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- Date:
- Thursday , December 18, 2014
- Author:
- Daniel Dobrowolski
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
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ASUS Maximus VII Impact LGA 1150 Motherboard Review
With ASUS Republic of Gamers motherboards it’s all about the sequels. You have to wonder just how long ASUS can keep its momentum pumping out sequel after motherboard sequel. ASUS’ Maximus VII Impact shows us that there is seemingly no end in sight, and very likely with good measure as well.
Introduction
ASUS is well known in the computing industry and especially well known amongst computing enthusiasts and gamers alike. ASUS currently produces everything from motherboards to tablets, mobile devices, networking equipment and computer peripherals. Despite the vast product portfolio ASUS has always managed to maintain its position as a leader in the motherboard market.
Several years ago ASUS launched the Republic of Gamers brand or "ROG" as it is commonly known. This brand once had two or three motherboards in the product stack at virtually any time. The motherboards that carried the ROG branding were among ASUS’ best in virtually every metric one could imagine. Today ASUS’ ROG brand not only covers motherboards but monitors and laptop computers as well. The Republic of Gamers motherboards now cover a wider range of price points with each offering representing the best ASUS has to offer in a respective class.
A couple years back ASUS released the P8Z77-I Deluxe which at the time was the first motherboard in the mini-ITX form factor which at the time was the undisputed king of the mini-ITX form factor. ASUS proved that you could have the same electrical and power delivery systems found in larger ATX motherboards in a much smaller package. The only thing one need sacrifice was some expansion capability. Prior to that mini-ITX motherboards were usually used for things like HTPCs and small workstations where space and power savings were key. There was a time when no one dared build a gaming rig in the mini-ITX form factor. The P8Z77-I Deluxe was the first motherboard which allowed SFF builders to have everything they could have wished for. ASUS eventually offered the Maximus VI Impact which only served to extend ASUS’ leadership in the SFF market even further. While ASUS certainly wasn’t the first to offer mini-ITX motherboards I’d argue they were the first to offer a true enthusiast class motherboard in that form factor.
While the P8Z77-I Deluxe stood alone today’s Z97 based mini-ITX motherboards don’t have to. In some ways that makes things harder as the Maximus VII Impact has to justify the higher price tag when compared to other mini-ITX designs such as the Z97-I Plus. Last generation ASUS offered three mini-ITX motherboards: The Z87-I Deluxe, Z87-I Plus and the Maximus VI Impact. The problem with that was is that the niche market appeal of these motherboards didn’t really justify such a broad product range. And frankly the Z87-I Deluxe was 95% the motherboard that the Maximus VI Impact was at a lower price point making the Maximus VI Impact a bit hard to justify. ASUS learns from its mistakes and was a bit smarter this time in keeping the specifications of the Z97-I Plus and the Maximus VII Impact distinctly different and the price gap between them much larger.
The ASUS Maximus VII Impact is the successor to the Maximus VI Impact which was an absolutely fantastic motherboard. As a result this generation’s offering has much to prove. At first glance the Maximus VII Impact is virtually the same as its predecessor with a few minor improvements. If that’s the conclusion you came to looking at the Maximus VII Impact then you are quite astute. That’s exactly what the Maximus VII Impact is. There are a few improvements in the updated version such as the HW Keybot feature, updated chipset, and a slightly better audio implementation. The improvements also extend to an improved UEFI and updated AI Suite III. All of these are good things but you would be hard pressed to tell the difference between the two motherboards.
The Maximus VII Impact is based on the Intel Z97 Express chipset and as a result it offers the features the chipset provides. You’ll find support for up to 16GB of RAM due to the limited number of memory slots The Maximus VII Impact supports dual channel memory at speeds up to DDR3 3300MHz, PCI-Express 3.0 x16 connectivity, USB 3.0, Intel networking, and more.
As I said before, ASUS figured out how to deliver the same type of electrical performance in the smaller mini-ITX form factor through its "Impact Power II" design. The daughter board configuration allows for a full 8-phase power design using NexFET MOSFETs, 60A Blackwing chokes and 10k rated Japanese made black metallic capacitors. ASUS’ specifications for the Impact Power II claim 5x longer lifespan, 20% greater temperature endurance, 90% greater efficiency and reduced temperatures and improved power conductivity.
Main Specifications Overview:
Detailed Specifications Overview:
Packaging
The packaging of the Maximus VII Impact is virtually identical to that of all other ROG motherboard boxes albeit smaller. The box is also very close to that of this motherboard’s immediate predecessor the Maximus VI Impact. The red and black packaging has the flap which provides additional information concerning the motherboard’s features and technology. Inside the box you’ll find a rich bundle of accessories such as a user’s guide, wireless antenna, driver disc, SATA cables, I/O shield, sound board, USB cable, washers, mPCIe combo card and I/O shield.
Board Layout
The layout is exceptional considering the size of the motherboard itself. ASUS of course packed all the voltage hardware onto a daughter board which kept the layout a little cleaner but mostly gave ASUS more area to work with.
The CPU socket area is as clear as one could expect. The daughter board could create some issues with some cooling hardware but it should be fine for most builds.
The Maximus VII Impact has two 240-pin DDR3 DIMM slots supporting a total of 16GB of DDR3 DRAM at speeds up to 3300MHz overclocked. Due to space constraints the single sided locking mechanism is employed for DRAM module retention. In front of the DRAM slots you’ll find the motherboard power and reset buttons.
The chipset is cooled with a passive heatsink that has simple grooves cut in it. These appear to be designed to channel airflow through these. Directly between the DIMM slots and the heat sink you’ll find four SATA 6Gb/s ports.
The expansion slot area is tiny as you’d expect. It has only one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot.
The I/O panel is packed full of connectivity options. These include 1x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 1x optical output, 4x USB 2.0 ports, 4x USB 3.0 ports, 1x PS/2 keyboard and mouse port, and 1x RJ-45 port. There are also ASUS proprietary Impact Control III, Keybot, ROG Connect, and USB BIOS Flashback inputs.