The BIOS
If Sapphire wants to target enthusiasts with the PI-A9RX480, the board's BIOS needs to be filled with tweaking and overclocking options.

In the memory department, the BIOS is certainly well-equipped. Just about every memory timing option imaginable is available, including a 1T DRAM command rate. Users should have no problem tweaking high-end memory to the edge of stability.

The BIOS's overclocking options also look good. HyperTransport speeds are available up to 440MHz, and the board offers control over the HyperTransport multiplier and PCI Express clock speeds, as well. CPU voltages were available as high as 1.55V in the BIOS that came with our sample, and Sapphire intends to offer CPU voltage options up to 2.15V in the final release. The BIOS's DRAM voltage options certainly don't need any extra help; they already go all the way up to 4.0V.

Not all of the board's overclocking options are easy to find. The CPU multiplier and voltage control settings are currently buried in the power management section of the BIOS, although Sapphire says they'll be moved to the overclocking section for the board's retail release.

Thus far, the PI-A9RX480's BIOS has presented a decent array of tweaking and overclocking options, but a number of key features are missing. Most notably, the board lacks temperature-dependent fan speed control for its CPU and system fan headers. Automatic fan speed control has become increasingly important as enthusiasts seek to lower noise levels, and it's really a must-have feature for a high-end motherboard like this one.

While I'm griping, the PI-A9RX480's BIOS could also use a fan failure alarm or shutdown condition. Sapphire gets kudos for including a CPU temperature-based shutdown condition, but would do well to offer more safety features, including a CPU temperature-based alarm.