Does ASRock Have Better Value?
When we compare added features between ASRock’s $231 X99M Extreme4 and EVGA’s $249 X99 Micro, we come up with a virtual wash. ASRock adds a second network controller while EVGA adds USB 3.0, and the X99M Extreme4 is cheaper.
We can only recommend EVGA's X99 Micro to those who really want to run DDR4-3000, because everyone else will find better value in ASRock's X99M Extreme4. But what about the company's sibling product, the Fatal1ty X99M Killer?
At $250, the Fatal1ty X99M Killer outperforms the X99 Micro barely enough to overcome its $1 price penalty. That’s insignificant. It also adds a Killer E2200 PCIe network controller in the secondary position, beating the specs of other products in the above comparison (though this is probably significant to only a small portion of buyers). It also includes three months of premium XSplit service, which itself only matters to gamers already interested in the service. At a minimum, the features and services that some buyers want are worth more than its price difference.
Either of ASRock’s X99M series is capable of standing up to, and even dethroning EVGA’s X99 Micro in value. Because the X99M Extreme4 has the most value for most users, I’m even giving it our value award!
Because the Fatal1ty X99M Killer’s enhanced network controller and temporary software license will appeal only to a select few builders, I’m labeling it with our stamp of approval.
