After a long wait, Asus has finally launched its ROG Rampage IV Black Edition X79 motherboard. This motherboard is intended to be used with Intel's HEDT CPUs, in this case the Ivy Bridge-E CPUs that go wild in the LGA2011 socket.
The motherboard features four PCIe x16 3.0 slots, two PCIe x1 slots, and a total of eight memory slots for a grand total of 64 GB of RAM.
The special features of the board include VRM circuitry, SupremeFX Black audio technology, as well as the speedy Intel Gigabit Ethernet.
The VRM circuitry is built using NexFET MOSFETs, 60 Amp chokes, as well as 10k black Japanese-made capacitors. All of this is cooled by a hefty black heatsink.
SupremeFX Black is effectively a Hi-Fi audio card onboard. It features ELNA audio capacitors and high-quality DACs and op-amps, making for a stunning 120 dB signal-to-noise ratio. It also supports Asus' ROG Sonic Radar, which is an on screen overlay for games, that will visually show you where the sounds in the game originate.
Of course, the motherboard also has support for CrossFireX as well as up to 4-way SLI. Users can also use Asus' ROG OC Panel. Almost all of the standard kit featured in the X79 chipset is also present.
While Asus gave no official MSRP, the motherboard is available for pre-order on NewEgg for $499.99, and will ship beginning November 19.