CPU Cooler Fit & Included Accessories

CPU Cooler Fit

To test the amount of space surrounding the CPU socket, we mounted the Noctua NH-D15 cooler to the CPU socket. This behemoth CPU air cooler sports a dual fan construction and two huge vertical cooling towers.

While there is no problem using a video card in the primary PCIe x16 slot, there may be issues if you want to use a PCIe card in the primary PCIe x1 slot.

The cooler easily fits the board with no spacing or fit-related issues between it and the CrossChill cooler or memory seated in the board. All memory slots remain easily usable with the cooler in place as well.

The Noctua hold down mechanism is large enough to quickly determine exactly how much space is available around the CPU socket. While the cross brace comes close to contacting the ROG Armor overlay to the left of the socket, their is sufficient space for clearance.The top mounting bracket fit tightly within the allocated space with minimal contact with the right and left brackets.

The cooler's backplate rests on the socket backplate, minimizing the risk of direct board contact. There are no problems with the Noctua's backplate, but a larger back plate may have contact issues with the circuitry to the upper right of the CPU socket backplate.

Included Accessories

ASUS includes the necessary accessories to get the board up and running with minimal hassle.

In the ASUS tradition, the manual included with the Maximus VII Formula was thorough, covering all board functionality and included Windows software in great detail. Also included is a driver DVD with all necessary hardware drivers and Window's utilities.

The board's rear panel shield is chromed black with port identifying text and icons colored white and printed sideways, making it very readable under most conditions with it mounted on a vertical case. ASUS even labeled the the USB ports tied to specific functions, like KeyBot and ROG Connect.

ASUS bundled in eight black and white 6Gb/s rated SATA cables for use with the integrated port. The cables have integrated port locks and a mix of straight and 90 degree connectors.

For multi-GPU use, ASUS included a two-way NVIDIA SLI connector.

For use with the on-board front panel headers, ASUS included their Q-Connector header plugs. You simply plug the front panel and USB 2.0 plugs into the Q-Connector, then plug the Q-Connector into the appropriate board header. It makes the installation of the front panel and USB plugs much easier.

The included mPCIe Combo III device plugs into the mPCIe slot adjacent to the rear panel, adding Broadcomm-based 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities to the board. Additionally, the card supports use of an 10 Gb/s capable M.2 form factor SSD card through the NGFF port on the left side of the card.

For attaching to wireless and Bluetooth-based networks, ASUS includes their dual-plug antennae with gold-plated screw-in connectors. The antennae can be used in a flat or upright orientation with its flat surface optimized for broadcast and reception of 802.11ac type signals.

ASUS also includes SATA cable labels and a ROG-branded door hanger. With the Watch Dogs edition of the board, ASUS also includes a Watch Dogs game license key.

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