TUF Motherboards


Video overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEvU75Twh2c

Over the years the TUF series of motherboards has become known as the de-facto standard for users who want reliability above all else. That’s because the components, feature set and validation process of these motherboards is designed with that in mind – and it’s all backed by a 5 year warranty.


First up, the TUF mainstay Sabertooth, armed with Z87:








Z87 Sabertooth Features



Z87 Sabertooth stability test at 4.8GHz DDR3-2400




TUF Feature Rundown


TUF Armor has been modified with new venting to improve thermal dissipation in hot spots. Air is directed by vents to the back of the motherboard:









Every IO port has dust covers, to help keep things tidy:




PCIe slot dust covers...






The TUF Fortifier- bringing up the rear in style.


To improve motherboard rigidity and thermal dissipation, the Fortifier is placed at the back of the board. For those of you wondering, the Fortifier does not have any special PC case requirements – it’ll fit all cases that are suitable for an ATX motherboard.





TUF Components

TUF motherboards feature components that tolerate wider temperature ranges whilst providing longer lifespan. As an example: Conventional solid polymer capacitors used on motherboards are rated between -55C and +105C, in comparison the capacitors we’re using on TUF motherboards can tolerate temperatures between -70C and +125C. Rated lifespan of these capacitors is up to 5X higher than standard solid capacitors. We team these up with military spec certified MOSFETs and high efficiency chokes to ensure the on-board power delivery circuitry outlasts the lifespan of the platform.




Software - Thermal Radar 2

Tying this all together is attention to thermal control. Specialized software called Thermal Radar 2 rounds out the package to ensure system temps are under control in all circumstances. Thermal Radar II is part of the AI Suite III package and available for TUF motherboards only.

The Sabertooth provides you with no fewer than 8 fan headers. The primary CPU fan header can control both 3-pin and 4-pin fans, while all chassis fan headers will control 4-pin and 3-pin fans in DC mode (3 pin). The lower chassis fan headers are accompanied by thermistor inputs, which can be used with the supplied thermal probes to monitor the temperature of components or peripherals.



Eight fully controllable fan headers



Once fans and probes are setup, use Thermal Radar 2 to calibrate each fan:











Granular fan control – and it’s available for every on-board fan header:



Set gradients for fan speed according to temps




Or set static RPM...




Save your settings to profile or use presets