The ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION just does not disappoint. As the base of a highly clocked 24/7 rig running multiple VGAs and high RAM speeds, few can compare, especially since the board is ready and willing if you want to put your rig under LN2 to break some records, and its large number of built-in profiles are sure to meet every need when it comes time to overlock your memory, so much so that any overclocking difficulties have been removed for those with a little bit of overclocking experience, or none at all. Simply provide ample cooling and those records can be yours after a few clicks.

But that sort of an experience is not for everyone, and while paying $500 for a motherboard is not exactly everyone's cup of tea, the ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION is one of those boards one cannot ignore. The OC Panel is one great addition to the ROG platform I would buy this board to have alone, as I see immediate use for the ROG OC Panel in my day-to-day computing routine, and its ability to work with Z87 ASUS ROG products after a firmware update makes it an invaluable tool in my arsenal. I do use this board in my personal rig for work now. I think that in and of itself says everything I want to say here.

The ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION definitely takes the cake for me when it comes time to overclock hard, handily flaunting its ability to push the limits while also filled with features most gamers will enjoy. The high-end ROG SupremeFX BLACK audio solution, ASUS's ROG OC Panel, and everything else in the box comes together to perfectly match the needs of any high-end user, so much so that it is still hard to find the board in stock, although it launched several weeks ago. The ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION has been snatched up faster than stores can keep it in stock. Bringing that much excitement to what many consider a tired platform that is over two years old is not something that can be ignored, and for that, I have to congratulate ASUS on a job well done.

So, OK, I have to be honest here. You are probably wondering why I took a board that is clearly intended for IVB-E and tested it with SNB-E? Well, there are many users out there with older X79 Express boards, and I do feel that if you want to get the best, looking into the ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION as a possible upgrade to breathe new life into your system is a good idea. Users in such a situation will likely already have an I7 3820 or i7 3930K. So here is what those users can expect: SandyBridge-E pulls significantly more power than IvyBridge-E, so only a 3960X will suffice when it comes time to really push the capabilities of the VRM in an attempt to figure out how tough this board really is. You may even want to hesitate a moment before making this purchase if you already have ASUS's RAMPAGE IV EXTREME, but the new features the BLACK EDITION brings to the table (Audio, Wi-Fi and LN2 memory optimizations) might be worth it if you have money burning a hole in your pocket and don't expect a much higher overclock or more per-clock performance. I will use this ASUS RAMPAGE IV BLACK EDITION board with IVB-E to post a bunch of numbers in an upcoming 4960X review I am working on now – so be sure to keep your eyes on the front page if that is what you are after!