ASUS Prime X299-A II Intel® X299 LGA 2066 (Socket R4) ATX

The Prime X299-A II caters to users with serious pursuits: Those who prefer to put their high-core-count processors to more productive use. This high-end desktop board combines cutting-edge performance with our signature features, including an enhanced VRM tailored for running the CPU performance at stock speeds, intuitive cooling control, next-gen connectivity, and extensive customization.<br><br><b>Get the most out of all your cores</b><br>Intel®'s high-end desktop platform raises the stakes with updated Intel Core™ X-Series Processors that boast cores, cache, and bandwidth. The Prime X299-A II is ready for the additional processing power that plows through CPU-intensive tasks, and the extra bandwidth allows you to add more GPUs and NVMe SSDs to accelerate a wide range of work.<br><br><b>Robust Power Design</b><br>The LGA 2066 socket is compatible with Intel Core X-Series Processors with up to 18 cores, over 44 PCI Express® lanes, and 165-watt thermal design power (TDP). Those specs require serious power, so the Prime X299-A II is equipped with an enhanced power solution that includes 12 power stages that line up neatly along the top edge of the PCB.<br><br><b>Multi-GPU support</b><br>Fully loaded takes on a new meaning when you have over 44 PCI Express lanes stemming from the CPU. Those lanes can be split in an x16/x16/x8 configuration spanning the board's trio of PCIe x16 slots, allowing you to load up on GPUs to accelerate an increasingly diverse array of work.<br><br><b>Achieve speed with onboard M.2</b><br>Professional applications require fast solid-state storage, which is why the Prime X299-A II is equipped with three M.2 slots that are compatible with the latest NVMe SSDs. All slots support longer 110 mm drives, and they can be configured into bootable RAID arrays connected directly to the CPU via Intel VROC technology.<br><br><b>VROC</b><br><b>Upgrade your RAID</b><br>Use onboard M.2 slots and ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 Card V2* to take advantage of Intel's Virtual RAID on CPU (VROC)** by connecting the three M.2 drives in RAID configurations. With VROC, your RAID arrays are easily configured to be bootable, and traditional DMI bottlenecks are eliminated so that your storage is not held back by other traffic.<br><br><b>USB 3.2 Gen 2 front-panel connector</b><br><b>Future-proof connectivity</b><br>Plenty of USB ports are provided to support high-end rigs loaded with peripherals, including a front-panel header with faster USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectivity for compatible cases.<br><br><b>Intel Ethernet</b><br>More throughput, less CPU usage and great gaming experiences<br>The latest Intel I219-V Ethernet has the advantage of reducing CPU overhead and offering exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput for faster, smoother data transfer.<br><br><b>Cool to the core</b><br>Effective cooling is extremely important, even at stock speeds. That is why the Prime X299-A II allows consolidated cooling control of the entire system, even for the most hardcore rigs. It comes equipped with onboard heatsinks, an array of fan headers, and options for water pump or AIO headers.<br><br><b>M.2 Heatsinks</b><br>Two M.2 slots are covered by heatsinks to combat temperature-induced throttling that can affect performance during heavy, sustained storage loads.<br><br><b>Backplate</b><br>A reinforced backplate improves the stability of the board, and the included thermal pad efficiently directs heat away from the VRM and other components.<br><br><b>Cooler by design</b><br>Prime X299-A II features the most comprehensive cooling controls ever, configurable via FanXpert 4 or the UEFI BIOS.<br>Each header can dynamically reference three thermal sensors, and via Fan Xpert 4 you can even map the temperature of supported ASUS graphics cards to optimize cooling for GPU- and CPU-intensive tasks.<br><br><b>Tune it your way</b><br>Comprehensive controls form the foundation of the ASUS Prime series. The Prime X299-A II packs flexible tools to tune every aspect of your system to deliver the performance that you desire.<br><br><b>AI Overclocking</b><br>ASUS AI Overclocking makes automatic tuning faster and smarter than ever before. Available in Windows or directly through the UEFI, it profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration for each individual system.<br><br><b>5-way Optimization</b><br>One click takes care of all that complex tuning. ASUS 5-Way Optimization makes your PC smart. It dynamically optimizes essential aspects of the system, providing overclocking and cooling profiles that are tailored for your rig.<br>- An automated tuning utility that optimizes overclocking and cooling profiles for your unique system configuration.<br>- Fans stay quiet as a whisper for everyday computing, and deliver optimal airflow when the system is crunching through CPU or GPU-intensive tasks.<br>- All-new stress test that allows users to optimize and overclock for CPU or memory-centric workloads.<br><br><b>UEFI BIOS</b><br>The renowned UEFI BIOS provides everything you need to configure, tweak, and tune your rig. It offers intelligently simplified options for newcomers to PC DIY, as well as comprehensive features for seasoned veterans.<br><br><b>Advanced tuning for serious tweaker</b><br>When you're ready for a deeper dive into the configuration of your system, delve into the UEFI's Advanced mode and take complete control. Each section is intuitively organized, and a built-in search feature makes it easy to find the options you need. Advanced functions are coded with the intelligence to adapt to your settings, and when you're ready to take charge, parameters have the granularity to dial in performance just the way you want.<br><br><b>Prediction</b><br>AI Overclocking monitors system vitals such as temperature, fan speed, and power draw to estimate overclocking performance.<br><br><b>AI Overclocking Guide</b><br>The AI Overclocking Guide allows you to enable AI Overclocking or to view a quick guide.<br><br><b>Search Function</b><br>Quickly and easily find the option or setting that you're looking for.<br><br><b>ASUS User Profile</b><br>Port configuration settings between different BIOS versions or share them with friends.<br><br><b>Breeze setup with ease</b><br>Designed to simplify setup, EZ mode presents all the vital settings and stats on one single page. With guided wizards, drag-and-drop functionality, and one-click application of important settings, your rig will be up and running in no time.<br><br><b>AI Overclocking</b><br>Enable AI Overclocking intelligence via shortcut<br><br><b>Intuitive Graphical Fan Control</b><br>Fine-tune individual fans simply by dragging a curve with the mouse.<br><br><b>EZ XMP</b><br>Improve DRAM performance with one click.<br><br><b>Aura On/Off mode (Stealth)</b><br>Easily enable or disable Aura RGB lighting or every onboard LED, for a subdued aesthetic touch.<br><br><b>Little things make a big difference</b><br>We pay careful attention to all the little details that improve your overall experience, from integrating a flashing utility directly into the UEFI to simplifying firmware updates or displaying your system vital signs. Prime X299-A II provides the tools you need to personalize your build and stay on top of things.<br><br><b>Pre-mounted I/O Shield</b><br><b>Set up without slip-ups</b><br>Form meets function in the pre-mounted I/O shield that we pioneered with the ROG series. Now available on Prime X299-A II, this feature streamlines the installation process for budding builders and savvy enthusiasts alike.<br><br><b>FlexKey</b><br><b>A multi-purpose button</b><br>The FlexKey maps the rarely used Reset button on the front-panel of your chassis to a different function. Instead of leaving the button set to a dated function, you can reassign it to change performance profiles, boot directly into the UEFI, toggle Aura Sync lighting, and much more.<br><br><b>BIOS FlashBack™</b><br><b>Update your BIOS without CPU and DRAM</b><br>The Prime X299-A II supports USB BIOS FlashBack™, which can perform low-level firmware updates using only a power supply and a USB stick with the required file.<br><br><b>ASUS Node</b><br><b>A header to keep ahead</b><br>ASUS Node is a proprietary bi-directional interface that allows ASUS motherboards to communicate with other system components, opening up a wealth of new options for system builders.​<br><br><b>Intel Optane memory ready</b><br>Intel Optane™ is a revolutionary non-volatile memory technology supported by Prime X299-A II. Intel Optane memory modules accelerate attached storage to reduce boot and load times, so everything feels faster and more responsive.<br><br><b>Intel X299 chipset</b><br>The Intel X299 chipset supports LGA 2066-socket Intel Core X-Series Processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, X299 provides a maximum 10 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 8 SATA 6 Gbps ports and up to 32 Gbps M.2 support for faster data retrieval.<br><br><b>Intel® Core™ X-series processors for LGA 2066 socket</b><br>Intel Core X-series processors (6-core and above): 4-channel (8-DIMM), over 44 PCI Express 3.0/2.0 lanes.ASUS Prime X299-A II. Processor manufacturer: Intel, Processor socket: LGA 2066 (Socket R4), Compatible processor series: Intel® Core™ X-series. Supported memory types: DDR4-SDRAM, Maximum internal memory: 256 GB, Memory slots type: DIMM. Supported storage drive interfaces: M.2, SATA III, Supported storage drive types: HDD & SSD, RAID levels: 0, 1, 5, 10. Parallel processing technology support: 2-Way SLI, 3-Way CrossFireX, 3-Way SLI, Quad-GPU CrossFireX, Quad-GPU SLI. Ethernet interface type: Gigabit Ethernet, LAN controller: Intel® I219-V