First Looks: Intel DX79SI Extreme Series X79 Motherboard

[siopao1984]

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First Looks: Intel DX79SI Extreme Series X79 Motherboard by VR-Zone.com

Today we can preview another X79 motherboard that we have in our labs - the dashing Intel DX79SI (Siler) Extreme Series Motherboard which is part of the Sandy Bridge-E reviewer's kit, and one of the better inexpensive choices when it hits the retail shelves.

The DX79SI (Siler) continues Intel's line of skull themed enthusiast motherboards since the D975XBX (Badaxe). We particularly liked the color scheme and plastic carton box that the motherboard came in.







Only passive cooling heatpipes on this board, which is acceptable as the IOH only has a TDP of <10W. We wonder - If Intel themselves can provide 8 slots (Quad Channel) for memory expansion on their own boards, why do most of the other 3rd party motherboard vendors then just make do with 4 (or god forbid, 6)?





The I/O Panel. Besides the glaring lack of PS/2 connectors (Intel boards have been that way since X38 I think) for the OCD overclockers, we see a CMOS reset switch on the left, a stingy 2 USB 3.0 connectors (provided by a Super Speed capable NEC D720200AF1), 2 Intel Gigabit RJ45 Ports (82579L and 82574L), 6 USB 2.0 ports from the X79 chipset and a vanilla Realtek ALC892 for 8 channel audio.

[siopao1984]

The DX79SI supports triple slot multi-GPU SLi and Crossfire setups, and here are some of the PCI-E 3.0 compliant bridge chips (Pericom 3415ZHE) taking care of things



At the bottom of the board we can see a PORT-80 for POST diagnostics, Power and Reset buttons as well as the other connectors for Front Panel Audio and USB.



The board only has two 6Gbps (blue) + four 3Gbps ports (black), all of which come from the X79 chipset



CPU Socket Area



8 Phase Power



A CHiL8328 handles the power delivery



Color co-ordinated SLi bridges in the accessories



These are not the droids you are looking for.