Board Software

ASUS has included a fair amount of software with the board, the first of which is the "T.Probe" software that interfaces with the onboard "T.Probe" chippery. The simple interface indicates temperature for each of the 12 CPU power phases, and also includes a switch to enable full-time phase loading, or a lower-power dynamic loading scheme. We attempted to max out the phase temperatures, but found the hardware/software combination more than capable of meeting our demands, even while pushing near 200 W.


The next four bits of software all work together, providing a near complete software overclocking solution. ASUS's "AI Suite" serves as the main control panel, from which the other three can be started, although each of the remaining three, minus Fan Xpert, can be ran on thier own. "Fan Xpert" allows users to create customized fan profiles for minimal noise on idle, and max cooling power under load. Having had dealt with a few users in just the past two weeks looking for software-controlled fan speeds, this seemingly simple feature is not one to overlook.


Rounding out the software compliment is both "EPU6" and "TurboV". "EPU6" serves as a user-controlled interface with the EPU2 chip onboard, allowing customization of several power-saving and high-performance profiles that can adjust speeds of various components including CPU, VGA, and memory, with the main focus being on minimizing power use when not needed, but at the same time, allowing the system to adjust for more power when required. "TurboV" takes this one step further, allowing real-time voltage and frequency adjustments that are then saved to BIOS for the next boot. While not as fully featured as the "TurboV" software found on the ASUS Maximus III Gene, it does provide enough options for those looking to do a bit of Windows overclocking.


The final bit of software is Intel's own "Xtreme Tuning Utility", which allows both frequency and voltage adjustments, while having a head above the rest, allowing for memory timing changes as well. However, in order to function fully, the switch for third-party utilities must be enabled in BIOS, and many adjustments require a reboot to take effect, making it a rather limited application, as while rebooting, it's very easy to get into the BIOS and make changes manually. The one thing keeping it in our focus is the inclusion of a couple of stability tests that can be used to verify the stability of new-found overclocks.