ASUS Maximus V Extreme - An ROG Mobo with 5 PEG Slots and Thunderbolt Support
If you thought the Maximus V Formula was awesome, then the Extreme takes things over the top. This ROG (Republic of Gamers) motherboard comes with the most number of options for connectivity and expansion (five PEG slots). It is also the first ROG motherboard equipped with a Thunderbolt port. We detail more comparison notes.
Amazed by the water cooling-ready Maximus V Formula and its Thermo Fusion MOSFET cooler? Well, ASUS has another prancing steed in its Republic of Gamers (ROG) pack and this is the Maximus V Extreme:-
Sporting the ROG label's intimidating black and red color scheme, the Maximus V Extreme comes with five PCIe slots, giving it the capability to support SLI or CrossFireX in 4-way configuration with room for extra cards for added display outputs if required.
Like the Maximus V Formula, the Maximus V Extreme is an Intel Z77-based motherboard that can support up to 32GB DDR3 at 2800MHz memory clock. But what differentiates the Maximus V Extreme with its relative is the massive increase in PEG slots and integration of a Thunderbolt port. While it is the first ROG-branded board equipped with the Thunderbolt, the first Thunderbolt-certified board from ASUS is the P8Z77-V Premium.
Another view of the Maximum V Extreme motherboard.
Giving emphasis on the integration of a Thunderbolt port, ASUS has distinctly placed it near the corner of the board where the PS/2 port is normally located. In the case of the Maximus V Extreme, the PS/2 port is placed near the audio connectors.
The four DIMM slots are designed to support up to 32GB of RAM. Adjacent to the RAM slots and main power connector are onboard overclocking tools.
Looking at the table below, it is obvious that the Maximus V Extreme is the most loaded with options for connectivity and expansion among the ROG family of boards. Each ROG board however is geared for a slightly different purpose, so the Extreme isn't the best fit for every purpose.
Motherboard | Maximus V Extreme | Maximus V Formula | Maximus V GENE |
Processor | 3rd. Generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 (Socket 1155) | 3rd. Generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 (Socket 1155) | 3rd. Generation Intel Core i3/i5/i7 (Socket 1155) |
Chipset | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express | Intel Z77 Express |
Memory | Up to 32GB DDR3 at 2800MHz (OC) | Up to 32GB DDR3 at 2800MHz (OC) | Up to 32GB DDR3 at 2800MHz (OC) |
Graphics Output | Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, VGA | DisplayPort, HDMI | DisplayPort, HDMI |
Multi-GPU Support |
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Expansion Slots | 5x PCIe 3.0 x16 | 3x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 | 2x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 |
SATA Connectors |
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USB 3.0 | 4x front, 4x back | 2x front, 4x back | 2x front, 4x back |
Audio | 8-channel |
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At Computex 2012, a product manager from ASUS walked us through the features of the Maximus V Extreme. Here is the video:
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