Rog maximus x hero review: Asus ROG Maximus X Hero Motherboard Review

Asus ROG Maximus X Hero Review

Written by

Antony Leather

November 24, 2017 | 12:30

Tags: #coffee-lake #lga-1151-v2 #republic-of-gamers #rog #z370

Companies: #asus #intel

1 — Asus ROG Maximus X Hero Review2 — Test Setup3 — Content Creation4 — Gaming Performance5 — M.2 and SATA 6Gbps Performance6 — Audio Performance7 — Power Consumption8 — Performance Analysis and Conclusion

Manufacturer: Asus

UK price (as reviewed): £259.99 (inc. VAT) (£269.99 with Wi-Fi)

US price (as reviewed): $268.99 (exc. tax) ($279.99 with Wi-Fi)

If you want the added extras of overclocking and testing tools, extensive RGB lighting, and other ROG pizazz, then with Asus’ Z370 motherboards you need to step up to the ROG Maximus X Hero. It costs around £20 more than its predecessor, but it does include a couple of additions that probably make that extra cost justified — it’s not just a greedy price hike.

As with its less expensive Strix boards, Asus offers two variants of the Hero with the only difference being the inclusion of onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi for £10 more. Our model is the Wi-Fi-less version, which retails for £260, so it’s definitely one of the pricier Z370 boards out there.

Visually, there are two very obvious additions to the new board that have bumped up the price — the large M.2 heatsink for the top slot between the primary 16x PCIe slot and CPU socket, and a very drool-worthy integrated I/O shield like the one we’ve seen on previous Rampage and Formula boards.

Otherwise, aesthetically, the two are very similar with the purple-grey heatsinks and black PCB, with the Maximus logo in the I/O shroud and an ROG logo in the PCH heatsink both illuminating in full RGB, controlled of course by Asus’ Aura software. As we test these things for a living, mostly outside of cases, it’s a huge boon having power and reset buttons, and combined with a rear-mounted CMOS clear button and USB BIOS Flashback button the new Hero is also likely to be a hit with overclockers.

That’s not all there is to like if you’re into your exotic cooling. You get a plethora of thermal probe headers as well as a dedicated header for DIY liquid-cooling pumps that can dish out up to 3A/36W plus flow meters and a dedicated header for AIO liquid-cooler pumps too. You also get standard four-pin RGB headers plus an addressable header for 5V WS2812B RGB LED strips, where you can control individual LEDs.

One of the Hero’s previous trump cards has been more than your average number of SATA 6Gbps ports, but you get the standard six here, so if you have a mish-mash of hard disks you need to transplant to your new rig, you may come up short. For a new system, though, you also have those M.2 ports to consider, one of which can also support SATA-based M. 2 SSDs leaving you with all the SATA ports free for your slower storage. The M.2 heatsink is one of the chunkiest out there with a large thermal pad on the underside. It saw the load temperature fall from a toasty 72°C to 58°C. The former is much higher than usual due to the fact the SSD is sandwiched between the DIMM slots, GPU, and CPU socket, so the heatsink is definitely worth using.

Chipset Intel Z370
Form factor ATX
CPU support Intel Socket LGA 1151-V2
Memory support Dual-channel, four slots, max 64GB
Sound Eight-channel SupremeFX ALC S1220A
Networking 1 x Intel Gigabit Ethernet
Ports 2 x M.2 (1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 32Gbps/SATA 6Gbps up to 2280, 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 32Gbps up to 2280), 6 x SATA 6Gbps, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 header, 6 x USB 3.0 (2 via headers), 6 x USB 2. 0 (4 via headers), 1 x LAN, audio out, line in, mic, Optical S/PDIF out
Dimensions (mm) 305 x 244
Extras RGB extension cables, 3D print and fan mounting screws

Review: Asus ROG Maximus X Hero — Mainboard

If you were to ask us which is the most popular gaming PC platform in late 2017 odds are that we’d pick the Intel Z370 and 8th Gen Core processors. Refined, fast and now with more cores than ever before on a mainstream setup, it constitutes the base for our updated testing machines.

The motherboard choice is easy: Z370 is the only option for consumers looking to buy into the 8th Gen family. You can spend as little as £100 for a budget board that’s fine at stock speeds, while £200 brings a few additional features and more overclocking-specific support into play.

Stepping it up further, the £250 market is home to enthusiast boards, and industry giant Asus plies this segment with the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus X Hero.

Two such boards exist in the Maximus X Hero line-up: the standard one, reviewed here, and one equipped with 802.11ac WiFi that costs an extra £15 or so. Asus uses the existing IX Hero as a base and improves upon it in a couple of obvious ways. The first is the specific, thick M.2 heatshield sandwiched between the primary PCIe x16 slot and CPU, and we prefer this to the southbridge-integrated heatsinks on cheaper Asus Z370 boards. The second, as you will see later on, is an ever-so-cool I/O shield that’s integrated from the get go.

The board has many of the features that we’d want over and above what is provided by the chipset. There are a total of seven 4-pin fan headers dotted around the edges of the PCB and these cover both air and proper watercooling (up to 36W of power), with the latter even having flow-meter support for more esoteric setups. Asus expects you to overclock the CPU and use heavy-duty cooling with this board and rightfully equips it as such.

Additional RGB support over and above the main zones is taken care of by a couple of Aura strip headers, one of which can control individual LEDs. Bear in mind that you have to install additional software in order to control the lighting and syncing with other Asus products and select memory — we would like it if Asus, like others, would offer such control in the BIOS. This would mean that the lighting is synched straight away, rather than waiting for the operating system and utility to load.

The enthusiast features come thick and fast, with a useful number of buttons and switches at the bottom, though we would also have preferred the debug LED to be located in this area. As it is, high up the board and to the right, it can be obscured if you have a thick radiator in situ. Looking around, the board has multiple points where you can install optional 3D-printed material, too.

Asus is sensible in adding USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C support on to the PCB and it keeps to six Sata ports down one side. Do appreciate that the lane-sharing limitations of the Z370 platform means that having both M.2 slots populated leads to a weird and wonderful array of what you can and can’t use with respect to Sata. This is no different from any other Z370.

One minor irritation is the hard-drive activity light located just above said Sata ports. The orange LED flashes regularly, which can be annoying if you have a side window. It can be turned off in the BIOS, but doing so switches all other LEDs off too, including the nice red glow surrounding the sporty Start button.

Audio remains good (S1220 codec, solid software), the PCIe x16 slots are separated well, and there’s a trio of x1 slots for lesser expansion. Having a full-length card in the topmost slot doesn’t foul anything important either.

We really do like the integrated I/O shield that is already fitted seamlessly over the various ports. USB 3.1 G2 Type-A and Type-C are both present and accounted, the clear Cmos and Bios flashback buttons are handy, while DisplayPort and HDMI are good choices for exporting onboard video. Could it do with a secondary LAN? Possibly, but its omission is no biggie in our book.

About the only feature missing is Thunderbolt 3 over Type-C. Sure, it’s becoming less common on motherboards, but it would help to separate this board from a glut of £200 models with ostensibly similar feature sets.

The Maximus X Hero does feel like an upgrade over the already-decent Z370-F Gaming, and we appreciate the extra enthusiast touches and front-panel USB 3.1 G2 support.

Asus has always been strong with respect to the BIOS and sensibly carries over the easy-to-use GUI from its latest boards. The only gripe, as we mentioned above but is worth repeating, is the lack of firmware-based control of the RGB lighting, relying instead on its all-encompassing Aura Windows-based software. Fan control remains class-leading, mind.

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO motherboard review: heroes hit the top ten

Waiting for the announcement of Intel’s Coffee Lake processors was a tedious ordeal for those who planned to invest heavily in a new system, putting together a powerful functional platform for the next few years. In this case, you want to spend money on the case, choosing the newest solutions, the life cycle of which is just beginning. Today we are reviewing the ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO motherboard — a continuation of the «heroic» history of the game line of the Taiwanese manufacturer. nine0003

Helping

Zmіst

1 Delivery set
2 Design and layout
3 In progress

Delivery set

The board comes in a medium-sized box. ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO comes with a manual, a software CD, four SATA cables, extension adapters for external LED strips, a plastic CPU Installation Tool holder frame for easy installation of the processor into the socket, a Q-Connector adapter, a set of screws for mounting M. 2 drives and 3D printed brackets. nine0003

In addition, the board comes with an SLI HB Bridge, a metal bracket for mounting a fan over the VRM, a large set of ROG logo stickers, interface cable labels, a branded cardboard cup holder, and a 20% discount coupon for CableMod products.

Design and layout

For the latest generation of gaming devices, the manufacturer uses a color scheme that combines black and graphite elements. In the case of ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO, there are also no exceptions. nine0003

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The black printed circuit board has a matte finish, and despite the dense placement of elements, an additional decorative pattern can be seen on the free areas of the PCB.

Elements of the cooling system are made in graphite color, the main PCI Express x16 slots and a couple of slots for memory modules are dark gray. nine0003

The power subsystem of the board has 10 phases. The VRM uses NextFET assemblies, MicroFine Alloy Chokes, and Japanese 10K Black Metallic solid capacitors. The assemblies are cooled by large radiator blocks fixed with screws. In general, the stabilizer module is noticeably different from what can be seen on relatively inexpensive motherboards based on the Intel Z370. Reinforced VRM is better suited to work in high-load conditions.

As we have already noted, the board even comes with an additional bracket that allows you to mount a 40mm fan in the VRM area for additional cooling of the heatsinks. For regular modes and moderate overclocking, such a device is unlikely to be useful, but for inquisitive enthusiasts it may come in handy.

One 8-pin connector is provided for auxiliary power supply.

Four memory slots for up to 64 GB of RAM. The manufacturer claims to support modules up to DDR4-4133. Speaking of ASUS OptiMem support, the developers claim that a separate PCB layer and the so-called T-topology are used for signal transmission for better compatibility and the ability to work with high-speed kits. The proposed list of verified ones really includes DDR4-4133 sets, even in the version with four modules. And it is obvious that these are not limit values. nine0003

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO has six slots for expansion cards — three PCI Express x16 and three PCI Express x1. The board allows you to separate the processor lanes of the PCI Express bus in x8+x8 proportions, and this is a prerequisite for the operation of two video cards in SLI mode. The presence of the SLI HB Bridge in the kit, which allows you to connect a pair of older GPU adapters with the NVIDIA Pascal architecture, as it were, hints at the possibility of organizing such a bundle. CrossFireX configurations with video cards based on AMD chips are also supported. nine0003

The main full-length slots have an additional metal lining to increase mechanical strength.

The bottom PCI-E x16 slot is serviced by the chipset, so it’s only big in size, but it’s only a quarter full (x4). Moreover, initially the slot works in x2 mode. In the BIOS settings, you can double the number of lines allocated for its needs, but in this case one compact PCI-E x1 will be deactivated.

The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO has a good set of controls. At the bottom edge is a large power button, illuminated from the inside by a red LED. Along the way, it acts as a standby indicator of power supply to the board. Nearby are the reboot button, as well as the Safe_BOOT and ReTry_Button keys for safe booting and resetting the system in conditions where Reset no longer helps. The LN2_Mode jumper and the Slow_Mode toggle switch allow you to prepare the board for operation when the processor is cooled with liquid nitrogen. nine0003

The MemOK! button is located in the upper right corner. for initial configuration of memory modules. A Q-CODE segment indicator is installed nearby, which, in addition to displaying a possible error code at system startup, can also work in the mode of indicating the current processor temperature. If this option is useful, it will need to be activated in the BIOS, because it is initially disabled.

In addition to the two-element display, there is also a system with a set of four LEDs for rapid diagnostics. If there are difficulties at the start of the system and one of the indicators is highlighted, you can immediately determine which of the nodes is causing the boot failure — the processor, RAM, video card or drive. nine0003

The board has a very good set of options for customizing the cooling system. The PCB has eight 4-pin connectors for connecting fans and CBO elements. At the same time, six independent control channels are provided, as well as a pair of connectors providing current strength up to 3A at 12 V for the most powerful pumps and fans.

In addition, the board also provides a three-pin connector for connecting a sensor that determines the fluid flow rate in the circuit and connectors for heat carrier temperature sensors at the inlet and outlet of any component of the circuit. nine0003

Top ROG boards traditionally offer the ability to fine-tune the fan algorithm. In particular, the 150 mm hefty on the Thermalright Archon Rev.A is often adjustable between 500-1000 rpm, but ASUS boards allow you to reduce the lower threshold to 300 rpm.

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO is equipped with three built-in thermal sensors and has one two-pin connector for connecting an external thermocouple. If this is not enough, the PCB has a special connector for an external branded FAN EXTENSION CARD module with three additional 4-pin connectors for fans and the same number of connectors for thermal sensors. nine0003

The manufacturer also could not ignore the topic of additional illumination.

RGB LEDs are installed in the area of the interface panel where the MAXIMUS X logo is illuminated.

The board also has two 4-pin connectors for connecting additional LED strips (5050 RGB, 12 V, up to 2 m). In addition, there is a connector for an addressable tape with the ability to control the glow of each LED (WS2812B, up to 3A, up to 60 elements). nine0003

Use the AURA application to set up glow effects with convenient controls. A dozen different modes are available here. The color of each area can be selected individually. Different options are available for different effects. For example, for static and fading, you can set not only the brightness of the glow, but even the color saturation, and it can be different for each element.

Often a useless mode with an indication of temperature or processor load can already make practical sense. In this case, you can independently set the boundaries (temperatures or loads) at which the backlight color will change. nine0003

Of course, it is possible to synchronize the backlight with devices that support AURA Sync.

Of the interesting options, we note the ability to select the backlight mode for the system turned off, and it may differ from what will be activated when the PC is turned on. In general, it is clear that the developers approached this issue not to «get off».

The board offers six SATA ports for connecting drives. All connectors are combined in one comb, located at the right edge of the PCB. nine0003

Next to the connectors there is an LED indicator of drive activity — a useful thing when the system is running on an open bench.

Two M.2 drives are available for high speed drives, allowing devices up to 80mm in length. One of the connectors in the central part of the board is hidden behind a metal bar. This aluminum profile not only decorates the board, but also cools the SSD. The connector can be used for both SATA and PCI-E drives. nine0003

The second M.2 port also has four dedicated PCI Express 3.0 bus lanes for up to 32 Gb/s bandwidth. This port is ready to accept only high-speed SSD (PCI-E) or Intel Optane accelerators.

Returning to the technically simple M.2 cooling system, we note that in this case a bar 3–4 mm thick is used, which is mounted on two racks. On the reverse side of the block there is a heat-conducting plate through which the block is already in contact with the drive. nine0003

To evaluate CO efficiency, we used a Kingston KC1000 480 GB based on a Phison PS5007-E7 controller. Using additional cooling, after several runs with write speed tests, the temperature of the drive increased to 54-56 degrees, while the SSD performance results were repeated. In this case, we are not talking about overheating of the device, and there is a good temperature margin even in case the conditions in the system unit are not as comfortable as on an open stand. nine0003

The results might have been even better if the front side of the SSD had not had a protective sticker applied to it, which obviously impairs heat transfer capabilities. In any case, even such a simple aluminum bar can solve the problem of cooling a high-speed drive.

As with other cards, there are restrictions on the simultaneous use of drives. If the first M.2_1 is occupied by a SATA SSD, then one of the internal SATA ports will be unavailable (SATA_1). In this case, while M.2_2 is running in x4 mode, a pair of SATA connectors (SATA_5 and SATA_6) is deactivated. nine0003

To support the high-speed USB 3.1 Gen2 bus, the manufacturer equipped the board with two additional ASMedia ASM3142 controllers. One is used for two corresponding ports located on the interface panel, and the second serves as an internal connector that allows you to bring USB 3.1 Gen2 in the form of USB Type-C to the chassis panel.

Network issue closes Intel i219-V gigabit controller, with additional LANGaurd protection circuit and GameFirst IV software package for configuring traffic priority. nine0003

The SupremeFX audio subsystem is another gaming add-on to the board. It is based on a modified top-end Realtek S1220 codec, as well as an additional digital-to-analog converter ESS Saber 9023P. The circuit also uses Japanese Nichicon capacitances, an independent oscillator, a preamplifier, and a circuit for automatically detecting the input impedance of the connected device.

The final sound quality will not be compared with that of the top discrete sound cards, but it is noticeably different from what can often be obtained from an integrated solution. Very worthy for its class. nine0003

The panorama can be enhanced using the Sonic Studio software package, which allows you to use various effects that are appropriate in some cases. Profiles for a number of popular gaming headsets are already available here, as well as the opportunity to experiment with the equalizer. Subjectively, when listening to music, there was no desire to correct something, but in games, the voice acting can really be made more intense.

The interface panel is initially covered with a metal plate with informative connector designations. In this version, when installing the board in the case, you will definitely not forget to first install a blank on the rear panel. ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO offers a good range of connectors. Immediately, we note the absence of the canonical PS / 2 connector. Manufacturers are slowly, but still abandoning the rare port. To connect peripherals, there are four USB 3.0, a pair of USB 2.0 and two USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, made in Type-A and Type-C format. nine0003

Full-format HDMI 1.4b and DisplayPort 1.2 outputs are provided for connecting screens. Acoustics can be connected using five 3.5 mm audio jacks or optical S / PDIF.

The panel also has two additional keys. One is for clearing the CMOS memory, and the second activates the USB BIOS Flashback mechanism to update the firmware from a USB drive.

In progress

The UEFI GUI on ROG motherboards is traditionally convenient and allows for very detailed platform customization. nine0003

The number of parameters is not only large, but also the ranges available for adjustment are wide. For example, the voltage on the processing units of the processor can be changed within 0.6–1.7 V in the classic mode, while for experiments with liquid nitrogen the upper limit is already moved up to 2.155 V. This mode becomes available after changing the position of the corresponding LN2_Mode jumper at the bottom board edges. The supply voltage on the memory modules can be changed within the range of 1. 0–2.0 V in the standard or up to 2.4 V in the «nitrogen» mode. In general, there are a lot of various available options in the BIOS. Fans of fine tuning will be pleased.
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For those who want to speed up the system, but do not like to delve into the settings, the manufacturer offers two automatic overclocking modes.

When using TPU I, the Core i7-8700K boosted the clock speed to 4700 MHz when loaded with 4/5/6 cores and to 4800 MHz when 1, 2 or 3 compute units were active. At the same time, a shift of three steps (-300 MHz) is provided when executing resource-intensive AVX instructions.

This is a reasonable mode that most unlocked Coffee Lake processors will be able to handle, and a good enough air cooling system to run.
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TPU II — more aggressive mode with increased overclocking. Regardless of the nature of the load, the processor frequency is set at 5000 MHz with a correction of -300 MHz when AVX is executed.

When all cores are loaded in the AIDA64 stress test, the chip runs at 4700 MHz at 1. 36-1.38 MHz. The supply voltage is too high. The manufacturer honestly warns that TPU II assumes cooling of the chip with the help of CBO, because even a good air cooler can no longer cope in such conditions. Therefore, at a high, but not maximum load, the processor can quite honestly work out for itself at 5000 MHz, and with complex calculations, it noticeably slows down due to throttling.
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However, there is always an opportunity to correct the processor mode on your own. Actually, boards of such a plan are bought for this very purpose. Much will depend on the success of a particular instance of the CPU. The test chip ran at 5000 MHz at 1.31 V with a frequency reduction to 4600 MHz when executing AVX instructions.

Note the very efficient operation of the VRM unit. Even after overclocking, the radiator on the elements lined up along the interface panel did not warm up above 45 degrees. Let’s make a correction for the open stand, but even in this case the results are amazing. The heatsink temperature on the chipset did not exceed 40C.
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ITC.UA score

Pros:
Wide functionality and equipment; powerful VRM unit with efficient cooling; audio subsystem with DAC ESS SABRE9023P; cooling for M.2 drive; SLI/CrossFireX support; two USB 3.1 Gen2 controllers; convenient system for setting additional lighting; the ability to customize the cooling system; composition of additional controls and indications; standard plug on the interface panel

Cons:
Price; some restrictions on the simultaneous use of drives of different formats

Conclusion:

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS X HERO is a bright representative of the enthusiastic line of motherboards based on the Intel Z370 chipset. The full-format model has a good power supply subsystem suitable for experiments with 6-core Coffee Lake chips. In addition to decent functionality, the board offers a whole range of useful little things that form the overall impression of the product.