Board Software

ASUS has updated its AI Suite software for Z87 with a brand-new interface and a new layout. I find both significantly better than previous versions. It still provides all the same functionality as before and includes ASUS BOOT, a new tool that will take users with enabled FAST BOOT features directly into the BIOS on the next boot. I had to make use of it myself a couple of times.


All the controls for the VRM are still available through the TPU interface, and special to the TUF series of products is the Thermal Radar software, a tool that manages system fan speeds based on power consumption and system temperatures. This software taps into on-board temperature sensors, the included probes in the GRYPHON ARMOR kit, and all of the on-board fan headers to optimize your case's thermal environment. To perfect the airflow no matter what enclosure you use, it even includes the ability to pick what type of fan is plugged into each header.


Control panels for Wi-Fi file management and a customized, branded version of CPU-Z that matches the software and BIOS have also been included. All told, ASUS provides a pretty thorough bundle with far more features than I've gone over here, although I've covered the basics. Due to the design of Intel's Haswell platform, and overclocking not varying much between motherboards, ASUS understands the need for a truly customized platform, and they do ensure that all the needs of their target user are met, even down to the software used.