Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z Motherboard Review

We had a great time using the Maximus IV Gene-Z and aside from its smaller stature and limited expandability it responded well in our tests and seemed like a solid gaming platform.  We say gaming over enthusiast mostly due to the form factor but things like the lack of an LN2 switch and voltage probe points like on the Maximus IV Extreme are a dead giveaway.

Overall performance was extremely good and proved that a small factory overclock can go a long way.  As you can imagine the Gene-Z is quite different from the Extreme edition but does feature the same UEFI bios and overclocking controls.  Of course a gaming platform wouldn't be complete without multi GPU support with proper spacing for dual slot coolers.  You'll need a good chassis to keep everything cool but that is part of the fun when it comes to system building.

Small motherboards may not be popular with enthusiast hardware people but that doesn't mean you can't have a great gaming experience from one with the power of a full size.  In fact the benefits don't stop with gaming, especially when you need a few extra features for your HTPC.  The Virtu technology seems to be a perfect match for the multipurpose HTPC giving you the power of a discrete graphics card for late night gaming and quiet computing for streaming content. 

Small Form Factor
Dual GPU support
factory Turbo Overclock
Virtu Feature that Works
Red and Black Color Scheme
Lots of ROG Features

Not all MicroATX cases support high end boards
Bluetooth not included