Asus Debuts Rampage III Extreme Motherboard
Say hello to the hot rod of motherboards.
Looking for that next hot motherboard to pair up with your fancily-cooled GPU and CPU? Asus wants you to take a look at its new Rampage III Extreme motherboard.
As part of the Republic of Gamers line, the Asus Rampage III Extreme uses Intel’s X58/ICH10R chipset with support for the LGA1366 CPUs with up to six cores.
Asus boasts a bevy of features that should please the extreme gamer who likes to tweak his or her hardware to the very limit. As described with great hype from the press release:
Remote tweaking becomes effortless thanks to built-in ROG Connect and RC Bluetooth, giving users the freedom to unchain true hardware potential. That’s only part of the picture, since this board comes with a host of accoutrements, including the outlandish Extreme OC Kit overclocking tool, which takes the concept way beyond the norm. USB BIOS Flashback allows for easy instant flashing of the BIOS, all the better to drive the most spectacular results through multiple GPUs—up to four full graphics cards. R3E contains the latest iteration of Extreme Engine Digi+ voltage modulation technology for purer, more stable power. All these indicate ASUS’ commitment to innovating and foreshadowing demand from users – the result is a motherboard that not only guarantees mind-blowing output, but also great, rewarding fun.
It’s Got the Power
There can be no assurance of awesome performance without solid power management – something every overclocker worth their salt knows. Extreme Engine Digi+, included on the Rampage III Extreme, does just that. It melds all the advantages of analog and digital VRM design to cut on switching latency and improve overall fidelity in the board. Pulse width modulation (PWM) likewise gains in finesse for added board tolerance, paving the way for exploratory overclocking of the way-out-there variety. Heat dissipation is improved 30% over traditional MOSFET, while conductivity has gone up by 40%, both thanks to use of FET+ in construction. Not content with all this goodness, ASUS has taken comments from competitive overclockers to heart and included a newly-designed signal choke that handles up to a humongous 40 amperes.
This bedrock of power makes radical experimentation more than a possibility – it makes it desirable. And because ASUS believes in doing things fast and easy, the aforementioned USB BIOS Flashback is the easiest way to transport BIOS versions or simply flash them from machine to machine. All that’s needed is a USB stick.
Target Benchmark
Few things are as feel-good rewarding as putting a new piece of hardware to the test, then basking in the glow of exhilarating scores. That’s the mindset Rampage III Extreme captures, and it does so with superlative zeal. The OC Kit strikes a formidable pose as an interface to meet the strenuous requirements of even the techiest overclocker, with LN2 mode and a Q reset that addresses cold boot problems and enables fast operation even under very low temps during extreme overclocking. Dual 8-pin power connectors and two 4-pin Molex plugs furnish CPU and GPU with ample room, freeing power while preventing mishaps.
Thoughtful touches encourage inventive testing, the hallmark of true overclocking. For example, convenient PCIe X16 lane signal disabling—users can test each graphics card individually for optimized results. The road to benchmarking fame passes through the Republic of Gamers, and R3E is the ticket.
All Bases Belong to Rampage III Extreme
Drawing inspiration from everything that makes overclocking such a great pastime, R3E takes it to the next level. It’s a dream come true, empowering the art of hardware tinkering like never before. With a thermal design revamped from the ground up, overclocking tools to keep a gearhead happy ad infinitum, gorgeous looks and performance that’s frankly out of this world, the Rampage III Extreme is the only choice for those looking to make every MHz count.
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That is Sexy!
Homina Homina Homina....
CPU socket awfully close to memory slots- big coolers might overhang.
Wonder how they didn't notice that?
This is a very nice looking board. But damn. Designs like this often leave me wondering why they do things that ruin some of it's elegance.
I really hate those 4-pin MOLEX connectors for the graphics cards right in the middle of the thing. It's nearly impossible to hide that wire. And what's with the PCI slot? With the board's 4 PCIe x16 slots clearly indicating this thing's obvious SLI or Crossfire capabilities, odds are it'll end up blocked by the 2nd video card in most builds anyway. Sticking the battery there doesn't seem too bright an idea, either.
God, by don't build a new Crosshair?, some people don't have enough money to a i7 rig or just prefer AMD builds (like me
)
Btw, the mobo looks very good and with support for the i7 six core, will be a killer mobo.
Myeh, if you want a serious mobo, take a look at the EVGA Classified SR-2 the the only thing more serious than this board is the case which you'll need in order to fit it in
I think this is more geared towards those that will use liquid cooling instead of large air cooling.
On a side note, there's a big red "Start" button and a black "Reset" button, and several inches below that the words "Go Button" =) Reminds me of seeing cars with random phrases across their windshields like "Velocity."
I think this is more geared towards those that will use liquid cooling instead of large air cooling.
On a side note, there's a big red "Start" button and a black "Reset" button, and several inches below that the words "Go Button" =) Reminds me of seeing cars with random phrases across their windshields like "Velocity."
That is an awesome looking board but does it need TWO 8-pin ATX connectors or am I seeing it wrong?
I'm sorry but all these "news" stories about specific products (and specifically the way they are written) makes it blatantly clear that Tom's is being paid for these "stories".
I'm sorry but all these "news" stories about specific products (and specifically the way they are written) makes it blatantly clear that Tom's is being paid for these "stories".
What are you talking about? This is obviously a legitimate review of a great product....
That is an awesome looking board but does it need TWO 8-pin ATX connectors or am I seeing it wrong?
I dunno if it needs them, but it's got them...
I only see one 4-pin MOLEX just above the 1st PCIe slot. Where's the 2nd?
That is one SEXY piece of circuitry!!
I dunno if it needs them, but it's got them...I only see one 4-pin MOLEX just above the 1st PCIe slot. Where's the 2nd?
The second one is on the left side of the bottom edge at 90 degrees.
Asus strikes back. I want one. One sexy beast. $500.00 anyone???
heatsinks don't look like heatsinks anymore! now it makes me think that ANY design with fins will have "EXTREME COOLING PERFORMANCE" :\ despite knowing that in most pure engineering cases efficient design will be ugly..
still a good looking board though
I'm sorry but all these "news" stories about specific products (and specifically the way they are written) makes it blatantly clear that Tom's is being paid for these "stories".
This board was reviewed on many cites, and a full video has been up for a while. Tom's is piggy-backing on the reviews as these "official pics" were recently released, though ones from the tradeshow floor have been around for a while. Google it and you'll see a plethora of reviews and info.
The one thing odd is the release date. In the video from the tradeshow floor, the marketing rep said this board would be released to coincide with the Gulftown / Westmere processor. Core i7 980x is available, and there is zero mention of a release date STILL on this board. Odd that Intel drops a bomb, Asus promised a board to support it... then nothing but crickets from Asus about R3E once the chips are available through online retailers, etc.... Maybe once Fermi Ships?... who knows. It just seems they'd want to get this board out and benchmark the hell out of 980x since this targets the same audience.
awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwsome! still thinking of getting this board or the maximus III formula - though the price is still quiet steep - thinking of settling into an AMD 3 build with the crosshair III formula - lol - still going to be a ROG board
Asus should have made it all black.
what's the price ~ planning to get one mate ~
Wow asus..you certainly do put the hard in harddrive.

I want one
wtf is with the molex above the pci-e slot!? Don't they know how irritating it is to route a cable there? Anyone who cares about cable management will cringe when they see that.
Looks really messy. =/
For all of the looks, I dont see an orange or blue USB3.0 output on the board....
WOW... Robot Porn
I advise to stay away from ASUS mobos. I have ASUS III Gene, this MB has 30 sec delay before anything appears on screen, this problem is well known to ASUS support and discussed on forums, but ASUS R&D claims it is "normal". I have computer which looks good on paper, but thanks to ASUS it performs like one from 10 years ago.
Bloodrage anyone?
CPU socket awfully close to memory slots- big coolers might overhang.Wonder how they didn't notice that?
Pfft.
This baby is meant for a waterblock using Gallium instead of silver-based thermal paste. =D
Well, I could wish anyways.
according to TimeToLive, board goes into production this Thursday (25th of March):
Unboxing Video
it has this NOD, from C&C, look to it... very aggressive design enhanced with red and black
They are trying to be like EVGA with the red and black....and they can't go with blues, because then they would be stepping on Gigabyte's colors, they should go with purple and yellow....JMO