Asus announced that its new X99-E-10G WS motherboard, which had previously been shown in Europe, will soon come to North America. The key feature on this board is its 10 Gbps Ethernet controller.
The X99-E-10G WS is identical to Asus’s X99-E WS/USB 3.1 in almost every aspect, but the primary difference between the two is that the new motherboard uses a powerful Intel X550-AT2 10 Gbit Ethernet controller covered by a heatsink and connected to two RJ-45 ports, whereas the X99-E WS/USB 3.1 has two less powerful 1 Gbit NICs.
Due to the space required for the faster Ethernet controller and its heatsink, Asus was forced to reduce the board’s USB support. The X99-E-10G WS is still equipped with an Asmedia USB 3.1 Gen 2 controller connected to two USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (one Type-A, one Type-C), but it does not have the Asmedia USB 3.0 controller found on the X99-E WS/USB 3.1 motherboard. As a result, the X99-E-10G WS has eight fewer USB 3.0 ports than the X99-E WS/USB 3.1.
The X99-E-10G WS and X99-E WS/USB 3.1 also differ in their storage support. The X99-E WS/USB 3.1 comes with one Asmedia SATA Express controller and one Asmedia SATA 6 Gb/s controller, but the X99-E-10G WS relies entirely on the X99 chipset for connecting storage devices. Overall, this means the X99-E-10G WS has less storage support than the X99-E WS/USB 3.1. The new board does have one advantage over the older board, however, in that it comes with a U.2 port.
The only other notable difference in specs between these two boards is that the X99-E-10G WS has official support for DDR4 clocked at 3,333 MHz. The X99-E WS/USB 3.1 is limited to 3,200 MHz DDR4. Also, the X99-E-10G WS can handle ECC memory at 2,400 MHz, whereas the X99-E WS/USB 3.1 is limited to ECC memory clocked at 2,133 MHz or lower.
It should also be noted that the X99-E-10G WS is considerably more expensive, with an MSRP of $650.
| Asus X99-E-10G WS And Asus X99-E WS/USB 3.1 Comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
| Motherboard | X99-E-10G WS | X99-E WS/USB 3.1 |
| Chipset | Intel X99 | Intel X99 |
| Memory Support | 8 x DIMM, Max 128 GB DDR4 Non-ECC Memory Up To 3333 MHz ECC Memory Up To 2400 MHz |
8 x DIMM, Max 128 GB DDR4 Non-ECC Memory Up To 3200 MHz ECC Memory Up To 2133 MHz |
| LAN | Intel X550-AT2 10 Gbit NIC (2 x RJ-45 Ports) | Intel i210-AT Intel i218LM |
| Storage Support | Intel X99 Chipset: U.2 Connector (32 Gbps) M.2 Key M (32 Gbps) 10 x SATA-III (6 Gbps) |
Intel X99 Chipset: SATA Express (16 Gbps) M.2 Key M (32 Gbps) 8 x SATA-III (6 Gbps) Asmedia SATA Express Controller: Sata Express (16 Gbps) Asmedia SATA Controller 2 x eSATA Ports (6 Gbps) |
| Audio | Realtek ALC1150 Codec + Asus Crystal Sound 3 | Realtek ALC1150 Codec + Asus Crystal Sound 3 |
| USB Support | Intel X99 Chipset 8 x USB 3.0 (4 Back Panel, 4 Internal Header) 4 x USB 2.0 (Internal Header) Asmedia USB 3.1 Controller: 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps, Type-A + Type-C, Back Panel) |
Intel X99 Chipset 4 x USB 3.0 (Back Panel) 4 x USB 2.0 (Internal Header) Asmedia USB 3.1 Controller: 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) Asmedia USB 3.0 Controller: 8 x USB 3.0 (4 Back Panel, 4 Internal Header) |
| Price | $650 MSRP | |
