Fast forward to 2014 and ASUS has again upped the ante with the Rampage IV Black Edition. Since the X79 platform was released back in 2011, Intel has delivered another CPU (IVB-E) for use on the platform that opens up some additional tuning opportunities. Sure, you get the standard platform basics, and you can get these on just about any board out there, but for an ROG board just any average feature set would not do. ASUS' Extreme Engine Digi+ III all-digital voltage control sees an update with Black Wing chokes, 90% efficient NextFET MOSFETs, and 10K Black Metallic Capacitors. The board, as you might have surmised by the name, now gets the black out treatment with just a little red thrown in for good measure. ASUS takes an all-new approach to the cooling system for the Extreme Engine Digi+III power components through the use of a new heat sink design that wraps around the I/O ports for a unique look to go with the added cooling functionality.

The biggest change we see from the RIVE is the sound solution that can rival the sound quality you get from several of the discrete audio cards on the market. Things like Cirrus Logic CS4398 DAC, WIMA film capacitors, a stainless steel EMI protection cover, ELNA® premium audio caps, and a TPA6120A2 Hi-Fi headphone amp that all help to deliver that improved sound quality the end user is after.

At $499 the Rampage IV Black Edition is clearly designed for the end user looking for a specific feature set. The Rampage IV Black Edition delivers all the performance and overclocking features you could ever want wrapped up in a board that seems right at home in the office or in a custom water cooled, quad GPU-equipped high end gaming machine. Let's see what sets this board apart from the standard (if you could call it that) Rampage IV Extreme.