Motherboards for Overclocking Enthusiasts and Hobbyists computer games do not have to be made in the ATX form factor. On the one hand, the maximum number of expansion slots is not always required, and on the other hand, the need to purchase a compact model may be dictated by the desire to use a miniature system unit case. Until recently, MicroATX motherboards were produced exclusively for assembling low-cost office or home multimedia systems, while full-sized products dominated the high-end segment. The situation changed when in 2009 ASUS introduced the first MicroATX motherboard belonging to the Republic of Gamers family - Rampage II Gene, designed for overclocking experiments. Since then, compact models have constantly been present in the ROG product line, which, despite their modest dimensions, are not much inferior to older full-size solutions. And today we are going to meet motherboard ASUS Maximus VI Gene, designed to work with Intel LGA1150 processors.
As you may have guessed, the model is made in the MicroATX form factor, which allows you to create compact high-performance systems for gamers and overclockers on its basis. In the hierarchy of the Republic of Gamers family, the novelty is a step above Maximus VI Hero, as it offers a number of features that are not available to owners of the younger model. You will learn about all these features from today's review, but first, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics of the motherboard.
| Model | |
| Chipset | Intel Z87 |
| Processor socket | Socket LGA1150 |
| Processors | Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Pentium, Celeron (Haswell) |
| Memory | Max 32 GB |
| PCI slots | 2 PCI Express 3.0 x16 (x16+x0, x8+x8) 1 PCI Express 2.0 [email protected] 1 mini-PCI Express 2.0 x1 |
| PCI slots | - |
| Integrated video core (in the processor) | Intel HD Graphics 4600 |
| Video connectors | HDMI |
| Number of connected fans | 5x 4pin |
| PS/2 ports | - |
| USB ports | 8 x 3.0 (6 connectors on the rear panel, Intel Z87+ASM1074) 8 x 2.0 (4 x rear, Intel Z87) |
| ATA-133 | - |
| Serial ATA | 6 channels SATA 6 Gb/s (Intel Z87) 2 lanes SATA 6Gb/s (ASM1061) |
| eSATA | - |
| RAID | 0, 1, 5, 10 (Intel Z87) |
| Built-in sound | ROG SupremeFX (7.1 HDA) |
| S/PDIF | Optic |
| Built-in network | Intel I217V (Gigabit Ethernet) |
| Thunderbolt | - |
| firewire | - |
| COM | - |
| LPT | - |
| BIOS/UEFI | AMI UEFI |
| Form Factor | MicroATX |
| Dimensions, mm | 244x244 |
| Additional features | ASUS Q-LED, DirectKey, MemOK!, mPCIe Combo II, ROG Connect, USB BIOS Flashback, POST code indicator, power and reset buttons, AMD CrossFireX, NVIDIA SLI |
Contents of delivery
The packaging of ASUS products belonging to the Republic of Gamers family cannot be confused with those of competitors, and the new product is no exception to this rule. The box that ASUS Maximus VI Gene comes in is decorated in dark red colors, and only the ROG logo and the model name are applied to its front surface.
On the back of the package is a brief specification of the motherboard, a schematic image of the rear panel, as well as information about branded features of Maximus VI Gene.
The box is equipped with a false cover, on the spread of which there are details about the main innovations used in the design of the novelty.
For example, the board features the advanced ROG SupremeFX audio subsystem, the Extreme Engine Digi+ III digital CPU power node, and an mPCIe Combo II daughterboard. This board is equipped with two ports: mini-PCI Express 2.0 x1, which can be used to install a wireless network adapter, and an M.2 (NGFF, Next Generation Form Factor) slot, designed to work with SSDs of the corresponding format. The M.2 slot connects to one of the chipset's SATA 6 Gb/s channels, so the SSD can be used both for Intel Smart Response Technology and as a system drive.
ASUS Maximus VI Gene comes with:
- six SATA 6 Gb/s cables;
- plug for the rear panel of the I/O Shield;
- NVIDIA SLI bridge;
- mPCIe Combo II daughter card;
- a set of connectors Q-Connectors;
- set of stickers for labeling SATA cables;
- door handle decal DO NOT DISTURB Champion in action
- DVD with drivers and software;
- detailed user manual;
- sticker on the system unit.
Surprisingly, among the accessories there was no ROG Connect cable, which is necessary for the operation of the eponymous technology of remote system monitoring and overclocking control. As for the rest, the list of additional accessories of the novelty contains everything you need to assemble the gaming system unit.
Design
The use of the compact MicroATX form factor has defined the main design features ASUS Maximus VI Gene. Seven screws are used to fasten to the chassis of the system unit, therefore, the lower left edge of the printed circuit board will be practically loose, which requires care when installing expansion cards and connecting the front panel connectors.
On the reverse side, in the area of the processor socket, there are a pair of metal plates that prevent the deflection of the textolite under the heatsinks on the power elements of the VRM.
The Maximus VI Gene motherboard is based on the Intel Z87 system logic and is designed to operate Intel LGA1150 processors; overclocker CPUs with the letter “K” in the model name are supported. The installation of DDR3 RAM modules is provided by four DIMM slots, the total amount of RAM is 32 GB, and its clock frequency in overclocking mode can reach 3000 MHz. Not far from the RAM slots is the MemOK! button, which allows you to boot even if you set non-working RAM parameters. The POST code indicator is also located here, and along the ATX24 power connector there is a line of Q-LED diagnostic LEDs that serve to control the initialization process of the main subsystems of the motherboard.
At the bottom of the Maximus VI Gene are hardware power and reset buttons, which will come in handy when working in an open bench. Next to them is the ROG chip, which provides advanced overclocking and system monitoring, as well as being responsible for the operation of ROG Connect technology. There is also a special connector ROG EXT, which connects to the external panel OC Panel, supplied with older models of the Republic of Gamers family.
As for graphics accelerator support, the motherboard has two PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots that can operate in x16+x0 or x8+x8 modes, enabling AMD CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI systems. To install expansion cards, you can use the mini-PCI Express 2.0 x1 connector, which is located on the daughter card mPCIe Combo II, as well as the PCI Express 2.0 x4 port connected to the system logic.
The ASUS Maximus VI Gene storage subsystem allows you to connect up to eight drives with a SATA 6 Gb / s interface. Six chipset ports and a couple more connected to an additional ASMedia ASM1061 controller are intended for these purposes. Please note that when using the M.2 (NGFF) connector located on the daughter card mPCIe Combo II, the fifth SATA 6 Gb/s chipset port becomes unavailable.
On the back of the novelty are:
- Clear CMOS and ROG Connect buttons;
- four USB 2.0 connectors;
- six USB 3.0 ports;
- optical output S/PDIF;
- HDMI port;
- RJ-45 network connector;
- six analog audio outputs.
The Intel I217V chip is used as a Gigabit Ethernet network controller, while the novelty is deprived of wireless network support. The ROG SupremeFX sound system is based on the Realtek ALC1150 7.1 HD audio codec, uses ELNA electrolytic capacitors to achieve high-quality sound in low-frequency circuits, and an insulating gap in the copper conductors of the printed circuit board, which reduces the level of high-frequency noise.
The configuration of the ASUS Maximus VI Gene power subsystem is completely identical to that of the Maximus VI Hero model. The voltage converter assembly is powered by an eight-pin EPS12V connector, and the CPU VRM itself has eight phases. It is controlled by an ASP1251 digital PWM controller, and NexFET CSD87350Q5D integrated assemblies manufactured by Texas Instruments are used as power elements.
On the reverse side of the printed circuit board there are eight IR3535 driver microcircuits, which, through thick gaskets made of heat-conducting material, are in contact with metal reinforcing plates. In our opinion, due to the low heat release additional cooling drivers are completely useless.
Excess heat from the VRM power elements of the CPU is removed by a pair of heatsinks. A thermosiphon tube is used in the design, which improves the uniformity of heat removal, and reliable clamping ensures the use of screw fastening and metal reinforcing plates.
The system logic chip cooling system consists of a massive flat heatsink. There are no complaints about its efficiency, since the chipset has a very modest heat dissipation - about 4 watts.
The Maximus VI Gene firmware is based on the control microcode manufactured by AMI, user interface which has undergone significant changes. To configure the basic functionality and control system monitoring parameters, the EZ Mode is provided.
In this mode, you can adjust the system performance, enable X.M.R. for RAM modules, as well as adjust fan speeds. EZ Mode features include setting the boot order from disk drives and setting the system date and time.
By and large, the EZ Mode offers a set of settings that are enough for the initial configuration of the motherboard. But this is not why they buy models from the Republic of Gamers series, the element of which is to work in overclocking mode, which is possible when using the advanced UEFI Setup - Advanced Mode. The Extreme Tweaker section displays the current mode of operation of the central processor and RAM modules, as well as all the main performance parameters. These include adjusting the base frequency, setting the CPU Strap parameter, which allows you to raise the BCLK from the standard 100 MHz to 125 MHz, 167 MHz, or 250 MHz, as well as the PLL Selection and Filter PLL options, by adjusting which the maximum values of the reference frequency are achieved.
The ASUS MultiCore Enhancement option corrects the operation of Intel Turbo Boost technology, increasing performance in multi-threaded applications, and for overclocking in manual mode, control over the multipliers of the computing cores and the Uncore part of the processor is available. Enabling the Internal PLL Overvoltage option should improve stability when overclocking with liquid nitrogen.
In the Extreme Tweaking section, the EPU Power Saving mode is turned on and the CPU Level Up automatic overclocking function is launched, which offers you to choose one of three speed profiles.
The voltage management capabilities of the Maximus VI Gene firmware, as befits a product from the ROG series, are at the highest level.
The list, ranges and step of parameter adjustments are presented in the following table:
| Parameter | Voltage range, V | Step, B |
| CPU Core Voltage Override | 0,001-1,92 | 0,001 |
| CPU Core Voltage Offset | -0,999…+0,999 | 0,001 |
| CPU Cache Voltage Override | 0,001-1,92 | 0,001 |
| CPU Cache Voltage Offset | -0,999…+0,999 | 0,001 |
| CPU System Agent Voltage Offset | -0,999…+0,999 | 0,001 |
| CPU Analog I/O Voltage Offset | -0,999…+0,999 | 0,001 |
| CPU Digital I/O Voltage Offset | -0,999…+0,999 | 0,001 |
| Initial CPU Input Voltage | 0,8-2,44 | 0,001 |
| Event CPU Input Voltage | 0,8-2,44 | 0,001 |
| DRAM Voltage | 1,2-2,4 | 0,005 |
| PCH Core Voltage | 0,7-1,8 | 0,00625 |
| PCH VLX Voltage | 0,8-2,0 | 0,00625 |
| VTTDDR Voltage | 0,6-1,4 | 0,00625 |
Note the precision setting of voltages on the computing cores, the Uncore part, the system agent, and the I/O circuits of the central processor, as well as the two-stage adjustment of the CPU Input Voltage values supplied to the input of the integrated voltage regulator.
The setup menu allows you to increase the frequency of the RAM up to 3200 MHz inclusive.
In the DRAM Timing control tab, the main and many secondary timings of the RAM modules are set.
The GPU.DIMM Post feature displays usage information for PCI Express x16 slots and RAM slots, while the DIGI+ Power Control sub-menu contains numerous adjustments to the motherboard's digital VRM.
The Tweakers Paradise subsection provides access to fine firmware settings that are designed to increase stability at higher frequencies.
A few more voltages are also regulated here.
| Parameter | Voltage range, V | Step, B |
| VCCIN Shadow Voltage | 0,8-2,44 | 0,01 |
| Initial PLL Termination Voltage | 1,0-3,0 | 0,00625 |
| PLL Termination Reset Voltage | 1,0-3,0 | 0,00625 |
| Eventual PLL Termination Voltage | 1,0-3,0 | 0,00625 |
| Clock Crossing Vboot | 0,1-1,9 | 0,00625 |
| Clock Crossing Reset Voltage | 0,1-1,9 | 0,00625 |
| Clock Crossing Voltage | 0,1-1,9 | 0,00625 |
To be honest, during overclocking "in the air" this subsection is unlikely to come in handy, another thing is the use of cryogenic cooling systems, for which you will need the entire arsenal offered by the Maximus VI Gene firmware.
Finally, the Extreme Tweaking section contains controls for CPU power-saving features and Intel Turbo Boost Technology, as well as additional settings integrated voltage regulator.
The Main section is intended for setting the date and time, displaying information about the current firmware version, and selecting the language for displaying the setup menu.
Alas, the Russian localization turned out to be far from ideal, some of the sections were not translated at all, and the use of different fonts did not add any comfort to the work. So, we postponed further study of the quality of the Russian translation until better times.
With the exception of annoying flaws in localization, ASUS Maximus VI Gene firmware left only positive impressions. The Advanced tab controls the expansion functions of the motherboard. It is here that the work of the integrated video core, chipset and additional controllers is configured.
For example, the CPU Configuration submenu displays detailed information about the installed processor, and also configures the operation of specific features such as Hyper Threading, virtualization, or hardware antivirus protection.
In the CPU Power Management Configuration tab, as the name suggests, you can find the management of processor power saving technologies.
The section responsible for system monitoring and fan speed control is called Monitor.
The Voltage Monitor tab displays the voltages on the processor and the main nodes of the motherboard, and in the Temperature Monitor submenu, respectively, the temperatures of the CPU and the motherboard.
Alas, Maximus VI Gene does not support connection of external thermal sensors, therefore, Temperature Monitor content is not too abundant.
Fan speed control is located in the Fan Speed Monitor subsection, and their operation modes are controlled by the Fan Speed Control tab.
The firmware offers several built-in profiles, as well as the ability to manually adjust depending on temperatures.
UEFI Setup of the novelty has a number of additional features, such as a control firmware update program, or a solid state drive cleaning function that restores SSD performance to its original level.
In addition, the setup menu is equipped with the ability to save up to eight sets of user settings, as well as the ASUS SPD Information utility, designed to view the parameters of RAM modules.
Finally, the firmware allows you to form own section one of the features most requested by users.
Complete software
The software bundle that comes with the ASUS Maximus VI Gene motherboard includes software AI Suite 3, offering overclocking, hardware monitoring and a number of other useful features. In the lower part of the main window, the readings of diagnostic sensors are displayed, and alert thresholds are set.
The Dual Intelligent Porcessor 4 utility is used to control the performance, energy saving and fan operation mode. Its main window displays the 4-Way Optimization control panel, which displays the current state of the components and provides the ability to select the power saving mode.
The TPU tab, which is responsible for overclocking, allows you to set the BCLK values, the multipliers of the computing cores and the CPU Strap parameter, as well as adjust the voltages on all the main components of the motherboard.
The EPU tab is used to manage and control power saving, and the digital power subsystem can be configured in the DIGI + Power Control menu.
AI Suite 3 has advanced fan control capabilities. To do this, in the Fan Xpert 2 tab, automatic and manual modes for adjusting the speed of rotation of the impellers are available, and, in the latter case, the speed can be associated with temperature changes, or fixed at the desired level.
In addition to the above, using the utility, users can get basic information about the version of the control microcode, the installed processor and RAM modules.
Unlike the younger model ASUS Maximus IV Hero, the heroine of today's review supports the function remote control overclocking ROG Connect. This will require a second Personal Computer, on which you need to install the special RC TweakIT program, after installing which users get the opportunity to remotely adjust the base frequency, multiplication factor and all basic voltages. Also, there are hardware monitoring functions that allow you to control temperatures, voltages and fan speeds.
In addition, RC TweakIT allows you to remotely read POST codes, shutdown, reboot the motherboard, and even perform a firmware reset, and using the RC Diagram module, track changes in system monitoring readings in real time.
In addition to AI Suite 3 and RC TweakIT, ASUS Maximus VI Gene comes with a RAMDisk utility designed to create a virtual hard disk in the RAM area.
The Mem TweakIT program is used to control the timings of RAM, which allows you to configure any RAM modules for maximum performance.
Finally, to regulate the bandwidth of the Internet connection, the GameFirst II program is offered, which automatically recognizes game traffic and assigns it the highest priority.
We started our study of the overclocking potential of the Maximus VI Gene by determining the maximum BCLK at which the motherboard remained stable. During the experiment, the base frequency was increased to 195 MHz, which is a very good result.
But do not flatter yourself, for work in this mode, Intel Haswell of the “K” series is required, while with “regular” Intel Haswell such a focus will not work, and the maximum that you can count on is a miserable 6-8% increase in BCLK.
Next, we tested the operation of automatic overclocking. When choosing the CPU Level Up 4.60GHz mode in the settings menu, the motherboard supplied a voltage of 1.248 V to the central processor, which was not enough for stable operation at a frequency of 4600 MHz, so we had to limit ourselves to a profile with a lower speed - CPU Level Up 4.40GHz, when using which The system worked without failures and signs of overheating.
Noctua NH-U14S. Its efficiency did not allow raising the voltage on the computing cores above 1.25 V, which was enough for stable operation only at a frequency of 4500 MHz. At that time, the Uncore part of the processor operated in the 4200 MHz mode at a voltage of 1.175 V, and a very sparing 2133 MHz mode with delays of 10-11-11-31-2T was chosen for the RAM modules.
Thanks to the work of energy-saving technologies, the voltage and frequency of the processor cores decreased in idle time, and the internal features of the Haswell integrated voltage regulator made it possible to forget about CPU Core Voltage drawdowns with increasing load.
test bench
The performance and overclocking potential of ASUS Maximus VI Gene were evaluated using the following components:
- processor: Intel Core i7-4770K (3.5 GHz, 8 MB L3 cache);
- cooler: Noctua NH-U14S (2 fans 140 mm, 1300 rpm);
- Memory: G.Skill TridentX F3-2400C10D-8GTX (2x4 GB, DDR3-2400, CL10-12-12-31);
- video card: ASUS HD7950-DC2T-3GD5 (Radeon HD 7950);
- hard drive: Intel SSD 320 Series (300 GB, SATA 3Gb/s);
- power supply: Seasonic X-650 (650 W);
- operating system: Windows 7 Enterprise 64 bit SP1;
- chipset driver: Intel INF Update Utility 9.4.0.1017 and Intel Management Engine 9.5.0.1345;
- video card driver: AMD Catalyst 13.5.
In performance tests, the new product was compared with motherboards ASUS Maximus VI Hero (UEFI Setup 0224 from 04/25/2013), Gigabyte GA-Z87X-UD3H (UEFI Setup F6f from 06/03/2013) and MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming (UEFI Setup V1.4B3 from 07/09/2013). The heroine of today's review was running UEFI Setup 0711 from 07/01/2013.
In Futuremark PCMark 7 comprehensive benchmark, ASUS Maximus VI Gene shared the first place with MSI Z87-GD65 Gaming motherboard, although, in all test scenarios, the new ASUS model earned the maximum number of points.
The semi-synthetic test package Futuremark 3DMark 11, which evaluates the gaming performance of motherboards, could not determine a clear leader. All four participants showed identical performance.
Finally, in real gaming applications, the Maximus VI Gene delivered competitive framerates. However, there is potential for improvement, and we hope that it will be implemented in updated firmware.
Energy consumption
To evaluate the energy efficiency of motherboards, we used the Basetech Cost Control 3000 instrument, which estimated the average power consumption test bench"from the outlet" during system downtime, as well as the peak value of power consumption during the stress test.
Both under load and idle, the new product has demonstrated exemplary power savings, so in terms of power consumption, ASUS Maximus VI Gene can serve as an example to follow.
conclusions
Familiarity with the ASUS Maximus VI Gene motherboard proved that even in the compact MicroATX form factor, you can create a full-fledged product with functionality that other full-size models will envy. The novelty has sufficient expandability, a solid margin of safety of the power subsystem and advanced firmware, which fully allows you to unleash the overclocking potential. Alas, in the course of our overclocking experiments, we once again encountered the problem of heat removal from the Core i7-4770K processor, but here the question is not about the motherboard, but about the technical implementation of Intel Haswell themselves, which require a powerful CBO for successful overclocking, but better — cryogenic cooling system.
The undoubted advantages of the heroine of today's review include a rich set of bundled software that allows you to control the process of increasing performance in the MS Windows environment. Everything is in order with Maximus VI Gene and with the performance in normal mode, but with the output updated versions motherboard firmware can claim best-in-class performance. Alas, today the novelty is not sold on the territory of Ukraine, but in foreign online stores it can be purchased for an amount equivalent to the cost of Maximus VI Hero, which gives us the right to predict a retail price of 225 US dollars.
Testing equipment was provided by the following companies:
- ASUS - ASUS Maximus VI Gene and ASUS Maximus VI Hero motherboards, HD7950-DC2T-3GD5 video card;
- G.Skill - G.Skill TridentX F3-2400C10D-8GTX Memory Kit;
- Intel - Intel SSD 320 Series 300GB and Core i7-4770K processor;
- Noctua - Noctua NH-U14S cooler, NF-A15 PWM fan and NT-H1 thermal interface;
- MSI - MSIZ87-GD65 Gaming motherboards;
- MTI - motherboard GigabyteGA-Z87X-UD3H;
- Syntex - Seasonic X-650 power supply.
With the release of the new desktop platform Intel, motherboard manufacturers have seriously updated their product lines, offering a wide variety of solutions for processors with the 4th generation Intel Core architecture. Symbolically, we begin our review of models for Haswell chips with the flagship of the Republic Of Gamers series - ASUS Maximus VI Extreme.
ASUS Maximus VI Extreme based on the Intel Z87 chipset and is the top model in the line of iconic products Republic Of Gamers. It is curious that the board is made in the classic ATX form factor, while the predecessor was offered in the Extended ATX format. A more compact size expands the potential range of cases in which you can build a system with an extreme motherboard.
Having become more compact, the board has not lost its overclocking grip. Power subsystem Extreme Engine Digi+ III made according to a 10-phase scheme (8 + 2). At the same time, it includes energy-efficient NextFET assemblies, special BlackWing chokes capable of operating with currents up to 60 A, as well as Japanese Black Metallic capacitors that are resistant to elevated temperatures and have an extended life.
The board is equipped with four slots for memory modules, allowing you to increase the total amount of RAM up to 32 GB. At the same time, the wiring for DIMM connectors is made according to the so-called 2nd generation T-topology, which, according to the manufacturer, allows the modules to work at higher clock frequencies.
Of the nuances, we note that the connectors have a one-sided fixation, which becomes an important trifle, given the large number of full-format expansion slots.
The board has a pair of EATX12V connectors to connect additional power. One eight pin and one four pin.
The cooling system of the power stabilizer elements is quite large. Large heatsinks cover the MOSFET stacks and are also connected via a heat pipe to another cooler in the central part of the board. Below it is the PLX8747 chip, which also requires additional heat dissipation. Looking ahead, we note that the large dimensions of the coolers give their result. After the maximum overclocking of the processor with an air cooler under load, the MOSFET heatsinks heated up only to 43-45 degrees in an open bench.
This design literally encircles the processor socket, so when choosing a cooler, you need to take into account the size of the available area for using mounting plates. The clamping bar for fixing the Thermalright Archon Rev.A radiator block in this case was installed literally tightly with the VRM coolers and the PLX chip.
The Intel Z87 chipset is expectedly located next to the SATA connectors and is covered with a large aluminum heatsink, which prevents the chip from overheating.
Part of the power elements located on the reverse side of the PCB are covered with aluminum plates. At the same time, as in all other cases, screw fastening is used to fix the radiators.
The expansion slot configuration is expected for a board of this level. The PCB has five full-length PCI Express x16 slots, as well as one PCI Express x4. Of course, the board allows you to create multi-adapter configurations, and you can simultaneously use up to four video cards with chips from NVIDIA or AMD.
When installing several adapters, the manufacturer recommends connecting additional power to prevent voltage drop on the bus. To do this, the board has a six-pin EZ-Plug connector.
During serious experimentation with multiple graphics cards, a DIP switch can be useful to disable full-length slots. In this case, you do not need to remove the adapters themselves.
Maximus VI Extreme is literally littered with various devices that make life easier for enthusiastic enthusiasts. Buttons for turning on and resetting the system are already taken for granted. MemOK! button to streamline memory timings has also become a frequent companion of ASUS motherboards. The ProbeIt contact group allows you to ring the voltages of interest using a multimeter, while a fairly wide selection of key nodes is available to the user.
The board contains two BIOS chips, and a separate button located in the corner of the PCB is used to switch between them. Despite the duplication, the chips themselves are placed in removable sockets. Given the likely scenarios for using the board, such a precaution does not seem superfluous.
The features of the model also include the presence of the TB-Header connector required to connect an external Thunderbolt controller from ASUS. The DirectKey button allows you to be guaranteed to get into the UEFI shell at boot, bypassing the hated procedure of repeatedly pressing the Del key after passing POST. The toggle switch that activates the FastBoot function will speed up the system boot by eliminating some steps.
The Q-Code segment indicator will help you navigate the situation if there are any difficulties at the stage of system boot.
The board has eight four-pin connectors for connecting fans. A pair for a processor cooler, as well as six case coolers. At the same time, next to the last three there are connectors for connecting thermal sensors, the readings of which can be taken into account when adjusting the speed of the connected fans. Unfortunately, the thermocouples themselves are not included in the package.
One of the most interesting options Maximus boards VI Extreme - external module OC Panel, equipped with a screen and a set of control keys. With it, you can monitor various system indicators, including processor temperature, fan speed, system bus frequency, multiplier, supply voltages of various blocks, and also manage many of these parameters. To connect the unit, you will need to connect a special interface cable, as well as a power cable for SATA devices.
It is noteworthy that the OC Panel can be used not only on an open stand, as is often the case with various additional overclocking equipment. In this case, the module can be placed in the 5.25-inch bay of the case, having previously installed it in the complete bracket.
Having a clear overclocking focus, the board did not have the Asus SupremeFX branded audio solution at its disposal, but in this case the new Realtek ALC1150 codec is used, with improved technical characteristics, so the sound quality here is up to the mark.
The Ethernet network interface is organized using a gigabit controller from Intel. But for wireless networks, a discrete module is used mPCIe Combo II, which has a dual-band Wi-Fi controller on board with support for protocols up to 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0. In addition, the board contains a Socket M2 connector designed to connect miniature SSDs of the new NGFF format. Such devices have not yet become widespread, so this is rather a reserve for the future. Note that when installing a portable SSD, one of the SATA ports will be unavailable, although in this case you definitely won’t have to complain about the total number of channels of this interface.
The disk subsystem can include up to 10 drives. This is the number of Serial ATA ports located at the edge of the printed circuit board. Six channels are provided by the Intel Z87 chipset, four more are available thanks to a pair of controllers from ASMedia. Note that in this case we are talking about links with a bandwidth of 6 Gb / s, excluding speed losses when connecting the fastest drives. The activity of the disks is reported by the LED located next to the connectors, which is convenient when working on an open stand.
The board's interface panel is well equipped. There is a button to clear the CMOS memory, as well as a key to activate the ROG Connect function to control the platform from another PC. To connect peripherals, there are six USB 3.0 ports and a pair of USB 2.0. The panel also has an Ethernet socket and two HDMI and DisplayPort digital video outputs. There was also a place for a PS / 2 combo connector. To connect acoustics, six audio connectors and a digital optical S / PDIF output are offered.
The board pleasantly surprises with an extended set of accessories. The package includes a detailed manual and a CD with drivers, ten Serial ATA interface cables, a ROG Connect cable, Q-Connector adapters, a blank for the back of the case, CrossFire and SLI bridges, as well as adapters for connecting three and four video cards with NVIDIA chips.
The kit also includes an mPCIe Combo II module, external antenna to amplify the signal of wireless networks, the OC Panel block, as well as an interface cable for its connection and an bracket for installation in the housing compartment. Of the useful little things, we note a set of stickers for interface connectors and a magnet with the logo of a series of gaming devices.
In work
ASUS motherboards based on Intel 8-series chipsets have received an updated UEFI graphical shell. Luckily, conceptually, it hasn't changed much, because the previous version was quite successful, and it's always difficult to improve something good. However, the developers coped with the task.
Of the interesting options that have appeared, we note a convenient way to set the time and date. We also welcome the appearance of the My Favorites section, in which you can collect the most frequently used options. Moreover, the transfer of the necessary parameters is carried out very easily. It is enough to select the required item, press the right mouse button and confirm your choice. The ability to make short notes for reminders will come in handy, as well as access to a log of changes made, which can be useful during a sequential system setup.
In general, the number of available settings will satisfy the needs of the most sophisticated enthusiasts and may even scare off some novice users, but for the latter there is an EZ Mode with basic functionality.
Thoroughly modernized proprietary application AI Suite 3, allowing you to configure various platform settings from the operating system. The new utility not only looks more holistic, but also allows you to adjust more settings than before.
Overclocking
Exploring the potential of the test instance of the Core i7-4770K processor, after increasing the supply voltage to 1.23 V, the clock frequency of the chip was raised to 4500 MHz, and, given the boosting multipliers that Haswell processors have acquired, such a final figure can be obtained in several ways.
Of course, overclocking with an air cooler for this platform is only the beginning. The capabilities of the board are limited only by the efficiency of the cooling system.
With the proper level of training and a good supply of liquid nitrogen, this model allows you to get close to 7 gigahertz, which we witnessed during the official Computex 2013.
Results
ASUS Maximus VI Extreme confirms the status of the flagship of the motherboard line for the new Intel platforms. The top ASUS model, in addition to good equipment, has an excellent set of overclocking tools. At the same time, the supplied OC Panel module will facilitate system setup both on an open stand and after assembling a PC in a case. The expected price of $440 automatically places the device in the "not for everyone" category. This is a charged model for setting world overclocking records. Considering the recent announcement of a new platform and processors with Haswell architecture, there is still something to strive for and where to turn around.
Liked
Extended functionality
Excellent equipment
OC Panel Module
mPCIe Combo II box with 802.11ac Wi-Fi controller
All "Maximus" of the sixth generation are equipped with a BIOS with similar functionality. As always, the UEFI graphical shell has its own unique ROG skin. When we try to enter the menu, we immediately get to the Extreme Tweaker tab. Here are all the necessary options for overclocking the processor, motherboard and RAM. However, we will talk about this in more detail.
Note that any firmware function can be duplicated in the My Favorites tab. This is convenient for those cases when, for example, during a bench session, you have to change the same settings over and over again.
The Main tab shows the user basic information about CPU, memory, and a specific date and time. By the way, they can be changed here. Like the interface language.
In the Advanced menu, you can set the settings for the processor, chipset and controllers integrated into it.
The Monitor tab is useful for those who like to monitor the state of the system. Here you can also set the rotational speed for both CPU and case fans. Note that the ASUS portfolio has a set of all kinds of useful utilities, including those for diagnosing system components.
In the Boot menu, the order in which the operating system is loaded from a particular drive is configured. Also in this tab you can speed up the process BIOS boot and Windows. Here you can also disable the Fast boot and DirectKey functions.
Finally in the Tool menu the user can update/restore BIOS firmware, save/load the profile of overclocking settings, and configure the OC Panel, which we talked about a little higher.
ASUS ROG Maximus VI Extreme motherboard review and testing.
ASUS ROG Maximus VI Extreme is the most advanced motherboard in the Maximus VI lineup. For those who don't know yet, these motherboards are designed for Intel Haswell LGA1150 processors. It is impossible to confuse ROG products with any other in the store - on the box, which is made in a proprietary color scheme, flaunts the logo and name. In addition, we note that our board comes with an additional ASUS panel OC Panel, the functionality of which we will consider in the review.
On the back of the box, you can read the main expansion options and about the features of the board. There are two modes of operation of the OC Panel, the Extreme Engine Digi + III power subsystem and support for 4-Way SLI or CrossfireX. 
We fold back the front side of the box and admire the motherboard itself and the OC Panel. 
And then we look at the inside of the “lid” and study information about the OC Panel, the power subsystem and something else - an additional board with two slots. One for the Wi-Fi (AC standard) and Bluetooth (4.0) combo board, and the second for NGFF, for example, for connecting SSDs with this interface. 
The delivery set is very rich, so let's consider it in parts.
Three SLI bridges (for 4-Way, 3-Way and 2-Way SLI) and one Crossfire (usually supplied with video cards) are offered for connecting video cards. 
As many as 10 SATA 6 Gb / s cables will help us organize a huge file dump (but who needs it on an overclocker board?) Or build a RAID array (not out of all 10) for PCMark testing. 
User manual, CD with drivers and software, rear panel cover, stickers for SATA cables and ASUS Q-Connector kit for easy connection of the front panel of the case. 
Additional combo board and Wi-Fi antenna. 
NGFF slot for SSD drives. 
ROG Connect cable (white) and dedicated cable for connecting OC Panel. 
Plastic "box" in the case, in which you can place the OC Panel. 
And here is the OC Panel itself. It looks amazing, the buttons are rubberized and comfortable. 
The display rotates 90 degrees. This is necessary in order to place the panel in the case. 
On the left there are places for connecting two thermocouples. 
At the bottom there is a connector for connecting to the motherboard and a connector for additional power in SATA format. Additional power is needed if you plan to connect fans and use VGA SMB. 
OC Panel is ready to be installed in the case. 
Think OC Panel is no longer capable of anything? No matter how! 
The main features hidden from the eyes are shown in the photo: 
And here is the motherboard itself. It is immediately clear that we have a top-class product - a lot of switches, control buttons, a sufficient number of expansion slots, good cooling, a couple of BIOS chips ...
Video card operating modes: x16, x8+x8, x8+x16+x8, x8+x16+x8+x8. 
The chipset is cooled by a massive aluminum radiator, which is attached to the board with screws. 
There are 10 SATA 6 Gb/s ports in total. When connecting a combo board and using NGFF, one of the ports will not work. 
Next to the RAM slots are the power button, reset button, MemOK!, POST code indicator, Slow Mode switch, DIP switches for PCI-Express slots (red). 
To power the processor, you can connect as many as two cables - 8- and 4-pin. And nearby are the pins for connecting the same combo board. 
On the back panel are:
-Clear CMOS button
- ROG Connect button
-2xUSB 2.0 (top - for connecting ROG Connect)
-6xUSB 3.0
-combined PS/2
-HDMI
-DisplayPort
-RJ45
- Optical S/PDIF out
-6x audio jacks 
Next to the top PCI-E slot there is an additional power connector for video cards, which must be used when building a bundle of three or four video cards. 
Heat is removed from the mosfets by an aluminum radiator, which consists of three sections strung on one heat pipe. The temperature of the radiator during testing did not exceed 42 degrees when overclocked to 4.5 GHz at a voltage of 1.21 V. 
Two of the three sections of radiators have a backplate. 
The power subsystem has 8 phases for the processor and two phases for the RAM. 
The processor power subsystem is controlled by the Digi+ ASP1251 controller. And with two memory power phases - Digi + ASP1103 
Radiators come into contact with hot elements through thermal pads. 
UEFI BIOS
Don't think that when you enter the BIOS you will see this menu :)
This is just EZ Mode, which must be turned on forcibly. 
But what you will see is the extended mode right away. And immediately the Extreme Tweaker tab, which contains all the main parameters. 
Scroll down below... 
And even lower. 
Strap selection. 
The Tweakers’ Paradise submenu is a paradise for those who like to tweak the system :) 
Management of RAM timings. 
There is a choice of Maximus Tweak modes. 
Digi+ settings. 
Energy saving settings. 
Ability to customize the My Favorites bookmark. Selecting the setting we want... 
...and press F4. 
We receive a message about the successful addition to the corresponding menu. 
Main tab. 
Advanced tab. 
Advanced tab - CPU Configuration. 
Monitor tab. 
Boot tab. 
When exiting with saving the settings, the user is prompted to look again at what he has changed and, possibly, correct something. 
Testing
Overclocking capabilities have been demonstrated by many overclockers in the world. For example, overclocking the i7-4770K to 7 GHz.
Under the Corsair H100i, as was already checked earlier, it is possible to overclock the processor up to 4.5 GHz. 
The speed of native (Intel Z87) SATA ports. 
The speed of SATA ports provided by ASMedia controllers. 
To test Wi-Fi, an additional stand was assembled (let's call it a server), which was connected to a router with a network cable. The router and the test bench were about 12 meters apart through a load-bearing concrete wall and another, but plasterboard wall.
Copying a file from the test stand to the server (1 file, 1.82 GB). The speed during copying reached 145 Mbps. 
Copying files from the test bench to the server (126 files, 1.40 GB). The speed during copying reached 140 Mbps. 
Copying a file from the server to the test stand (1 file, 1.82 GB). The speed in the process of copying reached 375 Mbps. 
Copying files from the server to the test bench (126 files, 1.40 GB). The speed during copying reached 315 Mbps. 
Conclusion
The ASUS ROG Maximus VI Extreme motherboard is the best that exists in the world for professional overclockers: high-quality element base, rich expansion options, additional functions through the OC Panel - all this will allow you to achieve the highest results that every overclocker aspires to! 
Last socket platform 1150 from Intel, which went on sale back in June, brought not only 4th generation processors to the market, but also contributed to the emergence of new chipsets and motherboards based on them. For their new platform, Intel prepared the Z87, H87 and H81 chipsets, on the basis of which motherboard manufacturers introduced wide product lines to the market.
Company Asus, being one of the leading manufacturers in the field of motherboard production, kindly provided three motherboards for review by the editors of our website: Asus Maximus VI Hero, Asus Sabertooth Z87 and Asus Z87-Plus. In this review, we will tell you about the motherboard Asus Maximus VI Hero, related to the "Republic of Gamers" series.
Packaging and equipment
The Asus Maximus VI Hero comes in a large dark red cardboard box.
The box has a hinged lid, opening which you can see the motherboard itself through a transparent plastic blister.
On the inside of the folding part of the box there is information about the branded ones used in this board. ASUS technologies SupremeFX and Sonic Radar. Sonic Radar is a technology designed to enable the visualization of all sound sources in computer games, even those sounds that are beyond the player's visibility. As you know, ASUS has its own division that develops sound devices, and it was the developments of this division that were used in the implementation of this technology. Sonic Radar can be activated with sound cards ROG series (including Xonar Phoebus and Xonar Phoebus Solo) and Maximus VI series motherboards with SupremeFX audio processor.
The back of the package also contains a lot of useful information.
Among which, in the form of a photo, the main advantages are indicated, specifications and rear panel connector diagram.
As for the equipment, it is as good as ever. The motherboard comes with:
- plug for the rear panel;
- user's manual;
- hanger on the door with a warning do not disturb;
- a set of stickers for cables;
- Q-connector set;
- SLI bridge;
- disk with drivers and software;
- ROG sticker;
- six SATA 6 Gbit\c cables.
Appearance and technological features
The exterior design of Maximus VI Hero is made in the style we already know. The board itself is painted black, some plastic elements on the board are red. With this combination of colors, ASUS has already taught users to immediately recognize belonging to the Republic of Gamers series in the device. Power batteries near the processor are equipped with massive heatsinks, which are fixed on the reverse side of the board with additional stiffening plates.
The motherboard supports all existing socket processors 1150, and is capable of taking on board up to 4 sticks of DDR3 memory with a capacity of 8Gb each.
The rear panel contains eight USB connectors, half of which are USB 3.0 (marked in blue). There is a universal PS / 2 connector for the keyboard and mouse, next to which there is a button to reset the BIOS settings. Of the video outputs, there is an HDMI 1.4 connector. Six 3.5 Jack audio connectors are concentrated in a single block, there is also an optical audio output. There is a 1000Mbps Ethernet port for network connection.
As befits a real overclocking motherboard, the Maximus VI Hero is powered by a 24+8pin circuit. Of course, when connected according to the 24 + 4pin scheme, the motherboard will also work great, but in this case you should not count on maximum results in overclocking the processor with two or three installed video cards.
Next to the 24pin connector, there is a 19-pin port for connecting USB 3.0 connectors on the front panel of the case.
The power supply on the motherboard itself is made according to the 8 + 2 phase scheme. Of these, 8 phases for the processor and 2 phases for RAM. ASUS uses Digi+ VRM PWM controllers.
The cooling of the motherboard consists of two radiators, one on the chipset, the second on the power elements of the motherboard.
Next to the memory modules there are two convenient START and RESET buttons, as well as a two-character POST code indicator. All these features are convenient to use if you have an open test bench.
Expansion slots include three PCIx1 slots and three PCIx16 slots. The slots highlighted in red are designed by default for installing video cards. The first slot will work as PCIx16 when one video card is installed. When installing two video cards, the first and second slots will work as PCIx8. The third slot will always work as PCIx4. The scheme of the slots can be easily determined by the wiring on the other side of the motherboard.
The audio path of the motherboard is separated from the rest of the parts by a special tap, which not only serves to prevent interference, but also glows red during operation.
The Realtek audio processor is closed on top with a plastic case with the SupremeFX inscription, which also glows red during operation.
The capacitors in the audio path area show that a lot of money has been invested in the production of this motherboard - there are expensive and reliable capacitors from the well-known Japanese manufacturer ELNA.
The motherboard will allow you to connect up to 8 hard drives or optical drives. All SATA ports are 6Gbit/s.
As you know, the Z87 chipset only supports 6 SATA-3 ports, so an additional pair of SATA-3 ports is implemented using the Asmedia ASM 1061 controller.
The heart of the motherboard - the Z87 chipset - is hidden under a massive aluminum heatsink, painted in the colors of the Republic of gamers series: black with red accents.
Having removed the heatsink, you can see that the chipset does not have any protective frame. Therefore, manipulations with the removal of the radiator should be done carefully.
The Nuvoton NCT6791D chip, which is located near the Z87 chipset, is responsible for I/O and system monitoring.
BIOS features
In this part of the review, we will try to show the main BIOS settings of the motherboard.
tab My favorites.
tab Extreme Tweaker.
tab main.
tab advanced.
tab monitor.
tab Boot.
tab tool.
Also, in addition to settings, the BIOS of the motherboard has the ability to save a list recent changes in the settings to a text document, as well as simply create and print text, which can then be saved to a USB drive.
Specifications
CPU | Intel® Socket 1150 for 4th Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors |
RAM | 4 x DIMMs Max. 32GB, DDR3 3000(O.C.)/2933(O.C.)/2800(O.C.)/2666(O.C.)/2600(O.C.)/ 2500(O.C.)/2400(O.C.)/2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000( O.C.)/1866(O.C.)/1800(O.C.) /1600/1333 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory |
Support for Multi-GPU technologies | Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology |
Expansion slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8, (Red)) |
Data store | Intel® Z87 chipset: |
The local network | Intel® I217V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s) |
Intel® Z87 chipset: |
|
Overclocking Features | Extreme Engine Digi+ III: |
Connectors on the rear panel | 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port(s) |
Connectors on the board | 1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) |
64Mb UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI2.7, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 2.7, ACPI5.0a Multi-Language BIOS |
|
Form Factor | ATX Form Factor |
Test bench configuration and testing
CPU | Intel Core i7-4770k 3.5GHz LGA1150 (HyperThreading On, TurboBoost On) |
Motherboard | Asus Maximus VI Hero LGA1150 (bios v.0711) |
RAM | (4Gb*2 PC-17000 CL 11-11-11-30 1.65V, XMP Profile) |
video card | Inno3D GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2048Mb |
Power Supply | Thermaltake ToughPower XT 775W |
HDD | SATA-3 1Tb Seagate 7200 Barracuda (ST1000DM003) |
Samsung BX2335 23" (1920x1080) |
|
Thermal interface | Gelid GC-Extreme |
Operating system | Windows 7 x64 SP1 |
Other software |
To test the motherboard, I took the fastest Intel Core i7-4770k 3.5GHz processor. The processor worked in the nominal mode, RAM with the XMP 2133MHz profile. Full system data can be estimated from screenshots from the CPU-Z program.
ASUS Maximus VI Hero is the first board we start testing the 1150 platform with, so the results are presented in absolute terms, without any comparative data.
Aida64 Cache & Memory Benchmark.
This test clearly shows the operation of memory and various levels of processor cache.
Heaven Benchmark 4.0.
Although this test package is graphical, even in it the motherboard may affect performance. That is why we include it in the list of tests for motherboards.
PC Mark 7.
The test package from Futuremark is the best way to evaluate the performance of a computer in everyday use.
Super PI 1.5.
Calculation of the number π. In this test package, we limited ourselves to the given values of 1M and 8M.
Conclusion
Summing up the review of the motherboard ASUS Maximus VI Hero, first of all, it is worth mentioning the technical equipment of the board. By releasing a product related to the ROG series, ASUS tried not only to expand the functionality of the motherboard, but also to equip it with high-quality components and competent wiring. For advanced users, there are two PCIx16 slots for video cards, and eight SATA-3 ports, and an abundance of USB 3.0 connectors. The advantage of the motherboard will be the presence of hot power and reset buttons right on the motherboard. And the presence on the ASUS Maximus VI Hero of the POST code indicator will allow you to quickly determine the cause of the system inoperability.
In general, the motherboard ASUS Maximus VI Hero practically no flaws. It has everything to use it in a gaming computer configuration with Multi-GPU systems. The presence of rich BIOS settings will allow not only to flexibly and efficiently overclock the system, but also to control its smallest parameters. The only thing you can complain about is the price, which in Russian retail is on average 7 thousand rubles, which in itself is a lot for a motherboard. And so, in general ASUS Maximus VI Hero with success will suit both overclockers and computer game lovers who want to join the "Republic of Gamers".
Pros:
- rich BIOS features;
- competent convenient wiring;
- high-quality sound;
- well equipped with quality components;
- cooling of power elements with radiators;
- START and RESET buttons on the board, POST code indicator;
- support for Multi-GPU bundles according to the formula PCIe (x8 + x8).
Minuses:
- price.
Weighing all the pros and cons, the editors award the motherboard ASUS Maximus VI Hero reward i2HARD- gold.