Asus Maximus IV Extreme Motherboard Review

The Maximus IV Extreme follows the typical ROG color theme with a black PCB and red accent colors on the expansion and memory slots.

Flipping a motherboard over can tell you a lot about how it is constructed.   Here we see two black heatspreaders directly under the PWM and a few mounting screws.  The PCB is otherwise devoid of any surface components.

To improve graphical performance Asus has included the NVidia NF200 bridge chip which is lcoated in the traditional North Bridge location.  The NF200 is tasked with dividing up the available PCI Express lanes for better distribution and improved multi video card support.

ASUS includeds a very unique PWM design with their motherboards called Digi+ VRM.  The digital VRM is a programmable mirco processor that controls each of the digital power phases to increase power efficiency and lower overall heat production.  Combined together this translates to higher system stability, better overclocking and longer life.  System tuners can control the VRM thru software or manually thru BIOS controls however, in most cases, you can leave the settings on auto and enjoy all of the benefits without the hassle.

According to the manual the Maximus IV Extreme comes with an Hybrid 8 phase digital PWM with an additional 3 phases for memory.  However, looking at the board we can see 10 power phases around the CPU socket coupled to a single NEC ML Cap for high speed power regulation and stability.

Behind the PWM cooler you'll find the CPU 12v power connector.  Intel only requires a 4 pin connector but if you plan to do any overclocking its always best to use all of the available pins when you can.