Now, X58 boards are not new; there are a wide range on the market to suit many preferences and needs. But the Sabertooth is part of the ASUS TUF, or The Ultimate Force, series. A play on words, it is indeed "tough", both in styling and fabrication. It looks like military camouflage, with a very unique colour scheme, its components are coated in ceramics, and it's built to military standards. As far as motherboards go, it looks awfully rugged and reminds us of a tank.
Toss in USB 3.0 and SATA 6G, along with a very impressive 5-year warranty, and we've got another premium motherboard from ASUS, right? Wrong. The Sabertooth X58 only costs $200. In the world of LGA1366 and X58 chipset boards, that is dirt cheap. Quite simply, the Sabertooth is a "budget" board. Seriously.
Ah, but what about performance? Most budget boards are cheap for a reason, right? Well, we said today brings something unique. The ASUS Sabertooth X58 might just be the best all-around LGA1366 board we've seen in terms of features, quality, performance, and price.
Features Rather than list every single feature the Sabertooth X58 has to offer, we’ll just focus on the major ones, and we’ll also discuss a few in greater detail later in the review.
LGA1366 Intel® Core™ i7 Ready
This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™ i7 processors in LGA1366 package with integrated memory controller to support 3-channel (6 DIMMs) DDR3 memory. Supports Intel® QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) with a system bus of up to 6.4 GT/s and a max bandwidth of up to 25.6 GB/s. Intel® Core™ i7 processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.
Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support
SABERTOOTH X58 brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful Intel X58 platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations. Expect a brand-new gaming style you’ve never experienced before!
CeraM!X - Heatsink Coating Tech.
Innovative ceramics effectively conducts heat away from the system. It replaces traditional anti-oxidant to dissipate heat better with its microscopic irregular surface and enlarged area. Better cooling leads to overall improvement in system stability.
Fan Xpert
Fan Xpert intelligently allows users to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speed according to different ambient temperature , which is caused by different climate conditions in different geographic regions and system loading.Built-in variety of useful profiles offer flexible controls of fan speed to achieve a quiet and cool environment.
E.S.P. - Efficient Switching Power Design
Exclusively for this motherboard, the switching power design is provided not only for the CPU, but also for other key components such as graphics card, PCI slots, and chipsets. E.S.P. dramatically improves system efficiency and reduces heat generation.
TUF Components (Alloy Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; certified by military-standard)
Get rugged performance even in the most challenging conditions with robust chokes, capacitors, and MOSFETs--certified through third-party, military-grade testing. TUF Chokes, also known as the “Alloy Choke”, is a made of a compound of various types of metal instead standard iron, enables the support of up to a massive 40A of rated current, 25% higher than conventional component. Furthermore, the single piece packaging also eliminates the emission of vibration noise, delivering superb characteristics as well as durability under extreme conditions.
MemOK!
MemOK! quickly ensures memory boot compatibility. This remarkable memory rescue tool requires a mere push of a button to patch memory issues. MemOK! determines failsafe settings and dramatically improves your system boot success. Get your system up and running in no time!
True USB 3.0 Support
Experience ultra-fast data transfers at 4.8Gbps with USB 3.0—the latest connectivity standard. Built to connect easily with next generation components and peripherals, USB 3.0 transfers data 10X faster and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 components.
True SATA 6Gb/s RAID Support
Supporting next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage interface, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0Gb/s data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.
Of this long list, a few critical ones will be explore here in greater detail, but a few others that deserve mentioning are the CeraM!X - Heatsink Coating, TUF military-grade components, and the switching power design; clearly this board is built like a tank. There's also the MemOK! button allows an automatic adjustment of speeds, timings, and voltages after an unsuccessful memory overclock, for example, to avoid cold boots and annoyances.
Specifications Below are the specifications for the ASUS Sabertooth X58:
CPU
Expansion Slots
LGA1366 Intel® Core™ i7 Ready
This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™ i7 processors in LGA1366 package with integrated memory controller to support 3-channel (6 DIMMs) DDR3 memory. Supports Intel® QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) with a system bus of up to 6.4 GT/s and a max bandwidth of up to 25.6 GB/s. Intel® Core™ i7 processor is one of the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.
Quad-GPU SLI and Quad-GPU CrossFireX Support
SABERTOOTH X58 brings you the multi-GPU choice of either SLI™ or CrossFireX. The motherboard features the most powerful Intel X58 platform to optimize PCIe allocation in multiple GPU configurations. Expect a brand-new gaming style you’ve never experienced before!
CeraM!X - Heatsink Coating Tech.
Innovative ceramics effectively conducts heat away from the system. It replaces traditional anti-oxidant to dissipate heat better with its microscopic irregular surface and enlarged area. Better cooling leads to overall improvement in system stability.
Fan Xpert
Fan Xpert intelligently allows users to adjust both the CPU and chassis fan speed according to different ambient temperature , which is caused by different climate conditions in different geographic regions and system loading.Built-in variety of useful profiles offer flexible controls of fan speed to achieve a quiet and cool environment.
E.S.P. - Efficient Switching Power Design
Exclusively for this motherboard, the switching power design is provided not only for the CPU, but also for other key components such as graphics card, PCI slots, and chipsets. E.S.P. dramatically improves system efficiency and reduces heat generation.
TUF Components (Alloy Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; certified by military-standard)
Get rugged performance even in the most challenging conditions with robust chokes, capacitors, and MOSFETs--certified through third-party, military-grade testing. TUF Chokes, also known as the “Alloy Choke”, is a made of a compound of various types of metal instead standard iron, enables the support of up to a massive 40A of rated current, 25% higher than conventional component. Furthermore, the single piece packaging also eliminates the emission of vibration noise, delivering superb characteristics as well as durability under extreme conditions.
MemOK!
MemOK! quickly ensures memory boot compatibility. This remarkable memory rescue tool requires a mere push of a button to patch memory issues. MemOK! determines failsafe settings and dramatically improves your system boot success. Get your system up and running in no time!
True USB 3.0 Support
Experience ultra-fast data transfers at 4.8Gbps with USB 3.0—the latest connectivity standard. Built to connect easily with next generation components and peripherals, USB 3.0 transfers data 10X faster and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 components.
True SATA 6Gb/s RAID Support
Supporting next-generation Serial ATA (SATA) storage interface, this motherboard delivers up to 6.0Gb/s data transfer rates. Additionally, get enhanced scalability, faster data retrieval, double the bandwidth of current bus systems.
Of this long list, a few critical ones will be explore here in greater detail, but a few others that deserve mentioning are the CeraM!X - Heatsink Coating, TUF military-grade components, and the switching power design; clearly this board is built like a tank. There's also the MemOK! button allows an automatic adjustment of speeds, timings, and voltages after an unsuccessful memory overclock, for example, to avoid cold boots and annoyances.
Specifications Below are the specifications for the ASUS Sabertooth X58:
CPU
- Intel® Socket 1366 Core™ i7 Processor Extreme Edition/Core™ i7 Processor Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology
- Intel® X58 / ICH10R
- 6 x DIMM, Max. 24 GB, DDR3 1866/1800/1600/1333/1066 Non-ECC,Un-buffered Memory
- Triple Channel memory architecture
- Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP)
Expansion Slots
- 2 x PCIe 2.0 x16 (dual at x16/x16 mode)
- 1 x PCIe x16 (at x4 mode)
- 2 x PCIe x1
- 1 x PCI
- Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
- Supports ATI® Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
- Intel® ICH10R controller
6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (black) Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10 - Marvell® 9128 PCIe SATA 6Gb/s controller (Drive Xpert Technology):
2 x SATA 6.0 GB/s ports (gray), supports EX Backup and SuperSpeed functions - JMicron® JMB362 SATA controller:
1 x Power eSATA 3Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go)
1 x eSATA 3Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go)
- Realtek® ALC892 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC
- ASUS Noise Filter
- Supports 192khz/24bit BD Lossless Sound
- Supports Jack-Detection, Multi-Streaming, Front Panel Jack-Retasking
- Optical S/PDIF Out port at back I/O
- Realtek® 8110SC Gigabit LAN controller featuring AI NET2
- 1 x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse Combo port
- 1 x S/PDIF Out (Optical)
- 1 x IEEE 1394a
- 1 x LAN(RJ45) port
- 6 x USB 2.0/1.1
- 8 -Channel Audio I/O
- 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (blue)
- 1 x Power eSATA 3Gb/s port (green)
- 1 x eSATA 3Gb/s port (red)
- 3 x USB connectors support additional 6 USB 2.0/1.1 ports
- 1 x IEEE 1394a connector
- 1 x Power Fan connector
- 1 x S/PDIF Out connector
- Front panel audio connector
- COM connector
- System Panel (Q-Connector)
- 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connectors (gray)
- 6 x SATA 3Gb/s connectors (black)
- 1 x CPU Fan connector (4-pin)
- 1 x NB Fan connector
- 3 x Chassis Fan connectors (1 x 4-pin, 2 x 3-pin)
- 24-pin ATX Power connector
- 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector
- 1 x MemOK! button
- "TUF ENGINE!" Power Design
- 8-phase CPU Power
- 2-phase Memory Power
- 2-phase VTT_CPU Power
- E.S.P. : Efficient Switching Power Design
- TUF Components (Alloy Choke, Cap. & MOSFET; certified by military-standard) - "Ultimate COOL!" Thermal Solutions
- CeraM!X Heatsink Coating Tech.
- ASUS Fan Xpert - "Safe & Stable!" Guardian Angel
- MemOK!
- 16 Mb Flash ROM , AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.5, ACPI 2.0a
- User's manual
- 4 x Serial ATA 3.0Gb/s cables
- 2 x Serial ATA 6.0Gb/s cables
- ASUS Q-Shield
- 2 in 1 Q-connector
- 1 x ASUS 3-Way SLI bridge connector
- 1 x ASUS SLI bridge connector
- Multi-language BIOS
- ASUS MyLogo 2
- ASUS EZ Flash 2
- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
- ASUS Q-Connector
- ASUS O.C. Profile
- ASUS Q-DIMM
- ASUS Q-Slot
- ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
- ASUS Q-Shield
- True USB 3.0 support
- True SATA 6Gb/s RAID support
- User's manual
- SLI bridge
- 2 in 1 Q-connector
- 2 x SATA 6Gb/s cables
- 2 x SATA 3Gb/s cables
- ASUS Q-Shield
No comments:
Post a Comment