CLOSER LOOK
New season, new packaging. ASUS has redesigned their ROG packaging but its a subtle change nothing really worth writing home about but I’m just pointing that out for your information. ASUS retains the grand packaging style though with the bold product name in the front and a flip cover to let us a peek on the product inside.
The package includes a very humble inclusion of SATA ports, cable labels, Q-connectors, and documentation.
LOOK MSI! BLACK PCB! Although I’m very much a fan of matte black PCB, ASUS’ clean layout really makes their PCB standout. The board layout itself is very well thought out and a quick glance on the board would give even the most discerning consumer a very good impression of the motherboard.
The lower area of the MAXIMUS VI HERO looks a bit bare but that’s because ASUS has opted out of using legacy PCI slots and instead went with PCI-E x4 slots to full up the gaps between the PCI-e x16 slots. Good choice as most people will find no need for them especially gamers.
The ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO packs an 8+2 VRM, not too small yet not too large. Actually, this in my opinion is a very good sweet spot for Haswell processors. Notice the Blackwing chokes that ASUS uses.
The lower left area of the board is the audio area which is separated from the rest of the PCB. This area is highlighted when the board is turned on by LED illumination. ASUS has been using a souped-up version of the Realtek audio chips they’ve been using and have dubbed them SupremeFX. The SupremeFX solution features higher-end components and discrete audio design to deliver an improved audio experience.
The upper right area near the DIMM slots has onboard buttons for debugging and test bench purposes. Nifty features we believe all mid-range to high-end boards should have.
The ASUS MAXIMUS VI HERO offers the full six SATAIII ports of the Z87 chipset and adds 2 more SATAIII ports for a total of 8 6Gbps capable SATA ports.
The rear I/O area is a bit slimmer compared to other ASUS ROG boards comprising of a legacy PS/2 port, four USB2.0 and four USB3.0 ports, an HDMI and optical output port, a single LAN port and six-channel audio. A little BIOS reset button is also in the rear area for ease of use.