Please visit the ASUS USA and ASUS Canada websites for information about locally available products. It's a motherboard that packs substantial power, smart cooling and faster memory support under a stealthy skin. At stock speeds it's a touch cooler too, though that didn't translate into the overclocked performance as it peaked at 99°C when running at the 5.3GHz all-core peak I hit with the i9. The price for the Maximus XII Formula is $499 as of the time of writing, and this is an interesting space as it's a bit above the upper end for what most mainstream chipset users are willing to … Faster cores and more of them, faster networking, faster and higher capacity memory, faster storage, and faster USB amongst other things. For the best motherboard for the latest Intel chips, you need one that brings plenty of power to the table, as well as intelligent cooling and support for faster memory. Today's best Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex deals. If DIMM.2_1 is running in SATA mode, the SATA port 2 is disabled. ROG Maximus XII Hero offers advanced connectivity, including WiFi 6 (AX201) and dual Ethernet with intel ® 1Gb and Marvell ® 5Gb Ethernet port to eliminate bottlenecks so you can enjoy exceptionally smooth online and LAN play. Another top board from MSI, the Z490 Ace looks great with its subtle gold highlights and metallic elements. The debug and condensation sensors are important to the extreme overclocker as condensation and boot errors when dialing in an overclock can be a huge problem, especially when using sub-ambient cooling methods. That said, the board will still support up to 64GB, which is plenty for an overwhelming majority of users. CPU; Core i9-10900K Intel $530 Bench 102%, ... RAM Price; USA-User, 27 days ago. Like the top half, the bottom is also busy. As far as overclocking, we had zero issues pushing our Intel Core i9-10900K CPU to 5.2 GHz. ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming (From $296) 2. ROG Maximus XII Hero is the perfect foundation to the Republic of Gamers. Newegg shopping upgraded ™ - See speed test results from other users. Below these are additional switches for extreme overclocking. The Master has no less than 10 USB ports on the back panel, which is impressive, although it’s also the only board to have a single LAN port, though it is a quality Intel 2.5G controller. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490 (WiFi 6) LGA 1200 (Intel® 10th Gen) ATX Gaming Motherboard (14+2 power stages, DDR4 4800+, 5Gbps LAN, Intel® LAN, Bluetooth v5.1, Triple M.2, Aura Sync) 4.6 out of … Features include switches to enable “LN2” mode, Slow mode, a Safe boot button, voltage read points and more. ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO SERIES 2 2 DDR4 2400 Qualified Vendors List (QVL) DIMM socket support (Optional) 1 DIMM 2 DIMM 4 DIMM ADATA AD4U2400316G17 16GB DS Nanya NT5AD1024M8A3-GZ 17-17-17-39 1.2 ADATA AD4U2400W4G17 4GB SS - - 17-17-17-39 1.2 ADATA AD4U2400W8G17 8GB DS SK Hynix … For the money, it’s clear the Master is a lot of motherboard. The rarified air of the ultra-enthusiast pairing at the top of the test might make one giddy, but the Z490 Gaming Carbon will bring us back down to earth without a bump. Interestingly, where some Aorus boards tend to light up like a laser light show, the Master really dials down the RGB with just a little bit of subtle lighting over the rear I/O and the chipset heatsink. For the best motherboard for the latest Intel chips, you need one that brings plenty of power to the table, as well as intelligent cooling and support for faster memory. Ace by name, Ace by nature. But if you want a features list as long as the Dead Sea Scrolls then you're going to have to pay for it. CPU; Core i9-10900K Intel $530 Bench 102%, ... RAM Price; USA-User, 27 days ago. - Explore your best upgrade options … ASUS ROG Maximus Hero XII ︎ Intel i9-10900K ︎ NVIDIA RTX 3090 FE ︎ 64GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro ︎ Windows 10 Pro (20H2) ︎ Samsung 970 EVO Pro 1TB NVME SSD (OS Drive) ︎ Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SATA SSD ︎ Seagate 4TB SATA HDD ︎ Corsair RMx 850W PSU There is the promise of Rocket Lake bringing PCIe 4.0 support to the Intel ecosystem, and the Z490 is supposedly compatible, so there's a chance a Gen4 NVMe SSD might be able to take advantage down the line. But if we're talking about the best Z490 motherboard, for me, this is it. Products certified by the Federal Communications Commission and Industry Canada will be distributed in the United States and Canada. Intel's Z490 chipset is no exception. Current page: Every board in the line can now run faster RAM than ever, and ROG Maximus XII models are fitted with our proprietary OptiMem III technology with an enhanced trace layout for better signal integrity. Current System (Running at 1440p): ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Z490, i9 10900k @ 5.1Ghz, RTX2080ti, 32GB DDR4 3600 RAM, EVGA CLC 280mm AIO Cooler, Brunner CLS-E NG Yoke, Thrustmaster Warthog HOTAS, VirtualFly Ruddo+ and TQ6+ Loaded with renowned ROG features, from one-click overclocking and cooling to attention-grabbing Aura Sync illumination, Maximus XI Hero … Loaded with renowned ROG features, from AI overclocking and AI cooling to attention-grabbing Aura Sync illumination, Maximus XII Hero is … ROG Maximus XII Hero is the perfect foundation to the Republic of Gamers. Note that Gigabyte is also touting its PCIe 4.0 support, though as we said in the intro, it’s not something that should factor into a purchase decision. Dave James, Shop for asus rog maximus x hero wifi at Best Buy. - RAM tests include: single/multi core bandwidth and latency. © We turn back to the ASUS table where we review the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero. There are plenty of headers for fan and pump control here. The Asus ROG Maximus XII Apex is an expensive-but-great board for your next overclocking-centric Z490-based system. One of the areas the Intel Z490 chipset might be seen as lacking in is official PCIe 4.0 support, something which is present on AMD’s competing X570 platform. I was wondering what the differences are … Focusing on the top half of the board, we get a close look at the beefy heatsinks that surround the socket area, as well as some of the buttons, switches, slots and LEDs. The ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero is the motherboard that packs Enhance memory pathways across different PCB layers substantial power, smart cooling and faster memory support under a stealthy skin. Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. The Taichi incorporates no less than three small fans into the heatsink, though thankfully they are all but silent and couldn’t be heard above the sound of our AIO CPU cooler and pump. But the Godlike does offer PCIe 4.0 support. Asus ROG Maximus XII Extreme; Best Intel Z490 motherboards. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero WiFi Intel ATX Motherboard / Intel Z490 Chipset / Supports 10th Gen Processors only / LGA 1200 / ROG Water Cooling Zone and M.2 Heatsinks / Wi-Fi 6 Connectivity / USB 3.2 Gen 2 / 1x USB 3.2 Type-C / 90MB12R0-M0EAY0 + FREE DELIVERY ! 10 ports should be plenty for most users. It’s nothing to worry about, but when you’re comparing motherboards that are all genuinely strong contenders, you have to look for some differentiation, and for the Aorus, this is it. The other three lights are condensation sensors for the CPU, DRAM and PCIe slot. This configuration supports AMD 2-Way CrossfireX and Nvidia 2-Way SLI. There’s a bundled small cooling fan that you should install if you wish to push the board hard. Popular components in PC builds with the Asus ROG MAXIMUS XII HERO (WI-FI) Motherboard. Not only is it designed for overclocking, but it also looks good and easily handles most any other use case for a PC. While this may not have the fancy DACs the Hero or Extreme have, we do see the popular Nichicon audio caps. To the left of these is the first (of nine) 4-pin fan/pump headers. Size : E-ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4700 (OC) | Expansion slots: 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (or x8/x8), 1x PCIe 3.0 x4 | Storage: 2x M.2, 2x M.2 (DIMM.2 board), 8x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 10x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 2x Thunderbolt 3 ports on extension card (DP1.4) | Network : 1x 10Gb Marvell ethernet, 1x 2.5Gb Intel ethernet, Intel WiFi 6 wireless. ... We wish is was a few dollars cheaper but if you do go for the Maximus XII Hero… Buy ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII HERO (WI-FI) LGA 1200 (Intel 10th Gen) Intel Z490 (WiFi 6) SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard (14+2 Power Stages, DDR4 4800+, 5Gbps LAN, Intel LAN, Bluetooth v5.1, Triple M.2, Aura Sync) with fast shipping and top-rated customer service. RAM overclocking was painless, easily handling our DDR4 4000 kit. To that end, Asus uses a 16-phase VRM with 70A MOSFETs (total of 1,120A for the CPU). This Asus-modified Realtek codec supports 10 DAC channels for simultaneous 7.1 and 2.0-channel playback. Although there are many capable boards around its price point, none focus on extreme overclocking like the Apex. - Compare your components to the current market leaders. It brings a robust VRM, three M.2 sockets, eight SATA ports, AX201 Wi-Fi and more. Devour Maximus VII Hero's extraordinary specs. Size : ATX | Memory support : 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4800 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 | Storage: 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 6x USB 3.2, 2x USB 2.0 | Video ports: N/A | Network : 1x Realtek 2.5Gb, 1x Intel 1GB LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless. With the Apex focused on overclocking, the thought here is that copious amounts of RAM aren’t the norm in this world. In the box along with the motherboard is the usual list of SATA cables, Support DVD, M.2 screws, RGB extension cables and more. - Identify the strongest components in your PC. Size : ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-5000 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4) | Storage : 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 6x USB 3.2, 4x USB 2.0 | Video ports: 1x HDMI | Network : Intel 2.5Gb LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless. If you want to tweak, and then tweak some more, then Asus has you covered. We’re usually impressed with Gigabyte’s audio and that’s also the case here, with an ESS Sabre DAC and quality component choices. It’s good to have the primary M.2 slot above the GPU rather than cooking away underneath it. ASUS ROG Maximus Hero XII ︎ Intel i9-10900K ︎ NVIDIA RTX 3090 FE ︎ 64GB Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro ︎ Windows 10 Pro (20H2) ︎ Samsung 970 EVO Pro 1TB NVME SSD (OS Drive) ︎ Samsung 860 EVO 2TB SATA SSD ︎ Seagate 4TB SATA HDD ︎ Corsair RMx 850W PSU It’s got a small fan that only spins up when it’s required. I mean, why would you though with its lovely retro, almost analogue theme. The W_Pump+, AIO_Pump and FS_Fan1/2 run full speed, while the chassis and CPU fans are Q-Fan-controlled, supporting both PWM and DC models. It says a lot about Z490 motherboard pricing when the Hero – usually a value offering in the Asus Maximus range – sells for an eye watering $400. Especially given Intel's propensity for 14nm silicon… While 10th Generation CPUs may not have shaken the foundations of the tech world, they are the fastest gaming chips around. The integrated rear plate on the Apex is full of IO, including dual PS/2 ports (keyboard and mouse), BIOS switch and Clear CMOS button, Wi-Fi antenna headers, a 5-plug audio stack plus SPDIF output, the 2.5 GbE RJ-45 port, and 10 USB ports (6x USB 3.2 Gen2, including one Type-C, four USB 3.2 Gen1 ports). Managing the power is the company’s own Digi+ ASP1405I (X+Y=8) controller, which then sends it to the ‘teamed’ VRM configuration. Below is a complete list of specifications from Asus. Just not with Comet Lake. Asus' ROG Maximus XII Extreme, built on the Intel Z490 chipset, is the company's flagship motherboard for the Intel LGA1200 socket and 10th Generation "Comet Lake-S" CPUs like the Core i9-10900K. But, while that might mean it's not the board you'd choose for an overclocked i9 machine, that's a tiny niche of gamers, and for either i5 or i7 CPUs the MSI Gaming Carbon is still a quality home for your Comet Lake CPU. Please refresh the page and try again. Sign up to get the best content of the week, and great gaming deals, as picked by the editors. If you’ve got top shelf cooling, then the Hero will handle it. © Our Verdict. It's a motherboard that packs substantial power, smart cooling and faster memory support under a stealthy skin. Zooming in close to the upper right-hand corner, we see several LEDs between the start button and DIMM.2 slot. The Hero was effortlessly able to overclock our 10900K to 5.2GHz and our memory to DDR4-4000. If a board was designed for extreme overclocking, you have to imagine power delivery needs to be up to snuff to handle the power going through it. Odd amount of memory banks though. ASUS 5-Way Optimization overclocks intelligently & FanXpert 4 delivers dynamic cooling. GIGABYTE TRX40 AORUS Master (From $495) 4. The performance of the Taichi was interesting. Additional features on the ROG Maximus XII Apex include several fan headers, water flow and temperature sensor headers, three M.2 sockets, 10 USB ports, 2.5 GbE and Intel AX201 Wi-Fi, and more. Future US, Inc. 11 West 42nd Street, 15th Floor, Gaming performance was on par or better than most boards, and the other data sets showed similar results. The lights are bright and the colors saturated. Intel won’t confirm any details one way or the other about its future products, so for now PCIe 4.0 support on Z490 seems sketchy at best and shouldn’t factor into a purchase decision at this point in time. ROG Maximus XII Hero is the perfect foundation to the Republic of Gamers. ... then the Hero will handle it. Size : ATX | Memory support: 4x DIMM, up to 128GB, DDR4-4666 (OC) | Expansion slots: 3x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x0/x4 or x8/x8/x4), 2x PCIe 3.0 x1 | Storage : 3x M.2, 6x SATA 6Gbps | Rear USB: 8x USB 3.2 | Video ports: 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI | Network : Dragon 2.5Gb, 1x Intel 1Gb LAN, Intel WiFi 6 wireless. Get instant access to breaking news, in-depth reviews and helpful tips. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Wi-Fi Review: The Tale of Two Motherboards ... For the Maximus XII Hero, there are a number of premium components and features that make this a … That tech means overclockers can enjoy broad compatibility with ultra-fast RAM, and they’ll be able to dial in memory speeds up to 5000MHz or beyond on select boards. Best … It brings a robust VRM, three M.2 sockets, eight SATA ports, AX201 Wi-Fi and more. Grab a free keyboard upgrade and rock-steady USB power. The overall bundle, build quality, and OC performance have me siding with the ROG board in the head-to-head, but it's a close run thing, and you could also make a convincing argument for the MSI Godlike being the best Z490 motherboard around. It includes a premium audio codec, ample storage options, an inclusive cooling ecosystem, and more. The Hero comes with a 14+2 phase VRM design with each stage rated for 60A. Core i9-10900KF, RTX 3090: Above average: UFO - 251: 106: 274 106 244 259 79 ... - Explore your best upgrade options with … Upgrading from the 7th, 8th or 9th to 10th generation might not be a big leap, but 2nd to 10th Gen sure is! You won’t be held back by this VRM here, that’s for sure. Features and Specifications. Additionally, the company has crammed in enough buttons, switches and BIOS options to handle anything in the sub-ambient overclocking world.