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 Impact was complete, covering all integrated board functionality and the included Windows software in great detail. Also included is a driver DVD with all necessary hardware drivers and Window's utilities. As an added bonus, ASUS includes SATA cable labels and ROG-branded swag in the form of a metallic case badge.
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, including KeyBot and ROG Connect.
ASUS bundled in four 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 use with the on-board front panel headers, ASUS included a modified version of their Q-Connector header plug. You simply plug the front panel plugs from the case into the Q-Connector header plugs and the Q-Connector into the appropriate board header. It makes installation the front panel plugs much easier, especially with the cable extensions integrated into the connector.
For attaching to wireless and Bluetooth-based networks, ASUS included their redesigned dual-plug antennae. 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.
The included mPCIe Combo IV device plugs into the mPCIe slot adjacent to the rear panel, adding Intel-based 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities to the board. Additionally, the card supports use of an M.2 form factor SSD card plugged into the NGFF slot on the back of the card. Note that the NGFF slot supports PCIe style M.2 SSDs up to bandwidth of x4.
The included SupremeFX Impact II audio add-in card plugs into the device socket in between the mPCIe slot and rear panel, adding a Realtek HD audio controller to the board. The card adds 3 analogue audio ports to the rear panel as well as an HD-capable front panel audio header at the front of the card.
The CoolHub add-in card plugs into the device socket located direct behind the overclocking assembly integrated into the rear panel assembly. The CoolHub add-in card added two additional 4-pin fan headers as well an LN2 mode jumper to the board. The LN2 Mode jumper enables a cold bug fix that can be encountered when attempting to boot a CPU at sub-zero temperatures.
First I heard about the Intel
First I heard about the Intel NiC using up CPU threads for networking… Did you use the driver from the DVD or Intel’s site or the first version of the drivers?
Driver from the DVD was used
Driver from the DVD was used for testing…
The cooler is too big. It’s
The cooler is too big. It’s bigger than the board….
Well, after watching the
Well, after watching the latest podcast#328 mentioning this review, I had too see it for myself. Holy Boulder Dam.. that cooler!!! HAHAHAHA Priceless – Sorry, but I can’t help myself. Good review. Tis a really nice board. And yeah, I really enjoy the podcasts guys!
Hmm, i got this motherboard
Hmm, i got this motherboard in a bundle deal.
One thing they have cheaped out on is the fan control. The z97i plus gets pwm controllers and this is stuck with DC chassis fan controllers, albeit one more, which so far seem to be forcing a case fan to run at 100%…
the ai suite is confusing and has dll exceptions.
I had some issue installing a cooler, if you have an itx case which allows tower coolers it’s ideal but for performance low profile coolers you will struggle. Just about got the silverstone aro06 installed.
So, are you supposed to
So, are you supposed to replace the screws on the CPU Power Daughter card heat sinks with longer screws to mount it to a case? Or do you only need to use the two free mounting holes?