Asus Debuts Rampage III Extreme Motherboard

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 PowerThere 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 BenchmarkFew 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 ExtremeDrawing 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.

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • Efrayim
    That is Sexy! :P
    Reply
  • polly the parrot
    Homina Homina Homina.... :)
    Reply
  • amabhy
    CPU socket awfully close to memory slots- big coolers might overhang.

    Wonder how they didn't notice that?
    Reply
  • RazberyBandit
    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.
    Reply
  • saint19
    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.
    Reply
  • manitoublack
    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 ;)
    Reply
  • Arethel
    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."
    Reply
  • Arethel
    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."
    Reply
  • ivan_chess
    That is an awesome looking board but does it need TWO 8-pin ATX connectors or am I seeing it wrong?
    Reply
  • 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".
    Reply