ASUS Maximus VII Impact Review: Premium Gaming Z97 in mini-ITX

ASUS Maximus VII Impact Conclusion

At the beginning of this review, we mentioned that the Maximus VI Impact, the version from Z87, would be a tough act to follow. Both products cater for Haswell and Broadwell processors, so the major benefit from the hardware point of view is the Z97 additions. On the Maximus VII Impact this means M.2 x4 support, but Asus has in turn upgraded the package overall.

The most obvious upgrade on the hardware side is the addition of the new fan header PCB that allows more fans (particularly those located at the rear of the board) to be used and controlled. This has been added in response to enthusiasts who want more fan header control - a typical mini-ITX motherboard might have two or three headers, and the Impact with the CoolHub card ups the total to four. We also get SoundStage as a hardware solution for optimized audio in different scenarios.

The BIOS and software are both upgraded to their Z97 versions. For the BIOS this means complete fan control, XMP enabling in EZ mode, a full range of overclocking functions, the auto overclocking wizard and configured overclock modes specifically for the motherboard. On the software side of the equation we have upgraded versions of AI Suite 3 including 5-Way Optimization, Turbo App, Sonic Radar 2, GameFirst 3 and also new software such as KeyBot. The auto overclocking rules here have also been upgraded to allow users to specify peak voltages and temperatures for the test along with longer stress tests and AVX/memory testing.

Performance for the Maximus VII Impact is good all around, especially with DPC Latency coming top out of any other motherboard we tested, tying with the TUF Z97 Mark S. Multicore turbo is enabled, ensuring that stock performance is also near the top if our benchmark list. The only odd mark was with the audio tests, with our sample had a low sub-100 Hz response. After speaking with Asus, it would seem that my review sample is suspect. However due to the detachable audio card, replacing it doesn't require a completely new motherboard.

Expensive motherboards often find respite in being some of the best in the business. The Maximus VII Impact is the most expensive mini-ITX motherboard available, but it still ends up in that mid-to-high $200-$250 bracket in terms of overall Z97 pricing. The Maximus VII Impact also has to compete with the cheaper mini-ITX boards around $130, such as those in our $140 mini-ITX roundup that might perform similarly at stock. What the Maximus VII Impact does differently in exchange for the extra is component quality, enhanced engineering and more options, giving a system builder an opportunity to do more. That is the ultimate strength in the ROG Impact line.