ASUS WS X299 PRO, Intel X299 Mainbaord - Socket 2066 [90SW0090-M0EAY0]

Thanks to its up to 30 HSIO lanes (high-speed input / output) and the maximum of 24 PCI Express 3.0 lanes that can be used, this chipset, with the code name "Lewisburg", proves to be a true all-rounder that enables the simultaneous use of several internal Connections allowed. The ASUS WS X299 PRO workstation motherboard has five PCIe slots and supports AMD's 3-Way CrossfireX and NVIDIA's 3-Way SLI.

The ASUS WS X299 PRO motherboard at a glance:
- 5x PCIe (3.0) x16 (2x x16 / 1x x16 / x8 / 1x x16 / x4 / 1x x4 / x4)
- Support for AMD's 3-Way CrossfireX and NVIDIA's 3-Way SLI
- 3x USB 3.1 (1x type C / 1x type A / 1x internal)
- 6x USB 3.0 (4x type A / 2x internal) and 6x USB 2.0
- 2x M.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4) / 6x SATA 6G, 1x U.2
- 8x DIMM slots for DDR4 RAM (max. 256 GB)

The ASUS WS X299 PRO in detail
The ASUS WS X299 PRO is an extensively equipped gaming motherboard in ATX format that is suitable for gamers and case modders who have opted for an X299 and Skylake-X or Kaby Lake-X team. The stylish, black board has five PCIe x16 slots, two of which are connected to the chipset with full 16 lanes, one electrically with eight and two electrically with four data lines. This means that even NVIDIA 3-way SLI or AMD 3-way CrossFireX configurations are possible when using a 28 or 44 lane CPU. The mainboard is also equipped with two PLX chips.

Equipped with a total of eight DIMM slots for DDR4 memory, a CPU with 28 or 44 data lines allows all slots to be used in quad-channel operation and up to a maximum capacity of 256 GB. A CPU with 16 lanes supports dual-channel operation of four slots with a maximum capacity of 64 GB. Officially, DDR4 modules with up to 2,666 MHz can be used, although significantly higher clock rates are possible after overclocking: up to 4,133 MHz!

For data carriers, the board provides extensive equipment with two M.2 slots for particularly fast NVMe M.2 SSDs and a U.2 slot, which are also connected via PCIe 3.0 x4, as well as six SATA 6G connections for 3.5-inch or 2.5-inch hard disks and SSDs (including RAID support) are available. The M.2 ports are connected to the chipset via four PCIe lanes in 3.0 standard and, in combination with the NVMe protocol, enable a data transfer rate of just under 4 GB / s. M.2 PCIe SSDs are up to eight times faster than SATA 6G SSDs!

External connections
There are numerous useful connections on the mainboard I / O panel that should make life easier for the user. In addition to a USB 3.1 port of type C, which is particularly thin and can be plugged in on both sides, the board has an additional, downwardly compatible USB 3.1 port of type A. Thanks to the ASMedia controller, maximum speeds of up to to 16 Gbit / s, which is more than three times as fast as conventional USB 3.0 connections. Of course, the board for input devices and other gaming peripherals also has six USB 3.0 and another six USB 2.0 ports.

The ASUS WS X299 PRO also has two Intel Gigabit LAN ports for unrestricted network connections. The Realtek ALC S1220A 7.1 codec and a total of five audio ports ensure decent sound. This workstation mainboard also has the Aspeed AST2500 chipset, which is used for management and has its own video output in the form of an internal header. There are also a total of six connections for 4-pin PWM fans or pumps and a 5-pin header for fans. A 4-pin header for RGB-LED lighting is also available.

Technical details:
Format:
- ATX form factor (30.5 x 24.4 cm)
- Chipset
- Intel X299 ("Lewisburg")
- Base:
- 2066 (for Intel CPUs of the Skylake-X and Kaby Lake-X generation)
- R.A.M:
- 8x DDR4 (Intel Core-X series from 6 cores: DDR4-4.133 (OC); up to 256 GB)
- 4x DDR4 (Intel Core-X series from 4 cores: DDR4-4.133 (OC); up to 64 GB)
- Slots (physical):
- 2x PCIe 3.0 x16
- 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (electrical x8)
- 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (electrical x4)
- 1x PCIe 3.0 x4 (electrical x4)
- Compatible multi-VGA configurations: 3-Way-SLI * (Triple-GPU), 3-Way-CrossFireX * (Triple-GPU)
- Internal connections:
- 6 SATA 6G
- 1x M.2 (M-Key, PCIe 3.0 x4, 2242/2260/2280/22110)
- 1x M.2 (M-Key, PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA, 2242/2260/2280)
- 1x U.2 (PCIe 3.0 x4)
- 2x USB 3.0 (one header)
- 2x USB 2.0 (one header)
- 1x USB 3.1
- 1x Thunderbolt header
- 1x VROC_HW_Key
- 1x EZ XMP switch
- 1x front panel connector
- 1x AUX panel header
- 1x MemOK! Button
- 1x thermal sensor connector
- 1x CPU OV
- 1x power-on button
- 1x Clear CMOS button
- 1x COM port
- 1x PANEL2
- 1x PANEL1
- Fan header:
- 2x CPU fan (4-pin)
- 2x fan (4-pin)
- 1x AIO PUMP header (4-pin)
- 1x pump (4-pin)
- 1x EXT fan (5-pin)
- RGB header:
- 1x 4-pin RGB header
- 1x 3-pin RGB header
- External connections:
- 1x USB 3.1 (Type C)
- 1x USB 3.1 (type A)
- 4x USB 3.0 (type A)
- 4x USB 2.0
- 2x RJ45 LAN port (Intel I210-AT)
- 1x BIOS flashback button
- 1x optical S / PDIF
- 5x audio (Realtek ALC S1220A)
- Power supply:
- 1x 24-pin EATX
- 2x 8-pin ATX 12V
- 1x 6-pin ATX 12V
Equipment:
- manual
- 1x vertical M.2 bracket
- I / O shield
- 1x COM port cable
- 6x SATA-6G cables
- 2x M.2 screws
- 1x support DVD
- 1x 3-way SLI bridge
- 1x SLI bridge
- 1x Q connector
- 1x 2-port USB module
- 1x extension cable for RGB strips (80 cm)