| ASUS Rampage IV Formula Gene Motherboard |  |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Motherboards | |
| Written by Hank Tolman | |
| Monday, 26 March 2012 | |
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Page 16 of 16
ASUS Rampage IV Gene ConclusionIMPORTANT: Although the rating and final score mentioned in this conclusion are made to be as objective as possible, please be advised that every author perceives these factors differently at various points in time. While we each do our best to ensure that all aspects of the product are considered, there are often times unforeseen market conditions and manufacturer changes which occur after publication that could render our rating obsolete. Please do not base any purchase solely on our conclusion, as it represents our product rating specifically for the product tested which may differ from future versions. Benchmark Reviews begins our conclusion with a short summary for each of the areas that we rate. The ASUS Rampage IV Gene performs just as well as the Rampage IV Formula in our tests. It definitely sits right there at the top of the charts for almost every test. There is no question that an upgrade to the Rampage IV Gene will get you higher performance under extreme circumstances. The question lies in whether or not you need that performance boost for what you are doing. Without the possibility of more than four DIMMs or more than two GPUs, is it really worth upgrading? I'm not so sure. The gaming performance on the ASUS Rampage IV Gene is top notch, though, with GameFirst keeping ping low and the Intel Ethernet controller keeping your connection strong. The appearance of the ASUS Rampage IV Gene motherboard fits the bill for your standard Republic of Gamers motherboard. The heatsinks on the Chipset and VRM are stylized in a no-nonsense, professional manner. There's a ROG logo on one of the heatsinks and the ASUS logo on the Chipset heatsink. The motherboard doesn't look bad, but it's not the looks that sell the Republic of Gamers motherboards anyway. 
The ASUS Rampage IV Gene motherboard, like all the other ROG motherboards, is very solidly constructed. The Extreme Engine DIGI+ II is built on Japanese 10K Black metallic capacitors. According to ASUS, these have a lifespan five times that of solid capacitors, the industry standard component, and they also have better efficiency and higher stability at high temperatures. All of the components on the ASUS Rampage IV Gene are designed to last. In reality, the functionality of the ASUS Rampage IV Gene is what keeps me from writing this motherboard off as a viable option. If you want Sandy Bridge Extreme capabilities for your gaming rig, or especially if you are into overclocking but are on a little bit of a budget, you won't find more options for the same price. From absolutely the highest level of control in monitoring and adjusting voltage and overclock levels to the prioritization of your internet connection for gaming to the isolation of the audio CODEC so you get the best sound available, the Rampage IV Gene offers tons of functionality. The Rampage IV Gene motherboard costs around $289.99. That's right up the middle of the road for X79 motherboards. Some less expensive motherboards offer more DIMM slots and full-ATX form factors with 4 usable PCIe slots. They may not have the ROG features, isolated audio CODEC, probe point, or DIGI+ II functionality, however. Of course, many of them might have more USB 3.0 ports and powered eSATA ports as well. In the end, for me, if the ASUS Rampage IV Gene had cost $30 less, I would say it was a good deal. Pros:
+ Enhanced Digital Voltage Tuning Precision, even for VCCSA Cons:
- Only 4 DIMM slots while many most similarly priced boards have 8
- Only 2 USB 3.0 ports on the I/O
- The 1 eSATA port on the I/O isn't powered
Ratings:
Final Score: 8.40 out of 10.Benchmark Reviews invites you to leave constructive feedback below, or ask questions in our Discussion Forum.
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