EK Launches Full Cover Waterblock for Maximus VI Extreme

Even though the X99-E WS motherboard is listed as a workstation offering by ASUS, don’t let that classification fool you. The X99-E WS has many of the same features found on ASUS’ enthusiast-level motherboards. Particularly appealing to the gaming crowd is its quad-SLI/CrossFireX support at x16/x16/x16/x16 speeds. There are a host of other unique and intriguing features the X99-E WS offers that should appeal to the enthusiast and gamer alike. So, let’s find out if this latest offering from ASUS is worthy of consideration in the increasingly crowded X99 motherboard market.

I have been wanting to take a closer look at full board blocks for some time now and the Rampage III Extreme looked to be a good candidate, knowing several water block companies would be producing blocks. Asus was open to the idea and graciously provided us with a test board to beat on. But keep in mind, this is not a motherboard review but a look at water cooling the board and VRM’s and what is available on the market.

The phrase “top of the line” can often be a loosely used term when describing a product. In the case of the Rampage IV Black Edition motherboard, ASUS makes no bones about it being just that. There have been several improvements made to enhance this X79 based board since the the Rampage IV Extreme was released a little over a year ago. Most importantly perhaps is the optimized design to fully support the new Ivy Bridge-E socket 2011 processors. As is the case with anything ASUS slaps the ROG name on, you can expect an enormous amount of features and great aesthetics to top it off. Initial impressions tell a story of much more than a simple X79 refresh going on here, so let’s check it out!