PLX ExpressLane PEX 8613 bridge chip is used to give out up to 12 PCI-Express 2.0 lanes (using three ports) connecting to the southbridge using its PCI-Express 1.1 x4 link, so that any PCI-E 2.0 device can make use of that amount of bandwidth. Devices connected to it include a Marvell 2-port SATA 6 Gb/s controller, and an NEC 2-port USB 3.0 controller. Connectivity includes 8-channel audio with optical SPDIF output, gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth, eSATA, USB 2.0 and 3.0. The Rampage III Extreme should come out in Q1, just in time for Intel's 32 nm Core i7 980X six-core processor based on the Westmere architecture.
Source: Tom's Hardware
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105 Comments on ASUS Rampage III Extreme Smiles for the Camera

#76
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
btarunrThat plug is facing downwards, otherwise it would get blocked by the video-card in the 4th PCI-E slot.
not what i meant.




^ it'd look like that, if stuff were meant to be connected to it
Posted on Reply
#77
Super XP
Why can't ASUS release some nice AMD motherboards just like this one with the cool RED theme & features?
Posted on Reply
#79
Chicken Patty
SummerDaysOr you could buy an i7. :)
Or ASUS should just release a AMD board with the cool red and block theme :p :p :p
Posted on Reply
#80
SummerDays
Chicken PattyOr ASUS should just release a AMD board with the cool red and block theme :p :p :p
No, no, no. You don't get a cool Red and Black theme until you're as fast as an i7.

If AMD wants to zoom ahead, they can have one and then maybe Intel users will have to wait for one. :roll:
Posted on Reply
#81
Chicken Patty
SummerDaysNo, no, no. You don't get a cool Red and Black theme until you're as fast as an i7.

If AMD wants to zoom ahead, they can have one and then maybe Intel users will have to wait for one. :roll:
But I had an i7 and I never got one? :( I haz a sad.

proof that I had an i7

I figured the board had a dead RAM slot afterwards, notice it's running single channel :(
Posted on Reply
#83
Hayder_Master
cool_recepI saw dual BIOS chips :)
at last they do gigabyte idea :laugh:
DrPepperIt has two 8 pin cpu power connectors :p and two molex connectors :wtf:
Musselsi hope it doesnt REQUIRE both 8 pins to work.
i think one it work and booth of them better , more power=more stability+more overclocking
Posted on Reply
#84
Unregistered
I thought ASUS declared that they will stop soon the mobo manuf. ...

Regarding the board is nice, but only 1 PCI slot? COMMON!!!!!!!

What happen if you have a TV tuner, a SCSI card and/or an internal Wireless adapter, all on PCI????
#85
[H]@RD5TUFF
TAViXI thought ASUS declared that they will stop soon the mobo manuf. ...

Regarding the board is nice, but only 1 PCI slot? COMMON!!!!!!!

What happen if you have a TV tuner, a SCSI card and/or an internal Wireless adapter, all on PCI????
Then this board is not for you, I can see the relevance of a wireless card, I can kinda understand the SCSI card (but really why?), but why would you want/ have/ need a TV tuner on a board of this kind? Seriously with parts as stupid cheap as they are now, why would you run a TV tuner on a enthusiast/ gaming part like this, that's just dumb. That's what god made secondary/download boxes for.
Posted on Reply
#86
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
btarunrThis section would protrude out:

img.techpowerup.org/100110/bta027.jpg

..which is why it's angled downwards.
i think we're talking about different things.

People were discussing using them to power fans and such, and my comment was that since they're a socket and not a plug, they're obviously meant for power INput, not output.

nothing about the angle of the plug.
Posted on Reply
#87
Wile E
Power User
trt740WilE I love ya man but your flat out wrong my Rampage Extreme II is a total beast it took Asus a while but the bugs are gone. Bios 1504 and 1639 have unleashed the Rampage Extreme II. This should be a very good board. You are correct in saying Gigabyte and Evga make good boards aswell. I have always liked the Classified but to tell you the truth you would hard pressed to find a bad x58 board. I also like Gigabytes higher end boards, well to tell ya the truth I like just about every board they make, right down to the 50.00 boards. I have built several AMD systems for family and friends and they are the Toyota's of motherboards. However, Asus really can present a decent solid quality item aswell. Sorry to disagree because when it comes to computers you know your stuff.
We've been thru this. I build a lot of systems for others, and GB has been kicking Asus's ass for a couple gens now in terms of build quality, layout, and OCability. This isn't even taking into account my crappy clocking Maximus (because we all know you get the occasional dud, even in the best of hardware). I do agree that Asus is a good builder, and well above average in build quality. The EVGA and GB baords are just better. And for the price this will go for, I want the better board.
Musselswhen using SPDIF, onboard vs dedicated becomes moot - quality is determined by speakers alone.
Nope. Still has to encode non-compatible outputs to spdif. Try it yourself. A sound card still sounds better over on-board, even thru spdif.
Posted on Reply
#88
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
Wile EWe've been thru this. I build a lot of systems for others, and GB has been kicking Asus's ass for a couple gens now in terms of build quality, layout, and OCability. This isn't even taking into account my crappy clocking Maximus (because we all know you get the occasional dud, even in the best of hardware). I do agree that Asus is a good builder, and well above average in build quality. The EVGA and GB baords are just better. And for the price this will go for, I want the better board.



Nope. Still has to encode non-compatible outputs to spdif. Try it yourself. A sound card still sounds better over on-board, even thru spdif.
my bad, for a moment there i was thinking purely for media use. i use lots of pre-encoded movies, and as such - there is no difference there.
Posted on Reply
#89
Unregistered
[H]@RD5TUFFThen this board is not for you, I can see the relevance of a wireless card, I can kinda understand the SCSI card (but really why?), but why would you want/ have/ need a TV tuner on a board of this kind? Seriously with parts as stupid cheap as they are now, why would you run a TV tuner on a enthusiast/ gaming part like this, that's just dumb. That's what god made secondary/download boxes for.
You're jocking right?? :laugh: What's wrong with wanting to keep my old TV tuner which works flawlessly??? I don't get it. Why is dumb to watch TV on your PC????:eek::wtf:

P.S. Can you enlighten me pls, what's a "secondary/download box" ??
#90
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
TAViXYou're jocking right?? :laugh: What's wrong with wanting to keep my old TV tuner which works flawlessly??? I don't get it. Why is dumb to watch TV on your PC????:eek::wtf:

P.S. Can you enlighten me pls, what's a "secondary/download box" ??
he's saying that this motherboard is designed for high end benching rigs, and gamers with too much money.

It would be ridiculous to watch TV on a system with the massive overclocks this board is desigend for in multi GPU setups, and anyone who buys this to run it at stock with one GPU is dumb for wasting the money.

He's saying use a second PC for the TV/media purposes. One that wont chew 500W at idle.
Posted on Reply
#91
douglatins
RAWR, those skinny heatsinks will overheat, every passive board needs some help with airflow, eve the classified with those massive hs. I know that asus may have hidden a small 50mm fan in one of those, but still wtf, those mosfet hs is just stupid
Posted on Reply
#92
Mussels
Freshwater Moderator
douglatinsRAWR, those skinny heatsinks will overheat, every passive board needs some help with airflow, eve the classified with those massive hs. I know that asus may have hidden a small 50mm fan in one of those, but still wtf, those mosfet hs is just stupid
perhaps the board runs very cool?

It was already discussed that the x58 chipset runs relatively cool and heat doesnt increase with OCing, VRM's may be another case - but we wont know til OC'ers get their hands on the board
Posted on Reply
#93
pantherx12
My blood rage idled at 40, and MK had stuck on one of those pure copper enzotech nb sinks.

X58 runs hoter then x45 or x48


( compared to most of my other boards idling at 30 or so)


With the stock sinks the blood rage idled at 60 or something insane.
Posted on Reply
#94
TheMailMan78
Big Member
Musselsi think we're talking about different things.

People were discussing using them to power fans and such, and my comment was that since they're a socket and not a plug, they're obviously meant for power INput, not output.

nothing about the angle of the plug.
It doesn't matter if the plug is male or female. I plug fans in all the time using both. Its a power connection. If its meant to draw power it will. If its meant to produce power it will. I have no idea what these do but the style of plug it no way to tell.
Posted on Reply
#95
Mescalamba
btarunrActually, Foxconn has been doing the red+black scheme well before EVGA. EVGA was a wee little player in the motherboard industry (it is even now) relying on NVIDIA's reference designs to sell motherboards. Even its first X58 SLI board continued looking like an NVIDIA board. Foxconn had its BloodRage around that time, it even had various other QuantumForce series boards before X58 that used red+black. So just as you call this a Classified ripoff, you can call Classified a BloodRage ripoff.

Besides EVGA's product availability and service network sucks outside North America. ASUS on the other hand, can service a Rampage III Extreme even in any Indian city with 10,000 population.
Actually reason why BloodRage and Classified shares same "Red'n'Black" design is cause both were designed with Shamino in constructing team (BloodRage first, then he left Foxconn and joined eVGA and used similar desing on Classified). Its not ripoff.. they just have few things in common. Plus they are great mobos..

But ofc ASUS doesn´t have anything in common, which means ASUS is ripoff. :D And pretty poor. Compared to Classy or BloodRage design, its just pathetic.. last good mobo from ASUS was their WS, which is pretty interesting mobo. It even has quite ok design/colors.
Posted on Reply
#96
SummerDays
Chicken PattyBut I had an i7 and I never got one? :( I haz a sad.

proof that I had an i7

I figured the board had a dead RAM slot afterwards, notice it's running single channel :(
img.techpowerup.org/100110/Capture308.jpg
lol I was joking around that AMD doesn't get a nice board until they develop faster chips.
Posted on Reply
#97
Mescalamba
SummerDayslol I was joking around that AMD doesn't get a nice board until they develop faster chips.
It has more to do with fact that ASUS and Intel are very "close" to each other..
Posted on Reply
#98
Chicken Patty
SummerDayslol I was joking around that AMD doesn't get a nice board until they develop faster chips.
I know you were, no biggy :toast:
Posted on Reply
#99
Super XP
SummerDaysOr you could buy an i7. :)
I was thinking about that the other day, but right now my Phenom II does a great job gaming with my HD 4870 Crossfire setup. But oh, where to find nice looking RED AMD mobo's :D
Posted on Reply
#100
trt740
Wile EWe've been thru this. I build a lot of systems for others, and GB has been kicking Asus's ass for a couple gens now in terms of build quality, layout, and OCability. This isn't even taking into account my crappy clocking Maximus (because we all know you get the occasional dud, even in the best of hardware). I do agree that Asus is a good builder, and well above average in build quality. The EVGA and GB baords are just better. And for the price this will go for, I want the better board.



Nope. Still has to encode non-compatible outputs to spdif. Try it yourself. A sound card still sounds better over on-board, even thru spdif.
ahh ya still wrong!!!:laugh: :D
Posted on Reply
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