Drive and Audio Performance Results

My drive- and audio testing differs a bit from the rest of our testing for several reasons. First of all, when it comes to drive-performance comparisons, nearly every platform on the market is very close to all the others, with newer platforms out-performing older ones naturally, while most products also provide external drive-controllers that vary in functionality as well as the standard chipset-based interfaces. Tying this all together would only have the result of making the numbers offered very platform-agnostic. And finally, with audio, we do not list any numbers except for those reported by the product we are testing. This is to provide the most information possible, as each audio CODEC will behave quite differently. Many boards also employ a different CODEC. As such, there is no standard we can use other than the numbers themselves. You can always check our other motherboard reviews to make direct comparisons in audio performance.

I tested each drive interface separately in order to provide you with numbers that are as complete as possible. Employing HDTune Pro for all testing, we tested each drive outside of the OS environment through a separate OS on a separate drive. However, I do use drives with a fair amount of data on both the Crucial M4 128 GB and the Corsair F60 (60% full) to simulate performance in real-world situations. Also new is that all USB 3.0 testing is done via the provided front-panel ports rather than the ports on the rear of the board since front-panel ports are more likely to be used. I also no longer test SATA interfaces using a SATA 3 Gb/s drive since SATA 3 Gb/s functionality is now a legacy item.

HDTune Pro (SATA 6Gb/s)

HDTune Pro (USB3.0 Front Panel)

USB 3.0 performance and SATA 6 Gb/s results were OK, but USB 3.0 performance was a bit underwhelming. I think the results are actually pretty good for Intel X79 Express and only look bad next to the much newer Z87 numbers.

RightMark Audio Analyzer

The audio provided by the ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION is pretty darn good, even better than I expected. Our RMAA results are clearly good, with nearly no noise, accurate audio with near zero distortion, great volume, and just a bit of added bass. I do use a loop-back cable for testing, so these results stand for both output- and input capability, though the numbers do not tell the full story. A few things take some getting used to, like audible clicks when the inline relay engages as the software driver loads and unloads and the automatically installed audio software that can affect output a bit, but that 600-ohm headphone amp really makes a difference if you have stuff that needs it, and the extra volume, clarity, and 3D-staging qualities are more than welcome additions in my noisy house.