Keeping with the traditional EVGA packaging style, the X79 FTW comes boxed in a black and red themed box. The front has “X79 FTW” in large print on it, as well as reference to the USB 3.0, SATA III/6G, and PCI Express 3.0 support. Four icons at the bottom of the box front have the Intel and Nvidia branding.
The back of the box is loaded with product information and key features, which will be listed below in the specifications. The back of the box is also dotted with several icons depicting the 3-Year warranty (can be extended for a fee) and the available 24/7 tech support. The available EVGA online community opportunities such as SoNet, Mods Rigs, and Gaming are also highlighted.
The four sides of the box explain the box contents, more key features, and some additional branding.
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Beginning the unboxing process, you are immediately greeted by a sticker applied to the inside stating that EVGA offers direct customer service and there is no need to return the item to the store where it was purchased. Inside the outer box is a much heavier duty, all black box, which houses the motherboard and all the accessories. Upon opening the inner box, you find the visual installation guide, the user manual, the driver CD, and lastly, a nifty little case badge.
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Sitting on top of the motherboard is another two sectioned box that is home for all the accessories included in the X79 FTW. Here is the run down of everything contained in the box:
- X79 FTW Motherboard
- Driver Installation Disc W/ EVGA E-LEET
- Rear I/O Shield
- 2 SATA 3G Data Cables
- 2 SATA 6G Data Cables
- 2 SATA Power Adapters (Four Pin Molex to SATA)
- 2 port USB / 1394a Firewire Port Bracket
- 2 Port USB 3.0 Bracket
- Flexible SLI Bridge (3.5 Inches)
- 3-Way SLI Bridge (3.25 Inches)
- 3-Way SLI Bridge (4 Inches)
- Visual Installation Guide
- User Manual
- Case Badge
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Once past all the accessories, we get to the EVGA X79 FTW motherboard, which is wrapped in a large anti static bag. The board rests on a foam bed when sealed in the anti static bag to guard against damage during transit.
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Next we will go over the features and specifications of the EVGA X79 FTW, and quite a list it is!
| Features | |
| 12 Phase PWM | Cleanest variable power switching |
| PCI-E Disable Switch | Quickly and easily troubleshoot |
| E-LEET Tuning Utility | Adjust your overclocking in OS |
| Triple Bios Support | Use three separate profiles |
| Right Angled 24 Pin | Improved cable management |
| Onboard Bluetooth | Wireless input and data connection |
| EZ Voltage Read Points | Easy read dedicated read points |
| Onboard CPU Temp Monitor | Monitor CPU temps quickly and easily |
| Passive Chipset Heatsink | No fans, lower noise, longer lifespan |
| Dual 8-Pin CPU Power | Optional 8-Pin provides up to 600W |
| 100% Poscap Capacitors | Higher quality, longer lifespan |
| DIMM Disable Switch | Quickly and easily troubleshoot |
| Higher Gold Content | Lower inductance, better power delivery |
| Key Specifications | |
| Supports Sandy Bride-E (Enthusiast) CPU | Intel X79 Chipset |
| Enthusiast Layout Supporting 2-Way SLI, 3-Way SLI, 3-Way SLI + PhysX and CrossfireX |
4 DIMM Quad-Channel DDR3 2133+ (Up to 32GB) |
| PCI-E 3.0 Ready | 5 PCI-E Graphics Expansion Slots |
| 1 PCI-E X1 Slot | 10 USB 2.0 (2 Rear – 8 Onboard) |
| 10 USB 3.0 (8 rear – 2 Onboard) | Onboard Bluetooth |
| 2 SATA III / 6G Ports | 4 SATA II / 3G + 2 eSATA (rear) |
| 1 Firewire 1394a Port (Onboard) | 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports (10/100/1000) |
| 8-Channel High Definition Audio + Optical | E-ATX Form Factor |
| Detailed Design Specifications | |
| Supported CPUs | Intel Core i7 Socket 2011 |
| Socket Type | LGA2011 |
| PCH | Intel X79 |
| DIMM Qty | 4 DIMM Slots |
| Memory Type | DDR3 800/1066/1333/1600/1866/2133+ |
| Memory Capacity | 32GB |
| SATA II 3.0Gb/s Ports/Controller | 4 / X79 PCH |
| SATA III 6.0Gp/s Ports Controller | 2 / X79 PCH |
| E-SATA 3.0Gp/s Ports/Controller | 2 / Marvell 6121 |
| Raid Support | Raid 0, 1, 5, 10, JBOD |
| USB 2.0 Ports/Controller | 10 / Intel X79 PCH |
| USB 3.0 Ports Controller | 4 / VLI VL800=Q8 |
| Network Speed | 10/100/1000 |
| Network Ports/Controller | 2 / Marvell 88E8059 |
| Audio | 8 Channel HD Audio |
| Audio Controller | Realtek ALC898 |
| PCI-E Slot Arrangement | 1×16, 2×16 or 3×8 |
| PCI=E x16 Mechanical SLots | 5 |
| PCI-E x1 Slots | 1 |
| BIOS Type | AMI / UEFI |
| Software | EVGA E-LEET Tuning Utility |
| Fan Headers | 7 |
| Dimensions | Width: 10.375in (263.5mm) Length: 12in (304.8mm) Form Factor: EATX |
You may have noticed under the PCI-E slot arrangement listed above that three graphics cards run at 16X8X8, which only adds up to 32 lanes. There are 40 lanes available with the Sandy Bridge-E platform, so we are not quite sure why EVGA implemented this limitation. Under a 40 lane atmosphere, a 16X16X8 configuration would be possible and increase performance in a Tri-SLI configuration. If you use two cards in SLI then this limitation is a non issue because two cards will work at 16X16. The 32 lane limitation will not be an issue for the large majority of users, but it is something to be aware of.
Continue reading as we take an up close look a the the EVGA X79 FTW…..
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