ASRock X99 Extreme3 Is An Affordable Choice For Linux Users

Linux Support:

Prior to commissioning the ASRock X99 Extreme3 + Intel Core i7 5960X Haswell-E system in the LinuxBenchmarking.com test farm, I tested the motherboard with Fedora 21 and Ubuntu 14.10. With both distributions, the ASRock X99 Extreme3 was playing fine with Linux and exhibited no Linux compatibility problems in my routine tests. The X99 Extreme3 was basically running just like the other Intel X99 motherboards I've tested where as long as you're using a newer Linux distribution with an up-to-date distribution, you shouldn't hit any major compatibility problems with the X99 chipset or Haswell-E processors, aside from the usual caveat of the LM_Sensors support for the motherboard onboard sensors lagging behind.

As part of the automated daily Linux benchmarking test farm, the Intel Core i7 5960X system with 4 x 4096MB of DDR3-2400MHz memory, 256GB Corsair Force LX, and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 770 is running Ubuntu 14.10 x86_64 and is tasked with running benchmarks every morning of the very latest Linux kernel Git code. This system has been part of the automated test harness for several weeks now and hasn't run into any issues -- Linux or otherwise.

For those looking for Linux benchmarks of the X99 Extreme3, you'll be able to see them daily as soon as the result tracker opens up to LinuxBenchmarking.com in the days ahead.

Conclusion:

While this was a brief review, I'm quite happy with the purchase of the ASRock X99 Extreme3 and it's working out very well and withstanding the load of Linux benchmarks on an automated, daily basis. For just over $200 USD, the X99 Extreme3 is a very affordable X99 motherboard that works with the latest LGA-2011v3 processors. Assuming you're running a modern distribution, the Linux support should be there and you should be off to the races with a fast, affordable, and feature-packed system.