But, Shirley....
("Stop calling me Shirley") ... this, like the previous "Striker Extreme", has the "fusion" block on it 'cause it's intended to be a liquid-cooled board from the get-go? Not using the thing the way it was intended is, IMNSHO, asking for trouble... Sure that w/b is a big hunk of copper with some fins on it, but -- and I'm not a thermodynamicist -- no way can it perform anywhere near as well as a pukka air-to-air 'sink if there's no liquid circulating its innards...?
Is this deceased equus suitably flagellated?
Incidentally, stopped using Asus mobos after the grief I had when building my last current rig -- their support was appalling compared to the excellent service from EVGA (albeit their product being little more than an EVGA-badged Foxconn reference model).
Rik.