More pictures emerge of ASUS' flagship socket TR4 motherboard for AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors, the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Zenith Extreme X399. Halfway between the width of a standard ATX and an E-ATX motherboard, the Zenith Extreme doesn't appear as crowded around the CPU socket as some of the other socket TR4 motherboards showed off at AMD's Computex 2016 reveal, this June. The CPU is powered by a high-current 8-phase VRM, and to preempt VRM overheating issues as seen on Intel X299 platform motherboards, ASUS deployed an active VRM cooling solution. Heat drawn by the VRM heatsink is transported to a secondary heatsink under the rear I/O shroud by a heat-pipe, which is ventilated by a 40 mm fan, which vents hot air through the rear.

The TR4 socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 128 GB of quad-channel DDR4 memory; and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. Interestingly, these slots are wired x16/x8/x16/x8, even though the Ryzen Threadripper processor features 64 PCI-Express lanes, according to AMD. Other expansion slots include an open-ended PCI-Express 3.0 x4, and an x1 slot. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, two 8-pin EPS, and an optional 4-pin Molex input. Storage includes four 32 Gb/s M.2 slots (two under the detachable chipset heatsink cover, and the other through the included DIMM.2 accessory), a 32 Gb/s U.2 port, and six SATA 6 Gbps ports. The metallic chipset heatsink cover features thermal padding, so it can draw heat from at least one stacked M.2 SSD.

Colorful today rolled out a trio of budget SSD lines. These include the CN600 series, the CN500 series, and the SL500 series. The CN600 series is built in the M.2-2280 form-factor with PCI-Express 3.0 x2 wiring, and is characterized by a heatspreader over the controller and NAND flash chips; the CN500 is also built in the M.2-2280 form-factor, but features SATA 6 Gbps wiring; whereas the SL500 is a conventional 7 mm-thick 2.5-inch drive with SATA 6 Gbps interface. All three drives are available in 240 GB capacities.

The CN600 series drives combine a Realtek RTS5760 controller with TLC NAND flash memory, and offers sequential transfer speeds of up to 800 MB/s, with up to 700 MB/s writes, and up to 50,000 IOPS random reads, with up to 100,000 IOPS random writes. The CN500 series drives, on the other hand, pair a Silicon Motion SM2246EN controller with MLC NAND flash, offering up to 530 MB/s reads, with up to 250 MB/s writes, and up to 70,000 IOPS random reads, with up to 60,000 IOPS random writes. Lastly, there's the SL500 series, which combine Silicon Motion SM2256 controllers with TLC NAND flash, serving up 530 MB/s reads, with up to 450 MB/s writes, and up to 80,000 IOPS random access. The company didn't reveal pricing or availability information.

ASUS today rolled out its second socket LGA2066 motherboard in its extra-durable TUF (The Ultimate Force) series, the TUF X299 Mark 2. The company had shown off this board at the 2017 Computex. A slimmer variant of the TUF X299 Mark 1, the Mark 2 lacks innovations such as the add-on card reinforcement brace the company introduced with the Mark 1. It does retain most of the durability-enhancing component loadout which makes for the TUF moniker.

Built in the ATX form-factor, the TUF X299 Mark 2 draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin ATX power connectors. It conditions power for the CPU using an 8-phase VRM made of durable, high-current chokes and driverMOSFETs. The CPU socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, from which two are full x16 capable and feature reinforcement braces, and a third slot is x8 capable subject to a 44-lane CPU. An open-ended x4 slot and two x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion area.

Colorful today launched its flagship socket LGA2066 motherboard, the iGame X299 Vulcan X, which it showcased earlier at the 2017 Computex. The board is available in two variants based on their color-schemes, white and black. The white model features a white PCB, I/O shroud, and white PCH and VRM heatsinks, while the black variant is almost completely black. Both variants have an identical feature-set. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 6-pin PCIe power connectors, and uses a 10-phase VRM to power the CPU. The CPU is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots.

Storage options include a 32 Gb/s M.2-22110 slot, a 32 Gb/s M.2-2280 slot, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (one each type-A and type-C), six USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel and two by headers); and two special USB 2.0 ports on the rear panel which are optimized for gaming input devices, with additional electrical stabilization. Of its two gigabit Ethernet connections, one is driven by an Intel i211-AT controller, and the other by Realtek DragonLAN 8118AS. Audio includes a Realtek ALC1220 CODEC with 120 dBA SNR; a headphones amp, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. The board features dual-BIOS with manual switching, and a host of overclocking features. The company didn't reveal EU pricing.

ECS took to Computex to showcase seven different motherboards from both AMD and Intel. First up we have the Z270 Lightsaber, which is great at deflecting laser blaster shots. It's an LGA 1151 socket motherboard, features 8-channel audio courtesy of a Realtek ALC 1150 audio chip, a Killer E2500 Gigabit controller, 1x M.2 slot with support for SATA, NVMe, and Intel Optane. There are 3x PCIe x16 slots, which work at x8 x8 x4 when all slots are populated, as is usual with Z270 motherboards.

GIGABYTE showed off what could be the company's most affordable socket LGA2066 motherboard, the X299-UD4. It features a minimalist design with features the platform provides. Built in the ATX form factor, the board draws power form a single 8-pin EPS connector, besides 24-pin ATX. The CPU is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, besides three out of the five PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots. Two of the slots are electrical x4 and wired to the PCH.

Storage connectivity on the X299-UD4 includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots, and eight SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports (both type-A), and eight USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel, four by headers). Networking includes a single GbE connection driven by an Intel i219-V controller, and audio is care of a Realtek ALC1220 (120 dBA SNR) codec with ground-layer isolation and WIMA capacitors. It wouldn't surprise us if this board goes for under $200.

ADATA showed off a pair of mainstream M.2 PCI-Express SSDs, which could form the gateway to M.2 drives for those wanting a little more than SATA drives, and a price slightly above the fastest SATA solutions. The lineup consists of the XPG SX6000 and the XPG SX7000. The XPG SX6000 is based on a Realtek RTS5760 DRAM-less controller, mated to 3D TLC NAND flash. Available in capacities of 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB, the drive serves up sequential speeds of up to 850 MB/s reads, with up to 850 MB/s writes, which is still higher than the fastest SATA drives, and its 570-ish MB/s rated speed. Add to this, the drive supports the NVMe protocol, and takes advantage of its huge command-queue depth.

The XPG SX7000 is positioned above the SX6000, and features Silicon Motion SMI2262G controller with a DRAM cache, mated with 3D TLC NAND flash. Available in the same capacities as the SX6000, the drive serves up over double its read performance, with up to 1,800 MB/s reads, yet the same 850 MB/s writes. ADATA had a live CDM session in its booth, and visitors could ask them to run the benchmark live, as you could see the drives in an open-air bench.

ASUS showed off its PRIME X299-A socket LGA2066 motherboard. The PRIME series consists of ASUS' mainline motherboards, and a consistent product design theme follows through the entire lineup. We reckon that the PRIME X299-A will be the "entry-level" socket LGA2066 offering by ASUS, topped by the PRIME X299-PRO and PRIME X299-Deluxe. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board draws power from 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and a 4-pin ATX power connector. It uses a simple 8-phase VRM to condition power for the CPU. The LGA2066 socket is wired to eight DDR4 DIMM slots, in addition to three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/x16/NC or x16/x8/x8). Two close-ended PCI-Express 3.0 x4 and an x1 slot make for the rest of the expansion.

Storage connectivity includes two 32 Gb/s M.2 slots (one 80 mm and the other 110 mm), and eight SATA 6 Gb/s. There's just the one gigabit Ethernet interface driven by an Intel I219-V controller, and an onboard audio solution featuring Realtek ALC1220 (120 dBA SNR) CODEC, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. This board could be priced around the $200 mark.

ASUS today introduced its RGB LED-rich implementation of AMD's mid-tier B350 chipset, with the ROG STRIX B350-F Gaming motherboard. This socket AM4 motherboard built in the ATX form-factor, this is one of the rare few B350 chipset based boards to feature two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots wired to the AM4 SoC, and x8/x8 lane switching, something B350-based boards generally lack. Don't expect SLI support, though. You can still install CrossFireX with not just these two slots, but also the third x16 (electrical x4) slot wired to the chipset. Three x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the SoC using an 8-phase VRM.

Storage connectivity on the ROG STRIX B350-F Gaming includes one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot with NVMe booting support, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. USB connectivity includes two 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports (both type-A, rear panel), and six 5 Gb/s USB 3.0 ports (four on the rear panel, two by headers). Networking is care of an Intel I211-AT gigabit Ethernet controller. The ROG SupremeFX onboard audio solution is powered by a Realtek ALC1220 CODEC (up to 120 dBA SNR), mated with two headphones amplifiers, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. Besides the RGB LED-lit ornament on the chipset heatsink, the board features two RGB LED headers, controlled by the ASUS Aura Sync RGB software. The company didn't reveal pricing, although we expect it to be around the $140 mark.

MSI today introduced the B350 Gaming Plus, a gaming-grade socket AM4 motherboard based on the mid-range AMD B350 chipset. Built in the ATX form-factor, the board is based on the same PCB as the B350 Tomahawk, and draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the AM4 SoC with a 6-phase VRM. The AM4 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, with a metal reinforcement brace. The second x16 slot is electrical x4, and wired to the B350 chipset. Two each of PCIe x1 and legacy PCI make for the rest of the expansion area.

Storage connectivity on the MSI B350 Gaming Plus includes four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot with NVMe booting support. USB connectivity includes eight USB 3.0 ports (six on the rear panel including a type-C port, and two via headers). Display outputs include one each of DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI. The onboard audio solution combines a Realtek ALC892 8-channel HD audio CODEC with ground layer isolation, and audio-grade capacitors. Gigabit Ethernet is handled by a Realtek RTL8111H controller. We expect the board to be priced around the $120 mark.

BIOSTAR showed off the industry's first socket AM4 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor, the Racing X370-GTN, based on AMD's top of the line X370 chipset. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 4-pin CPU power connectors, and supports all models of Ryzen processors, although we're curious how XFR will work with such slim power inputs. The board conditions power for the SoC using a 7-phase VRM.

The socket AM4 chip is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2666 memory; the PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, and since this is an SoC, most of the board's connectivity comes from the processor, too. This includes two out of the board's four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, a 32 Gb/s M.2 slot (reverse side, unseen), 2-4 USB 3.0 ports, and the display I/O. The X370 chipset puts out two additional SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and wires out the HD audio (115 dBA SNR CODEC), and a Realtek DragonLAN GbE controller. The company didn't reveal availability details.

Apparently some Bitcoin miners haven't moved on to ASIC-based mining rigs. For these, BIOSTAR unveiled the TB250-BTC, a motherboard with a number of PCI-Express slots, so you can cram in as many GPUs/ASIC cards as possible. Since mining isn't a bandwidth-heavy application, a number of PCI-Express 3.0 x1 slots besides an x16 slot wired to the CPU, should live up to the task. The TB250-BTC is built in the ATX form-factor, and is based on the Intel B250 Express chipset, with support for Core "Kaby Lake" processors out of the box.

The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, a SATA-power, and two optional 4-pin Molex power connectors, to stabilize power delivery to the add-on cards. It uses a simple 7-phase VRM to condition power for the CPU, which is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, and one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports and one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot. 6-channel HD audio and gigabit Ethernet driven by a Realtek RTL8111H controller, make for the rest of it.

Colorful Technology Company Limited, professional manufacturer of graphics cards and motherboards, is proud to announce its latest motherboard for enthusiasts and gamers featuring the latest Intel Z270 chipset to support LGA1151 processors including the newly announced 7th generation Core processors from Intel with their new iGame Z270 Gamer. Customization motherboard. This latest products joins the family of iGame enthusiast and performance series of motherboards and graphics cards which focuses on not just the needs of gamers for a faster and robust system but serves as a canvas to promote their creativity and idea with great customization options.

Gigabyte announced six new Z270 motherboards as part of its Aorus product line - and all of them feature RGB LED lighting and swappable LED overlays. Apparently, Gigabyte opted for the standardization of their RGB Fusion LED lighting up and down their Aorus product line - all of the boards have at least two areas that are RGB LED backlit, including a space on the right edge beside the RAM slots. This RAM RGB lighting can be removed and replaced with different overlays according to the users' taste, and each motherboard is also equipped with a LED strip header. Dubbed the Z270X-Gaming 9, Z270X-Gaming 8, Z270X-Gaming 7 , Z270X-Gaming K7, Z270X-Gaming 5, and the Z270X-Gaming K5, these Gigabyte Aorus motherboards are quite well-rounded, as you can see after the break.

Realtek have recently updated their High Definition Audio drivers. Version 2.80 of the drivers brings some overdue improvements to the table, at least when it comes to the time frame of their release: Windows 10 is now supported, and there are some mysterious "customizations" added. Codecs ALC255, ALC235 and ALC867 where also added, and support for Windows 8.1 was improved.

You can grab the drivers from Realtek's own site, right here.

After announcing earlier this week the impending release of their VR Go backpack, ZOTAC has now made pricing details available: $1999 will net you the ability to strap a PC to your body so you can freely engage with enemies or friends alike in VR environments.

The ZOTAC VR GO can work autonomously for up to two hours, feeding on two Li-ion batteries rated at 95Wh (6600mAh). The batteries can be hot-swapped and charged separately, featuring a DC12V-out for powering the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. When not in use as a backpack to play virtual reality games, the VR GO can be used like a normal desktop computer: its form-factor allows it to be placed on a desk either vertically or horizontally and all the ports will remain accessible. It isn't very heavy, either, though at 4.95 kilograms, your mileage may vary.

ASRock rolled out the H110M-DS/Hyper, an entry-level socket LGA1151 motherboard for gaming PC builds on a shoestring budget. The company is positioning this board as a gaming-grade product, with a cooled CPU VRM, and an all-solid-state capacitor design. The board is based on the Intel H110 Express chipset. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a 4+1 phase VRM.

The CPU socket is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4-2133 MHz memory; and one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The only other expansion slot is a PCI-Express 2.0 x1, wired to the H110 PCH. Connectivity is basic, with four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, four USB 3.0 ports (two on the rear panel, two by headers), 6-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet (Realtek RTL8111GR). The only display output is a dual-link DVI connector. The board is driven by UEFI BIOS. Expect a sub-$60 price.

MSI unveiled the 970A-G43 Plus socket AM3+ motherboard. Priced under $100, this board offers a modern feature-set for mid-range gaming PC builds based on AMD FX processors. The board supports socket AM3+ processors with TDP of up to 125W. The board is based on AMD 970 + SB950 chipset. It draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the CPU with a 4+1 phase VRM. The CPU socket is wired to four DDR3 DIMM slots, which support up to 32 GB of DDR3-2133 MHz memory.

Expansion slots include one PCI-Express 2.0 x16, featuring a reinforcement brace; one PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4), and two each of PCIe 2.0 x1 and legacy PCI. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Modern connectivity includes two USB 3.1 (10 Gb/s) ports; two USB 3.0 (front-panel) ports, 8-channel HD audio (Realtek ALC892), and gigabit Ethernet (Realtek controller). The board is driven by UEFI firmware, and supports modern Windows 8.1/10 features.

ASUS today announced B150 Pro Gaming/Aura and B150 Pro Gaming, two new ATX motherboards packed with multiple exclusive features for superior gaming experiences, including gaming-grade SupremeFX and Sonic Radar II audio, gaming-grade Intel Gigabit Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard and GameFirst technologies for fast, safe and lag-free networking - plus awesome illumination technology in B150 Pro Gaming/Aura.

Based on the latest Intel B150 Express chipset and ready for the newest 6th-generation Intel processors, B150 Pro Gaming/Aura and B150 Pro Gaming also deliver gaming-grade cooling with a dedicated water-pump header plus intuitive Fan Xpert 3 controls. The new boards also have the very latest connectivity built in, including both USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A and reversible Type-C, plus NVM Express (NVMe) M.2.

MSI, which debuted its socket LGA1151 motherboard lineup with its Gaming series, launched its first mainline LGA1151 board, the Z170A PC Mate. A departure from the MS-7850 common-PCB, which the company used on various Intel 8-series and 9-series chipsets, the Z170A PC Mate features a boarder form, and covers all the platform basics. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and features a 6-phase CPU VRM. The CPU is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, and one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.

Other expansion slots on the Z170A PC Mate include a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical gen 3.0 x4), wired to the Z170 PCH, three PCI-Express 3.0 x1, and two legacy PCI slots. Storage connectivity includes an M.2 32 Gb/s slot, a SATA-Express 16 Gb/s connector, and six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Display outputs include one each of DVI, D-Sub, and HDMI 2.0 connectors. USB connectivity includes two USB 3.1 ports (both type-A and on the rear panel), and six USB 3.0 (four on the rear panel, two by header), and four USB 2.0/1.1 ports by header. 6-channel HD audio with ground-layer isolation, and Realtek gigabit Ethernet make for the rest of it. The MSI Z170A PC Mate is priced at US $120.

In a bid to regain market share lost to Intel and Killer (Qualcomm) in the DIY motherboard market, particularly with motherboards targeted at online gaming PC builds; Realtek unveiled a new onboard LAN solution called the Realtek Dragon. Intel and Killer have replaced Realtek as a preferred onboard Ethernet chip provider for DIY PC motherboards over the past two generations, as perception of their lower driver overhead, lower latencies, and other advantages spread. Sensing that merely improving drivers for its existing RTL8111 family of PCIe gigabit Ethernet PHY chips won't fix the situation, Realtek sought to give its latest generation an off-beat brand name that it hopes could appeal to the DIY crowd.

At the heart of the Realtek Dragon is the new RTL8118AS, a PCIe gigabit Ethernet PHY, much like the 8111 family. Realtek says it made refinements to the chip over previous generations, which will offer better performance (lower driver overhead) for traffic with small UDP packets, which is how most online multiplayer games work, and lower power consumption than competing solutions, such as the Killer E2200. Realtek even set a new branding for its chip, and will allow motherboard makers to print it on their PCBs, just as they print branding for Killer or Intel onboard LAN solutions. Realtek Dragon will make its debut with certain socket LGA1151 motherboards by ECS.

BIOSTAR is offering the N3150NH motherboard with the on-board Intel N3150 1.6G Quad-core processor, using a Mini-ATX form factor with a size of 17x17cm, builders are able to make creative designs for many different uses that fit into small enclosures.

The N3150NH boards comes with the Intel Celeron N3150 1.6G Quad-core processor with turbo boost up to 2.08G already installed and it supports up to 8GB Memory for DDR3L-1600 OR 16GB Memory for DDR3L-1066. With the integrated GPU, watching HD content and playing games is no sweat. Expansion includes 1 PCI-E 2.0 slot. Indeed, the N3150NH board is ready for building all kinds of multimedia systems with its HDMI and analog VGA-out, and high definition audio with the Realtek ALC662 6 Channel HD Audio chip.

Here's one of the first pictures of ASRock's flagship socket LGA1151 motherboards from its mainline Z170 Extreme series, the Z170 Extreme7. This board offers an exhaustive feature set, and should appeal to gamers and overclockers alike. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, with no other auxiliary inputs. The LGA1151 socket is wired to four DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4-3200 MHz memory; and three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4); the fourth PCIe x16 slot is electrical x4, wired to the PCH. There's also an mPCIe slot; which will seat a WLAN+Bluetooth card on the /ac variant of this board.

The Z170 Extreme7 is the first motherboard to feature three M.2 slots, all three of which are PCIe gen 3.0 x4 (32 Gb/s). Other storage options include three SATA-Express 16 Gb/s, and ten SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The board features two USB 3.1 ports, one each of Type-C and Type-A; and eight USB 3.0 ports, four on the rear panel, four by headers. Display outputs include one each of dual-link DVI, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2. The onboard audio is an ASRock designed Purity Sound III solution, which combines a Realtek ALC1150 CODEC with ground-layer isolation, a headphones amp, and audio-grade capacitors. Other features include dual-BIOS (manual switching), and a high-quality plastic sheath running along its I/O area.

ECS unveiled two socket LGA1151 motherboards based on the Z170 Express chipset, under its L337 line of gamer-centric products - the ATX Z170-Claymore, and the micro-ATX Z170-Blade (pictured in that order). The two pictured below are pre-launch versions, the company didn't finalize their heatsink design or color-scheme. The Z170-Claymore features a 12-phase CPU VRM, four DDR4 DIMM slots, and five PCI-Express x16 slots. Of these, three are wired to the CPU (x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4); and two are gen 2.0 x4, wired to the Z170 PCH. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s, one SATA-Express 16 Gb/s, one M.2, two USB 3.1, six USB 3.0, Realtek-made gigabit Ethernet and HD audio, and 2-way SLI support. The Z170-Blade, on the other hand, is a micro-ATX board with a 9-phase CPU VRM, two PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (x16/NC or x8/x8), one PCIe 2.0 x1, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, an M.2 slot; 6-channel HD audio, and gigabit Ethernet, making up the modern connectivity. Two USB 3.1 and six USB 3.0 ports make for the rest of it.

The past two generations of motherboards saw the onboard HD audio finally get a quality leap it deserved, as motherboard makers addressed the shortcomings of onboard audio in dealing with heavy gaming and audiophone headsets. We've seen things like a 115 dBA SNR CODEC by Realtek (ALC-1150), ground-layer isolation, de-pop circuits, audio-grade electrolytic capacitors, and headphones amps become essentials for today's high-end motherboard onboard audio solutions. It looks like MSI is trying to push that envelope even further with Audio Boost 3 Pro, a new onboard audio solution making its debut with the X99-GODLIKE Gaming, which could also feature on some upcoming high-end LGA1151 motherboards by the company.

To begin with, the solution consists of two separate DACs. An ESS Sabre 124 dBA SNR chip handles the front-out and headphones out channels; while a Realtek ALC1150 (115 dBA SNR) handles other analog channels in a 7.1-channel setup. The way this works is that the Realtek chip is wired to the HDA channel of the PCH, while offloading select channel D/A conversion to the Sabre chip. Further downstream to this chip is a 600Ω headphones amplifier chip by TI. Even the other analog channels have amplifier circuits. Signal loss is prevented by Nichicon Muse electrolytic capacitors. The CODEC and DAC are capped by an inner EMI shield, and the board's outer metal shroud; and is isolated from the ground-layer of the rest of the board. This solution also features Nahimic, a sound quality enhancing DSP used in the defense and aerospace industries. All analog jacks feature gold-plating. Digital outputs include optical TOSLINK. Unrelated to the audio solution, the X99-GODLIKE also features a special USB port meant for headsets, that has additional electrical stabilizers.