ASUS ROG Rampage VI Apex Review

Conclusion

We’ve long held that one of the main reasons our results are so much more important than some other websites is our continuity of test hardware. Whilst other sites chop and change so you can never quite work out which bit is producing the higher scores, we’ve always used identical hardware so that any differences are purely the benefits – or otherwise – of the thing actually being reviewed. With the ROG Rampage VI Apex we’ve found the first item that really made us regret our insistence upon consistency, because clearly the H110i AIO CPU cooler just isn’t good enough to let the Rampage VI unleash its full potential wit5hout a delidded processor. So often we came up against thermal throttling that you only caught glimpses of its real capabilities. This waqs 100% a CPU issue though and the cause being the bad thermal paste used between the IHS and the actual CPU die.

Such glimpses can be found in all of the memory tests, where the Rampage VI Apex was comfortably ahead of the competition. Equally the CPU tests which don’t saturate the cooler showed insane results such as the Gears of War 4 CPU FPS which was 50 FPS higher than any other X299 motherboard we’ve reviewed.

What really takes home the prize is the overclock though. 4.7 GHz. When you’re dealing with a twenty thread CPU any improvement at all takes a huge amount of underlying capability to attain, so the Rampage strolling 100 MHz past any other X299 we’ve looked at really emphasises how much potential there is. With a delidded CPU we are convinced that it would have happily gone still further. Dropping it down to our test overclock for purely thermal reasons you got the feeling that it spent the majority of its time twiddling its thumbs and awaiting a stern test.

Of course this is a premium product with a hefty price tag, but we know that many people like to go big on their motherboard just to futureproof themselves. Cast your eye over our test setup – a not insignificant set of hardware – and you’ll see that the average user just wont be able to stretch the capabilities of the Rampage properly. If that’s you, then the Strix-E has enough to keep you happy. If, however, you’re looking to blow the budget on premium hardware everywhere including a custom water-cooling arrangement and de-lidded CPU then there is no doubt at all that the ASUS Rampage VI Apex will reward you more than any other motherboard on the market.

As long as you understand that you need a system which has no compromises anywhere, no weak links, then the ASUS Rampage VI Apex will take you to heights hitherto undreamed of and thus wins our OC3D Enthusiast Award.

  

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