ASUS have opted for a black and white trim colour scheme on the X99-S and X99-Deluxe boards, presenting something a little different for those who like to show off their systems. For a slightly cleaner look whip off those serial number stickers, but don’t forget to keep them somewhere safe.



The swiftest glance at the underside reinforces just how much componentry is crammed into the X99-Deluxe. The paint finish, even here, is still of a high quality, and we’re pleased to note the inclusion of a metal backplate for the top-most VRM heatsink.

You can also see from this shot that ASUS uses different screw holes for the white I/O shield than the motherboard mounting holes, which was something of a flaw we found when reviewing the MSI X99S GAMING 9. Good to see that ASUS have gone with something a little more user-friendly.



The white PCH heatsink will draw eyeballs in any system, but unlike competitor models this heatsink is connected to another (just above the top-most PCI-Express slot) via a heatpipe, aiding cooling of these components through better heat distribution. Note that that system isn’t connected to the other heatsinks above and to the left of the socket.

Just below the PCM is a set of additional switches controlling EPU, TPU, PCI-Express graphics and boot device configurations. By aiding in the diagnostic and configuration process these switches are significant in troubleshooting complex system configurations (both in hardware and power economy settings).



The ASUS X99-Deluxe is an alternative aesthetic option for those not looking for the ever more common black and red livery of a premium gaming laptop, nor the drab colouring of a typical mainstream entry. Even so, by cramming this amount of technology into an ATX form factor they’ve come up with a decidedly busy layout with plenty of componentry on show; rather than a blank canvas, it’s a motherboard you have to more carefully build around. Still, right out of the box or with a high-end water cooling setup, it won’t be difficult to create something really attractive to the eye.

Just… be careful with those stickers.