ASUS TUF Sabertooth X79 review

Mainboards 327 Page 8 of 23 Published by

teaser

The BIOS and Software Suite

 

EFI BIOS (ASUS EZ BIOS)

The ASUS EFI BIOS is an Extensible Firmware Interface that complies with uEFI architecture, offering a user-friendly interface that goes beyond traditional keyboard-only BIOS controls to enable a way more flexible and convenient mouse input at BIOS level. uEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) is a specification detailing an interface that helps hand off control of the system for the pre-boot environment (i.e. after the system is powered on, but before the operating system starts) to an operating system, such as Windows. uEFI is an interface.

It can be implemented on top of a traditional BIOS (in which case it supplants the traditional "INT" entry points into BIOS) or on top of non-BIOS implementations. End-users can navigate the new EFI BIOS (basic input/output system) with the same smoothness as their operating system. It's simply a Windows OS feel. The EZ Mode displays frequently-accessed setup info, while the Advanced Mode is for experienced performance enthusiasts that demand far more intricate system settings.

   

Above screenshots (click to enlarge) on the new uEFI BIOS feature, and yes it is as impressive as it looks. So yes, the uEFI BIOS is really handy to use and easy to navigate. Next to that it makes common functions really fail proof, features like flashing a BIOS is done in a jiffy and all variables can be managed and monitored really easily. A massive improvement over the classic BIOS alright.
 

The ASUS Software Suite

Bundled with the Sabertooth is the AI Suite II which if you haven't already seen it has had a facelift and is included with the Sabertooth - Thermal Radar, DIGI+ VRM, and monitoring software for voltages, sensors and frequencies (Sensor Recorder).

sbr-software.jpg

DIGI+ VRM allows you to control the balance between efficiency and performance. Giving you the management over Phase Control above other elements.

The one thing I wanted to show you in particular was the new Thermal Radar especially designed for the Sabertooth series.

Thermal Radar

Multiple sensors are located on the motherboard in tactical places - which are able to monitor component temperatures. With the software you can see each of the sensors and their location. From this GUI you can monitor temperatures of each sensor, fan speeds and voltages in real-time.

Lovely for the enthusiast guys that want full control over system diagnostics, as this is who the Sabertooth is really directed towards.

sbr-therm.png

Unfortunately, the newly updated software refused to run and ended with a software error -- *sighs*

Share this content
Twitter Facebook Reddit WhatsApp Email Print