Just over a month ago, Intel released its latest Extreme Edition CPU based on its own Haswell architecture for use in new X99 chipset based motherboards. The Extreme Edition socket still retained the designation of the prior socket as LGA 2011, but changed the pin-out and added the v-3 qualifier at the end of the socket name. By doing so, the previous generation Socket 2011 processors will not fit into the new socket. Go figure!

With a new socket comes a new set of motherboards. ASUS' first board out of the gate is the X99 Deluxe, which comes to the end user full of all the innovation and features you have been accustomed to from ASUS over the past few generations. You get ASUS' all-digital Digi+ VRM circuit, a comprehensive software platform that features a 5-way optimization tool, an all new OC socket design to reduce voltage droop, SATA Express and M.2 support, 3T3R WiFi support, an award winning UEFI BIOS, and so much more. As a board designed for use with an Extreme Edition processor, such as the Intel Core i7 5960X, the price tag for an X99 motherboard is a bit higher than we see for standard Deluxe Edition boards from ASUS, coming in at $379. Let's dig in and take a look at what ASUS brings to the table with the X99 Deluxe.