ASUS, EVGA, Gigabyte And MSI Unleash X299 Gaming Motherboards For Intel Core X Domination

Preorders are currently underway for Intel’s new Core X-Series processors, which range from the quad-core, quad-thread Core i5-7640X ($242) to the 8-core, 36-thread Core i9-7980XE ($1,999). These new Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X processors require a brand-new chipset, the X299, and motherboard manufacturers have responded by providing a number of new offerings hitting multiple price points. Luckily, we’ve got a quick roundup of new X299 motherboards from EVGA, Gigabyte and MSI to get you started on your search for the perfect companion for your new Core X processor.

ASUS

ASUS has a total of seven X299 boards at its disposal, with the Republic of Gamers (ROG) lineup leading the way:

• ASUS ROG Rampage VI Extreme
• ASUS ROG Rampage VI APEX
• ASUS ROG STRIX X299-E GAMING - $350
• ASUS TUF X299 MARK II - $260
• ASUS TUF X299 MARK I - $340
• ASUS Prime X299-Deluxe - $490
• ASUS Prime X299 - $310

ASUS’ ROG family is capped off by the ROG Rampage VI Extreme, which was custom-designed to accommodate water cooling setups. It includes a 10G LAN port, 802.11ad wireless support, four reinforced PCIe X16 slots, three M.2 SSD slots, a U.2 connector, eight DDR4 DIMM slots and an onboard Thunderbolt header.

If your needs are more modest, there’s the TUF X299 MARK II, which features eight DDR4 DIMM slots, three PCIe x16 slots, dual M.2 support, and two USB 3.1 Type-A ports. Thunderbolt 3 is supported via an add-on PCI card, but you won’t find onboard wireless connectivity. The reduced feature-set means that pricing is also much lower, coming in at just $260 for pre-orders.

EVGA

So far, EVGA has three X299 boards in its lineup:

• X299 DARK
• X299 FTW K
• X299 Micro

According to EVGA, the X299 has been designed to be the “best overclocking motherboard on the planet”. The company has thrown everything but the kitchen sink at the X299 DARK, including Triple BIOS support, 14-phase digital VRM, 12-layer PCB design, 4-way SLI, Creative Sound Core3D Quad-Core Audio Processor, two Intel GbE NICs, and quad-channel DDR4-4133 support (four slots supporting up to 64GB).

The X299 FTW K also includes 14-phase digital VRM, but “only” features Dual BIOS support. Three-way SLI is supported, and you’ll find Killer E2500 along with an Intel GbE NIC for networking duties. There are eight total DIMM slots on the motherboard, supporting up to 128GB of DDR4-4133 memory.

Finally, there’s the X299 Micro, supporting a 12-Phase Digital VRM, 2-way SLI, and quad-channel DDR4-4133 support for up to 64GB via four DIMM slots. As its name implies, the motherboard features a Micro-ATX form-factor.

Gigabyte

Like EVGA, Gigabyte has three X299 motherboards for HEDT enthusiasts:

• X299 AORUS Gaming 9 - $500
• X299 AORUS Gaming 7 - $400
• X299 AORUS Gaming 3

The X299 Aorus Gaming 9 is the flagship X299 motherboard for gamers, sporting eight DDR4-4333 DIMM slots, 3-way graphics card support, Killer DoubleShot Pro and Intel GbE LAN, Sound BlasterX 720° audio, and RGB FUSION with Multi-Zone Digital LED Light Show.

Gigabyte tones down the lighting effects with the middle-child X299 AORUS Gaming, while the entry-level X299 AORUS Gaming 3 loses much of its USB 3.1 support, drops down to one GbE port and loses out on integrated Wi-Fi.

MSI

MSI has no less than six new X299 motherboards on its roster for the Core X-Series processors:

• X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC
• X299 RAIDER
• X299 GAMING M7 ACK
• X299 TOMAHAWK ARTIC
• X299 TOMAHAWK
• X299 SLI PLUS

We won’t detail all six motherboards here, but we’d like to at least mention the X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC. The motherboard supports up to DDR-4266 memory up to 128GB total via eight DIMM slots and 12-phase DrMOS power design. For those that like over-the-top lighting effects, the X299 GAMING PRO CARBON AC has you covered with RGB Mystic Light. All of your cooling needs are satisfied via six fan headers, and you’ll of course find support for all the latest storage technologies including M.2, U.2 and Intel Optane Memory.