UEFI Features
ASUS bundled the Maximus VII Formula motherboard with the latest version of the ASUS UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) implementation, a customized version of the AMI baseline UEFI BIOS replacement. The UEFI offers full keyboard and mouse support while using the BIOS pages. ASUS changed the way mouse right-click functions in the new BIOS implementation with right-click having no impact on the screen. By default, the user sees the EZ mode screen when entering the UEFI with the Advanced mode screens accessible via the Exit/Advanced Mode button at the upper right corner of the screen. Advanced mode screens can be set for the default user interface via the BIOS Boot menu as well.
As we've stated in previous reviews, the ASUS UEFI implementation remains among the best out there. The BIOS is very responsive to both keyboard and mouse input with almost no lag or questionable click-space evident anywhere. However, at times the interface seemed too responsive and sensitive to the merest mouse click and movement. The UEFI is designed in an intuitive manner so that both novice and advance BIOS users can quickly find what they are looking for. The EZ Mode screen lays out everything in a highly readable format, while the Advanced Mode tabbed layout displays as you would expect from a traditional BIOS. ASUS also gives you the ability to taken screen captures from within the BIOS by pressing the F12 key with those screen-caps saved in a 1024×768 bitmap format to an attached USB device. From the Tools menu, ASUS houses their collection of of BIOS-related tools and applets, ranging from an UEFI-based updater (EZ Flash2) to their full UEFI profile load and save utility.
UEFI Notable Features
ASUS further revised their UEFI interface with the Z97 boards, optimizing several features as well as exposing several new Haswell-specific features. They revised their EZ Mode page with added utility, integrating a customizable My Favorites tab into the Advance mode menu, Shortcut screen, a graphical fan tuning interface, a graphical EZ Tuning Wizard interface, support for display in nine different languages, and a Quick Note interface for adding persistent notes for later use. Note that the UEFI screen aesthetics have been customized for the board with it appearance customizable with several user-selectable themes available.
Advanced Mode My Favorites screen, Shortcut popup
The Shortcut menu shown is available from the Advanced Mode interface only. To access, hit the F3 function key from within the Advanced Mode interface. The Shortcut page displays shortcuts to menus and sub-menus added via the Advanced Mode interface. If you hit the F4 function key with an item selected, you are taken directly to the menu or sub-menu. This functionality allows you to put commonly accessed menus and sub-menus at you fingertips with a single button or mouse click.
My Favorites tab, populated
The My Favorites tab houses user selected settings for access to these from a centralized location. To access, select the My Favorites tab from within the Advanced Mode interface. Note that if a menu or sub-menu is added to this page, all fields on that page will be added. The real strength in this My Favorites tab implementation comes with the ability to mix and match commonly used options in a central location, rather than having to hunt them down through multiple sub-levels of menus.
EZ Mode page
EZ Mode breakdown
Courtesy of ASUS
The EZ Mode page was dramatically re-factored with the Z97 board line with information organized into sections in an easy-to-read manner.
Q-Fan Tuning page
The Q-Fan Tuning page allows for graphical configuration of fan operation based on predefined threshold levels. The interface is similar in nature to the Windows-based Fan Xpert3 fan configuration interface and is a nice touch in-lui of the text-based configuration approach. The Q-Fan Tuning page is accessed by clicking on the Manual Fan Tuning button within the EZ Mode page.
Easy Tuning Wizard
The EZ Tuning Wizard can be accessed by hitting the F11 function key from within the EZ Mode page. This wizard triggers BIOS configured system performance optimization based on user selections made within the wizard interface.
EZ Mode, Main tab, Language selection
EZ Mode, Main tab with non-English language active
The BIOS display language can be updated to one of 10 values through the language field in the top menu bar accessible in both the EZ Mode and Advance Mode interfaces. The screen values are updated immediately upon language selection.
Advanced Mode, Main tab, Quick Note pop-up
The Quick Note window is accessed by clicking the Quick Note field in the top menu bar or hit the F9 function key. From this window, you can enter notes that remain persistent between BIOS sessions. This functionality is only available from the Advanced Mode interface.
Advanced Mode, Last modified pop-up
The Last Modified pop-up is accessed by clicking the Last Modified link in the lower right corner of the Advanced Mode page. The Last Modified pop-up contains a comprehensive list of fields changed since the last save. This list also displays when you click on the Save Changes & Reset link from the Exit tab.
Extreme Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled
The 4th generation Intel Core series of CPUs, also known as Haswell, support the ability to use preset bus speed levels for the ring bus, which Intel refers to as CPU Strap. ASUS decided to take the CPU Strap setting to the next level and includes the following preset levels by default: 100MHz, 125MHz, 166Mhz, and 250MHz. This setting affects the CPU base clock, PCI-Express bus, and memory bus speeds. The PCI-Express bus speed is auto-adjusted to remain as close to 100MHz as possible, while the CPU and memory bus speeds adjusts at a 1:1 or 1:1.33 ratio with the setting. ASUS has made tweaks to the board to allow access and stability at these higher CPU Strap settings, but inside sources say that you need a really good (read that as "cherry picked") CPU to use a strap setting above 166MHz.
Extreme Tweaker tab, Tweaker's Paradise page
To cater to the extreme overclockers, ASUS exposed many esoteric board settings not normally exposed to the end user and housed them in the Tweaker's Paradise menu. This menu contains voltage, timing, and bus settings for those of you trying to squeeze every last ounce of speed and stability out of you overclocked board. It contains settings for tweaking everything from CPU internal settings to PCI-Express bus related settings. Enjoy your time in the Tweaker's Paradise.
Tools tab, ROG OC Panel H-Key Configure page
ASUS's UEFI would not be complete without the ability to create a custom profile controllable using their optional OC Panel device. Via the ROG OC Panel H-Key Configure sub-menu, you can configure a custom profile for your CPU voltage, base clock speed, and CPU ratio that is enacted upon pressing the H-key on your OC Panel device (as long as it is connected to the board).
BIOS Walkthrough
Advanced Mode screen, Ai Tweaker tab with XMP mode enabled
Ai Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, bus speed settings
Ai Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, CPU ratio settings
Ai Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, submenu list
Ai Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, voltage settings
Ai Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, voltage settings continued
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page. Memory Presets page
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page. Memory Presets page, Load profile popup
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Secondary and Tertiary timing settings
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Tertiary timing settings
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Miscellaneous settings
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Miscellaneous settings continued
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Miscellaneous settings continued
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, RTL IOL Control page
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, RTL IOL Control page continued
Ai Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Skew Control page
Ai Tweaker tab, GPU.DIMM Post page
Ai Tweaker tab, DIGI+ Power Control page
Ai Tweaker tab, DIGI+ Power Control page continued
Ai Tweaker tab, CPU Power Management page
Ai Tweaker tab, CPU Power Management page continued
Ai Tweaker tab, CPU Power Management page continued
Bought this board with a
Bought this board with a 4790k cpu about a month ago. Replaced my MSI A88X G45 Gaming rig with a 7850k kaveri.
Such a huge upgrade. Rock solid performance. can go to 4.8GHz no issue. Using a Silverstone TD03 water cooler.
LOVE THIS BOARD!
Also have 4790k with this
Also have 4790k with this motherboard,my first motherboard with Asus. Usually go with MSI,but with 4.8ghz 1.25v i really love this board.
That’s a nice CPU you’ve got
That's a nice CPU you've got there…
Me too. Asus is just
Me too. Asus is just fantastic and i am loving Mr Ryan’s hard work all the way from Ghana west Africa.
This board is almost perfect.
This board is almost perfect. They messed up big time only including a pci-e 2.0 x2 m2 slot instead of a pci-e 3.0 x4 ultra m2 slot. It’s a huge difference 10gbit/sec vs 32gbit/sec and lower latency since the pci-e is connected directly to the cpu instead of the pch. Would much rather have the the ultra m2 slot even though that means with an m2 ssd installed in an ultra m2 slot you only have 1 x8 and 1×4 pci-e 3.0 slots left for GPU. Limiting you to 1 nvidia gpu or 2 AMD gpu’s. I only use single gpu setups so really an ultra m2 slot is a requirement for me.
This would of been a perfect motherboard if they wouldn’t of bungled the m2 slot. Such a shame.
Almost everything in the
Almost everything in the specification list is the same as the Asus Maximus VII Hero, 60A-rated BlackWing chokes 10K capacitors etc. There’s very little not to like about the motherboard and there’s a lot to hated about their software bundle.
Don’t install their software bundle as it could lead to a pure headache or worst a nightmare. I never in my life did I have so much problems with Corsair Link and Asus software bundle, there’s countless complains about their software not to mention the problems with Firmware, he’s one in the event viewer, it’s tell me the follow error.
Event 13:
The embedded controller (EC) did not respond within the specified timeout period. This may indicate that there is an error in the EC hardware or firmware or that the BIOS is accessing the EC incorrectly. You should check with your computer manufacturer for an upgraded BIOS. In some situations, this error may cause the computer to function incorrectly.
These are the things like this that can’t be seen because there is no way they have all that time to fine pick, test and tweak so many setting to see such problems. The only advice I can give you is that you always check the manufacturers forum before purchasing any motherboard.
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Morry Teitelman is also great
Morry Teitelman is also great please keep it up