Asus Republic of Gamers expands the catalog of motherboards designed for gamers, announcing the new Maximus VIII Hero Alpha. This is the first chipset with ATX MB Z170 and RGB connector compatible with strips LED RGB 12v.
Asus Republic of Gamers (ROG) expands the family of gaming motherboards targeted to users by introducing the new Maximus VIII Hero Alpha. A proposal for a very high-end which renews the MB Maximus line by improving the connectivity sector and presenting itself as the first ATX form and chipset Z170 equipped with RGB connector that allows the integration of strips LED RGB 12v.
Performance, watch out for tools dedicated to overclockers and a cure for purely aesthetic elements, enhanced by the aforementioned customizable lighting system, are the business card of the proposed new ASUS.
The motherboard supports Intel Core processors of the sixth generation, memory DDR4 and stands as an evolution of the previous Maximus VIII Hero. The connectivity park now includes a WiFi module 2×2 (2T2R) 802.11 ac MU-MIMO, USB 3.1 Type A and Type C, two NVM Express connectors (NVMe) and M.2 (speeds up to 32 GBbit/s); it lacks support for RAID configurations up to three ways.
Users who like to personalize their homes with LED lighting systems will be able to exploit the system AURA RGB: on board, there are two patented connectors AURA RGB-Strip to 4pin, are included in the supplied extension cable to connect the LED strips, while the management software allows you to manage the lighting effects also taking advantage of the RGB LED integrated into the card.
There are six different color effects, complement among others fade and color strobe, and you can change colors to indicate the temperature of the CPU or sync with the rhythm of the music.
Not only aesthetic but also a lot of substance to allow power users to get the most from the components installed in the card. First, the 5-Way Optimization technology allows to maximize performance without risk by monitoring and dynamic optimization of the essential aspects of the system (CPU, power supply, fans, audio, network).
To take advantage of the DDR4 RAM modules, reaching a higher level of 3800 MHz overclocking using all the memory slots, Asus has introduced the ASUS T-Topoplogy technology that helps reduce crosstalk and coupling noise and guarantee’s transfer of the aligned signals with measurable benefits in terms of compatibility and stability of the memories.
Intel sixth-generation CPUs can be enhanced with technology Pro Clock that allows you to reach in overclocking base clock frequencies of 400 MHz. The technology works in tandem with TPU ASUS ROG to control voltages and overclocking.
It does not lack attention to safety aspects and the noise of the cooling system that may benefit from assistance offered by the thermal sensors detecting the PWM/DC mode 4-pin/3-pin in hardware and management software on the FanExpert 3.
Rounding out the framework of the measures introduced to improve the audio sector (from the screen facilities, with professional components such as the DAC ESS ES9023P, the 2V RMS headphone output, the Nichicon capacitors, to arrive at the Sonic Studio II suite that lets you apply different audio effects ) and the experience of gaming online (the board integrates the Intel Gigabit Ethernet (I219-V), LANguard, components protected against voltage surges and electrostatic discharge).
Following the detailed list of the technical characteristics:
Asus ROG Maximus VIII Hero Alpha
Processor / CPU Socket |
LGA1151 socket for Intel® Core i7 / i5 / i3 / Pentium / Celeron sixth generation |
Chipset | Intel Z170 Express |
Storage | 4 x DIMM, up to a maximum of 64GB DDR4 3800MHz (OC) Supports Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) |
Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots (x16, x8 / x8 mode supported) 1 x PCIe 3.0 slot (up to x4 mode supported) 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot |
VGA | Intel HD Graphics processor integrated DisplayPort 1.2 with a maximum resolution of 4096 x 2304 at 60Hz HDMI with resolution up to 4096 x 2160 at 24Hz Intel InTru ™ 3D / Quick Sync Video / Clear Video HD Technology / Insider ™ |
Multi-GPU | Two-way / Quad NVIDIA® SLI ™ and three-way / quad-GPU AMD CrossFireX ™ Technology |
Storage | 6 x SATA 6.0 Gbit / s U.2 2 x 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key, the 2242/2260/2280/22110 type of supported storage devices (PCIe 3.0 and SATA) |
Networking / LAN | Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN with ASUS LANguard GameFirst IVBeta |
USB / Thunderbolt | 2 x USB 3.1 (1 x 1 x Type-A and Type-C) 6 x USB 3.0 (2 on the back panel, 4 mid-board) 6 x USB 2.0 (2 on the back panel, 4 mid-board) 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (Type-C on the rear panel) |
Audio | ROG SupremeFX Audio 2015 8-channel High Definition – Technology SupremeFX – DAC ESS HD ES9023P – Amp 2VRMS headphones (32-600 ohms) – Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, front-panel mic jack-retasking – Optical Port S / PDIF-out on back panel |
Size / form factor | ATX, 30.5 x 24.4 cm |
- 5-way Optimization with 1-click overclocking
- Reinvented SupremeFX 2015 Audio with top-to-bottom upgrades
- Intel Gb LAN & MU-MIMO 2T2R 802.11ac for lag-free gaming
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