BIOS options and tweaking software
For a motherboard to resonate with enthusiasts, its BIOS must be packed with enough overclocking and tweaking options to push a system to its limits—and then some. We expected the Rampage Formula to do well here—I can't remember ever using an Asus motherboard that wasn't loaded with overclocking and tweaking options—and were pleasantly surprised to find that Intel did a pretty good job with the BIOS on the DX48BT2, as well.

If you're looking to overclock a Core 2 processor, both of these boards have plenty of front-side bus headroom. The Rampage Formula's FSB can be cranked 300MHz higher than that of the Bonetrail board, but that should only affect the most extreme of overclocking attempts. Unless you're packing liquid nitrogen, chances are the DX48BT2's 500MHz front-side bus ceiling will be plenty.

Of course, if you're overclocking the front-side bus, you'll need to keep your system's memory in check. Both boards offer a wealth of options here, but Asus makes selecting a target memory bus speed much easier. The DX48BT2's BIOS requires that you set reference and target memory clocks, and for the uninitiated, it isn't exactly clear how the two work together. We also found that target memory speeds didn't always work properly with a 400MHz reference clock.

On the voltage front, both boards offer plenty of tweaking options, including control over GTL reference values that seem to be quite important if you want to really push quad-core chips. As one might expect, the Rampage yields access to a few more system voltages than the Bonetrail and allows for greater overvolting. Still, the variety and granularity of the voltage tweaking options provided by the DX48BT2 should be more than adequate for conventional overclocking.

When comparing DRAM voltages and bus speeds between the boards, keep in mind that the BT2 uses DDR3 while the Rampage is equipped for DDR2. DDR3 memory runs at higher clock speeds and has a lower default voltage than DDR2.

Speaking of memory, we should note that both boards provide access to all sorts of timings. The Rampage offers more tweaking options here, but even seasoned enthusiasts probably won't go beyond the array of timings available for adjustment on the Intel board. That is, of course, unless you know what all of the more obscure memory timings actually do. I haven't a clue.

BIOS-level fan speed control has become increasingly important for enthusiasts looking to bask in the glory of a silent system, and both the Rampage and Bonetrail boards offer temperature-based fan speed control for their processor and system fan headers. There isn't much you can do on the Intel board other than simply enabling or disabling temperature-based fan speed control. The Rampage allows one to choose between a few different processor fan speed profiles. Temperature targets and fan ratio (as a percentage of maximum fan speed) control are available for two system fan headers—a feature we'd like to see available for the processor fan. The Asus board's third system fan header gets speed control, too, but only a manual ratio setting without any temperature-based automatic control.

If you're not comfortable poking around in a BIOS menu, you probably shouldn't be overclocking or tweaking system settings. However, if you must, both Asus and Intel offer Windows-based tweaking and overclocking software.

Intel's Desktop Control Center is still in beta. Although it's not bundled with the DX48BT2, it's a free download and a surprisingly solid application. The interface could use some slimming down (the individual tweaking panels under the main interface in the picture above can be closed individually), but overall, it looks much less offensive than the tweaking apps we're used to seeing from Taiwanese mobo makers. Plenty of overclocking and tweaking options are available, too, including more extensive fan speed control than is offered in the BIOS.

Asus has been refining its Windows tweaking and overclocking software for years, and it shows with the latest AI Suite. Overclocking, memory timings, fan speed control, and the ability to save and load profiles: it's all there.

For anal types (that'd be me) who like to keep tabs on all sorts of system variables, Asus also throws in its PC Probe II hardware monitoring app. PC Probe gives users plenty of variables to track and even a measure of interface customization, making this app one of the best in its class.

Specifics on specifications
The Asus and Intel boards we're looking at today consolidate a cornucopia of sockets, slots, ports, and chips, all of which we've summed up in a handy specifications chart below.

There isn't much here we haven't already covered. However, it's worth mentioning that the Asus and Intel boards differ on the Firewire and Ethernet fronts. If you're after 1394a connectivity, the Rampage Formula provides it through a VIA Firewire chip, while the Bonetrail opts for silicon from Texas Instruments.

Gigabit Ethernet provides a little more intrigue, with the Asus board sporting a pair of Marvell 88E8056s against a single Intel 82566DC. So the Rampage doubles up on the Bonetrail's GigE connectivity, but that's not the interesting bit. Back when Intel launched its ICH9R south bridge, the chip's block diagram showed an integrated Gigabit Ethernet controller—one motherboard makers would apparently be able to tap through a simple PHY (physical interface) chip. The design apparently didn't catch on with mobo makers, and we hadn't seen any boards take advantage of the ICH9R's integrated networking capabilities. However, the 82566DC on the Bonetrail boards is a PHY chip that hooks into the ICH9R south bridge, providing our first glimpse of Intel's integrated GigE solution.