The enthusiast scene is a fickle one. Today's hot, new, must have component is customarily kicked off it's throne and superseded by an improved model a few weeks later. Months may pass if you're lucky. But the constant progression of technology is what makes this hobby so appealing and keeps enthusiasts like us on our toes. Equally important is the competition between companies to make faster parts in order the claim the performance crown. For instance, the ongoing battles between Intel, AMD, and Nvidia are well documented as well as entertaining to follow. While processors and videocard releases attract a lot of attention, memory manufacturers constantly deliver superior kits to market that provide higher speeds and lower latencies.
When everyone is making boards that sport the same chipset, how do you set yourself apart from the crowd? Companies do their best to overcome competition by providing support for next generation technology and additional features. Bigger bundles, better support, and flashy heatsinks usually come into play. EVGA is best known for their Nvidia GPUs but has more recently created mainstream and enthusiast level motherboards that have given rival board makers a run for their money. But now the Brea, California based company created a mobo aimed at the high end, extreme enthusiast market that provides features previously unheard of. The X58 Classified motherboard steps into the ring with the ability to house 3-way SLI + PhysX + 1x PCIe at the same time, two 8-pin 12V connectors, 10 phase Digital PWM, and a unique bundle to get you going. Is this the motherboard to rule them all? Find out as HardwareLogic tosses the Classified on the test bench to see if this board is the real deal or something that should've been kept a secret.
Product / Model
| - EVGA X58 Classified motherboard / 141-BL-E759-A1
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Form Factor / Size
| - EATX form factor / 12 x 10.3 inches
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CPU Support
| - Socket LGA 1366 - Intel Core i7 processors
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| Chipsets | |
| Memory | - Six DDR3 memory sockets
- Triple channel DDR3-1600+
- Up to 24GB maximum capacity
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| Expansion Slots | - Four PCI Express x16/x8 slots
- Supports 4GB/s bandwidth
- Low power consumption and power management features - One PCI Express x1 slot
- One PCI slot
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| Onboard Audio | - Realtek High Definition audio
- Supports 8-channel audio
- Supports S/PDIF output (optical and coax)
- Supports jack-sensing function
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| Onboard LAN | - Dual LAN interface built-in-onboard
- Supports 10/100/1000 Mbit/sec ethernet
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USB Ports
| - 12 USB 2.0 Ports (8 rear panel, 4 onboard headers):
- Supports hot plug
- Supports wake-up from S1 and S3 mode
- Supports USB 2.0 protocol up to 480 Mbps transmission rate
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| Storage / SATA Drives | - 9 Serial ATA II + 1 eSATA II ports
- 300MBps data transfer rate - 6 SATA II connectors from south bridge
- Support for RAID0, RAID1, RAID0+1, RAID5 - 2 SATA II connectors from JMicron's JMB363
- Support for RAID0, RAID1 - 2 SATA II connectors from JMicron's JMB362
- Rear panel port for eSATA and one onboard connector
- Supports hot plug and Native Command Queuing (NCQ)
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| Onboard 1394 | - Supports hot plug
- 2 1394a ports (one rear panel, one onboard header)
- 400 Mbps transmission rate
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| Green Function | - Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI)
- Supports:
- S0 (normal)
- S1 (power on suspend)
- S3 (suspend to RAM)
- S4 (Suspend to disk)
- S5 (soft - off)
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| Current Pricing | |
Bundle
Usually we just skim over the bundle and move on to more important features. But since EVGA provided a couple of interesting accessories, we decided to give the them additional attention. Click on the thumbnails for larger images. 
One of the first things you want to do after purchasing a new motherboard is dive into the user's manual. The 86 page guide included with the Classified is one of the best ones we've come across. It explains every feature clearly and provides plenty of images for installation steps. Also, the BIOS coverage is extensive and very helpful. Along with the manual, EVGA included a limited edition certificate so that proud owners can hang it on the wall. Hey, when you spend this much on a motherboard you want everyone to know what you have inside your PC. 
The EVGA Control Panel or ECP becomes a necessity if you plan on using the last PCIe slot. Any videocard installed there will cover up the onboard power and reset switches along with the clear CMOS button and Debug LED. Since these are essential for operation and testing purposes, the ECP was included. In addition, you can modify the CPU VCore and turn PCIe slots on or off with the control panel. For real time boosting of the CPU VCore, press the buttons one at a time. Each one increases VCore by +0.1V for a maximum increase of +0.3V above the BIOS setting. To disable the boost, just press the buttons again and voltage will revert back to the original setting. 
The last thing you want to do when installing your brand new motherboard is having to hunt down cables in order to connect your components. We expect every motherboard to provide the essentials and the Classified does not disappoint. You get three molex to SATA power cables, an IDE HDD cable, and six black SATA data cables. Also pictured above are the ECP connection cables.
With so many expansion card options, EVGA included three different SLI bridges to accommodate various configurations. There's a rigid 3-way SLI bridge, a flexible 2-way SLI bridge, and a rigid 3-way SLI with PhysX bridge. 
Here's a look at the I/O shield that installs on the rear panel. It helps to block dust and foreign objects from entering the case and aids in proper airflow within the chassis. The user's manual also lists that is blocks "radio frequency transmissions" but we're unsure what that's all about. 
We'll cover the rear panel connectors later in the review, but if you happen to need more ports then you'll like this accessory. This bracket provides one 1394a Firewire connection and two USB ports for your convenience.
