ASUS Rampage III Extreme reviewed!

Hi,

just finished my review about the RIIIE on AwardFabrik :cool:

I just wanted to post the most important things here so you get an impression about the board, specially compared to the RIIE.
Some pictures first:

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/7151/65411884.th.jpg http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/8030/60363714.th.jpg http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5115/67096439.th.jpg http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/2710/56162809.th.jpg

more pictures...

Test system:

http://www.awardfabrik.de/images/sto...iew/system.png

Let's compare voltages RIIE vs. RIIIE

http://www.awardfabrik.de/images/sto...evergleich.png

QPI is undervolting quite a lot with QPI LLC disabled (just like it was with RIIE) - booting higher results in higher QPI as booted at lower voltage and raised via TweakIT. As soon as you enable QPI LLC (make sure to have the latest BIOS - 0504 and later!) it will get much more accurate. With 1.350V set in Bios it was 1.31V without and 1.34V with QPI LLC. A feature I really missed on the RIIE so don't forget to set the jumper near the 24pin ATX plug :yepp:

http://www.awardfabrik.de/mambots/co...d0a5870c9e.jpg

Let's compare RIIE vs. RIIIE in 32m

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/773...ghzriie.th.jpg http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9...hzriiie.th.jpg

Let's test some RAM - 6 GB @ DDR3-2250 32m easy, DDR3-2310 1m, DDR3-1900 with 12 GB 32m :up: It could also do CL7 past 2000 - I always had issues with that with my RAMs on RIIE.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/9...2mfinal.th.jpg http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5...dr32250.th.jpg http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/9...8b558aa.th.jpg http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/2...ram32ms.th.jpg http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7986/6c7o6omm.th.jpg

Voltages during that RAM-Testing (kept it around thoose all the time)

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4...ddr2300.th.jpg

Here are my Bios settings under air - so that you have a starting point :toast:

http://www.awardfabrik.de/mambots/co...6a690c6bbe.jpg http://www.awardfabrik.de/mambots/co...48325624b5.jpg

And some friends of mine - the BenchBrothers - already showed that this board also goes sky high under LN2 :hehe:

I can only say that this is one of the best boards I ever tested - great piece of hardware! 3 thumbs up :up: :up: :up:

Can't wait to freeze it myself after all the results I've seen :yepp:

Did you set the QPI LLC jumper enable adj. to the 24pin? ;)
and disable all OCP options?

You're fast, very informative.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinTin

Did you set the QPI LLC jumper enable adj. to the 24pin? ;)
and disable all OCP options?

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OCP Options were enabled as I think under air people won't disable it with this cooling. But you totally got me with that jumper - was set to 1-2 during all tests. So I'll retest this with jumper set to 2-3 - thanks for the hint!!

€dit: Ok TinTin I just wanted to test it but as soon as I set the jumper to 2-3 for enabling QPI LLC it won't boot - will show following screen and reboots. I'll ask my contact at ASUS what this is or has anybody already an idea? The LLC seems to work as I could measure 1.31V while having 1.325V set in BIOS before but it always brings me to that strange rog-fw-update ^^

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/442/u4nl9j3q.th.jpg

nice.. i wish i can get the chance to use RIIIE since i am using RIIE right now.. though i dont have anything to complain.. well.. i can see the beauty of this motherboard..

i really like the ROG connect feature.. and the future proof usb 3.0 and sata 6.0.. for my RIIE.. i need to add the card.. sighhh

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SoF

OCP Options were enabled as I think under air people won't disable it with this cooling. But you totally got me with that jumper - was set to 1-2 during all tests. So I'll retest this with jumper set to 2-3 - thanks for the hint!!

€dit: Ok TinTin I just wanted to test it but as soon as I set the jumper to 2-3 for enabling QPI LLC it won't boot - will show following screen and reboots. I'll ask my contact at ASUS what this is or has anybody already an idea? The LLC seems to work as I could measure 1.31V while having 1.325V set in BIOS before but it always brings me to that strange rog-fw-update ^^

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/442/u4nl9j3q.th.jpg

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It is just like the Vcore Vdroop Load Line Calibration. It reduces the QPI (VTT) Vdroop....! Andre, Nick, and I always enable to prevent droop of VTT. Maybe your CPU don't like too hard VTT! Did you try another CPU? :)

VTT with jumper was exactly the same as before (I just lowered to 1.32V in Bios) - seems something Bios-related or so. Tested VTT up to 1.35V real under air already 32m stable for RAM-testing. The screen I showed always comes up when I set the LLC jumper to 2-3. I aleady asked what this could be and will post info asap :)

This is a great motherboard but if Asus delays it one more time im afraid that i will buy another brand motherboard..

Good review, but just oc why?? no videogame results , no usb or disk speed results..it would be a better review with it..

Cheers

I waited for somebody to ask about that - I had no USB 3.0 device here and 2.0 performance shouldn't be a problem on a board like this. Also no suitable SATA 6 GB device :(
And game-benchmarks is just something I do not really care about - additionally I am usually not testing motherboards so I didn't had any comparisons under equal conditions. So I decided to focus on what this mobo is built for: overclocking :D
There will be others testing USB/SATA/LAN performance and doing some game benches I am sure ;)

€: just got a new BIOS which should fix my problem with QPI LLC :)
€2: new BIOS fixed the problem, now running 1.34V QPI when 1.35V is set in BIOS - thanks TinTin! Updated the QPI part in first post.

WANT

That's awesome.

Thanks for the comparison.

Were you able to test max bclk for this board?

edit, I just noticed 240+ :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SoF

I waited for somebody to ask about that - I had no USB 3.0 device here and 2.0 performance shouldn't be a problem on a board like this. Also no suitable SATA 6 GB device :(
And game-benchmarks is just something I do not really care about - additionally I am usually not testing motherboards so I didn't had any comparisons under equal conditions. So I decided to focus on what this mobo is built for: overclocking :D
There will be others testing USB/SATA/LAN performance and doing some game benches I am sure ;)

€: just got a new BIOS which should fix my problem with QPI LLC :)
€2: new BIOS fixed the problem, now running 1.34V QPI when 1.35V is set in BIOS - thanks TinTin! Updated the QPI part in first post.

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GO GO GO...ROG connect is a killer function for 3D benching! I always boost my GTs to 6.37~6.4G :D
Make more numbers for us! :up:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by [200]

Were you able to test max bclk for this board?
edit, I just noticed 240+ :)

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That 240 is bugged - a known issue with i7 at the bclk limit that happens sometimes. under air I think ~230+ is in there - maybe better under cold, not had the chance to test it yet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinTin

GO GO GO...ROG connect is a killer function for 3D benching! I always boost my GTs to 6.37~6.4G :D
Make more numbers for us! :up:

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http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/7599/77873244.th.jpg

I still fight Q3QP but could get some OK scores in Pifast and 06 for the things I had - I was laughing loud when seeing that 33333 :p: Found a 32m we did in between 3D but that CPU won't like to do that past 6 :( Strong CB-issues with that CPU but compared to my runs on RIIE and Classi that RIIIE seemed to at least run it as good as possible.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/6161/pifasts.th.jpg http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/7136/15050056.th.jpg http://img263.imageshack.us/img263/8027/32m.th.jpg

But when stummerwinter sits next to you on 3. AOCM you just look like a damn beginner - 6200 06 :slobber: We got some nice numbers with the boards there :up:

http://oc-x.de/bench/3D06-39230.jpg

I said it in the news thread, and I'll say it again, I want that Mushkin ram!!!

They look so nice.

With 2 guys I tested another Q3QP which showed some potential but also behaved somehow strange sometimes - it had not really CB issues but didn't liked some voltages...you needed to find a good one and all of a sudden it ran quite ok. we should have tested pifast maybe that would have run at even higher clockspeeds ;) but it was after 36h without sleep so we were fine with it :p:

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/6931/rveoq57n.jpg

yeh, i want some rog connect in action videos pls! :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by saaya

yeh, i want some rog connect in action videos pls! :D

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together with you testing my new DICE CPU pot which I will get in some time - yeah that would be cool ;) :D

where can you download any other bios besides 402

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Deboyzfun

where can you download any other bios besides 402

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Yes SoF were can we find the new bios?

anybody can order one RIIIE in USA then ship to SGP for me? I pay the shipping charges, appeciate your help first. ASUS seling 30% higher price than US in asia region, piss off......

new bios should be available on official support page soon ;)
interesting info: since bios from 31/3 I had 2 more versions and they always saved me some more seconds in 32m :D
so when going for that bench be sure to have latest bios!

Mine just dispatched from OCUK today :up::up::up::up::up:

Will have to wait untill Monday to get it though :(.

Omg omg omgo mogmofom .... I cant wait :(

One more great review ASUS VS EVGA :)
http://www.hwgurus.com/testovi/matine-ploce/153.html

KEEP PUSHING IT

It`s one of the best motherboards, if not the best, I have ever tried.

It`s hard to describe with words, how wicked strong and a pleassure to bench under ln2 the board is.

I just came back home and saw new bios in my mails - popped in 920 just for the fun...bclk testing goes into new round hopefully :D
PS: if anybody needs newer bios just pm me your email :)