Unboxing: ROG Maximus VIII Hero

Last week there was the big announcement; the arrival of the new 6th Generation Intel Core processors along with the army of ASUS and ROG Z170 motherboards.  If you were quick, you may already have a brand new ROG Maximus VIII Hero and the CPU for the latest Z170 platform.  For those of you who couldn't snatch one up in time, waiting for stock or still doing homework, here is an unboxing so that you can see exactly what you'll be getting.

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Upon opening the box, you will realize that it is not only the motherboard that is feature-packed, this box is jam-packed with goodies (not exactly a surprise for previous ROG owners).  There are six SATA cables, an SLI-bridge, a Setup/DIY guide, an installation disc, ROG stickers pack for your case, keyboard, hard drives, fans and cables, plus a metal ROG badge, an ROG door hanger, a Q-Connector, a Q-Shield backplate and the new CPU Installation Tool.

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A  new CPU Installation Tool is introduced to eliminate the risk of bent CPU socket pins. While the CPU installation process is easy especially for seasoned builders, the risk of dropping something onto the pins is still there. One minor mishap is all that's needed to convince you that the hassle is not worth it, especially when you are so eager to fire up your new system.  Anyone will be able to tell the chrome ROG Q-Shield is no ordinary backplate, this is luxury.

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ROG Maximus VIII Hero is the ultimate solution for an ATX case.  With the reputation it has, it is no surprise that another quality-built board is made to perform better, look better and feature even more than ever.  It's ready for you to slot in that new Intel LGA1151 Core i7/i5/i3 processor, and up to four sticks of DDR4 memory supporting up to Dual DDR4 3733 (OC) and of course Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP).  Again there are Q-DIMM memory slots so you only need to manually secure one side of your sticks of memory.   5-Way Optimization auto-tuning technology can be used for easy performance boosts, power-savings, ultra-quiet operation or even custom audio/networking settings for games.  Second-generation T-Topology is built in for superior DDR4 memory overclocking, ensuring time-aligned signal transfer for stability and compatibility.  And all-new Pro Clock technology is introduced to turbo-charge the base-clock (BCLK) frequency on your 6th Gen. Intel processor.  Another really exciting addition is the new customizable LED lighting as you can see below, you can configure it to stay on at all times, fade in and out, pulse, change shades to indicate current CPU temperature, or pulsate according to what you hear - whether bullets or ballads.  

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With the new board comes a new socket - the LGA 1151, but there's good news for people wanting to upgrade (from any of the previous LGA 115X sockets) but still want to use an existing cooler, there won't be any compatibility issues.   The new look of the armor and cooling system certainly looks sharper and more premium than ever.

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Allowing overclockers to achieve stable overclocks, Extreme Engine DIGI+ VRM delivers ultra-stable performance by using quality components such as MicroFine Alloy Chokes and NexFET MOSFETs. 

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There is an M.2 Socket 3 supporting PCIE X4 and SATA modes if you are looking to upgrade your storage, PCI-E 3.0 X4 M.2 SSDs will make everything so fast that you may be the one trying to keep up!    Eight SATA III ports are also available (four of which can be used as SATA Express ports).  On the back panel there is a USB 3.1 type-C and a type-A port, up to six USB 3.0 ports and eight USB 2.0 ports are possible. 

For LAN connectivity, the latest Intel Gigabit Ethernet (i-219V) reduces CPU overhead and offers more throughput, leaving you with more computing power for gaming, while the exclusive LANGuard signal-coupling technology ensures reliable connections and better throughput. Maximus VIII Hero features electrostatically-guarded and surge-protected components (ESD Guards) for nearly double the tolerance to static electricity and two-and-a-half times the protection (up to 15KV) against surges.  GameFirst technology further enhances network performance for no-delay gameplay. 

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Maximus VIII Hero, Maximus VIII Ranger and Maximus VIII Gene all received major upgrades in terms of sound since the previous generation of SupremeFX.  In the all-new SupremeFX 2015, Nichicon capacitors are now used in favor of ELNA Capacitors, so are professional-grade audio components, such as an ESS ES9023P digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with Hyperstream technology which uses its own dedicated clock instead of the system clock to eliminate jitter, a 2V_RMS headphone amp powerful enough to drive large headsets with ease, while Sonic SenseAmp automatically detects and optimizes any headset (32-600ohms) for the best experience possible, and an NEC De-pop Relay to not only get rid of the popping sound, but to also protect headsets from damage.

SupremeFX 2015 features the Sonic Studio II audio-tuning suite to enhance clarity and quality of your recordings. Last year Perfect Voice noise-cancellation technology rectified outgoing communications, this year both incoming and outgoing communication will be crystal clear for you and your teammates. Casting Enhancer can be used to improve both streaming and recording quality. This intuitive software suite includes one-click virtual-surround sound, audio controls to customize Reverberation, Bass Boost, Equalizer, Voice Clarity and Smart EQ.

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There are two PCIe 3.0 X16 slots (at X16 or X8/X8) for Nvidia SLI or AMD CrossFireX awesomeness, plus another PCIe X16 slot (at X4) and three PCIe 3.0 X1 slots (at X4).

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ROG’s latest gaming motherboards also have built-in DRAM Overcurrent Protection with an additional resettable fuse to protect connection ports and DRAM against overcurrent and short-circuit damage, dual backplates to provide additional cooling, protection and reinforcement, stainless-steel back I/O connections with three times the lifespan.

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For the ultimate in cooling, advanced fan and water-pump controls are in place, from onboard thermal sensors to hardware-level 4-pin/3-pin PWM/DC mode detection.  Fan Xpert 3 is a complete and intuitive software to control cooling even in specific areas.  A new dedicated onboard water-pump header can be used to ensure water-cooling efficiency, plus a header for the optional fan-extension card for more fans and sensors.

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ROG loves to offer extras, not just for the sake of giving extras but extras to give you the edge or enrich the overall experience.  ROG RAMCache technology for example caches an entire storage device so that your favorite games and apps can launch faster than you thought possible.  RAMCache can turns milliseconds of loading time into microseconds so you can be in the game before you know it, while minimizing the risk of data loss.  File transfer speeds can be up to twice the speed!

The ROG keyboard upgrade got another upgrade, KeyBot II is an exclusive microprocessor allowing you to record macros directly from your current keyboard, enable special functions for games, work or multimedia, enter account names and passwords in a flash, start and even boost the PC from shutdown (S5 mode), and create shortcut keys.  The brand-new Directional Exchange feature allows you to switch direction at the touch of a button in fighting games.

Now you can stay in the game with free access to Overwolf, it's a clever unobtrusive overlay that enables browsing, emailing, instant messaging, streaming or recording without interrupting gameplay. Two ROG Skins are downloadable from the Overwolf App Store.