Asrock UEFI BIOS

Before we get on with the benchmarks let's just take a moment to browse through the board's UEFI BIOS.

Above we have the main menu which lists the board model, UEFI version, processor model with various specs and then some info regarding the installed memory modules and the current memory configuration. As the Asrock X99E-ITX/ac is limited to just two memory modules you can see the board is reporting being configured in a dual-channel mode.

Next we have the 'OC Tweaker' main menu which features many sub-menus for tweaking processor settings, memory settings and voltages. The OC Tweaker menu also houses some pre-programmed overclocking settings which can be enabled at the click of a button. The 'Load 4 GHz and XMP OC Setting' is a cool option that took our Core i7-5960X from 3.0GHz to a blistering fast 4.0GHz at the click of a button.

Additionally, users can also save up to five overclocking profiles in the OC Tweaker menu – a handy feature indeed.

The 'Advanced' menu houses six sub-menus and here the user can adjust CPU, chipset, storage, Super IO, ACPI and USB settings.

The CPU Configuration sub-menu in the Advanced menu displays current CPU operating parameters and offers the ability to enable/disable certain features such as Intel Hyper Threading, Virtualization Technology, Thermal Throttling and so on.

The 'Storage Configuration' menu found in the Advanced section of the BIOS is also useful, showing the detected SATA devices as well as anything connected to the eSATA port and Ultra M.2 slot.

The 'Tool' menu is where you can flash the BIOS using one of the UEFI update utilities. The Internet Flash is awesome and this is a feature we like seeing in all new Asrock motherboards. Additionally, using the Instant Flash option also works well, though you will be required to download and load the BIOS onto a flash drive.

The system browser is a nifty feature as is the easy RAID installer and easy drive installer.

The 'H/W monitor' menu is fairly standard as it lets the user monitor various system vitals such as CPU temperature and voltage. The FAN-Tastic Tuning is another great feature. The system tests each of the three fan headers in terms of RPM against power applied. A common problem is that the fan speed is not directly proportional to the power applied and this allows the user to fine tune the points.

The 'Security' menu lets you enable secure boot and set supervisor and user passwords.

The 'Boot' menu is crucial in that it allows the user to set their boot device and boot priority. Additionally features such as Fast Boot and Boot Failure Guard can be enabled.

The last menu allow the user to save and exit, discard settings or load defaults.