The 4 Best X79 Motherboards - You will never see
Author: Dennis Garcia
Published: Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Conclusion
The question still remains, which one of these four X79 Motherboards do I like the best? Well, this is loaded question because, I like them all. For instance my number one pick would be the Rampage IV Extreme based on stability of the entire system. As an enthusiast I am also drawn to the community support and know that if I have a problem I can ask for help. The R4E might have the least attractive hardware configuration based on the PWM size but you can be assured that Asus provides what is needed for the platform. Sadly the biggest downside is total cost. Asus priced the R4E such that it becomes cost prohibitive for most and will drive potential buyers to a lower end model or to a competing brand.
My second pick would be the Gigabyte X79-UD7 OC. This motherboard is designed to be an enthusiasts dream and had the LGA2011 overclocked better it might have been a little more popular. Sadly as it stands the monster PWM required a beefy power supply to "activate" and the lack of onboard features limits the board to the test bench. The onboard overclocking buttons allow the overclocker to change system settings on the fly and really unlock the possibilities when it comes to specialized benchmark runs. 4-Way SLI/Crossfire is supported on the UD7 OC and is really the motherboards biggest strength.
Third on my list would be the MSI Big Bang XPower II. As I mentioned before this motherboard was purchased with the sole purpose of entering an overclocking competition and in that capacity the board was flawless. The only reason it didn't rank higher was due to the form factor and track record of availability. Had this motherboard fit better in a standard system it might justify the purchase price otherwise I would suggest looking for a better board for your test bench.
My final pick is the Foxconn Quantum Force Quantumian-1. Truth is the Quantumian-1 wasn't designed to be an enthusiast dream or be the next great gaming motherboard but rather a practical solution for the LGA2011. Most users don't need 4-Way SLI/Crossfire in a mainstream product offering and while I commend Gigabyte for doing this with the X79-UD3 the majority of users might find this to be a wasted effort. Foxconn played it safe and designed something they knew they could sell. Sadly this will be their last great motherboard and I am simply glad to have one.
Every motherboard in this article has a story to tell and while each manufacture has a different approach to how they market to their consumers and train their sales staff the real question on their minds is, "Did we do good enough?" For some these high-end products are nothing more than limited edition motherboards designed to create awareness while others strive to create the best and hope their community will support them. In the end both approaches cater to the early adopters and stifle the growth of the enthusiast market as a whole. Because of this we have four of the Best X79 Motherboards money can buy but, nobody will ever know.
My second pick would be the Gigabyte X79-UD7 OC. This motherboard is designed to be an enthusiasts dream and had the LGA2011 overclocked better it might have been a little more popular. Sadly as it stands the monster PWM required a beefy power supply to "activate" and the lack of onboard features limits the board to the test bench. The onboard overclocking buttons allow the overclocker to change system settings on the fly and really unlock the possibilities when it comes to specialized benchmark runs. 4-Way SLI/Crossfire is supported on the UD7 OC and is really the motherboards biggest strength.
Third on my list would be the MSI Big Bang XPower II. As I mentioned before this motherboard was purchased with the sole purpose of entering an overclocking competition and in that capacity the board was flawless. The only reason it didn't rank higher was due to the form factor and track record of availability. Had this motherboard fit better in a standard system it might justify the purchase price otherwise I would suggest looking for a better board for your test bench.
My final pick is the Foxconn Quantum Force Quantumian-1. Truth is the Quantumian-1 wasn't designed to be an enthusiast dream or be the next great gaming motherboard but rather a practical solution for the LGA2011. Most users don't need 4-Way SLI/Crossfire in a mainstream product offering and while I commend Gigabyte for doing this with the X79-UD3 the majority of users might find this to be a wasted effort. Foxconn played it safe and designed something they knew they could sell. Sadly this will be their last great motherboard and I am simply glad to have one.
Every motherboard in this article has a story to tell and while each manufacture has a different approach to how they market to their consumers and train their sales staff the real question on their minds is, "Did we do good enough?" For some these high-end products are nothing more than limited edition motherboards designed to create awareness while others strive to create the best and hope their community will support them. In the end both approaches cater to the early adopters and stifle the growth of the enthusiast market as a whole. Because of this we have four of the Best X79 Motherboards money can buy but, nobody will ever know.
