ASUS Maximus IX Hero Preview

Conclusion

We've been using and abusing the Maximus IX Hero since launch, and it has never once let us down.

The ASUS Maximus range has long been a benchmark for quality and the latest z270 iteration, the Maximus IX, continues this fine trend. Like all ASUS motherboards, and particularly those that come with the Republic of Gamers logo, there is an excellent combination of cutting edge features combined with some unique looks.

The ASUS ROG range heatsinks have been some of the best we've seen in recent years. Their decision to blend the power phase heatsink into the IO shield has borne great fruit, and here with the Maximus IX Hero we think it has reached its zenith. The days in which the IO section was out on an island and the heatsink stood proud like a skyscraper in the the park are behind us, at least when it comes to the ASUS ROG range. The more expensive Maximus IX models might support water cooling in various forms, but most of us utilise air cooling for our components, even if we are using AIOs to keep our CPUs under control. That makes the Maximus IX Hero the perfect choice if you're running a regular build.

Beyond the looks the feature set is as high as any of us could realistically hope to utilise. M.2, U.2 USB 3.1, front panel USB 3.1, WiFi, GigaLAN, no matter what you want to plug into the Hero you can be assured that it will have more than enough bandwidth to give you the fastest transfer rates and smoothest experience possible.

The nature of the test cycle at OC3D Towers means that we abuse a product for just long enough to do the review and discover any flaws, and then we have to move on to the next item on the list. The Maximus IX Hero has slightly stepped out of this relentless cycle to be the guinea pig for a lot of our hardware and we've beaten and abused it beyond what we usually do for our reviews. It is a testament to the rugged build quality and bulletproof BIOS that the Hero has, to quote an old advertisment, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

The Maximus IX range is full of models which appeal to different sectors of the market, but we think that the Hero combines outstanding toughness with great looks and a fulsome featureset to be worthy of a place very high up the short list of anyone seeking to step into the Z270 world.