ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero Z370 Motherboard Review

By

The Hero Coffee Lake Deserves

Intels 8th Generation Core processor, code named Coffee Lake, is living upwards to the hype. The gaming performance and clock speed potential of the Intel Coffee Lake K series is unprecedented. Some of you (those lucky plenty to get your hands on a CPU) may however be wondering which motherboard should you consider putting your Coffee Lake beast into? Nosotros submit for your review, the ASUS Maximus Ten Hero.

The ASUS Maximus Ten Hero comes in almost the meridian of the ASUS Z370 chipset lineup, priced at $259.99 shipped. The ASUS Maximus X Hero is said to be the "sweetness spot" for gamers and overclockers every bit it should take all the features you need and doesn't have 802.11ac wireless. If you demand an Intel Z370 lath with Wi-Fi you'll need to spend an extra $xx and become the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X Hero (WI-FI AC) version that costs $279.99 shipped. Going above this price gets into the yet to be released ASUS Maximus X Code and ASUS Maximus X Formula. The X Formula adds watercooled VRM heatsinks, larger PCH heatsink, and black "armor" that covers the board to help resist heat. Sitting at the peak of ASUS product stack is the aptly named ASUS Maximus X Apex. It is aimed squarely at overclockers and is priced at $349.99.

Going downward the stack from the X Hero, we have the ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-E Gaming which takes away the ESS Sabre DAC and some of the thermal sensor headers for a toll of $209.99, including Air-conditioning/Wifi. The ASUS ROG STRIX Z370-F drops the Wifi module and one of the two USB 3.1 controllers for $194.99. Beneath this price bespeak is the ROG microATX and Mini-ITX offerings where the form cistron begins to actually determine the corporeality of features equipped. Also below $194.99 are the ASUS Prime serial of motherboards, which are great motherboards, but make some feature changes in order to appeal to more toll conscious consumers.

After wearing out the F5 push button on our keyboard for the concluding several weeks, we are happy to say that our testing is with a retail sample of the Intel Core i7-8700K acquired from Microcenter.

ASUS_Max_X_Hero_Main

The ASUS Maximus X Hero is of course based on Intels Z370 chipset, the merely current LGA 1151 socket supporting Coffee Lake processers. Information technology is an ATX design with a plethora of features, certain to please many. Below are the specifications and a list of features, which we will detail in the pages that follow.

ASUS ROG Maximus X Hero Specifications

CPU Intel Socket 1151 for viiithursday Generation Core Processors
Chipset Intel Z370
Memory iv x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR4 2666/2400/2133 MHz Non-ECC, United nations-buffered Memory

2800 MHz – 4133 MHz Overclock

Supports Intel Extreme Retentiveness Contour (XMP)
On Board Graphics Multi-VGA output back up : HDMI/DisplayPort 1.2 ports

Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 ten 2160 @ 24 Hz

Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 4096 10 2304 @ lx Hz
Multi-GPU Support Supports NVIDIA 2-Way SLI Technology
Supports AMD 3-Way CrossFireX Technology
Expansion Slots 2 10 PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)
1 x PCIe three.0 x16 (x4 mode)
3 ten PCIe 3.0/2.0 x1
Storage 1 ten Chiliad.2 Socket 3, with 1000 key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices back up (SATA & PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)
1 x 1000.2 Socket 3, with Chiliad key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (PCIE 3.0 x 4 style)
6 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s)
Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10
Supports Intel Smart Response Technology
Intel Optane Retentivity Prepare
Audio ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC S1220
Impedance sense for front end and rear headphone outputs
Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Forepart Panel Jack-retasking
Loftier quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input
SupremeFX Shielding Technology
ESS ES9023P
Supports upward to 32-Bit/192kHz playback
Sound Feature :
Gold-plated jacks
Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
Sonic Radar III
Sonic Studio 3
USB Ports ASMedia USB 3.1 Gen 2 controller :
1 10 USB 3.ane Gen 2 forepart panel connector port(southward)
ASMedia USB three.i Gen two controller :
ii x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port(due south) (2 at back panel, , Type-A + USB Type-CTM)
Intel Z370 Chipset :
6 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s) (4 at back panel, +bluish, two at mid-board)
Intel Z370 Chipset :
half dozen ten USB two.0 port(s) (2 at back console, +blackness, 4 at mid-lath)
ROG Exclusive Features ROG RAMCache 2
ROG CPU-Z
ROG CloneDrive
Pre-mounted I/O Shield
MemOK! Push button
Slow Mode
Overwolf
GameFirst 4
Extreme Engine Digi+ :
– MicroFine Alloy Chokes
– NexFET Power Block MOSFET
– 10K Blackness Metallic Capacitors
Mem TweakIt
ROG Extreme OC kit :
– ReTry push
– Safe Kick button
– Start button
– Reset button
– LN2 Mode
KeyBot Two
– One-click Overclocking
– Ten.M.P.
– DirectKey
– ClrCMOS
– Power On
UEFI BIOS features :
– O.C. Contour
– Tweakers' Paradise
– ROG SSD Secure Erase
ROG RAMDisk
Extreme Tweaker
USB BIOS Flashback
Overclocking Protection :
– ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Call back)
Special Features ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors five-Manner Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5 :
– v-Manner Optimization tuning key perfectly consolidates TPU, EPU, DIGI+ VRM, Fan Expert four, and Turbo App
AURA :
– Aureola Lighting Command
– Aura RGB Strip Headers
– Aura Lighting Effects Synchronization with compatible ASUS ROG devices
– Aura Addressable Strip Header(s)
ASUS Exclusive Features :
– AI Suite 3
– Disk Unlocker
ASUS EZ DIY :
– ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
– ASUS EZ Flash 3
CPU Installation Tool
– Three-step simplicity and safety
ASUS Q-Design :
– ASUS Q-Lawmaking
– ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
– ASUS Q-Slot
– ASUS Q-DIMM
– ASUS Q-Connector
Gaming Aesthetics :
– 3D press friendly
– AURA-RGB Lighting
Dorsum I/O Ports 1 ten DisplayPort
1 x HDMI
i x LAN (RJ45) port(s)
2 x USB 3.ane Gen 2 Blazon-A + USB Type-CT
iv 10 USB 3.one Gen 1 (blueish)
2 ten USB 2.0
ane x Optical S/PDIF out
1 10 Articulate CMOS push(south)
1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button(southward)
5 x Gold-plated audio jacks
Form Cistron ATX Form Factor
12 inch ten ix.half-dozen inch ( xxx.5 cm 10 24.4 cm )

Let's accept a look at the lath layout!