ASUS ROG STRIX X99 GAMING (Intel X99) Motherboard Review

Introduction

When Intel launched their new Broadwell-E i7-6XXX series processors for the LGA2011-v3 socket, interest in X99 was reborn. Since the X99 chipset has been around for quite a long time, and Broadwell-E CPUs can work with existing X99 motherboards, it has become even harder for motherboard manufacturers to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

All of this is great news for consumers since motherboard manufacturers are now forced to pull out all the tricks. A new wave of X99 motherboards launched in the past few weeks and ASUS sent over their brand new ROG STRIX X99 GAMING. I believe this is the first time ASUS has used their GPU STRIX brand on a motherboard, and it's no surprise since some manufacturers have been experimenting with combining their GPU and motherboard branding.

At first glance one of the main attractions of the STRIX X99 GAMING is its RGB LEDs. Split into a multitude of sections, clusters of RGBs can be controlled to produce some crazy LED effects. When it came to color, ASUS didn't let the buck stop with the RGBs; included in the package are four sets of colored panels for the PCH heat sink and IO shield, to help users change the color of the motherboard without having to rely on RGBs. Apart from RGBs, the STRIX X99 GAMING has a lot of great features, and today we take a look at everything this new ASUS X99 refresh model has to offer.

Specifications

The ASUS STRIX X99 GAMING is loaded with features, most are from the PCH, but a lot of the features have been added after the fact to help differentiate the motherboard from previous X99 models. For starters, the motherboard carries USB 3.1 type-A and type-C, 2x2 WirelessAC with MU-MIMO support, 4x PCI-E 3.0 U.2/M.2, and ASUS's Supreme FX audio.

Pricing

The ROG STRIX X99 GAMING is available from many large retailers for $338.99.