Lanes! Where we're goina we don't need Lanes!
Not long ago, we reviewed ASRock's Z97 Pro3, a highly affordable LGA 1150 motherboard featuring the latest Intel Z97 Express chipset. As the name and price hints, ASRock Z97 Extreme9 is from the same stable, but is aimed at someone building a gaming platform.
Using the Z97 for this purpose isn't easy, because Intel, in it less-than-infinite wisdom, blessed it with only 16 PCI-E lanes; enough for one x16 slot or dual x8 configuration. You'd reasonably think that pretty much stuffs the Z97 Express for extreme multi-GPU use but, amazingly, in this design it’s tried to dodge that bullet by using a PEX 8747 PCI-E Bridge. This addition inserts a switching hub into the PCI-E system, allowing for the 16 lanes of PCI-E 3.0 to be remapped to 48 'repeated' lanes.
Where most Z97 boards are restricted to a single x16 slot video card, or two cards using x8 connections, this one has five x16 slots. They're organised into 4x PCI-E 3.0 and a single PCI-E 2.0, allowing for Quad CrossFireX and SLi, should you have the cards and the PSU to drive that configuration.
This lane expansion trick only works because when system is running multiple video cards they're actually getting exactly the same data, so the PEX 8747 can take the data designed for the first x16 and repeat it to the other lanes. We mention this because it won't work with any other scenario; for example RAID controllers.
As clever as this solution is, there is unfortunately a side effect, to do with the Extreme9's other headline a feature, M.2 slots. It has two -one being an M.2_SSD (SATA) and other being Ultra M.2 (x4 PCIe) - but if you use that latter feature, that will take four PCI-E lanes, and force the video system to degrade to 8x operations even with one video card. While that isn't an ideal scenario, the difference is very marginal on PCI-E between x16 and x8 for GPUs.
ASRock isn't to blame for these compromises: this is the direct end-result of Intel kneecapping the Z97 to make its X99 platform seem that much more impressive to workstation builders. Given the cost, however, anyone buying this board will be expecting the full feature set. Here, ASRock doesn't disappoint.
Along with all the PCI-E slots and the M.2 options, you get dual Gigabit LAN, eight USB 3.0 ports and the same number of USB 2.0 ports if you include headers, ten SATA III ports, two eSATA and even a Thunderbolt connector! We’d suggest that last feature is only really of interest to those that own Apple Mac hardware, though.
There are four DDR3 Memory slots that can handle 3200MHz modules if you overclock, and ASRock provides a lovely 12-phase voltage regulator precisely for that job. The only catch is that this board ideally needs a PSU that supports dual 8-pin ATX connectors, or the Hi-Density Power Connector, as it is referred. A software tuning application 'A-Tuning' is provided that you can use to get every last cycle squeezed out of your system, should such things amuse you.
In terms of getting the most out the Z97 platform, ASRock deserves some sort of medal, because this is the nicest Z97 board we've yet seen, but, here's the rub: if you can afford to buy four identical video cards, then you can probably spring for an X99 motherboard, LG А 2011-v3 processor and DDR4, realistically. With the X99 you get 28 PCI-E lanes to do whatever you like with, rather than having to work with a (admittedly very handy and clever) fudge to make it seem that way.
As Z97 motherboards go this is very impressive, though it costs at least twice what you can get a more modestly featured design for. Therefore, it only represents a worthwhile upgrade If you've already got a good LGA 1150 processor, memory and video cards that you'd like to exploit. If you're starting from scratch, we would heartily recommend you save your money until you can pick up an ASRock X99 Extreme6 instead. Mark Pickavance
A fantastically featured, but ultimately expensive, Z97 motherboard.
Features
• Supports 5th and 4th Generation Intel Socket 1150 Xeon/Core i7/l5/l3/Pentium/Celeron Processors
• Digi Power, 12 Power Phase design. Multiple Filter Cap (MFC)
• Nichicon 12K Platinum Caps (100% Japan made high quality conductive polymer capacitors)
• Premium Alloy Choke (Reduces 70% core loss compared to Iron powder choke)
• Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM), NexFET MOSFET
• Supports Dual Channel DDR3 3200+(OC)
• 4x PCI-E 3.0 x16, 1x PCI-E 2.0 xl. 1x mlnl-PCIe
• AMD 4-Way CrossFireX and Nvidia 4-Way SLI supported by PLX PEX 8747 Bridge
• Graphics Output Options: DisplayPort, HDMI
• 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection (Realtek ALC1150 Audio Codec), Supports Purity Sound 2 & DTS Connect
• Dual Intel Gigabit LAN
• 2x SATA Express, 10x SATA3, 1x eSATA, 1x Ultra M.2 (PCI-E Gen3 x4), 1x M.2 (PCIe Gen2 x2 & SATA, Supports 30mm, 42mm, 60mm, 80mm, 110mm M.2 devices)
• 8x USB 3.0 (4x Front, 4x Rear), 8x USB 2.0 (4x Front, 4x Rear), 1x COM Port Header, 1x Thunderbolt AIC Connector
• Supports ASRock HDD Saver Technology, Full Spike Protection, ASRock Cloud, APP Shop, A-Tuning, Full HD UEFI