Build on Incredible with ASUS Z97 Motherboards

A host of new features have been upgraded on Maximus VII Impact to create the most complete gaming and overclocking experience on Mini-ITX. Impact Power II delivers a full complement of 60A BlackWing Chokes, NexFET MOSFETs and 10K Black Metallic Capacitors to ensure oustanding, stable overclocking. SupremeFX Impact II, the discrete daughterboard that delivers unparalleled audio includes ELNA® Premium Audio Capacitors for warm sound Sonic SenseAmp for automatic headphone impedence detection and Sonic SoundStage for hardware-level audio profile switching. New Sonic Studio software rounds out the package, with intelligent virtual surround reproduction with both presets and near-infinite configurability.

It all starts with the mPCIe Combo IV daughtercard. Upgraded to accommodate PCIe M.2 x4 SSDs, the mPCIe Combo IV is future-ready, able to accommodate PCIe M.2 drives with up to 32Gb/s theoretical transfer speed. The other half of the card delivers dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 to ensure maximum throughput, even when your portable rig is on-the-go. Integrated Intel® I218 Gb Ethernet with GameFirst III ensures minimal lag when gaming on a hardline. And for maximum longevity, All I/O is protected by a new black nickel-coated Q-shield, which is designed for durability, and to prevent nicks and cuts during installation.

First introduced on Maximus V Formula, CrossChill Copper takes hybrid VRM cooling to the next level, incorporating a copper channel with a multitude of radiating fins to maximize surface area for heat dissipation. While already excellent under air cooling, the G1/4” threaded design allows you to easily add VRM cooling to nearly any existing watercooling loop for even greater cooling capability. ROG Armor features a combination of sturdy ABS plastic on the front and SECC steel on the back of Maximus VII Formula to facilitate heat dissipation, prevent dust accumulation and add rigidity to virtually eliminate potential warping.

A 600 ohm headphone amplifier (Texas Instruments^® LM4562) and Cirrus Logic^® CS4398 DAC deliver a 120dB signal-to-noise ratio and can push even audiophile-grade headphones. Sonic SenseAmp then takes over, automatically detecting headphone impedance and adjusting the amplifier accordingly. German-made WIMA^® film capacitors join Japan-made ELNA^® audio capacitors to cover the full spectrum of sound reproduction, from high- and low-frequency boosting for punchy in-game sounds to warm, immersive sounds for game effects and multimedia. Trademark SupremeFX PCB isolation and stainless steel EMI round out the hardware package, ensuring your audio experience is free from interference.

By combining R&D expertise with the knowledge & experience of leading overclockers & gaming enthusiasts from around the world, ROG continues to pioneer, while others struggle to catch up. Each generation brings with it new noteworthy innovations.

These efforts have delivered numerous industry-first features for gaming and overclocking, with gamers and enthusiasts alike reaping the benefits. SupremeFX™ audio, hybrid VRM cooling, ROG Connect, OC Key, VGA Hotwire OC Station and many others have paved the way for new features in the latest Z87 ROG Motherboards.

ROG has once again upped the ante for onboard audio, with cutting-edge isolation technologies to minimize electromagnetic interference (EMI) and premium ELNA^® audio capacitors to deliver a warmer, natural sound. The new Sonic SenseAmp automatically detects headphone impedance (32/ 150ohms and higher) and adjusts the built-in amp accordingly. Sonic Studio, a brand-new set of audio-tuning tools includes a Virtual Surround function and powerful audio controls including Reverb, Bass Boost, Equalizer, Voice Clarity and Smart EQ.

When fully-utilized, the Intel I218 controller on ROG motherboards occupies only 1-2‰ CPU usage, offloading much of this processing onto the controller itself. Comparable gaming LAN technologies occupy roughly 6-8%. While the difference in utilization may not seem significant, wouldn’t you rather have every spare processing cycle dedicated for the game itself?

ROG’s exclusive LANGuard is the RJ45 socket reinvented. Advanced signal-coupling technology and premium surface-mounted capacitors improve throughput, while surge-protected and ESD guarded components protect the motherboard from all irregularities from static electricity to lightning strikes.

Introduced on ROG Z97 motherboards, the groundbreaking OC Panel provides a wealth of hardware level controls when used in handheld mode for extreme overclocking, and can also be installed in a single 5¼ drive bay to access one-click overclocking and fan controls.

The newly-launched ROG front base is the gamer’s command center. Occupying 2 5¼ drive bays, the large 4” display gives real-time updates on fan speed, CPU frequency, temperature and more. An integrated USB port enables mobile device charging, even when the PC is off. You can even switch audio profiles, overclock and change fan speeds through its intuitive user interface.

Through one intuitive dashboard, you can now easily make on-the-fly adjustments to fan cooling curves, identify all SATA devices, adjust clock and language and even overclock or setup a RAID array. The new guided wizards allow you to overclock just by answering a few simple questions about your usage and cooling scenarios and the RAID wizard can configure an array for you through a few simple prompts.

Full calibration of both DC & PWM fans and the ability to map each fan to a specific heat source enables accurate customization of fan curves and targeted cooling with minimal noise. IRST is also fully integrated into UEFI, allowing you to configure more advanced RAID arrays without CTRL-I. You can even save your UEFI settings to a profile and export to a flash drive. Full ASUS Graphics Card information can also be accessed right in UEFI.

The networking tools contained in the GameFirst III package are both intuitive and flexible. With 4 built-in packet-priority modes, gamers can easily switch between Game, Media Streaming and File Sharing modes or just use the Optimization Mode to let Game First III automatically prioritize all packets. On top of this, individual applications can be customized with priority and manual bandwidth control. Monitoring tools are also included, which allow you to monitor network traffic, measure available bandwidth with the ISP and view current connection status.

More and more gamers are graduating to high-end headsets for gaming or general content consumption, and Sonic SenseAmp is able detect headphone impedance up to 150 ohms and adjust the built-in amp automatically.

Sonic SoundStage enables the audio to be customized based on the type of game you’re playing from FPS to racing to sports. These profiles are even saved at a hardware level.

And finally, Sonic Studio intelligently creates virtual 7.1 channel audio, even through 2-channel headsets. Full controls for reverb, bass boost, equalizer, voice clarity and smart volume are available through Sonic Studio.

A dedicated microprocessor allows KeyBot to execute certain functions even when the PC is off. You can map existing keys to overclock, enable XMP or boot directly into UEFI. Once in Windows, keys can be mapped to execute keyboard combinations, open specific applications, perform multimedia functions or even login to Windows.

In the case of devices such as USB DACs (digital to audio converters) voltage fluctuations can cause noise along the line leading to noise along the line, but these fluctuations, if not checked at the PSU level can even lead to things like data loss on external USB drives. TrueVolt USB consists of two isolated linear power paths directly from ATX power to the front and rear USB ports, ensuring clean, stable 5V power.

By storing either partial or full game installations into a virtual RAM drive, load times can be significantly improved. RAMDisk 2014 can even dynamically allocate RAM on-the-fly to and from the RAM drive so system memory can readily be made available when you need it.

Q-slot and Q-DIMM make graphics card and memory installation both easier and more secure, while the black nickel-coated Q-shield protects your hands when installing the shield into the chassis. The rear exposed I/O utilizes stainless steel, which resists rust up to 3 times longer than ordinary panels. On a component level, incorporation of 10k black metallic capacitors, DRAM overcurrent protection, ESD guards and socket backplates help protect your motherboard over the long run.