X58A-UD9 vs. Rampage III Extreme, powered by i7 980X - whose crown?
The last page is always about the final word, the summary of experiences, the opinion formed, this cannot be changed much, so we will not try it now.
What is certain is that it is not an ungrateful task to test such high-end, brand new and otherwise poisonous motherboards, because while one is compiling the test configuration, one meditates on the multitude and abundance on the printed circuit board. These models are not aimed at cost-effectiveness, at a good price, but that is clear. These boards are extremely equipped, they can do things that most motherboards are not capable of, they are also technology flagships and tuners ’dreams. There is something else that can be considered here, and that is prestige. In the IT world, they are like the Lamborghini and Ferrari in cars. Almost everyone wants to own them (even if they don’t need it at all anyway), but it’s only given to very few. In this way, the high price is less of a disadvantage, the amounts above HUF 100 further increase the value of prestige and the level, light and brilliance. You can face them a little bit, but that doesn’t mean it’s all about that.
It is also a fact that both manufacturers have exposed themselves waist-high. Perhaps GIGABYTE had a somewhat more difficult task, as of course they were also present in the upper category, but they did not show up with boards like the members of the ASUS ROG series, spiced with premium products and extra services. That’s how the GA-X58A-UD9 arrived at the top of the red, but even he’s somehow different than, say, the Rampage III Extreme. It has a more solid look, is less packed with LEDs, a bit of an attempt to maintain simplicity, but with all the functional stuff you need for a top sheet.
The Rampage III Extreme, as its name suggests, is already the third representative of the Rampage line, coinciding with the always current peak of the ASUS Intel line. Its appearance is a bit bolder, the many LED indicators, the black-and-red color, the square-cut edges result in a cooler look on cooling. Added to this are subtleties like tuning from a mobile phone or notebook via Bluetooth or USB, and we could even list.
The title of the article is, "Whose crown is it?". Well, we can’t answer that question on the last page either, as you can’t tell. In terms of performance, the two models are virtually the same (perhaps Rampage has as many advantages as when Vettel gets out of the corner 3 milliseconds earlier during acceleration than Webber, but then the dice turn around at the next expander). In the field of tuning, unfortunately, we can't change which one can shift the procit to 7980 MHz instead of 7991, for this toyone or Over@locker should be, with liquid nitrogen in their putton, but it is suspected that there is no big difference in this area either, not to mention that the situation may change from BIOS to BIOS. The GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD9 can be purchased for between 135 and 150 thousand forints, depending on the store, while the Rampage can be bought for significantly cheaper, for 105-112 thousand forints. The question is, how much does this difference deter anyone who can buy a motherboard over 100 thousand forints. We don't feel that way. So what decides? Sympathy, brand loyalty. In terms of hardware, there aren’t many differences, just that the UD9 can accommodate up to 4 video cards, while the Rampage can accommodate three. There will certainly be someone for whom this will be the final one, but the latter can also be chosen for a myriad of other reasons. As we wrote, Gigabyte loaded the two nF200 chips onto its motherboard by default, making it more expensive and warmer. ASUS reports that ASUS will solve the "shortage" of nF200s with an expansion card. This, too, will cost money (if so), and we don’t know how the price of the card and card will relate to the Gigabyte solution.
We were delighted to have these models in our hands and on our test bench, plus powered by a processor like the Core i7 980X Extreme Edition, which is currently the most powerful desktop CPU on the market. Due to the prices and the narrow user base, it would not make sense to persuade an editorial offer for these products, but the liked rating goes bold for both GIGABYTE and ASUS prodigy.
GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD9 ASUS Rampage III Extreme
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The GA-X58A-UD9 motherboard was tested by GIGABYTE, while the Rampage III Extreme ROG series board was received from the ASUS representative in Hungary, thank you!
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Thanks to the following sponsors for our permanent test components in this article:
- Kingston HyperX T1 DDR3 1600 MHz 2 x 2 GB Kit - Kingston Representation in Hungary
- Xigmatek NRP-HC1501 - PC Gear
- ASUS 24T1E TV Monitor - ASUS Representation in Hungary
The article was written by s3nki, Med1on and gabi123
