14 DAY TRIAL // Multi-GPU video configurations are the staple of true top-tier gaming and workstation personal computers, which is why video cards with four functional PCI Express x16 slots are always noticed. ASUS decided to go well beyond that level when it created the X99-E WS motherboard though.
And by going beyond that level we mean that the company has introduced, or at least prepared, a motherboard with not four but seven PCI Express x16 slots.
It means that you will be able to install four graphics cards and still have three slots left for whatever else you may want to add to your computer.
Well, in theory anyway. In practice, it is not quite so simple. You see, even the LGA 2011-3 socket from the X99 Intel chipset has a limit as to how many PCI Express slots it can power.
Or, rather, all Haswell-E Core i7-5000 CPUs have a limit, of 40 PCI Express lanes at most. This means that while it is possible to enable four PCI Express x16 slots, said slots would not function at full might when all are populated.
Thus, at least two PCI Express x16 slots become x8 when quad-SLI NVIDIA setups, or quad-CrossFire AMD configurations, are established.
Also, it would mean that populating four slots with high-end video cards would render the other four unusable, or most of them anyway.
One possible explanation to the motherboard's PCI Express setup is that the grey slots are PCI Express 3.0 and the black ones 2.0 generation, but certain reports do not support this theory. All seven are said to be of the latest generation. That only leaves third-party PCIe controller chips. We can only wait for confirmation at this point.
Besides the heavyweight expansion capabilities (no mini PCI Express slots to be found here, wise guys) there are eight DDR4 memory slots in the product line (expected) and ten USB 3.0 ports, plus eight SATA 6.0 Gbps connectors and dual Gigabit Ethernet interfaces.
Furthermore, ASUS threw in a pair of eSATA ports, Crystal Sound 2 7.1-channel audio, and one SATA Express port (12 Gbps HDDs/SSDs). 12K solid capacitors and ProCool power connectors ensure all the hardware is stable, even at full power loads.
The ASUS X99-E WS ATX motherboard should support both Core i7 5xxx Series and Xeon E5 CPUs and has a price of $499. That can mean either €499 (most likely) or €378 (according to exchange rates).
