EVGA X99 Classified Review

Hardware Installation

In the Hardware Installation section we examine how major components fit on the motherboard, and whether there are any serious issues that may affect installation and general functionality. Specifically, we are interested in determining whether there is adequate clearance in all critical areas.


When installed in the East-West or North-South orientation, our Prolimatech Mega Shadow had no issues physically clearing the MOSFET heatsinks. We wish that we could say that we don't foresee any obstacles with even the largest of coolers, but as we mentioned in the Closer Look section, the first PCI-E x16 slot is actually too close to the CPU socket. As a result there is definitely a risk of larger CPU coolers coming into contact with the back of the graphics card. Check below to get a closer look at this issue.



In the traditional North-South orientation, we surprisingly did not have any showstopping clearance issues when it came to the memory modules. Our cooler's fan clips did make contact with the nearest memory module, but it did not prevent installation or removal of the RAM. Those using a heatsink that is wider than 122mm or memory modules that are taller than 40mm will want to be careful, assuming a similar fan clip setup.


There really isn't much of a gap between the back of the graphics card and the memory slots, so those with fat fingers might have some issues accessing the memory clips. The 24-pin ATX power connector and the 8-pin CPU power connector are both ideally placed, so that makes assembling and disassembling the system just a tad easier. The unique right-angle 24-pin ATX power connector shouldn't cause a problem with most cases that allow for routing of the cable behind the mounting plate, but an extension might be useful or even needed in some cases.




This board will hold two or three dual-slot graphics cards without issue. The cards overhang the motherboard, but the edge-mounted SATA connectors and various headers are still easily accessible. As on all motherboard, if you install a dual-slot expansion card in the bottom PCI-E x16 slot it will block the headers at the very bottom of the motherboards and make access to the various buttons difficult if not impossible.




The six right-angle SATA ports are obviously accessible no matter how many graphics cards are installed, as are the two SATA Express port (and their four SATA ports).



Like on all LGA2011 motherboards past and present, this model comes with its own CPU backplate, so there is really nothing to worry about back there.