Board Layout

The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WiFi) features a matte black PCB with a subtle pattern of printed lines. The rear I/O cover is also matte black, with "MAXIMUS XI" in white across the top. The heatsinks for the VRM, chipset, and M.2 drives are a dark gunmetal gray with a brushed finish.

The back of the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WiFi) is a uniform matte black with more printed gloss lines for accenting.


The CPU socket is open enough to accommodate most coolers, and the VRM heatsink looks quite capable.


There are only two M.2 slots on the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WiFi). The first sits just under the CPU socket, while the second is between the second and third PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. Both have heatsinks for improved thermal performance.



The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WiFi) offers three PCI Express 3.0 x16 slots, the first two of which are encased in metal reinforcement, as well as three PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots. The board has a total of six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and all are angled 90 degrees from the board.


The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WiFi) has a good rear I/O offering that includes both DisplayPort and HDMI ports, as well as an optical S/PDIF out port. The full list consists of:

• 1x HDMI 2.0b port
• 1x DisplayPort
• 1x Clear CMOS button
• 1x BIOS Flashback button
• 2x WiFi antenna connectors
• 1x PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo connector
• 2x USB 2.0 ports
• 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
• 3x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
• 1x RJ-45 LAN port
• 1x Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks

Networking on the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO (WiFi) is handled by an Intel I211AT and an Intel 802.11 AC controller for wireless connectivity.