Introduction and Technical Specifications
The Maximus VIII Gene is among the ROG offerings supporting Intel’s Skylake processor, bringing ROG quality to the next generation…
Introduction
Courtesy of ASUS
The Maximus VIII Gene is one of the Intel Z170 chipset offerings in the ROG (Republic of Gamer) board line. The board features the standard black and red ROG aesthetics in an mATX form factor to accommodate space constrained system builds. ASUS chose to integrate black-chrome heat sinks into the board's build, giving it a sleek and modern appearance. The board's integrated Intel Z170 chipset integrates support for the latest Intel LGA1151 Skylake processor line as well as Dual Channel DDR4 memory. With an MSRP of $230, the Maximus VIII Gene offers a compelling price for a feature-packed product.
Courtesy of ASUS
Courtesy of ASUS
The Maximus VIII Gene features an 8+2 phase digital power system, providing more than enough power to the CPU and integrated GPU for whatever you choose to throw at it. ASUS integrated the following features into the Maximus VIII Gene board: two SATA 3 ports; two SATA-Express ports; one M.2 PCIe x4 capable port; an Intel I219-V Gigabit NIC; two PCI-Express x16 slots; one PCI-Express x4 slot; on-board power, reset, MemOK!, Safe Boot, ReTry, Clear CMOS, and USB BIOS Flashback buttons; ROG SupremeFX 2015 8-Channel audio subsystem; integrated DisplayPort and HDMI video ports; and USB 2.0, 3.0, and 3.1 Type-A and Type-C port support.
Courtesy of ASUS
ASUS integrated the latest ROG sound technology into the Maximus VIII Gene motherboard, ROG SupremeFX 2015. Similar to previous generations of the SupremeFX sound technology, SupremeFX 2015 integrates the audio components on a isolated PCB from the other main board components minimizing noise generation caused by those other integrated devices. ASUS designed the audio subsystem with high-quality Japanese-sourced audio and power circuitry, an ESS ES9023P DAC, and a dedicated headphones amplifiers for a top-notch audio experience.
Courtesy of ASUS
Technical Specifications (taken from the ASUS website)
| CPU | Intel® Socket 1151 for 6th Generation Core™ i7 / Core™ i5 / Core™ i3 / Pentium® / Celeron® Processors Supports Intel® 14 nm CPU Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 * The Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 support depends on the CPU types. * Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list |
| Chipset | Intel® Z170 |
| Memory | 4 x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR4 3800(O.C.) / 3733(O.C.) / 3600(O.C.) / 3500(O.C.) / 3466(O.C.) / 3400(O.C.) / 3333(O.C.) / 3300(O.C.) / 3200(O.C.) / 3000(O.C.) / 2800(O.C.) / 2666(O.C.) / 2400(O.C.) / 2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory Dual Channel Memory Architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) ** Refer to www.asus.com for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists). * Hyper DIMM support is subject to the physical characteristics of individual CPUs. |
| Graphics | Integrated Graphics Processor – Intel® HD Graphics support Multi-VGA output support: HDMI/DisplayPort 1.2 ports – Supports HDMI with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 24 Hz – Supports DisplayPort with max. resolution 4096 x 2304 @ 60 Hz Maximum shared memory of 512 MB Supports Intel® InTru™ 3D, Quick Sync Video, Clear Video HD Technology, Insider™ |
| Multi-GPU Support | Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology |
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8, gray) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 (black) *1 *1 Supports Intel® RST for PCIE RAID storage. |
| Storage | Intel® Z170 chipset: 1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (both SATA & PCIE mode) *2 2 x SATA Express port, Compatible with 4 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports 6 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), gray Support Raid 0, 1, 5, 10 Intel® Rapid Storage Technology supports *3 Supports Intel® Smart Response Technology *4 *2 When the M.2 Socket 3 is operating in SATA mode, SATA port 1 will be disable. *3 Supports PCIE RAID configurations via onboard M.2 and PCIEX4_1 slot storage. *4 This function will work depending on the CPU installed. |
| LAN | Intel® I219V, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s), GameFirst technology Intel® LAN- Dual interconnect between the Integrated LAN controller and Physical Layer (PHY) Anti-surge LANGuard |
| Audio | ROG SupremeFX 2015 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC – Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking – SupremeFX Shielding Technology – ESS® ES9023P DAC: dB SNR, dB THD+N (Max. kHz/ -bit) – TI RC4580 2VRMS audio OP AMP(s) Audio Feature: – Gold-plated jacks – DTS Connect – Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel – Sonic SenseAmp – Sonic Studio II – Sonic Radar II |
| USB Ports | Intel® Z170 chipset: 8 x USB 3.0 port(s) (6 at back panel, blue, 2 at mid-board) Intel® Z170 chipset: *5 4 x USB 2.0 port(s) (4 at mid-board) *5 2 x USB2.0 port at mid-board comes from the ROG extension (ROG_EXT) port. ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller: 1 x USB 3.1 port(s) (1 at back panel, black, Type-C) ASMedia® USB 3.1 controller: 1 x USB port(s) (1 at back panel, red, Type-A) |
| ROG Exclusive Features | ReTry Button Safe Boot Button Start Button Reset Button LN2 Mode Mem TweakIt ProbeIt KeyBot II – One-click Overclocking – X.M.P. – DirectKey – ClrCMOS – Power On UEFI BIOS features: – O.C. Profile – GPU.DIMM Post – Tweakers' Paradise – ROG SSD Secure Erase – Graphic Card Information Preview ROG RAMDisk Extreme Tweaker |
| Special Features | OC Design – ASUS PRO Clock Technology – Full BCLK range for extreme overclocking performance 5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5 – 5-Way Optimization tuning key perfectly consolidates TPU, EPU, DIGI+ Power Control, Fan Xpert 3, and Turbo App ASUS Exclusive Features : – MemOK! – AI Suite 3 – Ai Charger+ – USB 3.1 Boost – Disk Unlocker – Mobo Connect – PC Cleaner Remote Entertainment – Media Streamer – HyStream ASUS EZ DIY: – ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 – ASUS EZ Flash 3 – ASUS USB BIOS Flashback – Push Notice ASUS Q-Design: – ASUS Q-Shield – ASUS Q-Code – ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED) – ASUS Q-Slot – ASUS Q-DIMM – ASUS Q-Connector Overclocking Protection: – ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall) RAMCache |
| Operating System Support | Windows® 10, 64bit Windows® 8.1, 64bit Windows® 7 x86 / x64 |
| Back I/O Ports | 1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port(s) 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI 1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s) 1 x USB 3.1 (black)Type-C 1 x USB 3.1 (red)Type-A 6 x USB 3.0 (blue) 1 x Optical S/PDIF out 5 x Audio jack(s) 1 x Clear CMOS button(s) 1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button(s) |
| Internal I/O Ports | 1 x AAFP connector 1 x USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.0 port(s) 2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s) 2 x SATA Express connector: gray, Compatible with 4 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s ports 1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M Key design, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Supports both SATA & PCIE SSD) 2 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s) 1 x CPU Fan connector(s) (4-pin) 1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (4-pin) 4 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (4-pin) 1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s) 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s) 1 x System panel(s) (Q-Connector) 1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connector 1 x MemOK! button(s) 1 x Thermal sensor connector(s) 1 x Power-on button(s) 1 x Reset button(s) 1 x Water Pump header (4-pin) 1 x LN2 Mode jumper(s) 1 x ROG extension (ROG_EXT) header(s) 1 x Safe Boot button 1 x ReTry button |
| Accessories | User's manual ASUS Q-Shield 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s) 1 x M.2 Screw Package 1 x CPU installation tool 1 x Supporting DVD 1 x SLI bridge(s) 1 x Q-connector(s) (1 in 1) 1 x 12 in 1 ROG Cable Label(s) ROG Fan Label 1 x ROG Door Hanger(s) |
| BIOS | 128 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, DMI3.0, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 3.0, ACPI 5.0, Multi-language BIOS, ASUS EZ Flash 3, CrashFree BIOS 3, F11 EZ Tuning Wizard, F6 Qfan Control, F3 My Favorites, F9 Quick Note, Last Modified log, F12 PrintScreen and ASUS DRAM SPD (Serial Presence Detect) memory information. |
| Manageability | WfM 2.0, DMI 3.0, WOL by PME, PXE |
| Support Disc | Drivers ROG GameFirst technology ROG RAMCache ROG RAMDisk Overwolf KeyBot II ROG CPU-Z ROG Mem TweakIt Kaspersky® Anti-Virus DAEMON Tools Pro Standard ASUS WebStorage ASUS Utilities |
| Form Factor | Micro ATX Form Factor 9.6 inch x 9.6 inch ( 24.4 cm x 24.4 cm )) |
Am I reading the specs
Am I reading the specs correctly?
Multi-GPU Support :
– Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
– Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
How can you get Quad-GPU SLI when there’s only 2x PCIe slot?
I am surprised about the price which is about $100 less than the ASUS X99-M WS.
Two dual-GPU cards in SLI.
Two dual-GPU cards in SLI. Like an AMD Radeon 295 x2, nVidia GTX 690, or nVidia Titan Z.
When you SLI/XFire two of those dual-GPU cards together, it is seen as four GPU’s that are SLI’ed / XFire’d together.
I suppose if you put it that
I suppose if you put it that way. 🙂
Still brings some confusion because a lot don’t think about the Titan Z as a Dual-GPU card. Those are just little things that tend to be overlooked.
Oh. And the Asus X99-M WS
Oh. And the Asus X99-M WS ($280) is an X99-based chipset workstation board, while this ASUS Maximus VIII is Z170-based chipset.
X99 boards (Haswell-E) are almost always more expensive than Z170 motherboards (Skylake), because the X99 chipset is just more expensive to source from Intel.
I thought the manufacturing
I thought the manufacturing cost of the X99 would be very close to the Z170.
By the way, I’m comparing the cost in Canadian Dollars – X99 (379.99) vs. Z170 (294.99)
It’s a $50 difference. The
It’s a $50 difference. The same amount the 6700K costs more than the 5820K.
Thanks Morry, even though I
Thanks Morry, even though I am not in the market for a new mobo, I always enjoy reading your write-ups. I like that you included the NHD 15 cooler for spacing demonstrations, I think it is an excellent idea as it helps really understand the layout distances and challenges with placement of fan headers, USB 3.0, etc.for large coolers.
PCPer: I think you need to
PCPer: I think you need to get one of the VII Gene, and one of the VIII Impact, and build them both inside that Phanteks Enthoo Mini XL Dual System case down below.
Of course, I understand if you guys are too busy for that. You’re welcome to send all the parts to me and I’ll do it for you. 😀
Looks somewhat tempting,
Looks somewhat tempting, except for the lack of a DVI video port. Hopefully, Gigabyte can produce one with similar features: mATX Z170 board with Intel I219-V LAN, Realtek ALC1150 audio, USB 3.1 & these 3 video ports: DVI, DP & HDMI (no VGA). Or: wait a year for the “Kaby Lake” boards to appear.
While in general I would
While in general I would prefer a DVI port over a VGA port, chances are pretty good that the people ASUS is targeting with this board are going to have a discrete GPU (or maybe two) and won’t be using the onboard graphics ports to begin with.
I’d also think chances are pretty good that, since HDMI and DVI are electrically compatible, and HDMI-DVI converters are plentiful and cheap, they chose to keep the HDMI and include the VGA port for compatibility. Or perhaps the VGA port is required per Intel specifications. I don’t know for sure.
(oops, my bad. Doesn’t have a
(oops, my bad. Doesn’t have a VGA port. I’ll stick with my theory on HDMI-DVI converters, then. lol)
Another mATX Z170 board, with
Another mATX Z170 board, with features similar to the Asus Maximus Gene VIII:
Supermicro C7Z170-M – $299.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA5EM3BS6230
Note: doesn’t show up via Newegg’s search engine, specifying “Intel motherboard – socket 1151” & “mATX”.
Currently OOS: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=9873236
eBay has several listed as “New” for under $200:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/371503778313
http://www.ebay.com/itm/391336978484
Includes:
Realtek ALC1150
Single Gigabit Ethernet LAN port (Intel i219V)
1 DVI-D, 1 DP (Display Port), 1 HDMI <--the only Intel 100 series chipset mATX board with those three IGP video port types, that I'm aware of. 6x SATA3 (6Gbps); RAID 0, 1, 5, 10 Expansion slots: 1 PCI-E 3.0 x16, 1 PCI-E 3.0 x4, and 1 PCI-E 3.0 x1 1 PCIe M.2 (PCIe x4 2260/2280/22110) 6x USB 3.0 (4 rear + 2 via header), 4x USB 2.0 (2 rear + 2 via headers), 2x USB 3.1 (10Gbps) ports (headers) UEFI BIOS support Side note: "2x USB 3.1 (10Gbps) ports (headers)" would seem to imply requiring adding your own USB 3.1 2x port bracket, unless it might be included in the motherboard package.
Hello guys!
If I am allowed I
Hello guys!
If I am allowed I would like to make a (possible) stupid question:
does this motherboard allow to boot into Windows (10) with a NVMe M.2 SSD? Like Samsung 950/960 Pro.
I am looking to upgrade my PC and I do not find this kind of information online.
Thank you in advance.
EDIT 1:
I just went to Samsung 950 Pro video review. According to Ryan Intel Z170 chipset by default supports boot from NVMe M.2, since this is a Z170 motherboard I guess I already have my answer.
Still if someone can confirm that would be nice!