Over the years, Intel has undoubtedly taken control of the entire PC desktop market. They offer specialized platforms to both mainstream and enthusiasts consumers. Earlier this year, Intel released their 200-series platform for mainstream consumers and it turned out to be a modest jump in terms of performance and features, something that we have come to expect from Intel during the recent years.
While mainstream desktop buyers got their platform cycle refresh earlier this year, enthusiasts are receiving the update in the second quarter. In 2014, Intel released X99 and it was a big leap in term of features compared to X79. It was the first platform to feature support for DDR4 memory, some thing that mainstream consumers would get a whole year later. It was also the first platform that pushed the core count on Intel processors from 6 to 10. While expensive, the competitors had no answer to Intel's enthusiast platform which gave Intel another market to take control over.
Come 2017, three years after the launch of X99, Intel offered another grand enthusiast platform. This time, it's known as X299 and we can expect the same sort of updates that we saw from X79 to X99. Intel is offering processors with lots of cores, lots of PCIe lanes, lots of storage capabilities and very high clock speeds but there's one issue as someone or something has definitely risen up.
In 2017, after a troublesome 6 years and lots of delays in the process, Intel's only competitor in the PC desktop market has woken up. AMD is back and they have a new core known as Zen which has put them back in the competition with performance on par with Intel CPUs. The performance gap that was increasing slowly but gradually between Intel and AMD processors has worn out and AMD can now tackle Intel at multiple playing fields.
AMD devised a pretty nice strategy to take on Intel. They first tackled the mainstream processors with their Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 5 processors, offering high core count processors on a fresh new platform and offering great multi-tasking performance at brilliant prices. Take for comparison a Ryzen 7 1700 with 8 cores, 16 threads for $329 versus the Core i7-7700K with 4 cores and 8 threads for $349. And the performance of that AMD processor is actually closer to an 8 core X99 part while featuring a much lower PC assembly cost. The difference is there and Intel is really taking the heat from AMD chips this time around.
Problem number two for Intel is that AMD isn't just stopping at mainstream platforms, they are for the first time entering the enthusiast HEDT segment. Their new lineup is called Ryzen Threadripper and features up to 16 cores. Now let me tell you something about the Intel X299 platform and the Core-X family. The Intel Core-X family includes several processors based on two different Uarch's. There's Kaby Lake-X based on 14nm Kaby Lake and Skylake-X based on 14nm Skylake. The former is more of a budget aimed series while the latter is where the HE (High-End) part of the HEDT brand lies.
I had talks with many manufacturers working close to Intel about the Core-X family and X299 platform. Till the time the first rumors of AMD's HEDT platform arrived, there were no plans for Intel to produce a chip with a greater core count than 10. When the rumor mill finally started reporting that AMD had plans to prepare a HEDT processor lineup with up to 12-16 cores, we started receiving information that Intel had asked their engineers to produce or in-reality, modify server level Xeon chips into Skylake-X parts with higher core counts.
That happened much later in the X299 production roadmap, to be precise, it was just few weeks before launch and Intel knowing that AMD won't stop at 12-16 cores, and that they can re-purpose more higher core Xeon variants into HEDT parts, Intel gave the go ahead to their engineers. What does this show? Intel finally facing the heat of competition and it might turn out to be good for us all. Competition prompts companies to release products that are better than their competitors at great value and both Intel and AMD would try to best one another at this game in the long term.
Today, I will be testing out the ASRock X299 Extreme4 motherboard which brings back the value proposition back to Intel's HEDT platform alongside the ASRock X299 OC Formula which is a true X299 overclocking-specific motherboard.
You can purchase the ASRock X299 Extreme4 motherboard at this link.
You can purchase the ASRock X299 OC Formula motherboard at this link.
Intel X299 HEDT Chipset - The Top Brass of Intel's 2017 HEDT Family
The Intel X299 HEDT chipset is powering the enthusiast platform this year's launch. It's easy to tell given the time frame these enthusiast platforms last that the chipset will run for at least 2-3 years before being replaced by a new one. Intel's X299 chipset includes support for both Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors but some vendors have decided to restrict Kaby Lake-X support on their high-end X299 motherboards since it doesn't make sense to go for a $499 US+ motherboard with chips that cost below $350 US.
There are also some various restrictions and features that are not available on Kaby Lake-X when compared to Skylake-X and those are detailed below.
Intel X299 PCH Features
Intel’s new X299 chipset will be the latest PCH to support the enthusiast processors. The X299 platform will be centered around the LGA 2066 socket which will be compatible with at least two generations of processors. In specs, the X299 chipset offers up to 24 PCIe Gen 3.0 lanes. The chip also offers up to quad channel memory with speeds up to DDR4-2667 MHz (native). Kaby Lake X series processors will only support dual channel RAM and will stick to the native speeds of 2667 MHz.
This difference is due to the IMC on the Kaby Lake-X chip architecture that only allows support for dual channel memory. Intel basically swapped the Kaby Lake die from the smaller mainstream chip to the larger enthusiast chip. This means that the underlying architecture remains the same.
Aside from that, Intel X299 has full support for CPU overclocking which is a bonus. While that's a plus, independent testings performed prior to our review revealed that the chips don't feature in chip soldering and use thermal paste as a layer that connects the die with the heatspreader. This may result in higher temperatures but we have to find that our in our own tests.
The Basin Falls PCH also offers maximum of 14 USB ports (10 USB 3.0 Max), 8 SATA 3.0, and Intel LAN (Jacksonville PHY) controllers. The chipset can also drive three M.2 drives with Intel RST tech. Additional features include Enhanced SPI, SPI, LPC, SMBus and HD audio which are integrated underneath its hood.
Intel X299 Chipset Features:
| Chipset | Intel X79 “Patsburg” | Intel X99 “Wellsburg” | Intel X299 "Basin Falls" With KBL-X | Intel X299 "Basin Falls" With SKL-X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SKU Focus Segment | Enthusiast Desktop | Enthusiast Desktop | Enthusiast Desktop | Enthusiast Desktop |
| CPU Support | Sandy Bridge-E / Ivy Bridge-E | Haswell-E / Broadwell-E | Kaby Lake-X | Skylake-X / Cascade Lake-X |
| CPU Core Options | 4, 6 | 6, 8, 10 | 4 | 6, 8, 10, 12, 14,16, 18 |
| Max Chipset PCI-E Lanes | 8 | 8 | 24 | 24 |
| Max CPU PCI-E Lanes | Up To 40 | Up To 40 | Up To 16 | Up To 44 |
| Memory Type | DDR3 | DDR4 | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| Memory DIMMs | Quad Channel (8) | Quad Channel (8) | Dual Channel (4) | Quad Channel (8) |
| Overclocking | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intel Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Support | No | No | No | Yes |
| Intel Optane Technology | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Intel Rapid Storage Technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intel Rapid Storage Technology For PCIe Storage Drive Support | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| RAID 0,1,5,10 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intel Smart Response Technology | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Integrated LAN | Yes | 1 GbE | Integrated MAC | Integrated MAC |
| Total USB Ports (Max USB 3.0) | N/A | 6 | 10 | 10 |
| Total USB Ports (Max USB 2.0) | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 |
| Max SATA 6 Gbps Ports | 6 (2 Rated at Full 6 Gbps) | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| TDP | 7.8W | 6.5W | 6.0W | 6.0W |
Intel LGA 2066 Socket - Supports All Intel Core-X Series Processors
On the socket front, Intel has finally replaced the older LGA 2011 with LGA 2066. The LGA 2011 saw several revisions as it was first featured on the X79 platform and slightly redesigned for X99 in the form of LGA 2011-v3. Enthusiasts running older HEDT Intel platforms cannot use a older processor on the new platform and would have to purchase a new one to allow compatibility.
The latest LGA 2066 socket features 2066 pins which support both Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X CPUs but doesn't allow compatibility with Intel Xeon processors. The Intel Xeon class processors that are part of the Skylake-SP family will be featured on the much different LGA 3647 socket which is huge compared to LGA 2066.
Cooler Compatibility With LGA 2066 Socket
Since the change in number of pins is smaller, the socket remains as the same dimensions as the LGA 2011 and LGA 2011-v3 socket. This means that users can equip their older retention brackets from LGA 2011 socket coolers on the LGA 2066 socket with ease. The process remains largely the same.
On the cooler front, while Intel hasn't historically offered any cooling solution on their HEDT CPUs, they do provide their own boxed solutions for users that are interested at a price ranging between $85-$100 US. The said cooler is Intel's TS13X which is a liquid cooling solution and termed as a high performance thermal solution for enthusiasts. The cooler features a 120mm radiator fitted with a 120mm fan that operates at up to 2200 RPM. It's a nice option but there are plenty more similar or better priced solutions in the market that are compatible with LGA 2066.
The Intel Core-X lineup is made up of nine processors ranging from four cores and all the way up to the 18 core flagship. The Kaby Lake-X lineup features two models and are priced below $350 US. The Skylake-X family comes with up to 18 cores and priced up to $2000 US.
Intel is segmenting their 'Core-X' series family in three parts. These include the following:
- Intel Kaby Lake-X (4 Core CPUs)
- Intel Skylake-X (6, 8, 10 Core CPUs)
- Intel Skylake-X Xtreme Core Count (12, 14, 16, 18 Core CPUs)
There are some technologies that will be featured on Skylake-X processors but not on Kaby Lake-X series. These technologies are worth mentioning as they lead to better performance and efficient CPU functioning. Upgrades such as the new Mesh architecture interconnect and Turbo Boost MAX 3.0 have already been detailed, more details on them can be found in the links below:
- Intel Skylake-X Processor - Mesh Interconnect Architecture
- Intel Skylake-X Processor - Turbo Boost Max 3.0 Frequency
Intel Core X Series Processor Family Specifications:
| CPU Name | i9-7980XE | i9-7960X | i9-7940X | i9-7920X | i9-7900X | i7-7820X | i7-7800X | i7-7740X | i5-7640X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Process | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ | 14nm+ |
| Architecture | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | SKL-X | KBL-X | KBL-X |
| Cores/Threads | 18/36 | 16/32 | 14/28 | 12/24 | 10/20 | 8/16 | 6/12 | 4/8 | 4/4 |
| Base Clock | 2.6 GHz | 2.8 GHz | 3.1 GHz | 2.9 GHz | 3.3 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.5 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.0 GHz |
| (Turbo Boost 2.0) | 4.2 GHz | 4.2 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.3 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4.2 GHz |
| (Turbo Boost Max 3.0) | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.4 GHz | 4.5 GHz | 4.5 GHz | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| L3 Cache | 24.75 MB | 22 MB | 19.25 MB | 16.5 MB | 13.75 MB | 11 MB | 8.25 MB | 6 MB | 6 MB |
| L2 Cache | 18 MB | 16 MB | 14 MB | 12 MB | 10 MB | 8 MB | 6 MB | 4 MB | 4 MB |
| Memory | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Quad DDR4 | Dual DDR4 | Dual DDR4 |
| PCIe Lanes | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 28 | 28 | 16 | 16 |
| Socket Type | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 | LGA 2066 |
| TDP | 165W | 165W | 165W | 140W | 140W | 140W | 140W | 112W | 112W |
| Price | $1999 US | $1699 US | $1399 US | $1189 US | $999 US | $599 US | $389 US | $349 | $242 |
Intel Kaby Lake-X CPU Models (Up To 4 Cores, $389)
The Intel Core i7-7740X: Intel’s New Mainstream Quad-Core with 4 Cores / 8 Threads
Priced at $349 (you are paying $87.25 per core) and featuring the brand new KabyLake-X architecture, the Core i7-7740X is going to be Intel’s newest mainstream quad core offering. That said, the plus points of this particular processor might not appeal to everyone. For one, you are paying a significantly higher price per core and for not a lot of benefits. Secondly, this processor supports only dual channel DDR4-2666 and only 16 PCIe lanes. TDP has however been reduced to 112W, so power conscious buyers will like to go for this.
The Intel Core i5-7640X: Intel’s New Budget King with 4 Cores / 4 Threads
Priced at $242 (you are paying $60.5 per core) and featuring the brand new Kabylake-X architecture, the Core i5-7740X features just 4 Cores without Hyper Threading enabled. It features a 4.0 GHz base clock that can boost up to 4.2 GHz. 4MB of L2 cache is complimented by 6 MB of L3 cache. The processor supports Dual Channel DDR4-2666 and 16 PCIe lanes on the LGA-2066 socket. TDP is reduced to 112 Watts like its hyperthreaded brother. Unlike its hyperthreaded brother however, this processor actually offers a decent value proposition and should sell like hot cakes in the mid-end segment.
Intel Skylake-X CPU Models (Up to 10 Cores, $1000)
The Intel Core i9-7900X: Intel’s High End Enthusiast Class Flagship with 10 Cores /20 Threads
Priced at $999 (you are paying $99.9 per core) and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, the Core-i9 7900X is the first processor that is priced below the $1000 mark. This means that it will be one of the few broad-spectrum processors offered by this lineup. It features a base clock of 3.3 GHz as well as a Turbo Boost Max 3.0 of 4.5 GHz. It also supports conventional Turbo Boost 2.0 up to 4.3 GHz. 10 MB of L2 cache is complimented by 13.75 MB of L3 cache and features quad channel DDR4-2666 memory. It is the last processor of this lineup to feature 44 PCIe lanes. The TDP remains 140W.
The Intel Core i7-7820X: Intel’s High End Gaming Powerhouse with 8 Cores / 16 Threads
Priced at $599 (you are paying $74.875 per core) and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, the Core i7-7820X is a processor that is all set for mainstream success. Priced at the mainstream high end price of $599, this particular CPU will take on the Ryzen high end lineup which also features 8 cores and 16 threads. It has a base clock of 3.6 GHz and a Turbo Boost Max 3.0 of 4.5 GHz. This is a higher boost clock than what Ryzen can currently achieve. It can also conventionally boost up to 4.3 GHz (using Turbo Boost 2.0). It will feature only 28 PCIe lanes as well as 140W TDP.
The Intel Core i7-7800X: Intel’s Mainstream King with 6 Cores / 12 Threads
Priced at $389 (you are paying $64.83 per core) and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, the Core i7-7800X is something that is within the reach of the usual mainstream market. Consumers who would have previously gone for a Core i7 processor with only 4 cores and 8 threads can now enjoy the benefits of a 6 core – 12 threaded processor courtesy of competition from AMD’s Ryzen. It can Turbo Boost (2.0) up to 4.0 GHz and features a base clock of 3.5 GHz. 6 MB of L2 cache is complimented by 8.25 MB of L3 cache and is the last processor to support 28 PCIe lanes in this lineup. TDP remains locked at 140W.
Intel Skylake-X Extreme Core Count CPU Models (Up to 18 Cores, $2000)
The Core i9-7980XE: Intel’s Unbeatable Flagship ‘Skylake-X’ Processor with 18 Cores / 36 Threads
Priced at $1999 MSRP (you are paying $111.11 per core) and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, this beast of a processor will be the ideal go-to processor for content creators that want the maximum throughput in terms of rendering performance. This is a processor that will almost certainly be overkill for gaming (unless you are running some sort of CaaS enterprise).
It has 18 cores and 36 threads and features Intel’s new Turbo Boost Max 3.0 technology which can boost up to 4.5 GHz while base clock is set at 2.6 GHz. The CPU features an L2 Cache of 18 MB (1 MB per core) as well as an L3 cache of 24.75 MB. Quad channel DDR4 up to 2666 MHz is. The processor has a TDP of just 165W and is housed on the LGA 2066 socket like the rest of the lineup.
The Core i9-7960X: Intel’s 16 Cores / 32 Threads Offering For Unprecedented Workstation Horsepower
Priced at $1699 and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, the Core i9-7960X has the exact same core count as AMD’s highest end Threadripper CPU (thought to be called the Threadripper 1950X) and that’s not a coincidence. Intel has put this particular CPU to take on the Threadripper platform in all its glory (and core count) and features the Turbo Max 3.0 technology just like its bigger brother. It will feature an L2 Cache of 16 MB (1MB per core) as well as an L3 cache of 22MB. Memory support is the same for all Skylake-X processors and remains quad channel DDR4-2666. The wattage is also locked at 165W. The chip has a base clock of 2.8 GHz and boosts all the way up to 4.4 GHz.
The Intel Core i9-7940X: Intel’s 14 Cores / 28s Thread Processor For Serious Content Creators
Priced at $1399 (you are paying $106.18 per core) and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, the Core i9-7940X is one of the higher end offerings of this lineup and aimed dead center at content creators. Since no gamer is going to need more than 8 cores (and even that is debatable!) this entire lineup is targeted at the content creation industry which needs to do compute intensive tasks. The Core i9-7940X features a Turbo Max 3.0 Boost of 4.5 GHz while base clock is set at 3.1 GHz. It features 14 MB of L2 cache as well as 19.25 MB of L3 cache. All other specs including quad channel DDR4 and TDP remain the same.
The Intel Core i9-7920X: Intel’s 12 Cores / 24s Threads Processor for Content Creators
Priced at $1189 (you are paying $99.083 per core) ) and featuring the Skylake-X architecture, the Core i9-7920X is one of the more value oriented offerings for VR and content creators. Priced at a relatively affordable level and still offering almost 3 times the core count of what you would usually get from a mainstream Core series (till the last generation), this particular processor is going to be a fan favorite. It features a Turbo Boost Max 3.0 of 4.5 GHz (same as its elder siblings) and an 2.9 GHz base clock. 12 MB of L2 cache is complimented by 16.5 MB of L3 cache. It features 44 PCIe lanes as well as quad channel DDR4-2666. The TDP is lowered to 140W.
ASRock has been paying lots of attention to the feedback provided by customers of the X299 platform and redesigned their boards for Intel Core-X processors. The X299 Extreme 4 came slightly later in the roadmap but sorted out some major issues that plagued the initial X299 motherboards.
You will note in this review that the X299 Extreme4 comes with a solid design compared to the first version of the X299 Taichi, another motherboard designed by ASRock. Priced far less than the X299 Taichi at just $189 US, the ASRock X299 Extreme4 comes with a aluminum alloy heatsink featuring heatapipe design, an 11 phase power design that is powered by dual 8 pin connectors and lots of re-management of the power delivery system for best support on Core-X processor family. ASrock did fix the issues on the X299 Taichi too in the latest variant which is known as ASRock X299 Taichi XE that is listed here.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 Motherboard Features:
- Supports Intel Core X-Series Processor Family for the LGA 2066 Socket
- 11 Power Phase Design, Dual Power Connectors
- Supports DDR4 4200+(OC)
- XXL Aluminum Alloy Heatsink & Heatpipe Design
- 3 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x1, 1 M.2 Socket (Key E)
- NVIDIA Quad SLI., AMD Quad CrossFireX
- 8 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
- 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 10Gb/s (1 Type-A, 1 Type-C)
- 6 USB 3.1 Gen1 (2 Front, 4 Rear)
- Intel Gigabit LAN
- 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec)
- Supports Purity Sound. 4 & DTS Connect
- ASRock RGB LED
ASRock X299 Extreme4 Motherboard Product Gallery:
The ASRock X299 Extreme4 motherboard comes inside a standard cardboard package. There isn't much involved in the packaging and the design is kept consistent with ASRock's Extreme line up of motherboards with the whole blue and black design language.
The Front has various marketing logos. The board name is listed boldly on the front along with the company title "ASRock". There are other marketing logos that include Intel X299 Inside, Intel Core-X series, NVIDIA SLI, AMD Crossfire, RGB LED and Intel Optane Memory support.
The back of the box contains all the marketing details along with product specifications. Most of the marketing tags have already been detailed by us in the “Features” section above. As can be seen, this board is loaded in features.
The Extreme4 packs extreme value when it comes to features. This motherboard has almost all the features of the high-end motherboards that cost more than $200 US. Some important highlights include Dual Ultra M.2 slots, 11 phase power design, M.2 Key E for WiFi support, dual 8 pin power connectors and a solid heatsink design.
Inside of the package isn't the most tidiest considering this is a budget oriented motherboard. The motherboard is contained within a anti-static wrapping and bordered with foam material to avoid any damage. The accessories are scrambled on the top most section. Full list of accessories are as follows:
- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- 4 x SATA Data Cables
- 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card
- 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
- 1 x WiFi Bracket
Out of the box, the motherboard has a very unique design and layout. The motherboard sticks to the ATX form factor regardless of all the features and additions that ASRock has made to their high end X299 product. The motherboard comes with a lot of goodies that we are going to talk about in the next section.
ASRock's X299 Extreme4 is a solid board on first inspection. The design and layout has been vastly improved by ASRock on their X299 series and Extreme4 carries everything you should expect of a high-end Intel HEDT motherboard. Being a standard ATX form factor motherboard, it can be noted that there are a lot of features crammed into this board. The color scheme isn't all bling bling and that's a good thing, rather than focusing on cosmetics, ASRock paid focus to what needed more attention and they got a lot right on this motherboard.
The board uses the LGA 2066 socket to support Intel Core-X series processors. The socket is compatible with both Intel Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors. You can note that while the total pin count has increased, the socket dimensions remain largely similar to the previous LGA 2011 socket. The socket has a protective cover out of box which can easily be removed when installing the processor.
The motherboard packs a 11 Power phase design to power the socket. The motherboard is outfitted with premium 60A power chokes, premium memory alloy chokes and a dual-stack MOSFET (DSM) design that provides extreme lower Rds(on) 1.2 mΩ, so the power supply for the CPU Vcore is more efficient. ASRock is also using the finest Nichicon 12,000 hours rated black capacitors and a high density glass fabric PCB that allows protection against electrical shorts.
The CPU is supplied power through dual 8 pin power connectors. This will feed the CPU with up to 300 Watts of power. Most Intel CPU’s will be shipping with TDP’s of 140W but that changes when users overclock, that changes power limit based on applied voltages and clock speeds. This was a much needed change that was highlighted on the initial X299 motherboards that had stability and power issues when it came to supporting the higher-end Core-X processors.
The VRMs are cooled by an updated XXL Aluminum Alloy heatsink . The heatsink is colored silver and is very beefy and has a metallic silver "X299" logo etched in the middle. The heatsink is fitted with heatpipe design that ensures effective heat dissipation from the MOSFETs.
The motherboard has a total of eight DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 128 GB (Quad Channel) and 64 GB (Dual Channel) Non-ECC, un-buffered memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 4200+ (O.C) MHz. Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.
Expansion slots include three PCI-Express 3.0 x16, a single PCI-Express 3.0 x1 and dual M.2 slots. The board can support 2-Way multi-GPU (CrossfireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCI-e Gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory. Only a CPU that offers 44 lanes can deliver full x16 operation on two SLI or Crossfire configured discrete GPUs.
ASRock has featured their Steel Slot technology on the expansion slots. Not only do these slots offer a solid cover plate for high-end cards but it also prevents from any sort of signal interference. Such slots are ideal for modern generation of graphics cards such as the MSI GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X which takes up three slots and puts a lot of weight on the PCIe slot.
The supported types for the M.2 socket are 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242 and 2230. M.2 slots offer up to 32 GB/s link speed compared to just 6 GB/s on SATA 3 bus. All M.2 slots can operate at full x4 (32 GB/s) speeds, provided that enough PCIe lanes are available. Otherwise, users will have the choice to select from PCIe and SATA 3 modes.
A third M.2 slot can be found next to the audio jack and that operates as a WiFi E key port. It can support type 2230 WiFi and Bluetooth module and as such, ASRock provides a antenna bracket if you wish to run a WiFi module. It is a good functionality for users who want to use wireless options on this motherboard.
The X299 PCH is housed beneath a metallic heatsink with ASRock logo and label embedded on it. The heatsink is a edged block with various cuts in silver and white on top of it. The PCH heatsink also emits RGB LED which can be controlled manually through ASRock's RGB LED software.
Storage options include eight SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 8 different storage devices at a single time. There is also a single U.2 port. The motherboard supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 configurations but to enable that, you have to buy a separate RAID key from Intel and supported only on Core i9 series processors that can address up to 20 bootable drives.
Following is a list of all internal connectors on the motherboard:
- 1 x Virtual RAID On CPU Header
- 1 x TPM Header
- 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- 2 x RGB LED Headers
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 2 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x Chassis Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 2 x 8 pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
- 1 x Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin)
- 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 1 x Performance Mode / Easy OC Header
In terms of audio, the ASRock X299 Extreme4 is equipped with the latest Purity Sound 4 system that comes with the Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec offering 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection. Features of the Purity Sound 4 include Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps, 120dB SNR DAC with Differential Amplifier, TI NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier for Front Panel Audio Connector (Supports up to 600 Ohm headsets), Pure Power-In, Direct Drive Technology, PCB Isolate Shielding , Impedance Sensing on Front Out port, Individual PCB Layers for R/L Audio Channel, Gold Audio Jacks and 15μ Gold Audio Connector.
The motherboard comes with a single USB 3.0 front panel header, dual USB 2.0 front panel headers and a RGB LED strip header. One interesting feature about this motherboard is that the CMOS battery isn't located in the center of the board but rather right below the 24-pin ATX power connector which is much more easier to access.
The I/O on the motherboard includes a PS/2 port, a PS/2 keyboard port, 1 Optical SPDIF port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 (Type-A + Type-C) ports, 4 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 1 RJ-45 LAN port with LED, a Clear CMOS button and a HD audio jack. All USB ports come with ESD protection out of box.
The other board I am testing today is also made by ASRock and is one that is primed as their top overclocking oriented product. The ASRock X299 OC Formula is the work of several engineers over at ASRock and also the child of ASRock's in-house overclocker, Nick Shih, who has contributed his expertise in designing a motherboard that is geared at overclockers.
While covering the features of X299 Extreme4, I talked about the redesign that went in to X299 boards. The same design philosophy can be seen on the X299 OC Formula but it takes things up a notch over the X299 Extreme4. It wouldn't be wise comparing these two motherboards considering that the X299 Extreme4 falls under the $200 US segment while the X299 OC Formula is aiming over the $350 US segment. Given the price point, there's definitely a lot to cover regarding this board so let's get started with the feature overview.
ASRock X299 OC Formula Motherboard Features:
- Supports Intel Core X-Series Processor Family for the LGA 2066 Socket
- 13 Phase CPU Power Design + 2 Phase Memory Power Design, Dr. MOS
- Supports Quad Channel DDR4 4600+(OC) Memory
- 5 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 3.0 x4, 1 PCIe 2.0 x1
- NVIDIA 4-Way SLI, AMD 4-Way CrossFireX
- 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec), Supports Purity Sound 4 & DTS Connect
- 8 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
- 3 USB 3.1 Gen2 (1 Front Type-C, 1 Rear Type-C, 1 Rear Type-A)
- 6 USB 3.1 Gen1 (2 Front, 4 Rear)
- Dual Intel Gigabit LAN
- ASRock RGB LED
- Hyper BCLK Engine III
- OC Formula Kit, Nick Shih's OC Profile
ASRock X299 OC Formula Motherboard Product Gallery:
The ASRock X299 OC Formula motherboard comes inside a large cardboard package. The front of the box comes in a unique silver and black color scheme and there's an easy-to-carry plastic handle on top of the motherboard/
The Front has various marketing logos. The board name is listed boldly on the front along with the company title "ASRock". There are other marketing logos that include Intel X299 Inside, Intel Core-X series, RGB LED and Intel Optane Memory support.
The back of the box contains all the marketing details along with product specifications. Most of the marketing tags have already been detailed by us in the “Features” section above. As can be seen, this board is loaded in features.
The X299 OC Formula comes with a plastic cover on the front which can be opened to reveal the motherboard through a plastic mirror. There's additional features listed on the flip cover which highlight the various overclocking features of this motherboard. These features include a high-end PCB design that is fitted with a 13+2 phase power delivery system, tons of OC friendly switches and Nick Shih's custom oc profiles can be found in the BIOS. This motherboard is a LN2 OC certified product and has broken various overclocking world records.
The motherboard comes with various accessories that are listed below. The case is enough to protect the board from any harmful materials while shipping and the accessories are nicely put underneath the board compartment. Full list of accessories are as follows:
- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- 4 x SATA Data Cables
- 1 x ASRock 3-Way SLI-3S1S Bridge Card
- 1 x ASRock 3-Way SLI Bridge Card
- 1 x ASRock 4-Way SLI-S111 Bridge Card
- 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_3S Card
- 1 x Motherboard Backplate
- 2 x Screws for Ultra M.2 Sockets
- 1 x Jumper Cap for BIOS B Select Jumper
Out of the box, the motherboard has a very unique design and layout. The motherboard sticks to the ATX form factor regardless of all the features and additions that ASRock has made to their high end X299 product. The motherboard comes with a lot of goodies that we are going to talk about in the next section.
ASRock's X299 OC Formula reeks of high-end on first inspection. The design and layout has been vastly improved by ASRock on their X299 series and OC Formula carries everything you should expect of a high-end Intel HEDT motherboard. Being a standard ATX form factor motherboard, it can be noted that there are a lot of features crammed into this board. ASRock has used a light grey and black color scheme on this motherboard and one particular section on the right side of the board is unique in design which we will detail later.
On the back of the motherboard, we can see that ASRock has equipped the motherboard with a large LGA 2066 retention bracket. This is true for all X299 motherboards and the larger than usual retention bracket is to support beefy coolers on the X299 platforms.
The board uses the LGA 2066 socket to support Intel Core-X series processors. The socket is compatible with both Intel Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors. You can note that while the total pin count has increased, the socket dimensions remain largely similar to the previous LGA 2011 socket. The socket has a protective cover out of box which can easily be removed when installing the processor.
The motherboard packs a 13+2 DigiPower phase design to power the socket. The motherboard is outfitted with premium 60A power chokes, premium memory alloy chokes and Dr.MOS design. ASRock is also using the finest Nichicon 12,000 hours rated black capacitors and a high density glass fabric PCB that allows protection against electrical shorts.
The CPU is supplied power through and 8+4 pin power configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 225 Watts of power. Most Intel CPU’s will be shipping with TDP’s of 140W but that changes when users overclock, that changes power limit based on applied voltages and clock speeds. This was a much needed change that was highlighted on the initial X299 motherboards that had stability and power issues when it came to supporting the higher-end Core-X processors.
The VRMs are cooled by an updated XXL Aluminum Alloy heatsink . The heatsink is colored silver and is very beefy and has a metallic silver "X299" logo etched in the middle. The heatsink is fitted with heatpipe design that ensures effective heat dissipation from the MOSFETs.
The left hand heatsink is a solid aluminum block which makes contact with the memory power phases. This allows cool and stable operation for the memory specific power delivery system under overclock and normal loads.
The XXL heatsink supports up to 450W CPU with airflow. These extra-large aluminum alloy heatsink along with heatpipe make sure that heat is effectively dissipated from the MOSFET, so that the whole system may perform more stable.
ASRock's DR.MOS design features the latest SPS (Smart Power Stage) technology. It’s optimized for monitoring current and temperature of each phase, thus delivering smoother and neater power to the CPU with enhanced performance and OC capability. The 8 Layer PCB comes with 4 sets of 2 ounce copper inner layers, providing stable signal traces and power shapes and delivering lower temperature and higher energy efficiency for overclocking. Other quality features include Premium 65A power chokes, Nichicon 12,000 black capacitors and a high-density glass fabric PCB. The power design allows for up to 720A and 1300W support.
The motherboard has a total of four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 64 GB (Quad Channel) and 32 GB (Dual Channel) Non-ECC, un-buffered memory. These slots are rated to support XMP profiles up to 4600+ (O.C) MHz. Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation.
The reason for having four DIMM slots instead of the normal eight DIMM slots is that this is a OC oriented motherboards which can take full potential of one DIMM running per channel. This allows for extreme memory overclocking and this motherboard is rated to support DDR4-4600 MHz as such.
Expansion slots include five PCI-Express 3.0 x16, a single PCI-Express 3.0 x4, a single PCI-Express 3.0 x1 and dual M.2 slots. The board can support 4-Way multi-GPU (CrossfireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCI-e Gen3 x4 and Intel Optane series memory. Only a CPU that offers 44 lanes can deliver full x16 operation on two SLI or Crossfire configured discrete GPUs. There's a additional 6-pin power connector just to power the expansion slots if need be.
ASRock has featured their Steel Slot technology on the expansion slots. Not only do these slots offer a solid cover plate for high-end cards but it also prevents from any sort of signal interference. Such slots are ideal for modern generation of graphics cards such as the MSI GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X which takes up three slots and puts a lot of weight on the PCIe slot.
The supported types for the M.2 socket are 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242 and 2230. M.2 slots offer up to 32 GB/s link speed compared to just 6 GB/s on SATA 3 bus. All M.2 slots can operate at full x4 (32 GB/s) speeds, provided that enough PCIe lanes are available. Otherwise, users will have the choice to select from PCIe and SATA 3 modes.
One of the M.2 slots is located right under the PCH heatsink while the other rests on the top side of the same heatsink.
The X299 PCH is housed beneath a metallic heatsink with ASRock logo and label embedded on it. The heatsink is a edged block with various cuts in metallic silver color. The PCH heatsink also emits RGB LED which can be controlled manually through ASRock's RGB LED software.
Storage options include six SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s running off of the PCH and 2 SATA III ports running off of the Asmedia ASM1061 controller. These can support 8 different storage devices at a single time. There is also a single U.2 port. The motherboard supports RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 configurations but to enable that, you have to buy a separate RAID key from Intel and supported only on Core i9 series processors that can address up to 20 bootable drives.
Following is a list of all internal connectors on the motherboard:
- 1 x Virtual RAID On CPU Header
- 1 x TPM Header
- 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- 2 x RGB LED Headers
- 1 x Voltage Control Header
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 2 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x Chassis Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector) (for Motherboard)
- 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector) (for Motherboard)
- 1 x 4 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector) (for Motherboard)
- 1 x 6 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector) (for PCIe graphics card)
- 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
- 1 x Right Angle Front Panel Audio Connector
- 1 x Thunderbolt AIC Connector (5-pin)
- 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 1 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Header (Supports 2 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.1 Gen2 Header (ASMedia ASM3142)
- 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
- 1 x Power Button with LED
- 1 x Reset Button
- 1 x Retry Button
- 1 x Safe Boot Button
- Rapid OC Buttons: +/- buttons to adjust OC frequency
- 1 x Menu Button
- 1 x PCIe ON/OFF Switch
- 1 x Post Status Checker (PSC)
- 1 x Slow Mode Switch
- 1 x LN2 Mode Switch
- 1 x BIOS B Select Jumper
ASRock also provides overclocking specific features on this board in the form of notches and buttons. These can be found over the top right corner of the motherboard. These include a power button, a reset button, a retry button, a safe boot button, rapid OC buttons to adjust overclocking frequency, a menu button to access the BIOS instantly, a PCIe on/off switch, a slow mode switch, a LN2 mode switch, a BIOS B select jumper and the much useful Dr.Debug LED.
In terms of audio, the ASRock X299 OC Formula is equipped with the latest Purity Sound 4 system that comes with the Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec offering 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection. Features of the Purity Sound 4 include Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps, 120dB SNR DAC with Differential Amplifier, TI NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier for Front Panel Audio Connector (Supports up to 600 Ohm headsets), Pure Power-In, Direct Drive Technology, PCB Isolate Shielding , Impedance Sensing on Front Out port, Individual PCB Layers for R/L Audio Channel, Gold Audio Jacks and 15μ Gold Audio Connector.
The motherboard comes with a single USB 3.0 front panel header, dual USB 2.0 front panel headers and a RGB LED strip header. One interesting feature about this motherboard is that the CMOS battery isn't located in the center of the board but rather right below the 24-pin ATX power connector which is much more easier to access.
The I/O on the motherboard includes a PS/2 porrt, a SPDIF port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 ports (Type-A + Type-C), 4 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, Dual RJ-45 LAN ports (Intel I219V, Intel I211AT), a BIOS flashback button and a Clear CMOS button along with a 7.1 channel HD Audio jack. All USB ports come with ESD protection out of box.
ASRock X299 OC Formula Motherboard Picture Gallery:
For the latest testing spree, I will be using the Intel Core i9-7920X processor which is a 12 core and 24 thread chip which operates at a base clock of 2.9 GHz and goes up to 4.3 GHz with turbo boost 3.0 technology. I will be running the G.Skill supplied Trident Z RGB series memory kit which comes in the 32 GB capacity, that is four sticks of 8 GB each, clocking in at DDR4-3600 MHz. Since both of the motherboards can push the memory beyond 4000 MHz, I will be checking out overclocking per board performance in this review too.
ASRock X299 Test Bench:
| Processor | Intel Core i9-7920X (12 Core / 24 Thread) Processor |
|---|---|
| Motherboards | ASRock X299 Taichi XE ASRock X299 Extreme4 ASRock X299 OC Formula ASRock X299 Taichi ASUS PRIME X299 Deluxe ASUS X299-E ROG STRIX |
| Power Supply | Corsair AX1200i PSU |
| Solid State Drive | Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB) |
| Memory | G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz |
| Video Cards | ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti STRIX OC |
| Cooling Solutions | Corsair H115i PRO AIO Liquid |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit |
The Intel Core i9-7920X isn't a chip that is easy to overclock but both motherboards proofed that they can handle overclocking with ease. On the ASRock X299 Extreme4, the maximum stable OC I reached was 4.4 across all 12 cores with a voltage of 1.243V and a maximum memory overclock of 4133 MHz was stable on this board.
On the ASRock X299 OC Formula, I pushed the same chip to a stunning 4.6 GHz across all 12 cores with just 1.259V. I was able to reach 4.8 GHz too but it wasn't stable in many applications and required around 1.2688V to boot. Memory overclock ended with top frequency of 4200 MHz on the X299 OC Formula which is a good enough with a supply of 1.5V.
3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
3DMark Firestrike CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
Blender
Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus and many more.
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
WinRar
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
X264 HD Encode Benchmark
This benchmark measures the encoding performance of the processor. It offers a standardized benchmark as the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - Ashes of The Singularity
Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historic genre. The game incorporates several things that many pc amers have been curious about and anxious to try for themselves such as Explicit Multi-Adapter Support and full Asynchronous Compute under DirectX 12 API. We tested the game at 1440P with 4x MSAA on Crazy Settings under DirectX 12.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard – Battlefield 1
Battlefield 1 is the kind of game that doesn’t need any real introduction. The latest installment of the Battlefield series is as beautiful as anyone would expect and comes right out of the gate with full DX11 and DX12. EA and DICE did a fantastic job with their AAA WW1 shooter this time by implementing some key gaming technologies. We tested the game at 1440P using Ultra settings and DirectX 11 API.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - DOOM
In 2016, Id finally released Doom. My testing wouldn’t be complete without including this title. It's a hell fest featuring fast paced FPS action and tons of demons to kill. The latest title is based on both Vulkan and OpenGL APIs that take advantage of the latest multi-core and multi-GPU upgrades.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - GTA V
GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - Mass Effect Andromeda
Being a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, I was highly anticipating the arrival of Andromeda to store shelves. Now that it’s here, I put the fastest gaming card to the test. Using Frostbite, the latest Mass Effect title looks incredibly gorgeous and the open world settings on the different planets immerses you a lot.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - Rise of the Tomb Raider
The latest Rise of the Tomb Raider title gets lots of graphical enhancements added by Crystal Dynamics and Nixxes, including hardware tessellation, increased anisotropic filtering, additional dynamic foliage, increased LOD, additional PureHair strands, sun soft shadows, and improved bokeh DOF. We tested the game at 1440P under DirectX 12 API.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - Sid Meir's Civilization VI
Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It's featured huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. It uses a more fleshed out engine that now supports DirectX 12 capabilities. We tested the game with every setting maxed out (4x MSAA, 4096x4096 shadow textures) at 1440P in DirectX 12.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 and X299 OC Formula Motherboard - Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 once again takes us on a hacking tour, but this time in the city of San Francisco. Using a very evolved version of the OPUS engine the developers should have a better grasp on things this go around than they did with Watch Dogs. The new engine incorporates several NVIDIA Gameworks technologies and is seen as one of the most graphics intensive titles to launch this year. We tested the game on a mix of Ultra and high settings at 1440P (Temporal Filtering Disabled).
When it comes to power consumption, there are a few things we should take note of. First of all, Intel has focused over efficiency for several years but as we have seen, they are starting to loose rapidly at this front. The Intel Core-X processors are based on the new 14nm processors and we know this that Intel generally has a better fabrication process compared to their rivals. AMD is also using a 14nm process from Global Foundries on their Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper and EPYC chips.
All Intel Core-X "Skylake-X" chips are rated at 140W while the Core-X "Kaby Lake-X" chips are rated at 112W. Intel states that the higher TDP not only compensates for higher stock frequencies, but should also provide stable overclocking performance. The latter was true in our testing but we saw higher figures when we ran overclocking. Regardless, you can see the entire system power consumption numbers in the chart below:
The Core-X series processors don't only consume higher power, they also release huge amounts of heat. It's well know that Intel is using a TIM based solution between the IHS and die rather than a proper soldered solution like AMD uses on Ryzen. Intel used proper soldered designs on their last generation HEDT processors but they have done away with it.
This will lead to improper dissipation of heat resulting in higher temperatures. I had to use the highest end liquid cooling solution for proper testing. Even a triple fan Cryorig R1 Ultimate air cooler wasn't able to cool these beasts down so I had to put the Corsair H115i over these bad boys. Results can be seen below:
One thing I noted during my testing was that the VRM temps on the newly tested boards such as the X299 OC Formula, X299 Extreme4 and the ROG STRIX X299-E were really good compared to the PRIME Deluxe and Taichi. These motherboards did release later in the X299 roadmap but got range of improvements such as the power delivery and cooling systems.
ASRock X299 Extreme4 Motherboard
Starting off with the ASRock X299 Extreme4, well I am pleasantly surprised with this offering. The board is aiming the entry level segment on the X299 front but does so many things right that high end X299 products like the ones that initially launched failed to do. The power delivery system for instance, X299 boards that launched on day 1 were mostly blamed for poor power delivery that caused CPU throttling and stability issues on even the 8 core chips. Here, I was running a 12 core chip without any issues whether in stock or overclocked configurations.
The next part I liked about this motherboard is the new XXL heatsink design that ASRock has developed for their X299 motherboards. Both X299 motherboards I was sent by ASRock for this review use the same fundamental cooling design and it does wonders compared to the Taichi. Aluminum heatsink with proper heatpipe cooling make sure that the VRMs don't overheat that could lead to potential system deterioration. Furthermore, the updated power delivery system means that you could reach some good overclocks even on the most entry level of motherboards such as the X299 Extreme4. I had the Core i9-7920X running at 4.4 GHz across all cores stable, I also had the memory running at overclocked frequencies which resulted in a good performance boost in many productivity applications.
Coming to the feature set, the motherboard has it all. It's a killer package when it comes to features as you get abundance of USB 3.1 ports, dual M.2 ports, Intel LAN, Purity 4 audio, a motherboard design that matches almost every PC build and even the option to add in an WiFi module to a third M.2 Key-E slot.
When it comes to expansion slots, the motherboard can support up to two discrete cards in full x16 mode. I tested a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti configuration on my sample board and it ran fine. The two full length PCI-e slots are best for 2-Way Crossfire and SLI support which is the go-to setup these days as beyond that, scalability becomes poor. The 8 SATA III ports are enough for the most high-end storage users.
Without a doubt, ASRock's X299 Extreme4 offers killer value at a price of just $189.99 US which also makes it the most affordable X299 motherboard option available in the market. At the given price, the ASRock X299 Extreme4 puts many high-end and costly boards to shame with a superb feature set and lot's of potential when it comes to overclocking with superior power delivery and cooling system onboard.
You can purchase the ASRock X299 Extreme4 motherboard at this link.
ASRock X299 OC Formula Motherboard
The second motherboard is also an interesting one. Designed by ASRock's in-house overclocker, Nick Shih, this motherboard is targeted at overclockers and does lots of things right in that regards such as the high-end power delivery system, one DIMM per channel memory, OC specific buttons and notches on the motherboard and a quality cooling system.
The 13+2 phase power supply provided me with the highest overclock I have reached on my Core i9-7920X. With 4.6 GHz stable and 4200 MHz, I called it a day. Obviously I could have pushed the system further but this is where I found the sweet spot without breaking the power and temps barrier. The cooling system was a slight upgrade over the X299 Extreme4, making use of a fin stack array on both aluminum heatsinks and the PWM supply was slightly more beefed up to allow for LN2 OCs which this motherboard is officially certified for. Nick Shih's signature on the board gave it a very premium feeling which one should expect out of a quality board like this.
Aside from that, if you look it from a non-overclockers perspective, you'd still find it to be a great motherboard as it rocks all the features you'd expect from a high-end motherboard. It has dual LAN ports, dual M.2 ports, great audio running from the Purity Sound 4 system, RGB LEDs on the PCH, 6 SATA ports, a total of 5 PCI-e slots with support for quad channel NVIDIA SLI and AMD CFX capabilities and lots of USB 3.1 ports.
But at the end of the day, the price of this motherboard is $399 US which was recently cut to $369 US at certain retailers. Even $369 US is a lot to pay for a motherboard. Sure, the X299 OC Formula is a premium board targeting the overclocking niche and it has a nice feature set but when boards like Extreme4 exist, it is really hard to recommend this to a regular customer. At the same time, the OC profiles stored on this board make sure that even those regular users can enjoy overclocked performance without having to mess around with the board while overclockers can have a LN2 joy ride with this product.
You can purchase the ASRock X299 OC Formula motherboard at this link.
Contents
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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