[SOLVED] EVGA X299 FTW K or EVGA X299 DARK?

[aydentran46]

So I want to use an i9-7940X, the X-Treme 14-Core/28-Thread 3.1Ghz CPU and want to overclock the CPU. So I see these two motherboards, EVGA X299 FTW K/EVGA X299 DARK, that seem both pretty good for overclocking since they look like they have good power delivery and good VRM heatsinks. The DARK is more expensive and has four less DIMM Slots with a fin heatsink and two fans just for VRM with even a fan for chipset and M.2. Is the DARK motherboard used for major, heavy, and record-setting overclocking, and the FTW K is used for overclocking but not too heavy? Will the FTW K still be capable of good overclocking relative to other X299 boards?

 

[GangstaSlime]

If you're planning on overclocking an i9, you're only going to risk it damaging because the i9 is already so powerful. If you have enough memory and a strong enough gpu, than the stock settings of the i9 should be more than enough. I'd be afraid to overclock such an expensive part. It's important to keep a system's strength balanced because if one part is very powerful, it can easily put stress on weaker parts. For example, a high end graphics card with only 4gb of ram is not going to have great benchmarks.

Nonetheless, here's the answer to your question:
The Dark is specifically designed for processor overclocking (including ram, which is why they only have 4 DIMM slots as overclocking ram can get VERY hot). Also, the Dark is more expensive simply because it's one of EVGA's newer boards.

The FTWK is designed for ram-heavy activity, so it's less capable of processor overclocking. It's also better in terms of ram because it uses more of it at stock settings (safe) instead of overclocking with minimal ram (hazardous).

In conclusion:
EVGA x299 FTW K -> Special support for ram, capable of basic overclocking.
EVGA x299 DARK -> Special support for processor overclocking, not much room for ram.