ASUS Maximus VI Extreme Z87 motherboard review - Introduction

The Asus Maximus VI Extreme is exactly that

For the Night is Dark and Full of Terror... oh hey back to work, hi everybody! We review the ASUS Maximus VI Extreme Z87 series motherboard. The Z87 ROG mainboard is intended for Intel's 22nm Haswell processors on Socket LGA1150. It is the high-end to enthusiast and pro-overclockers segmented product amongst the ASUS ROG series that comes with some nice features and decent overclock potential. There is a kind, of people, that feels enough is not enough. They want moar' and for exactly that kind of enthusiast end user, ASUS creates ROG EXTREME products. The Maximus VI Extreme main engine comes from the Intel Z87 Express chipset. But that's just the start of it, of course. 

The motherboard comes with four DDR3 memory slots and eats many graphics cards for breakfast. You'll spot five PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots for multi-GPU graphics configurations (NVIDIA SLI / AMD CrossFireX) is what you get. To get you four Gen 3.0 links, ASUS had to apply a trick, that was adding a PLX PCI-Express 3.0 switch IC, responsible for the oh-so many slots. Two of the slots can operate in x8 (3.0) mode, three and four at 8x, and the black one at 4x - roaaar!

But there is so much more going on in the Maximus VI Extreme as there are 10 SATA 6Gbps ports and a multiple USB 3.0 headers. ASUS also threw in: 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, an HDMI output, USB 3.0, 8-channel HD audio, but wait Dave, there's more! Even a mPCI based mSATA combo card and an OC panel. This is a ROG (Republic of Gamers) motherboard, and that means extra enthusiast features alright, as for overclockers, here's where things start to get serious, the board is designed with a 8+2-phase Digi+ VRM, has voltage-measurement points and the ROG Connect technology as well as many LN2 cooling features. Extreme Engine Digi+ II claims to offer greater than 90 per cent efficient mosfets, 60A BlackWing chokes and 10K black metallic capacitors that supposedly offer better low temperature performance (well, for LN2 overclocking) and enhanced lifespan. And yes there's still more, ASUS throws in the OC panel as well, the OC Panel is an external unit with integrated LCD display used for board monitoring and overclocking.

At a retail price of $399.00 / 380 EUR, this is almost the most high-end motherboard you can seat in your PC. A spectacular product with some serious features. So today we have a closer look at the technology and of course a deep review of the the ASUS Maximus VI Extreme. Armed with the latest key's and gadgets, some ROG lovin' and that Z87 chipset. Meet the product that really is Extreme... next page please.

Have peek after which we'll dive right into the photo shoot.