Which Maximus VI Motherboard Is Right For You?
With five Maximus VI motherboards to choose from, you maybe wondering which board you should go for. Just automatically go for the Extreme because it's always the biggest and baddest available? Where does the Formula fit? Will the Hero suit my needs? What about the smaller form factors? We'll guide you through them below!
Maximus VI Extreme
The Extreme targets many-GPU gamers of 3 or 4-way SLI/CrossFireX, or someone who simply requires the most PCI-Express lanes (thanks to the PLX PCI-Express Gen 3 switch) and SATA on the LGA1150 platform. Passionate overclockers that really enjoy using the integrated, [exclusive] tweaking functions should also be focusing on the Extreme as well. It's bundled with:
- The OC Panel and ROG extreme overclocking tools.
- The mPCIe Combo II card with 802.11ac WiFi
- 10 SATA III
But it does not have SupremeFX technology. Reason being is that ROG believes the target audience would prefer a very high-end (Xonar) sound-card to fill one of the PCI-Express ports, or use external solutions like the Xonar Essence One series, so the feature focus has been shifted to other components.
Maximus VI Formula
Target User: SLI or CrossFireX gamer, watercooling users and modders; basically those who want the ultimate gaming motherboard, and the best looking case out there. Think of the Formula as equivalent to the Extreme, but with an alternative feature-set. To back up these credentials, it is packed with kit:
- The best onboard audio ever designed [SupremeFX Formula] and Sonic Radar,
- The mPCIe Combo II card with 802.11ac WiFi bundled,
- The CrossChill cooler that can be air or watercooled; it's the only pre-installed waterblock with G1/4 threads.
- The stealthy ROG Armor.
- 10 SATA III
The Armor is the only ROG board to use it, so if you want it you've got to go Formula. It serves two functions - one to strengthen the PCB as it uses quite thick SECC steel, and on the opposite side the Armor cover shields it and provide an aesthetically awesome design. Modders can remove it to paint or treat it with different designs, in order to match full case mods, for example. It has an OC Panel compatible pin-out, but it doesn't come pre-bundled like the Extreme.
Maximus VI Hero
We're still rocking the ATX form factor with the Hero, but for those who can't afford - or - don't need all the Formula/Extreme features, the Hero is one to go for. Its strong core feature-set package includes:
- SupremeFX [2013] with Red-line and ELNA caps and Sonic Radar
- 2-way SLI or CrossFire-X support,
- 8 SATA III
There's no mPCIe Combo II card with WiFi, Armor, CrossChill or OC Panel bundled. It does still have the same Extreme Engine DIGI+ III, 2nd Gen T-Topology DDR3 and new UEFI BIOS functions and bundled RAMDisk the other Maximus VI boards feature, and it still supports the OC Panel if you buy it at a later date. Likewise, the PCE-AC68 is the alternative upgrade path for adding 802.11ac WiFi as well.
Maximus VI Gene
As ever if you're looking at micro ATX, then the Gene is always your go-to option. Yes, there's also the TUF Gryphon alternative now that's mighty tempting, but the Gene has a few unique advantages specifically designed for gamers like:
- SupremeFX [2013] with Red-line and ELNA caps and Sonic Radar
- mPCIe Combo II card
- 8 SATA III
2-way SLI and CrossFire-X is of course still supported, plus an extra 4x slot at the bottom if you're watercooling the graphics cards to free-up the slot for something like a RAIDR or Xonar, perhaps. Note that while it features the mPCIe Combo II card, there's no WiFi pre-fitted. However, it does still have the same Extreme Engine DIGI+ III, 2nd Gen T-Topology DDR3 and new UEFI BIOS functions and bundled RAMDisk the other Maximus VI boards feature, and it still supports the OC Panel if you buy it at a later date.
Maximus VI Impact
This is the new, no compromise mini-ITX master. The Impact is the new go-to option for gamers who want the smallest build possible. Combining it with the short-PCB DirectCU Mini graphics cards is an ideal fit, although many mini-ITX cases do support longer cards. At 17cm square, due to its obvious physical constraints the features from the other Maximus VI motherboards can't be directly ported over so alternative designs were invented to match them as closely as possible. The Impact Power and SupremeFX Impact are two daughter-boards the poke out from the PCB at 90 degrees, providing ATX-like high-end power and high-performance 110dB SNR audio with headphone amplifier, giving the Impact its 'no compromise' design. The Impact might not have 6-8 SATA ports, but few mini-ITX cases support that many SATA devices. Alternatively it does still manage to include the mPCIe Combo II card with 802.11ac WiFi bundled and M.2 slot for small NGFF SSDs, in-keeping with the small-theme. With ATX-like performance in a tiny case it's tempting to try a mini-ITX build. They can be a challenge in PC design, but that's also what inspires enthusiasts to build one, and they are especially useful if you're a LAN gamer or travel with your PC, yet don't want a gaming laptop. If mini-ITX is what you want, but the Impact is out of your budget range, see our "which mini-ITX board is right for me" article as well [out soon!].
Author
Popular Posts
How to adjust your laptop's P-Cores and E-Cores for better performance and battery life
How to Cleanly Uninstall and Reinstall Armoury Crate
How to configure your PC's RGB lighting with Aura Sync
Introducing the ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080: a new frontier of gaming graphics
How to upgrade the SSD and reinstall Windows on your ROG Ally or Ally X
LATEST ARTICLES

ROG Strix vs Extreme vs Apex vs Hero: What's the difference between ROG gaming motherboards?
When we launch a new generation of motherboards, we don’t just design one model and expect it to meet everyone’s needs. We give you a broad range of options from our ROG Maximus, Crosshair, and Strix lineups so that you can find the board for your next build.

Install up to seven M.2 SSDs on one motherboard with new ROG M.2 PowerBoost tech
Here's how ROG M.2 PowerBoost allows you to install more M.2 drives in one system while enjoying more stable performance.

ROG Z890 motherboard guide: meet the new contenders for your next gaming rig
New ROG Maximus and ROG Strix Z890 motherboards stand ready for your Intel Core Ultra (Series 2) CPU.

New Z790 motherboards from ROG pave the way for 14th Gen Intel Core CPUs
WiFi 7 support, more fast storage, front-panel device charging, intelligent controls — our latest Z790 motherboards have it all.

New Z790 motherboards from ROG pave the way for next-gen Intel Core CPUs
WiFi 7 support, more fast storage, front-panel device charging, intelligent controls — our latest Z790 motherboards have it all.

The best motherboards for a Ryzen 9 7950X3D CPU from ROG and TUF Gaming
AMD has released two new processors with 3D V-Cache technology: the Ryzen 9 7950X3D and the Ryzen 9 7900X3D. ROG and TUF Gaming X670 motherboards will provide a rock-solid foundation for these new top-tier chips.