The evolution of processors has brought the power of the
High-End Desktop Computing (HEDT) world to the consumer market. AMD started by
offering Zen 2 CPUs paired with the X570 chipset, and now it's Intel's turn
with the Comet Lake-S and Z490 platform . This has caused a rise in motherboard
prices, both on the AMD and Intel front, and to expand the market, with
different product lines dedicated to specific types of users.
ROG is the spearhead as regards Asus motherboards, from
design to functions, passing through the quality of electronic components, for
products that offer the best available today in the Taiwanese company's
catalog, as in the case of this Maximus XII Hero .
Design
ROG Maximus XII Hero fully incorporates the stylistic
dictates that we have seen in the most recent models with AMD's X570 chipset.
When switched off, black is the master and the first thing that catches the eye
are the heatsinks, generously sized, which surround the processor socket and
cool the 14 + 2 power phases, together with those dedicated to the M.2 slots,
for cooling the three installable NVMe units. The whole area of the rear
connections is covered to improve the visual impact, with a lot of I / O Shield
already mounted. There are LEDs but in limited quantities, for our personal
preferences it is an advantage, but not for everyone. The first of the
illuminated areas is located right in the I / O Shield, to highlight the Hero
logo, while the second gives a pinch of color in the area of the M.2
connectors. For those who want more LEDs, headers are available to connect RGB
LED strips.
Unlike the higher models we find fewer areas of the PCB
covered by metal protections , the only one available is the one that surrounds
the audio components, a choice made to limit interference during use.
The build quality remains very high and not an end in
itself, some solutions are not only aesthetic, such as the metal reinforced
PCIe connectors and the ProCool II system : the CPU power connector is also
reinforced with a metal material, also used to promote thermal dissipation.
There is also a small display to view any error codes and physical buttons for
turning on and restarting the PC, useful when you want to do tests without
connecting the motherboard to the case.
Connections
An important difference compared to the lower models are the
connections, which in the case of the ROG Maximus XII Hero are different and
available in large quantities. On the rear panel we find 10 USB ports ,
including 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 (three Type A and one Type C), 4 USB 3.2 Gen 1 and
two USB 2.0. 7 more can be installed on the front panel, including a USB Type C
3.2 Gen 2, just enough to connect a large number of external peripherals. Then
there are outputs and inputs for audio, optical output, HDMI output and two network
ports, one of 1 Gbps the other of 5 Gbps. This being the model with Wi-Fi 6 ax
we also find the connectors for the external antenna.
On the PCB, on the other hands, you can see several
expansion ports, starting with 4 slots for DDR4 RAM with support for
frequencies up to 4700 MHz, together with 3 full-length PCIex 3.0 slots (two of
which x16) and three shorter x1 slots.
Comet Lake-S processors do not support PCIex 4.0 standard
but compatibility should already be guaranteed starting with this generation of
motherboards , including this Maximus XII Hero.
We use the conditional because we can't test it, but it
seems very likely that between now and the end of the year there will be new
Intel CPUs compatible with LGA1200 and Z490 sockets, with support for PCIex
4.0. Up to 6 SATA III peripherals can be installed, but it is better to focus
on the faster NVMe M.2 SSDs, more suitable for a high-end configuration.
Assembly, overclocking and audio
The assembly of a PC with this ROG Maximus XII Hero does not
pose particular problems, the space for the components is abundant, even
without reaching the levels of the eATX motherboards. The quality of the
materials is high, a pity only for some plastic too much in the area of the M.2
slots , functional on a visual level but not very practical, because it forces
you to remove several screws to get to install the memories, and because the
material is not much Scratch Resistant: If the screwdriver escapes, which can
happen, leaving a mark is very easy.
In terms of performance and in the absence of overclocking
there are no differences with the other models, if not minimal, what changes is
the ability to rise with the frequencies beyond those of the factory and the
specific features, in addition to the presence of a greater number of
connections. In this regard, we can only appreciate the audio section created
by ROG, based on the S1220 codec with DAC ES9023P , capable of handling 7.1
channels and with a separate output for the two stereo channels.
The Sonic Radar III software offers full support for virtual
surround sound in the headphones, the same thing does the DTS: Sound Unbound
app, also designed for the management of audio up to 7.1 virtual channels in
the headphones.
Armory Crate, on the other hand, is a utility that allows
you to control the system, at least for the most basic functions, such as
managing the LEDs and updating the drivers. For more complex tasks, such as
overclocking, Asus provides a rather simple to use BIOS and Ai Suite software ,
which replicates many of its functions directly in the windows, which we talked
about in a dedicated special.
For overclocking, however, we went from bios, where we
easily reached 5.1 GHz, not a very high value but in this case our liquid
cooler did not allow more. The i9-10900K is a processor that overclocks well,
just look at the records obtained since its release to understand it, but very
advanced dissipation systems are needed to manage it better.
A motherboard not for everyone
The ROG Maximus XII Hero Wi-Fi is one of the most advanced
models in the Asus line-up but it is the entry-level of the ROG Maximus range.
The current price is around 480 € online, however it will be subject to change,
as the new range has just arrived in Italy.
To understand the market positioning of this card you need
to know the various brands that make up Asus' offer, otherwise you risk not
fully understanding the product.
ROG's Maximus range has always been dedicated to
enthusiasts, who are not looking for a simple starting point on which to assemble
a gaming PC but want something more, from design to overclocking possibilities.
That's why the ROG Strix and TUF ranges are available, bringing the cost of
accessing the Z490 chipset to a much lower level. To date, the TUF Z490 Plus
Gaming offers everything you need to create a PC with Comet Lake-S processors
at around € 239.
So why choose a ROG Maximus instead of a base model? The
difference is made by the available functions, such as a greater number of M.2
slots and a more refined audio section, and the overclocking capabilities,
possible thanks to a higher quality of the electronic components and a better
dissipation dedicated to VRMs. In short, it is clear that the ROG Maximus XII
Hero is not a motherboard for everyone , so be careful to choose the model
based on your specific needs.
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