ASUS Republic of Gamers Announces Maximus IX and Strix Z270 Gaming Motherboards

PRESS RELEASE

Code and Apex revealed as the latest additions to flagship Maximus IX lineup, plus introduction of Strix Z270 series for unbeatable performance for all gamers

KEY POINTS

• The ROG lineup includesthe all-new Maximus IX Extreme, Formula, Code,Apex and Hero, plus a new breed of ROG Strix gaming motherboards
• Latest ROG Z270 motherboards loaded with multiple world-leading innovations, including the latest exclusive water-cooling technologies
• Maxed-out gaming experiences with the best gaming audio, networking and connectivity, plus Aura RGB illumination and support for 3D-printed components

Taipei, Taiwan (4th January, 2017) — ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced its full lineup of gaming motherboards, comprising Maximus IX Extreme, Maximus IX Formula, Maximus IX Hero and two brand-new additions — the Maximus IX Code and Maximus IX Apex. The 2017 roster also includes the Z270 motherboards from ROG Strix, a new recruit to the ROG fold.

Based on the latest Intel® Z270 chipset and ready for the new extreme-performance 7th Generation Intel® Core™ (‘Kaby Lake’) processors, ROG gaming motherboards are packed with world-leading innovations and ROG-exclusive technologies to deliver epic performance for all gamers, from value-driven newcomers and style-conscious modders to enthusiast overclockers who want to build cutting-edge air- or water-cooled rigs that push the accepted limits of performance.

The ROG 2017 lineup provides the best gaming audio with exclusive SupremeFX codecs and the best air- and water-cooling innovations, with both built-in options and easy expansion. They also offer the industry’s best automated-overclocking performance with refined design choices, optimized board layouts and class-leading features. For this generation ROG has also added Aura Sync, the world’s first motherboard-controlled synchronized RGB lighting, and has 3D-printing-friendly design — ushering in a new era of personalization and customization.

The full Maximus IX lineup includes Extreme, redefined for water-cooling veterans and gamers who demand cutting edge technologies, Formula for performance-hungry gamers and modders that want to dip their toes into custom water-cooling, and Hero for everyday gaming brilliance,. The new additions are Code, an accessible aesthetics-focused motherboard made for those who love to mod, and Apex, a high-end performance-driven motherboard to appeal to power-user overclockers and gaming enthusiasts. .

Maximus IX Extreme: Best of the best innovation

Maximus IX Extreme is ROG’s flagship gaming motherboard tailored for water-cooling enthusiasts in pursuit of the maximum performance, and is the result of years of industry expertise.

The new board comes with the world's first integrated monoblock, expertly manufactured by Bitspower. Maximus IX Extreme is packed with ROG innovations that refine traditional solutions: The monoblock detects the flow rate of the water coolant, and has dedicated circuitry to detect both the inlet and outlet temperatures and coolant leakage. The monoblock also integrates the neighboring M.2 heatsink for unmatched heat-dissipation to eliminate throttling — therefore improving both reliability and enabling greater performance.

Maximus IX Code: Simply luxurious

Inspired by the enormous popularity of the ROG Maximus Formula motherboard series, the brand-new Maximus IX Code board gives gamers the aesthetic appeal of Aura Sync RGB lighting, the convenience of onboard Wi-Fi, and the reliability of long-lasting components.

It is christened Code to echo the defining layer of ROG Armor that protects and streamlines the board, with the name derived from the Latin codex — describing the precursor to modern books that became popular due to its unique and durable cover. Maximus IX Code sets a new standard in motherboard design by making ROG Armor more accessible to gamers.

Maximus IX Apex: Redefining limits

Maximus IX Apex motherboard is the latest ground-breaking addition to the ROG product family, drawing players back to ROG’s origins — a one-of-a-kind community for world-class cutting-edge enthusiasts that seek to reach the apex of performance and gaming.

Maximus IX Apex is engineered with the best overclocking engineering coupled with the revolutionary DIMM.2 design, which allows two M.2 drives to be vertically mounted in a DDR4 interface. Users can then mount DIMM or case fans to prevent throttling and ensure the system never breaks a sweat. To broaden the new board’s appeal beyond extreme overclockers, Maximus IX Apex’s aesthetics include a unique X-shaped PCB that allows Aura Sync to shine through, an aircraft-inspired heatsink design and an illuminated customizable nameplate. Apex is crafted to be a natural fit for showcase PC builds for gaming and style-conscious enthusiasts — where pure adrenaline meets style.

ROG Strix: ROG’s newest recruit, ready to strike up gaming excitement

ROG Strix is the all-new gaming creed, consisting of boards crafted to appeal to every type of gamer: ROG Strix Z270E Gaming, ROG Strix Z270F Gaming and ROG Strix Z270H Gaming ATX gaming motherboards, mATX ROG Strix Z270G Gaming  and mini-ITX ROG Strix Z270I Gaming. ROG Strix Z270 gaming motherboards combine bold aesthetics with premier performance and incredible SupremeFX audio to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences and style. Unique, angular patterns inspired by the slashes of a sword lend toROG Strix series’ striking visual accents, and a reflective polychrome ROG logo emblazoned on a diamond-cut metal nameplate shines as a mark of gaming pride. Additionally, Aura Sync technology adds a burst of vibrancy as it syncs with Aura-enabled components for a system that glows in a nearly infinite spectrum of colors.

Support for the latest 7th Generation Intel Core processors and technologies, plus exclusive ROG innovations, take performance to the next level to give ROG Strix gamers the edge against their opponents.

World-leading innovations: The newest and best air- and water-cooling technologies

The new ROG Maximus IX and ROG Strix Z270 motherboards are loaded with the newest and best technologies for those who love to cool with air or water.[1]

These technologies include several M.2 cooling solutions that efficiently remove heat from this vital area. Maximus IX Extreme has a liquid-cooled M.2 heatsink, the result of expert design that integrates the M.2 heatsink with the monoblock for unmatched heat dissipation. Maximus IX Apex comes with DIMM.2, which allows two M.2 drives to be vertically mounted in a DDR4 interface. ROG Strix Z270I Gaming features an innovative double-decker heatsink design that allows the M.2 SSD to be stacked on top of the PCH heatsink, which is then topped off with an additional metal heatsink for the M.2 drive. The two heatsinks are thermally isolated to prevent the PCH and M.2 from affecting each other. The double decker design not only cleverly maximizes the board space on mini-ITX board, but also dramatically improves heat dissipation, cooling the M.2 SSD by up to 20°C for better stability and enhanced gaming performance while featuring a stylish angular design to enhance the look of ROG Strix Z270I Gaming builds. Additionally, selected ROG Z270 motherboards also support a 3D-printed M.2 fan holder.

Maximus IX Formula features CrossChill EK II, the renowned hybrid heatsink. Redesigned with the cooling masters at EKWB, CrossChill EK II delivers MOSFET temperatures that are up to 23˚C lower with water versus air. The latest CrossChill EK II design also features new, thinner fins that offer a 4˚C cooling improvement over the previous version ─ delivering efficient, quiet cooling.

ROG’s Water Cooling Zone lets gamers monitor the speed of both cooling fans and water-pump output power. The dual water-temperature headers and flow-rate header feed information straight into ROG’s intuitive Fan Xpert 4 utility, which itself has been upgraded to allow DIYers to set the GPU temperature as a fan-tuning source — enabling a dynamic cooling response to system power output.

Overclocking and performance: Frequency-pushing innovations for the fastest-ever speeds

ROG motherboards are revered for their overclocking credentials, and the new Maximus IX models enable enthusiast to push frequencies further than ever for the fastest speeds.

The Maximus IX Apex is positioned as a true performance-oriented motherboard, with ROG’s R&D team breaking all the boundaries to create the most optimal circuit-board layout and highest-quality power delivery. With its 2-DIMM DRAM design, Apex has already gone beyond the performance peak by placing multiple world records (WRs) and global first places (GFPs) to break several long-standing records. These include the best CPU-frequency score with Intel Core processors since the X58 platform-based motherboards with a single-core, single-thread frequency of 7.383GHz, and 7.328MHz at four cores and eight threads. It also set a reference clock (BCLK) record at 584MHz and a memory frequency surpassing 5GHz in single channel, with 5041MHz. In total, Maximus IX Apex has secured eight WRs and 13 GFPs.

SupremeFX: Exclusive codecs for the best gaming-audio experiences

The latest ROG and ROG Strix motherboards benefit respectively from the exclusive S1220 or S1220A audio codec. Designed in close collaboration with Realtek, the codec improves performance to provide 120dB signal-to-noise ratio for the stereo line-out and up to 113dB SNR for the line-in, to capture pristine audio; and has an impedance-sensing circuit that automatically adjusts the gain to ensure the optimal volume range for headphones.

Sonic Studio III has an all-new intelligent routing feature made for streaming. The new routing system transports different audio streams to different outputs. This gives gamers full control over who hears what — such as browser audio to headphones and game audio to speakers. It also enables app-level preferences for instant audio profiles and improved noise filtering for conversations with total clarity.

Sonic Radar III is ROG’s evolved audio engine that processes sounds more accurately than ever, ensuring gamers always know what's going on around them. A new on-screen arrow has also been added to instantly pinpoint enemy positions.

Aura Sync: The world’s first motherboard-controlled synchronized RGB lighting

ASUS Aura Sync is the world's first motherboard-RGB-synchronization technology, delivering up to nine distinctive lighting effects across Aura Sync-capable motherboards, graphics cards and peripherals³ — all controlled via the simple and intuitive Aura app. Users are able enhance their illumination still further, either via the integrated 4-pin/12V Aura RGB header or the included extension cable. Aura offers a brilliant spectrum of colors, and can react to the beat of music and even change shades to reflect the CPU temperature, providing valuable information at a glance. Aura takes motherboard aesthetics to extremes and creates immersive gaming atmospheres for gaming builds.

3D-printing friendly: Unlimited personalization and customization opportunities

ROG has always strived to make it easier for users to customize the cosmetic appearance of their PC components, and now it has become the world’s first motherboard brand to support 3D-printed components — making it easy for users to print their own parts to customize the motherboard's appearance, improve system performance or manage cables.

Dedicated onboard 3D mounts that use the same screws as M.2 and standard motherboard mounting holes make fitting 3D-printed parts easy, so users can quickly add custom nameplates, cable covers, or even an M.2 fan holder to lower M.2 temperatures by up to 30°C — preventing throttling. ROG has also designed a series of 3D-printable accessories, including 2-way SLI™ bridge cover, fan grill, ROG-font letters and all sizes of cable combs, keeping PC tidy and adding style to any build.

ASUS worked with Shapeways, the world’s largest 3D-printing service company, to launch the ASUS 3D Printing store. This online store hosts the full selection of ASUS 3D-printable parts, enabling users to select the parts they want to print — replete with preferred materials and color — and order directly via Shapeways. 

Gaming networking: Faster, smoother, safer and more intelligent online experiences

ROG and ROG Strix motherboards have the very latest Intel Gigabit Ethernet to reduce CPU overhead and deliver exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput, freeing up more computing power for gaming and gameplay. They also feature exclusive LANGuard with signal-coupling technology and premium surface-mounted to ensure reliable connections and better throughput, plus electrostatically-guarded and surge-protected components (ESD Guards) for 1.9X-greater tolerance to static electricity and 2.5X-greater protection (up to 15KV) against surges.

With an eye on the rising demand on network resources and bandwidth, ROG will also introduce ROG Areion 10G, the world’s first consumer Ethernet card to use the latest PCIe 3.0 interface. Manufactured by Aquantia, ROG Areion 10G comes with an extra-large and stylish heatsink for cooler and more stable performance for super-speed 10Gbps[2] data transfer for serious performance.

GameFirst IV optimizes network traffic for faster, lag-free online gaming, and includes Multi-Gate Teaming that enables users to team all their networks for maximum bandwidth and the smoothest-ever gameplay. GameFirst IV also includes all-new Intelligent Mode, which automatically compiles a database by parsing new app data to ensure that every game is optimized to maximize performance potential.

Some models[3] also include next-level 802.11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 dual-band 2.4/5GHz antennas for up to 867Mbps transfer speeds, plus the very latest Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO) technology to ensure that every connected user experiences the best wireless and online speeds.

Gaming connectivity: Breathtaking speeds, brilliant convenience and flexible expandability

The new ROG and ROG Strix Z270 motherboards are all equipped with USB 3.1 Type-A ports for ultra-fast transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps with great backward compatibility, and most models also have at least one USB Type-C™ (USB-C) socket³ — the futureproof reversible connector that makes attaching USB devices quicker and easier. These motherboards also have a USB 3.1 front-panel connector3 for everyday convenience.

Dual M.2 is also a key feature of the latest ROG and ROG Strix Z270 gaming boards, enabling gamers to quickly and easily expand their storage options and tap into a blistering 32Gbps of PCIe bandwidth.

AVAILABILITY & PRICING

ASUS ROG and ROG Strix motherboards are available worldwide. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

ASUS 200 Series microsite: https://www.asus.com/microsite/best-200-series-motherboards/

ASUS Aura Sync microsite: https://www.asus.com/campaign/aura/

ASUS 3D Printing store: http://www.shapeways.com/shops/ASUS

ASUS 3D Printing Project: Maximus IX Series, Prime Z270 Series, TUF Z270 Series set-up tutorial: https://youtu.be/8VaQ-YfUvd0

ROG Maximus IX Apex (Absolute Zero) video: https://youtu.be/RB1YODoCReE

ASUS Global Press Room: http://press.asus.com

ASUS Global Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/asus

ASUS Global Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/asus

ASUS ROG Facebook: www.facebook.com/asusrog  

ASUS ROG Twitter: www.twitter.com/asus_rog

SPECIFICATIONS[4]

Maximus Series

ROG Strix Series

About ASUS

ASUS is one of Fortune magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies, and is dedicated to creating products for today and tomorrow’s smart life. Our comprehensive portfolio includes Zenbo, ZenFone, ZenBook and a range of IT devices and components, along with AR, VR and IoT. ASUS employs more than 17,000 people worldwide and over 5,500 world-class R&D talents. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, the company won 4,368 awards and earned approximately US$14 billion of revenue in 2015.

[1] Note that cooling and overclocking features vary by model. Please check the individual model pages for details.

[2] Actual speed varies by region

[3] Please check the individual model pages for details.

[4] Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com