Test System

Initial Setup

Initial boot-up with the ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT was quick and simple, and installing device drivers off the CD was quick and painless. There is not a lot for me to say here because everything worked exactly as expected, but I noticed that the ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT runs with a boosted Turbo profile.

Some boards have custom Turbo profiles that boost performance at "stock" settings, giving the appearance of having more performance than they really do. ASUS told me that they do not condone such custom profiles without informing the user, but do understand that some users want this function to be available, so they offer such Turbo profiles in some instances. ASUS’s ROG branding is such that a boosted performance at default is not only expected, but required. A boosted Turbo profile becomes available when XMP is enabled or via a switch in the BIOS, but can also simply be disabled via CPU multiplier adjustment options in the BIOS. I personally feel that a coupon for Intel's Performance Tuning Protection Plan should be included in the box to protect against CPU failures if boards do so without giving the end user a way to turn it off, or do not explicitly state doing so on the outside of the box. For more information on Intel's Performance Tuning Protection Plan, check their site found HERE.



The ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT was the first mITX board I had some issues getting installed. There are so many parts sticking up and out here, there, and everywhere that figuring out where to plug everything in while keeping an eye on cable management became a challenge I gave up on. There is also the other side of the board and its VRM cover plate ASUS attached to the board with screws. My BItfenix case doesn’t have removable stand-offs, so I properly molested my board with a screwdriver to make it fit; there is absolutely no additional space on this PCB.


The board's I/O panel in the rear is incredibly busy, so much so I was worried using the features there might be a nuisance, but I couldn’t ignore how nicely laid-out and easy-to-use everything there was once the rear lit up. I now actually wish every ROG board were the same. Why have all those buttons been hidden away when they can be put to use like this!

Power Consumption

We measure CPU power consumption since one of our first tasks is to truly verify system stability. I isolate the power coming through the 8-pin ATX connector using an in-line meter that provides voltage and current readings, and total wattage passed through. While this may not prove to isolate the CPU power draw in all instances, it does serve as a good indicator of board efficiency and effective VRM design. Total system power consumption is no longer reported as this figure can change depending on what VGA is installed. The sole board-only power measurements possible without physically modifying a motherboard are those taken via the 8-pin CPU connector, making it the only figure of value worth reporting. I use wPrime with eight threads selected in the options since it provides a consistently high workload throughout the full length of the test and runs long enough for the VRM and CPU to produce a fair bit of heat. Most average workloads will draw far less than that, although distributed computing applications are quite similar. This is not supposed to test stability since I use several other applications to do so, but merely to provide repeatable power draw numbers anyone can replicate. The meter used is an off-the-shelf Zalman unit that has been on the market for some time. It provides similar results in my test environment when compared with a FLUKE 337 clamp meter.


The ASUS MAXIMUS VI IMPACT consumed more power than expected, but given the clock speeds that were used, power consumption under load while overclocked and at stock was exactly as I expected. That said, the board by default kept my CPU from idling with reduced multipliers at idle, which led to more power consumed than necessary. While pretty basic stuff, idle clock speeds could have definitely been defined a bit better.