OKAY, we’ve got the build process wrapped up. What about the performance? What can a $4,821 machine do? Turns out quite a bit. Now, we do want to point out that we have limited this system somewhat. When we installed Windows, we always make a point of updating the BIOS on the motherboard to the latest version (along with installing all the most recent updates and new drivers, etc), to really get the most out of the rig.
Interestingly, however, Intel has finally forced motherboard manufacturers to implement their default Intel settings as standard, and Asus has honored that request as well. If you go into the BIOS after the update, the option is there to enable Asus’s Auto AI Overclock mode, or Intel’s default settings mode. That means voltages, temperatures, and performance are slightly lower than what we’ve seen from some of our other builds when it comes to raw CPU performance. We did expect a bit of that, given the CPU is a 13900K not 14900K, and comes with a slightly slower 5.8GHz turbo speed versus 6GHz for the newest kid on the block.