Asus Rampage Extreme (X48) Motherboard

Details
Manufacturer
Category	Motherboards

Introduction Features and Specifications Photos and Pictures Installation and Contents Test Setup, Procedures and BIOS CPU-Z, Everest and System Properties Benchmarks: Sandra Pro XII SP2 Benchmarks: FutureMark Suite Benchmarks: FEAR, Science Mark 2 and Vantage Benchmarks (DX10): Call of Juarez and Crysis Overclocking Verdict and Conclusion

Asus Rampage Extreme ... A name that's rightly given. It's the dream motherboard for the enthusiasts.

 

INTRODUCTION

Asus have been at the forefront of motherboard design and performance for some time. Their range is wide with hardware to suit those with small and large pockets. The Asus ROG Rampage Extreme is a product aimed primarily at the enthusiast, and to those system builders who want to build a performance machine on solid foundations. It also has a price to match (£250 inc.VAT the UK). The motherboard remains the most important component in your PC. An economy based board will likely prevent you from pushing your CPU and RAM to the max. A lower range board will often look like something you have picked up in a bargain bin, it will lack the bells and whistles, and probably lead you to purchasing additional hardware to replace or provide quality audio, and connectivity. The Rampage Extreme looks to meet the demands of the discerning customer who wants both performance and quality.

Right from the off we can see Asus mean business with the presence of high quality components populating the PCB. We have Intel’s X48 Chipset and the inclusion of 16 phase power for the CPU, which will come into its own when overclocking your Intel Dual/Quad core processor. Asus claim that 16 phase has advantages over 8 phase in that it is more effective in terms of voltage/current regulation (less vdroop), is more power efficient, and also produces less heat.

 

 

Anything that can reduce heat has to be a good thing, as too much heat is the main culprit in preventing those high clock speeds and stable systems. There is also the use of high quality Japanese polymer capacitors which

{mosmodule advert3}

are better able to cope with high temperatures associated with an overclocked PC and a hot case. In addition, we see the inclusion of a water block on the North Bridge, which ought to keep the temperature down, but as you will see later on in the review, when not using water, the heat transfer is inefficient, and we encountered very high temperatures. At one point the motherboard shut down as the North Bridge had exceeded 90c!!!! High ambient temperature played a part, but not to the point where if we had quails eggs, I am sure we could have fried it on the heatsink. We also see a very tweakable bios, and those of you who like to overclock in windows, Asus provide the opportunity for you to increase both voltage (including RAM, North Bridge and CPU) and FSB via their TweakIt toggle system.

"Real Power for Real Savings with True 16-Phase Power Design. ASUS´ revolutionary True 16-phase power design utilizes true hardware power regulation to guarantee genuine power efficacy. During heavy CPU loadings, the intelligent power design automatically switches to 16-phases; and conversely during low processing periods, it uses a responsive 4-phase system to power the CPU – raising VRM efficiency. A power design that does not have auto phase switching will be unable to increase power efficiency; and lower VRM efficiency will still drop off the Output Current and result in wasted power and increased heat. The new True 16-phase design maintains an exceptional power efficiency of up to more than 96% – resulting in less power drawn, lower temperatures and excellent delivery of performance in comparison to competing models. With the True 16-phase power design, users will enjoy reduced operating temperatures and extended lifespans of key components such as the CPU and motherboard. http://pk.asus.com/news_show.aspx?id=11786 " 

 

 

The motherboard is crying out for a window resplendent in its Republic of Gamers livery. The North Bridge lights up, as does the supplied X-Fi Audio Card. You have two full speed PCI-E 2.0 slots which will both run 16x for full power graphics performance. Oh and before I forget, the Rampage Extreme is a DDR3 motherboard..

Already the Asus Maximus II Formula is looking very good on paper. With such a rich feature list ... can this motherboard attract the hardcore enthusiasts? And how well will it overclock? One of the main questions I'll be asking is ... what does a ROG motherboard have that differ from Asus's other boards?

 

               

 

Now to Asus’ naming policy. To label a product Rampage Extreme conjures up an image of a marauding beast laying waste to all that stands in its way. As long as it doesn’t lay waste to those valuable components, like a top of the range CPU and DDR 3 Ram then who cares if the competition is trampled under foot.

 - Rampage: To “rush wildly or violently about, …wild or violent behaviour.” (The Concise Oxford Dictionary). 
                    “A period of uncontrolled self-indulgence.” (Roget’s Thesaurus).
 - Extreme:  “Extending far beyond the norm.”

Having pointed out some of the features and raised your expectations a little lets start by looking at the Rampage Extreme in a little more detail.

 

Next - Features and Specifications >