Asus has simplified its motherboard range for the Intel series 9 chipset, with fewer models compared to the Series 8 range. That makes good sense, as there was little to differentiate some models apart from the PCIe slot arrangements. One model, though, that keeps its place in the new Line-up is the Sabretooth.
This is a motherboard designed for reliability above anything else, although its most visible bit of toughness - the Thermal Armour cover that encases most of the surface of the board - has certainly been responsible for selling quite a few units based on looks alone. The new Sabretooth, incidentally, comes with the thermal cover by default. Previously Asus sold Sabretooth boards without the cover as an option, and the cover could be bought later.
 |
| Asus Z97 Mark I Sabretooth |
The cover itself is plastic and it's difficult to imagine scenarios where it could be useful. It's removable, should you need to access the new M.2 SSD connector positioned in the center of the motherboard. There are separate dust covers for unused PCIe slots, which is somewhat useful. The cover has a small hatch in the center that unscrews to reveal a mere fan header a tenth the size of the hole it sits in - but the hatch is in about the right place and is the right size to suit a Northbridge chip, suggesting that this cover is a carryover from a modified design used for an earlier model.
A metal plate covers most of the rear for extra rigidity. This could help with bending during shipping or installation, but certainly would be relevant when very large and heavy graphics cards are used over long periods of time that could cause sag in the motherboard. Asus told us that this is an increasingly important issue, and we suspect that the plate may go some way towards reducing warranty claims from affected motherboards. Asus did also claim that the back plate acts as a heat sink even though the only point of contact with the motherboard itself is in the small area under the chokes near the CPU. Even so, a significant 7 degree temperature drop is claimed for these components. These alloy chokes, incidentally, now have a series of small bumps across the top section to increase surface area and thus improve cooling efficiency.
A dedicated IC manages fan speeds based on the feedback from 12 different temperature sensors. Besides extending the life of the components, in theory at least, this eases the bother of setting up and managing different fan settings manually.
Another innovation which we hope gains popularity is a cooling fan that reverses its rotational direction on boot up for a few seconds to blow out any accumulated dust. It does indeed work, however is limited to just a single small fan near the CPU capacitors. For the fan to operate in reverse it does need a specially designed bearing, so only fans designed for this can do this trick. The single fan that does support it in the new Sabretooth does also include a software control to set the length of time it runs in reverse, so just a second or two would be sufficient as a regular setting and a longer blow infrequently to clear out accumulated dust should you elect not to use it every boot.
More fan control comes with a BIOS option to turn over the graphics card's fan speed control to the motherboard's TUF Ice microprocessor. This option only works with an Nvidia-based Asus graphics card, though wider support is promised in time. The advantages over leaving it to the card itself are claimed to be better fidelity (quicker fan response to temperature changes) and t he convenience of managing all system fan controls in one area.
The Sabretooth series has always been an interesting one. There's no doubt there's a market for extra tough and reliable motherboards. But at $100 dearer than the Ranger (page 44), which is also equipped with high quality components, like capacitors and alloy chokes as well as electrostatic protection (though without the physical motherboard cover and some other features like the reversing fan), it begs the question of who needs this level of reliability? If your new motherboard (any kind) is working after the first week, it's likely to be working well after five years, which is about as long as you'd want to go without an upgrade. Still, there's no doubt that this is an extremely well engineered board that's just right for someone - Ben Menaill.
