Asus Maximus IV Extreme Motherboard Review

We have come to expect more goodies from our high-end motherboards to help justify the additional cost.  ASUS does not disappoint and includes everything you'll need to get up and running.

In terms of documentation you will get an extremely detailed User Guide that talks about every feature found on this motherboard, a driver disk complete with system and overclocking utilities, cable identification stickers and window sticker.  (not pictured)

This next device is a very unique Bluetooth module for ROG motherboards.  In normal operation it works like any normal Bluetooth connection.  When you press the logo button it transforms into a direct connect remote control that is accessible from any PDA style smartphone.  Yep, you read that correctly, you can remotely control your motherboard including things like adjusting voltages and clock speeds directly from your mobile device.

Included with the board you will find 2 SLI bridges and a special length crossfire cable.  A ROG branded I/O back plate helps dress up the system.  You also get a small accessory pack that complements this motherboard including a set of Q-Connectors, three thermal probes, voltage probes and a small pack of zip ties.

The cable package includes four SATA cables, a USB break out panel and ROG Connect USB cable for PC to PC connections.

One thing that many overclockers wish they could do is change clock frequency while a benching session is in progress.  For instance when you are running 3DMark06 overall CPU power helps get a good 3D score but may be too much for your cooling method when you reach the CPU benchmark.  In those instances you can fire up ROG Connect and remotely downclock the CPU for that part of the benchmark and clock it back up again later.  Here is what you would see on a remote PC.

Most motherboards come with some sort of tuning and monitoring package to help the hardware enthusiast get the most from their system.  The Asus Ai Suite II is more than just a single overclocking program but encompasses an entire suite of programs to control most everything on the motherboard such as Bluetooth, overclocking and even power delivery.  As you can expect these are split across multiple software packages so you can choose which one you want to install.

Below are some screenshots from the Ai Suite II.

Keep in mind that everything you can control with the Ai Suite II is also available thru the system BIOS.  So, if you're like me and would rather do your tweaks before the OS loads you can do that.  Otherwise fire up the Ai Suite II after Windows loads and do your tuning in real time before committing the changes to CMOS.