Introduction

When talking about overclocking, ASUS's ROG series of products are without a doubt part of the conversation as ASUS has definitely left its mark on the overclocking enthusiast community over the years since the ROG debut, and in ways other brands have not been able to match. The wide capability and complete design focus this series brings to the table had red and black ROG colors dominate top rankings of global benchmarking achievements for many years, and while ASUS's MAXIMUS products have long come in several flavors, the EXTREME, the FORMULA, and the GENE, ASUS has now launched a new SKU, the ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO I reviewed several weeks ago, a value-oriented overclocking board designed around users requesting a ROG-level product with a slightly slimmer focus on extreme overclocking enthusiasts. That board made quite the impression, and I have to call it a great success, but those three older SKUs, the EXTREME, the FORMULA, and the GENE, all have Z87 variants as well, and the first I'm going to look at is none other than the MAXIMUS VI EXTREME.

The ASUS MAXIMUS VI EXTREME has already been on our front page by way of some memory reviews I posted since Intel launched Haswell, so I obviously spent considerably more time with the ASUS MAXIMUS VI EXTREME than some of the other Intel Z87 products sitting on my shelf. Specifically designed to be the base of a record-breaking overclocking and benchmarking rig, the ASUS MAXIMUS EXTREME is ASUS's high-end ROG option, built from the ground up to take every piece of installed hardware to the limit and beyond, which is the reason I use it for my memory reviews. The flexibility and a huge number of overclocking-friendly options make it an indispensable tool no overclocking enthusiast should be without.

Specifications

Intel Z87 Chipset

New and fresh on the scene for June of 2013 is Intel's latest Socket 1150 platform, with Intel's Z87 chipset taking the top-tier spot in chipset functionality, and for performance options on this platform.


Most of the basic functionality offered by Intel's new Z87 chipset is quite similar to what was offered with Intel's Z77 Express, but there are more USB 3.0 ports, and they are faster too. All of the SATA ports provided offer SATA 6 Gb/s functionality. Intel's Z77 Express only had two ports at those speeds. There are also new power-saving features to keep power consumption at a bare minimum, and Z87 also includes all the features of the Intel Z77 Express. The chipset offers PCIe speeds of up to 5 GT/s for fast access to peripheral devices and networking with up to eight PCI Express 2.0 x1 ports that can be configured to act as x2-, x4-, or x8 ports. Intel's functionality diagram for the Z87 chipset is shown above.


The new 4th Gen Intel Core CPUs are 64-bit, multi-core chips built on a 22nm process; pairing with the Intel Z87 chipset enables the performance-tuning features of "K"-SKU CPUs, allowing independent changes to core-, graphics-, "ring"-, and memory frequencies. This allows you to clock up one part of the chip while running any other part of the chip at stock speeds, which is extremely useful for enthusiasts that like to overclock, as each part can be clocked and tested independently for the absolute most out of your chip if the time is taken to test everything fully. Users who prefer the simpler approach of past platforms can use it instead, ensuring everyone's needs are met. For PCIe connectivity, Intel Z87-based platforms allow the processor's PCI Express 3.0 port to be configured into three different configurations: 1x16, 2x8, or 1x8 and 2x4. The third x8 and 2x4 configuration is primarily meant for use with Intel Thunderbolt Technology but can be used to support other devices as well.

Other TPU reviews cover the CPUs themselves in more detail. We will now also separate those reviews. One will cover iGPU performance and the other will cover CPU performance.

Packaging

In some ways, I wish ASUS would update its ROG packaging, but I am also glad that the familiar exterior makes ASUS ROG products easy to spot at your local store. The front is pretty basic, with just the board's name and a little picture of all included accessories coming with the ASUS MAXIMUS VI EXTREME, and that is all. The rear of the box goes into a LOT of detail about the board's functionality, with a full list of the board's physical features.


The flap on the front of the box can be flipped over to look at the board inside through a plastic window. On the inside of the cardboard flap are several feature highlights we usually find here on ASUS ROG packaging. The board itself and its accessories come in separate boxes inside the main box, with the new ASUS OC Panel fit into the plastic cover protecting the ASUS MAXIMUS VI EXTREME. The accessories box is packed to the brim with goodies, so much so that pretty much anything you will ever need is here.

Contents

There's so much stuff here, it barely fits into my photo box. A full list is below:

• User's manual
• I/O shield
• 10 x SATA 6Gb/s cables
• 1 x ASUS 2T2R dual-band Wi-Fi moving antennas (Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compliant)
• 1 x 3-Way SLI bridge
• 1 x 4-Way SLI bridge
• 1 x SLI bridge
• 1 x CrossFire cable
• 1 x 2 in 1 Q-connectors
• 1 x ROG connect cable
• 1 x 12 in 1 ROG cable labels
• 1 x mPCIe Combo II card with dual-band WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth v4.0/3.0+HS module
• 1 x ROG magnet
• OC panel kit:
  - 1 x OC panel
  - 1 x OC panel 5.25-inch bay metal case
  - 1 x OC panel cable