UEFI Features
ASUS bundled the Maximus VIII Extreme motherboard with the latest version of their 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 their UEFI implementation with right-click having no impact on the screen. By default, the user sees the EZ mode screen when entering the UEFI. The Advanced mode screens accessible via the Exit/Advanced Mode button at the upper right corner of the screen or by hitting the F7 function key. Advanced mode screens can be set for the default user interface via the UEFI Boot menu as well.
As we've stated in previous reviews, the ASUS UEFI implementation remains among the best out there. The UEFI is very responsive to both keyboard and mouse input with almost no lag or questionable click-space evident anywhere. 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 Flash3) to their full UEFI profile load and save utility.
UEFI Notable Features
The Maximus VIII Extreme UEFI includes enhancements to the features introduced to the interface with their Z97 board line, as well as exposing several new features specific to the Skylake-S processor line. 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 introducing memo persistence across UEFI sessions.
My Favorites tab, populated
My Favorites & Shortcut setup popup
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
The EZ Mode page presents information organized into sections in an easy-to-read manner for those users who do not want to be bothered with the labyrinth of the Advanced Mode settings.
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-lei 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 – OC Page
Easy Tuning Wizard – RAID Page
The EZ Tuning Wizard can be accessed by hitting the F11 function key from within the EZ Mode page or from within the Advanced Mode interface. This wizard can be used to setup BIOS configured system performance optimization or drive RAID setup based on user selections made within the wizard interface.
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, Tools tab, ASUS EZ Flash 3 pop-up source selection
Advanced Mode, Tools tab, ASUS EZ Flash 3 pop-up USB drive selected
The ASUS EZ Flash 3 utility was updated, allowing for BIOS update via an attached drive or through a network connection. When selecting the network update method, the utility launches a network connection wizard for getting the most up to date BIOS file from the ASUS servers.
Advanced Mode, Monitor tab, Q-Fan Configuration page
ASUS enhanced their Q-Fan control capabilities in their latest UEFI version, allowing for user configurable pauses in between when the BIOS detects a change in threshold temperature and when the BIOS increases the header fan speed. As with previous version of the UEFI, the user is able to set temperature thresholds and fan speeds (based on percentage run speed) for the board's fan headers.
Extreme Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled
For the Z170 Express boards, ASUS opened up the CPU back clock settings with user capable settings up to 650MHz. This is because of the decoupling of the PCI and DMI bus from the base clock with the Intel Skylake processors.
Extreme Tweaker tab, Tweaker's Paradise page
Extreme Tweaker tab, Tweaker's Paradise page continued
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).
EZ Mode, Save & Reset popup
The Save & Reset page displays to the user a scrollable list of all UEFI changes made since the last save. Listed changes are not committed to BIOS memory until saved by the user. Note that the same list displays when the user chooses any of the save settings from the Exit page or the Last Modified option with Advanced Mode active.
BIOS Walkthrough
Extreme Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, CPU ratio settings
Extreme Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, submenu list
Extreme Tweaker tab with Manual mode enabled, voltage settings
Extreme Tweaker tab, Overclocking Presets page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Secondary Timings settings
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Third Timing settings
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Third Timing settings continued
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Miscellaneous settings
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Memory Presets page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Memory Presets page, Module-specific details page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Memory Presets page, Module-specific details page continued
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Skew Control page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Skew Control page continued
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, Skew Control page continued
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, RTL IOL Control page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DRAM Timing Control page, RTL IOL Control page continued
Extreme Tweaker tab, DIGI+ Power Control page
Extreme Tweaker tab, DIGI+ Power Control page
Extreme Tweaker tab, CPU Power Management page
“Holding the “Flagship”
“Holding the “Flagship” moniker for the ASUS ROG Z170 board line, the board is shock full of features and accessories including the latest edition of their OC Panel device.”
Try chock-full instead of shock full.
I’m shocked by this comment.
I'm shocked by this comment.
Thanks, fixed…
Thanks, fixed…
Test System Setup shows GTX
Test System Setup shows GTX 780. Pic shows a Palit GTX 570 label? I don’t really care, just thought that was inconsistent.
Also, can we not get great CMOS battery placement with a $500 motherboard? This doesn’t seem like too much to ask.
I agree, the CMOS battery
I agree, the CMOS battery tech hasn’t changed since the conception of integrated circuits…what gives..?
I would call that a clever
I would call that a clever play on words Mr. Dictionary. If not a little callous don’t you think?
Doesn’t make much sense to
Doesn’t make much sense to have such an expensive board on a socket that can only use midrange CPUs
Fastest possible single
Fastest possible single threaded performance out there. It matters for some people and some apps.
How much more performance are
How much more performance are we talking for spending two or three times the amount for this board instead of something else?
Fair enough, although I
Fair enough, although I wonder if LGA2011 can clock higher than mainstream chips when good cooling is used (custom water or better), as the lack of soldered heat spreader on mainstream chips should cause a heat bottleneck that reduces scaling with improved coolers
I get that there’s always a
I get that there’s always a market for the best of the best (even if small.)
What’s confused me though about this and previous similar offerings from ASUS is the timing. The Z170 chipset is nearly a year old. Are there really people who want the best of the best, cost no concern, but were twiddling their thumbs for a year? I would have imagined that set of buyers upgraded their rigs long ago.
Or are there really people that rebuild their already top-end rig at this point in the cycle? Even disregarding cost, seems like a lot of hassle for little performance returns left on the table?
Man….this thing has ALL the
Man….this thing has ALL the bells and whistles…as well it should. At $500 it better gimme a chubby every time it posts…lol
One thing that doesn’t make sense…an ASMedia 1061 (from 2012) for the 2 additional sata 6gbs/usb 3 ports…pretty much a turd on an otherwise nice lawn. I guess if u can afford a $500 non-X99 mobo, you’ll prolly be pimpin a $300 raid card too…lol
Why is a board almost a year
Why is a board almost a year old just now being reviewed?