ASUS MAXIMUS VI EXTREME (Intel LGA 1150)

[cadaveca]

Not everyone needs a board built to push the limits of what is possible with up-to-date silicon, but I and many other enthusiasts most definitely do. Achieving records requires a special board, and ASUS's MAXIMUS VI EXTREME is that board. Is it EXTREME?

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[erixx]

Good review, as usual!
So no Thunderbold. Well I have on the MVE, but no use for it so far... Will new USB4 or HDMI3 put it aside?
Anyway, I am not going to upgrade this generation, but love the ROG evolution each step.
Dave, anything you can say about AI Suite 3 for the previous gen of ROG boards? Looks sooo good!

 

[GSquadron]

I don't understand this: "Color scheme used may not appeal to all"

 

[AlienIsGOD]

I don't understand this: "Color scheme used may not appeal to all"

whats not to understand? some ppl like thier components to be of a certain color scheme and the red and black may not suit that

 

[d1nky]

I don't understand this: "Color scheme used may not appeal to all"

whats not to understand? some ppl like thier components to be of a certain color scheme and the red and black may not suit that

I thought red and black was ROG?!

my understanding is when you buy rog stuff you get red/black and theres no changing that, so I see the question.. or why the first statement/quote has meaning

 

[GSquadron]

whats not to understand? some ppl like thier components to be of a certain color scheme and the red and black may not suit that

If red and black may not suit for all, than all kind of color combinations may not suit for all.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

If red and black may not suit for all, than all kind of color combinations may not suit for all.

to each their own i personally dont care about color as none of my cases have side windows, board features are more important to me. But you have been here long enough to have seen other forum members pc's, color scheme goes along way in some of those builds for eye pleasing aesthetics.

 

[erixx]

and we laugh at girlz shopping cloths

 

[TheMailMan78]

I only tend to read reviews when I am looking to buy something. However I am gonna miss your reviews when you "retire" here soon. I told you that "in person" before but I wanted to pay my homage to one of the best reviewers I have read publicly.........in the gayest way.........not that there is anything wrong with that.

 

[Sasqui]

I only tend to read reviews when I am looking to buy something. However I am gonna miss your reviews when you "retire" here soon. I told you that "in person" before but I wanted to pay my homage to one of the best reviewers I have read publicly.........in the gayest way.........not that there is anything wrong with that.

And did you change your avatar just to post that?

And yes, great review. Makes me want to spend 3x what I did on my MB upgrade, but I'm still happy with what I got.

 

[radrok]

Very extensive and thorough.

There's no doubt that the MVIE is the best z87 board for extreme over clocking but as far as it goes in my experience I'd never recommend an extreme rog board for 24/7 non subzero overclocks.

Any good midrange board is capable to max an ambient cooled Haswell CPU overclock and we've got proof in the GD65 gaming and MVIHero.

I would say that the entry-level point to justify this board is single stage.

thank you Dave

 

[ZeroFM]

100$ or 400$ but same OC ...

 

[Random Murderer]

Sliding the gray panel off of the top allows you to access the real functionality provided by the ROG OC Panel. Inside are switches to control boot modes, GPU voltage mod points for ASUS GPU VTweak-enabled cards (most modern ASUS Direct CU II and MATRIX cards), the four 4-pin PWM-based fan headers I mentioned earlier, and a few goodies to help repair commonly damaged components.

Care to elaborate?

 

[cadaveca]

100$ or 400$ but same OC ...

Perhaps, but not with the same ease. Also, cheaper boards will run hotter, requiring more cooling. ASUS was up-front with saying that for 24/7 use, all their boards should clock comparatively, but cooling needed would differ, and my findings do correlate.

Care to elaborate?

Sure.

Pic from my review guide:

I would say that the entry-level point to justify this board is single stage.

Kind of, but also, multi GPU with three or more cards on Z87 should use PLX chip, or for users with RAID cards. As a multi-monitor user, this is something that is not possible on "regular" boards, which only really support two cards (three with Crossfire).

 

[hckngrtfakt]

Whoa !! Awesome review

I was on the line between purchasing this board or the Hero VI, and while the comparison charts show their performance to be very in par, the OC'ability on this one definitely sold me.
(can't wait to try the ROG RAMDISK)

My only issue is the external antenna, .... why would asus insist on bundling an ugly bulky piece of plastic and not just a couple of 6dbi antennas ??? :shadedshu
(at least is not the same ugly round pieces of white plastic that came bundled with the MVE)

 

[cadaveca]

I actually like this antenna. I spent some time with this system set up in my garage, and this antenna does work better than the past ones, giving me better signal strength form my router that sits in my basement. My laptop and wife's phone cannot get signal where this antenna does, for whatever reason.

 

[hckngrtfakt]

I actually like this antenna. I spent some time with this system set up in my garage, and this antenna does work better than the past ones, giving me better signal strength form my router that sits in my basement. My laptop and wife's phone cannot get signal where this antenna does, for whatever reason.

You get better signal because this appears to be a 6dbi (semi-booster) antenna, while the previous ones (the white one) was a mere 2dbi (most laptops and phones come with variants of 2dbi antennas, since the 6dbi ones consume far more power)

My solution (rather CHEAP i may add)
was to buy a couple of 2dbi ones which quite frankly, do a great "range" job

 

[Sabishii Hito]

This board is an absolute pain to try to clock Hynix CFR memory on.

 

[d1nky]

how come they didn't go with the hybrid vrm cooling or is that on something else completely?

 

[cadaveca]

This board is an absolute pain to try to clock Hynix CFR memory on.

No problems here, ran 2933 MHz 12-14-14-35 @ 1.65 V with CFR. Most likely you need to try different BIOS.

Also, set tWCL @ 10, that opens up the MHz above 2666.

how come they didn't go with the hybrid vrm cooling or is that on something else completely?

That's on the Formula, which I'll cover relatively soon.

 

[Fourstaff]

100$ or 400$ but same OC ...

A Ford Focus will bring you up to the national speed limit in no time but a lot of people lust after a Ferrari because ...

 

[radrok]

A Ford Focus will bring you up to the national speed limit in no time but a lot of people lust after a Ferrari because ...

Please do not compare Ferraris to hardware, they'll never be comparable.

Car analogies do not fit to hardware in any way IMHO.

 

[Sabishii Hito]

No problems here, ran 2933 MHz 12-14-14-35 @ 1.65 V with CFR. Most likely you need to try different BIOS.

Also, set tWCL @ 10, that opens up the MHz above 2666.





That's on the Formula, which I'll cover relatively soon.

I tried just about every BIOS the board has, eventually gave up and took it back. Gigabyte OC series are the easiest to clock CFR and double-sided MFR on in my experience.

 

[Random Murderer]

Car analogies do not fit to hardware in any way IMHO.

Then you've obviously never rebuilt an engine, lol.

 

[radrok]

Then you've obviously never rebuilt an engine, lol.

If you do not count the many times I've put my hands into my JCW Mini Cooper then no.

Anyway a sports car can't be compared to hardware you change basically every year. Atleast in my opinion