Product Showcase

Product Showcase

The Z87 Maximus VI Extreme is what I consider to be a an enthusiast and pro-overclocker class product. This model / SKU comes with dual-band mini PCI Express 802.1a/b/g/n Wi-Fi/Bluetooth 4.0 card (mPCIE COMBO II) and OC panel as well.

The Maximus VI has been updated to support Intel Haswell 1150 socket and has a Z87 chipset. Included with the motherboard are the standards like SATA cables, manual, driver CD, IO rear back-plate and then some more gear like:

• OC Panel
• mPCIE Combo II cards with WIFI and Bluetooth
• Dual Band Wi-Fi antennas
• 2/3 and 4 way-SLI connectors
• Crossfire cable
• ROG Connect cable

When we take a closer look at the rear I/O back panel it reveals two USB 2.0 ports with another six USB 3.0 ports. The motherboard features Five 16x PCI-E 3.0 slots (Max two at x16, three 8x, one 4x), mini PCI-E, One 4x PCI-E. A Realtek ALC1150 high definition audio codec is the source for audio and we spot fast Ethernet (Intel I217-V). There no PS/2 combo port that can be used for either a keyboard or a mouse though. You'll see one optical SPDIF in/out port and six audio jacks. The one HDMI connector and one DisplayPort. Then there's a clear BIOS switch button and ROG connect button.

Features:

• Five PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (4 way SLI or Crossfire)
• One PCIe 3.0 x4 slot
• 12 Phase CPU power supply with 8+4 connectors
• mPCIe combo slot (for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth Module)
• Extra 6 pin connector for extra power to the GPUs
• Ten SATA 3 ports
• Realtek Audio
• Dual Ethernet (WIFI / Gigabite Ethernet)
• 5.25″ drive bay adapter OC Panel

The motherboard is following the previous design schema of the Maximus V Z77 fairly closely in looks, feel and design. The Z87 Maximus VI Extreme is of course the flagship within the ROG series. If you look at the CPU area heatsinks, you'll noticed that they have changed in terms of shape. You'll immediately recognize the distinct ROG black and red color scheme across the board.

Included you will also find a mPCIe Combo II card which is combining the dual functions of mPCIe with mSATA into a single, extensible add-in card that still allows full use of the PCI-Express slots for multi-GPU graphics. This unit also includes WIFI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac support and Bluetooth 4.0

The mPCIe Combo II further future-proofs your build with Next Generation Form Factor (NGFF) connectivity for SSDs. NGFF is a fast and power-efficient standard that aims to replace mPCIe and mSATA, designed to optimize SSD performance. mPCIe Combo II works with your high speed NGFF SSDs and makes the most of their potential.

Probably the hippest feature of them all, ASUS inlcudes  an LCD panel based OC panel with the motherboard that can be used to monitor and overclock. The device offers two modes. Normal Mode has OC Panel inside the case, while in Extreme Mode it works as an external console. A 2.6” display keeps you fully informed. Included is a 5.25" bay as well, so you can install the OC Panel in your PC case. When used this way, it operates in Normal Mode, perfect for hardcore gaming and standard overclocking. It shows dynamic CPU temps, ratios, base clocks, and fan RPM info. You can also use one-click instant CPU Level Up, which has two speed boost presets. For cooling, select Turbo, Standard, and Silent CPU fan modes as needed. The OC Panel can be used as an external overclocking console, integrating many overclocker-appreciated hardcore features. These include Subzero Sense, VGA SMB, VGA Hotwire, four 4-pin fan headers, Slow Mode, Pause Switch, and multiple parameter tuning. All settings adjustable real-time and quickly applied through easy-reach control buttons.