Today, we have with us the latest ASUS offering in their Republic Of Gamers line of motherboards, the Maximus III Extreme
Product on Review: ASUS Maximus III ExtremeManufacturer and Sponsor: ASUS
MSRP: Not mentioned on site
Street Price: From £269.62
Over the years, ASUS have been at the forefront of performance components and have diversified into a foray of other hardware departments to show their engineering talent and supremacy. But what we know ASUS for, are their motherboards, which they continue to improve and innovate. Their latest brainchild is their new flagship P55 based motherboard, the Maximus III Extreme, which has been inserted into the Republic Of Gamers line up. The board introduces new overclocking features, the NF200 chip and most importantly, if the conveniently named ‘III’ moniker wasn’t already a give-away, USB 3.0 and SATA III compatibility.
The main aim of this motherboard is to bring high end performance to the more limited mainstream market. A lot of people do not require the sheer performance of the x58 platform, which can come at a high cost and instead would prefer to settle with the cheaper i3/i5 alternatives. ASUS’s philosophy is that the cheaper option should not be limited in their features, hence the board’s ability to unlock every drop of performance at the platform’s disposal through overclocking and a rich feature list.
The board caters not only for the hardcore overclockers, with their LN2 specific modifications and voltage monitoring, but it also allows easy one touch overclocking profiles for the average users. Speaking of voltage monitoring, ASUS have gone out of their way to improve remote overclocking using their new ROG connect feature. We’ll talk more about it later but I’ll just say that ASUS are on their way to revolutionize overclocking!
| A bit about ASUS: ASUS comes from the last four letters of Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology that represents the inspiration of art and learning. ASUS embodies the strength, creative spirit and purity symbolized by this regal and agile mythical creature, soaring to new heights of quality and innovation with each product it introduces to the market. ASUS pursues technological and aesthetic perfection through continuous innovation. We place ourselves in our customers’ shoes to develop a deep understanding of, and genuine empathy for, their needs—enabling us to create user experiences that transcend the norm. ASUS Design Philosophy ASUS Design develops high-quality solutions our customers will enjoy. Our design process is built on thorough research, early anticipation and well-planned execution. We act with a global vision and a focus on local strengths, conditions and heritage. |
In an ever competitive market, innovation is the key to success and the Maximus III Extreme is ASUS’s latest attempt at demonstrating why they are at the top of the game. So let’s see how the board really fares.
Specifications
| CPU: -Intel® Socket 1156 Core™ i7 Processor/Core™ i5 Processor/Core™ i3 Processor -Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology *Note: This board does NOT support the i7 9xx series of CPU Chipset: -Intel® P55 Express Chipset Memory: – 4 x DIMM, Max. 16 GB, DDR3 2200(O.C.)/2133(O.C.)/2000(O.C.)/1800(O.C.)/1600/1333/1066 Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory -Dual Channel memory architecture Expansion Slots: – 5 x PCIe 2.0 x16 Supports single at x16, dual at x16, triple at x 16 x16 x8, quad x8, or 5 x8 -1 x PCI 2.2 Multi-GPU Support: -Supports NVIDIA® SLI™ Technology / ATI® CrossFireX™ Technology Storage: Intel® P55 Express Chipset built-in -6 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s ports (Gray) -Intel Matrix Storage Technology Support RAID 0,1,5,10 JMicron® 363 controllers: – 1 x SATA 3.0 Gb/s port (Black) – 1 x External SATA 3.0 Gb/s port (SATA On-the-Go) Marvell® PCIe SATA 6Gb/s controller – 2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports (Red) LAN: – Realtek® RTL8112L Gigabit LAN controller Audio: VIA® VT2020 10-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC – Supports Blu-ray audio layer content protection IEEE 1394: 2 x 1394a port(s) (1 port onboard, 1 port at back I/O) USB: NEC® USB 3.0 controller – 2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports (at back I/O) Intel® P55 Express Chipset – 11 USB 2.0 ports (4 ports at mid-board, 7 ports at back I/O, 1 port at back I/O is also for ROG connect) Bluetooth Module Accessory Card: -Bluetooth V2.0/V2.1+EDR -RC Bluetooth On/Off Switch Back Panel I/O Ports: -1 x External SATA -1 x IEEE 1394a -1 x LAN(RJ45) port -10 -Channel Audio I/O -1 x Clr CMOS switch -1 x PS/2 Keyboard port (purple) -2 x USB 3.0/2.0 ports -7 x USB 2.0 ports (1 port also for ROG Connect) -1 x ROG Connect On/Off switch -S/PDIF Out (Optical) Form Factor: ATX Form Factor: 12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm ) |
Features
Utilizing the new Intel P55 chipset, the Maximus III Extreme is targeting the more mainstream market while the x58 platform holds its reign at the top end. That’s not to say that the P55 chipset is inferior because it has many advantages and features that yields to improved communication between the chipset itself and the CPU. Rather than having the traditional Northbridge and Southbridge, there is only one chipset that communicates with the CPU through the DMI bus, analogous to the QPI on x58 motherboards. The P55 chipset supports up to 6 SATA II 3Gb/s ports, 14 USB 2.0 ports, high definition audio, Intel Matrix Storage technology, Intel Rapid Recover Technology and has the first integrated PCI Express 2.0 interface. Rather unique to ASUS’s line up of P55 based motherboard, the Maximus III Extreme makes use of an NF200 chip to provide much greater bandwidth for multi PCIe card support.
| iROG Intelligent multiple control at hand The iROG is a special IC which enables several ROG highlighted functions that gives users full disposal of the motherboard at any stage! This design allows advanced user control and management to be processed purely at a hardware level. iROG greatly increases fun during overclocking for PC enthusiasts and it offers system maintenance and management with more control and efficiency. USB BIOS Flashback No worry of BIOS crash anytime! USB BIOS Flashback must be the most convenient way to flash BIOS ever! It allows overclockers to try their BIOS with the simplest way one can imagine. No need to enter the BIOS or the operating system, just plug the thumb drive into the ROG Connect port & push the ROG Connect button for 2 seconds, BIOS would be automatically flashed under standby power. It´s no doubt that USB BIOS Flashback gives overclockers the ultimate convenience. Voltiminder LED Friendly reminder on Voltage Settings In the pursuit of extreme performance, overvoltage adjustment is critical but risky. Acting as the “red zone” of a tachometer, the Voltiminder LED displays the voltage status for CPU, PCH, and Memory in a intuitive colour-coded fashion. The voltiminder LED allows quick voltage monitoring for overclockers. Probelt Get all hands-on with hardware-based overclocking ProbeIt takes the guesswork out of locating the motherboard´s measurement points, identifying them clearly in the form of 5 sets of detection points so you´ll know exactly where to get quick yet accurate readings using a multitester. RC Bluetooth Overwhelm your acknowledgement with wireless overclocking experience! ROG Connect Plug and Overclock – Tweak it the hardcore way! Extreme Engine Digi+ MemOK! Bios Flashback Two BIOS ROM. Two BIOS settings. Twice the overclocking flexibility. CPU Level Up A Simple click for instant upgrade Extreme Tweaker One stop performance tuning shop COP Ex Maximum OC with confidence with burn proof protection to chipsets and GPU! Loadline Calibration Optimal power boost for extreme CPU overclocking! Onboard Switch No more shorting pins or moving jumpers ASUS Q-Connector Make connections quick and accurate Q-Fan Plus Optimized quietness and cooling for more devices! |
As you can see, the Maximus III Extreme has bucket loads of unique and intuitive features that focus on safe, reliable overclocking and complete ease of use for novices. I have only included a few of the features that differentiates ASUS from its competitors but for a more comprehensive list, check out the ASUS website.
The specifications alone include everything you would ever need and more! With 10 channel audio, plenty of USB ports and the support for USB 3.0 and SATA III 6Gb/s, ASUS have gone all out to ensure that the buyer will never be disappointed or regret their choice.
Packaging and Content
The front of the box
ASUS package the Maximus III Extreme in a very attractive and vibrant cardboard box. The ROG logo is depicted at the top to signify the exclusiveness of the board and for those familiar with ASUS’s nomenclature, you will know that the Maximus name is an indication of the board’s heritage as an overclocking beast. At the bottom are a few insignias showing what the board supports i.e. Intel Core i7/i5/i3 CPUs, Nvidia SLI and ATI CrossFireX technology.
The back of the box
Turning the box over, we are greeted with the board’s key features and specifications, as covered over the last two pages. Rather than listing the 1000s of features that this board seems to have, ASUS only included the board’s most unique ones such as the RC Bluetooth and ROG connectivity, the Go Button and 4-way Crossfire. The information is nicely laid out for easy reading and contains a few illustrations demonstrating those unique features.
Opening the front flap
The box makes use of a front flap, stuck down using Velcro, that teases us with the Maximus III Extreme board when opened. The colour theme is evident throughout, using the ever growing popular choice of red and black that oozes performance and professionalism. The flap is efficiently used to provide more information on the board.
The lid listing the main features
Continuing on from back, ASUS gives us a greater insight into the overclocking prowess of the board by describing a few more features that makes it ideal for this purpose. The title “A New Way To Overclocking” is a mere glimpse of what we can expect from this board. At the bottom, we can see that both 3DMark Vantage and Kaspersky Anti-virus are bundled.
The interior box
Inside the main box are two more smaller black cardboard boxes, one containing the board itself and the other retaining the bundled content. The motherboard box is covered by a tough plastic sheet that helps protect the board as well as teasing us with the Maximus III Extreme inside.
Revealing the content
The lower box reveals the neatly packaged bundle into several compartments. These hold the manual, I/O plate, cables, a fan and an ROG sticker. The list of accessories is very rich so read on to find out more.
Closer Look: The Bundle
The manual, driver disc and thermal sensors
Included here are:
1 x 12-in-1 ROG Cable Label
1 x User’s Manual
1 x Thermal Sensor Cables Pack
1 x Support Disc
The manual is a very in depth booklet that covers every aspect of the board, from its layout, installation and specifications, to a more comprehensive look at the software utilities and the BIOS features. The support disc includes ASUS PC Probe II, AI Suite, ASUS update, the TurboV EVO Utility, 3DMark Vantage Advanced Edition, Kaspersky Anti Virus and all the required chipset drivers. To ensure ease of use, ASUS also provide coloured cable labels to avoid any confusion during installation. As an added bonus, there are thermal sensor cables which work hand in hand with the software to allow users to monitor temperatures of anything they want.
The cables
Next up we have the cables:
1 x I/O Shield
1 x CrossFireX cable
1 x SLI Cable
1 x 3-way SLI Cable
1 x 2-in-1 SATA 6.0Gb/s Cables
3 x 2-in-1 SATA 3.0Gb/s Signal Cables
1 x ROG Connect Cable
1 x 2-in-1 ASUS Q-Connector Kit
The I/O plate is unlike other manufacturer’s traditional metallic plate. Instead ASUS makes use of padding foam on both side of the plate to ease installation into your case. So rather than forcing the metal plate into the empty socket at the back of the case, all that is required a gentle push. The plate is labelled clearly allowing painless connection of any peripherals. The ROG connect cable enables connectivity between the motherboard and other windows based devices for remote hardware monitoring and overclocking. More on that later!
The E-SATA/USB module
If 8 USB ports at the back wasn’t enough, ASUS provides an extra 2 x USB 2.0 + E-SATA module. This connects directly to the motherboard and takes up a PCIe/PCI slot. The bracket can be removed to end up with just the cable modules, ideal if being installed outside a case.
The RC Bluetooth module
The small module may not seem like much, but in my opinion was the best feature of the Maximus III Extreme. The RC Bluetooth card allows remote connection to the motherboard using compatible devices. Using the RC Tweakit software, the user is able to overclock and monitor the motherboard with their phone! While still in its infancy, it’s a brilliant concept that will no doubt revolutionize overclocking. Having used it myself, I can attest to it being a very useful tweaking kit to unlock every drop of performance from the motherboard. Everything is done in real time i.e. outside the traditional BIOS environment. The antenna is situated on the small protrusion of the module.
An optional chipset cooling fan
Finally ASUS threw in a large ROG theme label/sticker and an optional fan for good measure. However, since all the components run cool enough, the fan is pointless.
Closer Look: The Motherboard
The Maximus III Extreme
As of late, the red and black theme has been popular amongst hardware components so it doesn’t come as a surprise to see ASUS implementing them on their flagship P55 motherboard. The Maximus II Extreme is aimed at a wide ranging audience including gamers and enthusiasts alike. The appeal also lies in the subtlety of the PCB design which makes efficient use of the space to pack in as many features as possible. Overall the burst of metal and plastic makes for a very aesthetically clean finish.
The rear panel connectors
Let’s start with the rear panel connectors. The first thing that can be noticed is that ASUS retained the legacy purple PS/2 keyboard port. For other peripherals, there are 9 USB ports, 2 of which are USB 3.0 compliant(blue), while the last one is reserved as the ROG connect port (next to the audio ports). The ROG connect feature has two primary functions. One is to connect other devices for remote monitoring of the motherboard and the other is for flashing the BIOS through the simple use of a USB stick. The switch to enable this functionality lies adjacent to the port. To the left is a handy clear CMOS switch.
The RC Bluetooth port
Behind the ROG connect button is where the RC Bluetooth module connects. Once installed, depressing the button switches on Bluetooth connectivity. The button is easily accessible at the back.
5 PCIe x16 slots!
One of the striking features of this motherboard is the number of PCIe slots. The P55 chipset only supports 2 x PCIe 2.0 x8/ 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 solutions but to overcome this limitation, ASUS make use of the NF200 chip from Nvidia. The result is that the board now supports dual cards running at x16, three cards at x16 x16 x8 or 4/5 cards all running at PCIe 2.0 x8. Seeing as how lower performance single slotted card are required to fill all the slots, PCIe 2.0 x8 will provide enough bandwidth (4 GB/s) for them to run optimally. To reduce the difficulty of removing large graphics cards, ASUS implemented the Q-Slot design which locks the graphics card when installed, but allows for easy unlocking. A PCI slot is thrown in for good measure, or in my case for an ASUS Xonar sound card.
The LGA 1156 socket
Unlike its bigger brother, the P55 chipset supports dual channel so only 4 RAM slots are present. Some of you may notice that cards installed in the top most PCIe slot may coincide with the RAM slot. To prevent any conflicts during installation, ASUS uses the Q-DIMM feature, meaning that the latch is only on one side of the slot. Another unique feature of the board is the superior VRM design of the board, dubbed Extreme Engine Digi+. Using a hybrid digital and analog VRM design, the board benefits from the advantages of both designs, less switching delay while offering better accuracy. The board delivers 8-phase digital VRM power for the CPU, 3-phase digital VRM power for the VTT and 3-phase memory power. Additionally, the board uses superior high performance ML Cap (Multilayer Polymer Capacitor) for the CPU to deliver unparalleled stability during overvoltage. ASUS claim that the FET+ in metal packaging offers 1.3x faster heat dissipation, 40%+ better conductivity. To sum it up, better overclocking!
Heat pipe cooling
Unlike previous iterations of Intel chipsets, the lack of Northbridge and Southbridge means that extra cooling isn’t required. Nonetheless, the Maximus III Extreme uses a single heat pipe design that runs from the large flat heatsink to the Mosfet heatsinks around the CPU area. The flat heatsink cools the P55 chip while the centre Republic Of Gamers block cools the much smaller NF200 chip. The board uses the LGA1156 socket.
Closer Look: The Motherboard (Continued)
The SATA ports
On the edge of the motherboard are 6 Intel P55 SATA II ports and 2 red Marvell SATA III 6Gb/s ports. To the left is a vertically mounted JMicron SATA II connector. Below/to the left of the large heatsink, there are two BIOS chip present. The dual BIOS system means that minimizes the chance of the board going wrong in case of incorrect bios flashes. Should one BIOS become corrupted, the other acts as a failsafe, during which time the first can be reflashed. The red BIOS-button in the corner lets the user switch between each one and LED lights below each chip indicate which one is being operated. Alternatively for hardcore overclockers, one bios could be used to save extreme overclocking profiles while the other stores more stable configurations.
The P55 chipset
Underneath this large cooler is the P55 chipset, which remains very cool during operation even with an overclocked CPU.
A vast array of connectors
At the bottom of the motherboard is a plethora of pin connectors. To the right are the system panel connectors and going to the left we have the front panel USB and IEEE 1394 interface (FireWire) connectors. On initial looks, the range of pin connectors may seem daunting but ASUS has made sure to label each one clearly. Next to the USB connector is another one labelled OC_STATION for exclusive compatibility with ASUS’s ROG OC Station.
The start/reset button
To facilitate turning on/off the motherboard outside the case, ASUS conveniently places the Start/Reset switches at the base of the motherboard.
Molex connectors
The board also includes 2 male Molex power connectors as seen above and in the picture before. This is a feature that has come in quite handy on my own Biostar x58, by allowing me to connect peripherals that can’t extend to the power supply’s cables, e.g. cold cathode lights and fan controllers that install at the back of the case using PCI brackets. It definitely helps with cable management! However, it’s main goal is to give extra juice when running 3 0r 4 graphics cards.
The Q reset button
At the top of the motherboard is the 8 pin EATX 12V CPU connector. Tucked away amongst the capacitors is another small red button, the Q reset button. The button is used in conjunction with the LN2 mode of the motherboard. Should the CPU completely stop functioning during extreme overclocking, the button temporarily stops power from the power supply thereby recovering the CPU from its frozen state.
Closer Look: The Motherboard (Continued)
The Go Button and Probelt features
Here we can see several ASUS ROG features around the 24 pin ATX motherboard connector. Firstly at the front, there is the Probelt feature which gives user easier access to get accurate voltage measurement. One of the demands of extreme overclockers is the ability to do so without having to probe the power supply or mod the board so ASUS have provided this. By simply probing the labelled connections (CPU PLL, DRAM, IMC, CPU, PCH and GND x 2) with a multitester, the user can monitor voltages in real time. Next to those are the Q-LEDs, giving user direct indication when boot failure occurs. The red Go Button is another interesting addition to the board. When the system is off, pressing the holding the button on boot activates MemOK! which initiates self-memory patching if there are compatibility issues. Otherwise, it acts as a quick OC button based on the user’s profile as set in BIOS. Next to the button is the LN2 jumper. Setting the jumper can help the CPU recover from a frozen condition caused by low temperatures.
Cold boot mod
Another overclocking centric feature is the board’s ability to overcome the cold boot bug that plagues so many users during LN2 sessions. This is achieved by simply shorting the area marked above in red(next to the CPU retention bracket). I only recommend this to people who know what they are doing!
The iROG chip
The iROG chips sits between the top two PCIe slots. This chip is dedicated solely to hardware overclocking that allows users to change settings on the fly. Most other manufacturers initiate their user into overclocking through software methods but in most cases, those aren’t applied on a BIOS level, which as enthusiasts know, is the real overclocking tool. With the iROG chip, users can make real-time changes to their settings on a hardware level without the need to enter BIOS. This can be achieved using the ROG Connect or RC Bluetooth features, or more simply using the TurboV Evo utility. This has some interesting implications as we will see later.
The PLX bridge chip
ASUS claims to have the capability of running true USB 3.0 and SATA III 6Gb/s without compromise. To achieve this, the PLX bridge converts 4 lanes of PCIe 1.1 lanes into up to four PCIe 2.0 lanes. This conversion provides 2 dedicated full speed lanes (500 MB/s) for both USB 3.0 and SATA III 6Gb/s. Unlike other methods, it doesn’t steal bandwidth from the CPU’s integrated PCIe lanes and does not have to use the P55 chipset’s limited Gen 1 PCIe lanes (250 MB/s).
The NEC D720200F1 chip
USB 3.0 support derives from the NEC D720200F1 chip. It uses the PCIe 2.0 bus for the USB 3.0 controller. This chip is found in all current motherboards which provide the same functionality.
The audio and 1394 controller chipsets
The large VIA chipset in the picture is the high speed 1394 host controller. To the right is a much smaller VIA VT2020 chip providing high definition 10 channel audio supporting Blu-ray audio content protection, 1 Optical S/PDIF out port, Jack detection, Multi-streaming and Front Panel Jack-retasking.
Test Setup
Graphics card – Gainward Geforce GTX260 216 896MBPower Supply – Enermax Revolution 85+ 850W
Hard Drive – Samsung F1 320GB
Western Digital Caviar WD3200AAKS 320GB
Drivers – Nvidia Forceware 196.34
Cooler – Noctua NH-D14
CPU/Motherboard/RAM on test
CPU – Intel Core i7 920
RAM – 6GB (3x2GB) OCZ platinum DDR3 1333MHz
Motherboard – Biostar T-Power x58
CPU – Intel Core i7 860
RAM – 4GB (2x2GB) OCZ platinum DDR3 1333MHz
Motherboard – ASUS Maximus III Extreme
Benchmark Suite
Core Temp 0.99.5
LinX stress Test
PC Wizard
3DMark Vantage
3DMark 06
Cinebench 11.5
x264 HD Benchmark
SiSoftware Sandra
Everest 5.01.1700
Far Cry 2
Street Fighter IV
Batman: Arkham Asylum
BIOS
First off, let’s have a look at what the Maximus III Extreme offers in its BIOS. Based on an AMI BIOS, ASUS users should be familiar with its layout. The BIOS provides a wealth of tweaking tools and customizations windows. Here, we’ll have a look at some of the main one.Extreme Tweaker screen
Quite conveniently, the first screen we are greeted with when entering the BIOS is the Extreme Tweaker one where users can configure system frequency and voltages. The number of tweaking options is staggering but thankfully ASUS provide a simple tool named CPU Level Up. The feature allows users to choose from a list of pre-overclocked profiles giving a maximum speed of 3.36GHz on the i7 860. The Memory Level Up feature behaves similarly.
Main screen
Going on to the main screen, we are presented with some basic system configurations, all of which can be accessed and configured as the user wishes. Here, the time/date and SATA controllers can be configured.
Advanced screen
Moving on to the advanced window, a range of other chipset features can be configured. Onboard devices such as the HDA/1394/J-Micron controller can also be configured from here.
Advanced CPU screen
Selecting the CPU Configuration tab, a range of CPU settings can be enabled/disabled. Disabling unneeded settings such as the Virtualization Tech may improve overclocking headroom during extreme sessions.
Power screen
The Power window allows the user to monitor hardware voltages, temperatures and fan speed.
Tools screen
The tools window presents the motherboards unique features, most notably the ability to flash the BIOS and configure the Go Button.
Go Button screen
By being able to save a profile to the Go Button, simply pressing the button on the motherboard will load it whenever required.
| Images taken from the Maximus III Extreme manual. Note that the first BIOS screenshot is not totally accurate. |
Software Bundle
ASUS driver CD utilities
The Utilities CD includes a number of applications. The PC Probe II and AI Suite provides software based overclocking while the ROG Connect and RC Bluetooth introduces the new concept of remote overclocking and system monitoring.
ASUS chipset drivers
A range of chipset drivers are included as we can expect. Apart from the browser utility, all the above are recommended to be installed.
ASUS AI Suite
The AI Suite utility is common to most ASUS motherboards and helps monitor voltages and clock speed.
ASUS TurboV Evo
ASUS’s TurboV Evo is unlike most overclocking software I have encountered. It gives a more comprehensive list of settings/voltages that be configured, similar to that given in BIOS. Through this software, settings can be tweaked in real time when overclocking to improve stability or to push the CPU further. Changes made here are permanent but they can also be saved as profiles for future use. I ended up using this myself to gain a better insight as to what settings made high clock speeds unstable, without requiring to reboot every time to access BIOS.
ASUS CPU Level Up
Alternatively, the easy option is to use the CPU Level Up feature, again as found in BIOS. The maximum frequency option is 3.36GHz but choosing this setting requires a reboot. Again changes are made on a BIOS level rather than software.
Software bundle (Continued)
ASUS PC Probe II
The new iteration of the PC Probe II software gives even more monitoring options. In similar style to the old speed fan software, the individual voltages and temperatures are listed in modules on the side.
ASUS PC Probe II voltage config
Here threshold values can be set based on the temperatures in case of overheating. Similar adjustments can be made to the voltage configurations.
ASUS PC Probe II hardware usage
Finally, the software lets you know how much of the HDD, RAM and CPU is being utilized. For the most part, the PC Probe II application is not necessary.
RG Connect
Some of you may remember when the X58 was first unveiled, ASUS had a line up of high end motherboards including the OC Palm edition. While it was a unique and innovative way to remotely overclock your computer, it taken didn’t really take off due to people preferring the use of BIOS for more stable results. However, the concept was only in its childhood and today ASUS has the next iteration of remote overclocking and system monitoring in the form of the ROG Connect and RC Bluetooth features.The former involves using any USB 2.0 enabled system running Windows XP or above operating systems to connect to the Maximus III Extreme via a male to male USB cable. This allows the other system to remotely manage the ASUS motherboard.
Alternatively, the RC TweakIT software can be installed on a compatible mobile phone, which through Bluetooth connection, can also control certain features of the Maximus III Extreme, namely clock frequencies and voltages. This method is more limited but highly useful. Let’s look a bit more into it.
The RC Tweakit software was installed on my N97. Although it’s not officially supported on the touch screen phone, it can still be used with the onboard keyboard. On opening the application, it connects via Bluetooth and gives two options: Overclock and Monitor.
Each of the above configuration settings can be changed by simply adding or subtracting the values in increments. Each change happen in real time even when the motherboard is in full operation. This is a brilliant innovation that has plenty of interesting implications. It means that voltages can be altered on the fly to either increase stability or lowering them to reduce temperatures. Similarly, we can increase the BCLK to get the last drop of performance. All this happens on a BIOS level thanks to the iROG chip.
Furthermore the settings can be saved to profiles. In essence, the program behaves similarly to the TurboV Evo utility and making changes on each will consequently appear on the other utility, showing how connectivity of the overclocking suite provided by ASUS. The RC TweakIT utility also provides monitoring capabilities which refresh to give you the most up to date readings.
RG Connect (Continued)
The monitoring utility gives on the fly temperatures and fan speeds. It’s ideal in showing you them remotely and accurately without having to run several applications on the computer, especially when looking to break world records!
The last window shows you the three frequencies in case the user wants to check if their settings have been applied. I would not recommend relying on this software solely when overclocking but it’s priceless when it comes to getting that last drop of performance on the fly without worrying about the computer needing a reboot every time.
Finally, we get to the best feature of all! Dubbed the “lazy man’s switch”, the RC Remote utility allows the user to switch their computer on/off remotely. That’s right, the board can be switched on from a completely off state! So imagine waking up in the morning and grabbing your phone to turn your PC on, or more conveniently, turning it off while tucked in bed after watching a movie! We’ve been taking this feature for granted on televisions for a long time now so it’s great to finally see this coming to a motherboard near you soon. Ok, so the actual purpose is not necessary for what I just described above but during LN2 overclocking, it’s an excellent tool to remotely switch on/off the board without having to look for the switch under all the equipments. Remote overclocking also saves the hassle of constantly restarting to go into BIOS or using a keyboard.
The RC TweakIT program is not limited to just your phone. Using the ROG connect cable, it can be installed on another Windows based computer. This method overcomes the size limitations of mobile phones, thereby giving you more options. Apart from a nicer GUI, there is an additional logging tool present and the ability to flash the BIOS remotely. Overall the functionality remains the same on any device using the software.
Supported phones
-Windows Mobile 6.1/6.5 based phones: ASUS P835, Garmin-Asus M10, Samsung i8000, HTC HD2, Sony Ericsson Xperia X1
-Android V2.0 or later: Motorola Milestone
-Symbian V3: Nokia N96
*Fear not, iPhone support will come.
Before you start thinking it’s all just a gimmick, let me assure you that it’s not!
Overclocking and Temperatures
With a vast amount of features and tweaking tools at its disposal, this board is an overclockers dream, for novices and enthusiasts alike. There are several methods of overclocking. The first and best is the traditional BIOS option. In windows, the CPU Level Up automatically overclocks the CPU to pre-programmed settings. The TurboV Evo utility is another option but this is mostly for small tweaks rather than large overclocks. The RC TweakIT utility works in the same way. Lastly, there is the Go Button that is based on a specific profile created by the user in BIOS.Personally I used BIOS along with RC TweakIT to achieve a 4GHz overclock on the i7 860. The main issue I faced was the sheer amount of voltage required to keep this particular chip stable. Given the number of options available, there’s no doubt this board can achieve much more. To avoid wild fluctuations in the voltages between idle and load, Load Line Calibration had to be used. Compared to my own Biostar x58, I was somewhat disappointed by the way the board handled the voltages. Rather than have a lower idle voltage and higher under load, it behaved the other way round, hence the high voltage reading in CPU-Z. Despite this niggle, a final clock of 4GHz was easily achieved.
The Maximus III Extreme handles memory overclocking excellently allowing the OCZ 1333MHz memory to work at 1600MHz without any problems using a 2:12 divider.
Alternatively, the CPU Level Up gives an impressive 573MHz overclock by raising the BCLK from 133MHz to 160MHz. Unlike other motherboards, the Maximus III Extreme does it without raising the voltages to insane levels.
Temperatures
The principle of overclocking is that with higher clock speeds, higher voltages are required and consequently higher temperatures. So let’s see what we get below.
The stock i7 860 delivers impressive idle temperature deltas under the Noctua NH-D14. Even when overclocked, idle temperatures stay below the i7 920 results. However, under load the i7 860 ends up running hotter, probably due to the higher voltages required to keep it stable. The chipset itself ran very cool, not exceeding 40 degrees in the worst case scenario.
Cinebench 11.5 & x264 HD Benchmark
Cinebench 11.5
Based on the MAXON animation software CINEMA 4D, Cinebench is a test suite that uses the system’s processing power to render a photorealistic 3D scene. This makes it an excellent benchmark to measure CPU and motherboard performances.
At stock speed, the Maximus III Extreme helps put the i7 860 ahead of the i7 920 due to its clock advantage. The overclocked results show the opposite with the i7 920 reigning superior, but by a very close margin.
x264 HD Benchmark
The x264 HD Benchmark from Tech ARP is a useful benchmark that demonstrates the encoding performance of systems by encoding a short HD quality video clip into a high quality x264 video file. The test uses multiple cores efficiently to give a good representation of real world performance.
The results here reflect those from the earlier Cinebench tests. At stock the i7 860 outperforms the i7 920 but once overclocked, both perform similarly. The i7 920 has a slight advantage but nothing noticeable.
SiSoftware Sandra
SiSoftware Sandra is a Windows system analyzer that includes benchmarking, testing and listing modules. It tries to go beyond other utilities to show you more of what is really going on under the hood so comparisons can be drawn. With an array of CPU and memory tests, it is ideal in comparing the P55 platform against the x58 chipset.
The i7 920 reigns supreme with higher memory bandwidth thanks to its support for triple channel memory. However, the Maximus III Extreme doesn’t lag far behind and delivers lower memory latencies with the overclocked i7 860.
Everest
Everest Ultimate is another useful computer diagnostic tool that provides the most up-to-date hardware information. It is home to a number of CPU and memory benchmarks, supporting all the latest motherboard chipsets and processors. Everest also provides accurate hardware monitoring capabilities that makes it a must have tool for system tweaking and maintenance.
Cache & Memory benchmark
Stock speed
Apart from the higher memory write speed, the Maximus III Extreme provides much better memory and cache performance than its x58 brethren across the board. The most likely reason for this is the superior memory support offered by the ASUS board, which allows more stable memory overclocks using dividers. The Biostar is known for lacklustre memory support so ASUS take the crown here.
Overclocked
The overclocked results shows more prominent performance from the Biostar x58 but the L3 cache produces far lower results. The dual channel memory support isn’t a major limitation to the P55 platform and ASUS have optimized this board for the best CPU and memory performance possible.
In the FPU and CPU benchmarks, both configurations produce similar results.
Far Cry 2
One of the most hyped games of 2008, Far Cry 2 had some big shoes to fill. It was built to be the next best thing since well… Far Cry I suppose. Combining an open-world game play with highly detailed graphics, physics and AI, what more could we possibly want? The game puts us in the body of a malaria inflicted mercenary hunting down the “Jackal” in the heart of Africa, in a bid to stop an ongoing conflict between two rival factions. The storyline can be hard to follow sometimes but I’m no game reviewer, so let’s concentrate on the graphics and performance. After all, we all need to know if our hardware will be able to handle the scorching savannah burning at the hands of our flamethrowers.
When it comes to gaming performance, we see some interesting results. The 1920 x 1200 resolution favours the i7 920 and yet at the lower resolution, the difference is minimal. Overclocking both CPUs nets some FPS gains at most settings.
Street Fighter IV & Batman: Arkham Asylum
Street Fighter IVStreet Fighter is back in its 4th iteration and its bigger and better than ever. Combining fluid, fast based sparring with stunning artistic visuals, the game delivers tremendous game play. Be reacquainted with some of the most popular characters in video game history while you battle your way to the top, be it with Ryu or the mighty Bison. The game might be frustratingly hard in some cases but there’s nothing like the satisfaction of K.O’ing your opponent with a well stringed death bringing combo.
Street Fighter IV performs the same under both setups. Surprisingly, the games becomes more GPU limited that Far Cry at higher resolutions and with anti-aliasing enabled.
Batman: Arkham Asylum
The Dark Knight takes on his greatest challenge yet when he becomes trapped with all of his most dangerous villains inside the insane asylum of Gotham City – Arkham Asylum. The game exposes you to a unique, dark and atmospheric adventure that takes you to the depths of Arkham Asylum, Gotham’s psychiatric hospital for the criminally insane.
Again, we see minimal differences between the two motherboards. Overclocking has a small positive impact on performance. We can see that this game becomes more GPU as we crank up the detail. Performance takes a significant hit with the higher resolution setting.
3DMark 06 & Vantage
3DMark 06
Futuremark has been the testing ground for enthusiasts ever since their first release in 1999! While 2006 is long gone, it’s still very popular amongst benchers.
At stock speed, the i7 860 pulls slightly ahead because of its clock speed advantage and once overclocked, the i7 920 shines.
3DMark Vantage
This latest benchmark suite from Futuremark introduces DX 10 PhysX support. Despite being on the verge of DX 11 games arriving, Vantage is still the chosen benchmark amongst enthusiasts these days.
The same pattern of results produced in 3DMark06 is reflected here in Vantage.
Power Consumption
To measure the power consumption of the board, I used a plug in power meter for the idle and load results.
The i7 860 has a TDP of 95w compared to the 130w TDP of the older i7 920. In real world situation, both end up consuming as much power as each other. At stock speed, the i7 860 and the Maximus III Extreme has a slightly lower power consumption at idle but the advantage is lost under load. The opposite is true when overclocked. The high idle consumption is down to the higher voltage used by the i7 860 relative to the i7 920. It’s surprising to see that one of the main advantages of the P55 platform is lost when observing real world power consumption. The test was done with the graphics card under full load as well to get a better idea of overall system power usage.
Conclusion
Where do I start? The Maximus III Extreme is a tremendous board. Sporting an impressive feature list that ticks every box, it targets a wide range of audience, from mainstream users to gamers and enthusiasts alike. Nowadays, most high end motherboards are introducing USB 3.0 support and SATA III 6Gb/s and ASUS follows that trend but it doesn\’t stop there. To truly differentiate their flagship P55 based motherboard, they have included a number of innovations that actually work right out of the box!The Republic Of Gamers is not merely the name given to the overclocking oriented ASUS boards but the concept introduces a number of unique features. The most notable one personally was the ROG connect. Using either Bluetooth or a USB cable to another Windows device, the user gains the ability to tweak and monitor the Maximus III Extreme remotely through the RC TweakIT software. Now many other sites have claimed that it\’s just a gimmick without having actually tried it. Well, we didn\’t want to make assumptions and actually tried the function on a compatible mobile phone and the results were very pleasing. The intuitiveness and ingenuity of the software makes for ease of use while retaining excellent functionality, be it for simply turning on/off the motherboard/system or for slight tweaks to your overclocked settings. ASUS have put a lot of thought into the concept and I hope we see it become more mainstream in the future.
Overclocking is the main selling point of the Maximus III Extreme, not surprising given it\’s Republic Of Gamers lineage. The board offers a wealth of more familiar features for all overclockers. A rich BIOS is merely the start of things because ASUS have concentrated a lot of their efforts on a hardware level to ensure the best performance and stability. Nifty features such as the LN2 mode and Probelt will appeal to the most hardcore enthusiasts, while the CPU Level Up will give novices a taste of this art.
When it comes to performance, the platform keeps up with the higher end x58 in all cases, sometimes exceeding it thanks to the motherboard\’s superior memory support. The performance makes it a viable alternative to the x58 option.
So would I buy one? That\’s where we come to the board\’s major downfall, the price. Looking at the street price, it\’s clear that the board is not your average P55 mainstream solution. In fact, its price is higher that most x58 based motherboards which also offer SATA III 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 support. ASUS\’s own P6X5
Premium ends up cheaper and their P7P55D is half the price. The extra £100 gives you ROG functionality and use of superior components on the motherboard. From an affordable solution perspective or for generic usage, ASUS\’s other motherboards are probably your answer. For a cheap setup, a lower end i5 and another P55 board will be more viable. With a higher budget, an i7 920 coupled with the ASUS P6T range of motherboards will end up cheaper than the configuration tested today. However, from an overclockers/enthusiasts point of view, this board will give the user the thrill they\’ve always wanted. The sheer amount of thought gone into perfecting the board justifies the price and the results will reflect it. Pros
+ Bucket loads of features
+ ROG functionality
+ Excellent stability and overclocking
+ Cool and efficient
+ USB 3.0 and SATA III 6Gb/s
+ Attractive finish
+ Excellent packaging and bundle
+ Excellent performance
Cons
– Price
While price does have a big impact on potential users\’ decision to buy the Maximus III Extreme, ASUS delivers a board that boasts an unparalled feature set, all of which are tailored for your every need. The ASUS Maximus III Extreme deservedly earns our Vortez Hardware Gold Award!
I would like to thank ASUS for providing us with yet another brilliant sample and hope to see more from them in the future. To discuss this article, please visit our forums.
