ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero Wi-Fi Review: The Tale of Two Motherboards
by Dr. Ian Cutress & Gavin Bonshor on June 11, 2020 11:45 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- Intel
- Asus
- ROG
- 5GBase-T
- Z490
- 10th Gen Core
- Comet Lake
ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero WiFi Conclusion
With Intel’s processors going above 150 W and 200 W during their turbo periods by default, we are getting to a point now where motherboard optimized profiles are extending the times these high power modes are in operation. Out of the box, most motherboards are not running Intel recommended specifications, but instead the motherboard manufacturers own optimized settings. To that end, users have to understand even before turning on the system what their cooling requirements can be, which can be difficult.
ASUS’ solution to this question, given that they do not want to lose all the benefits that having an out-of-the-box optimized group of settings for a motherboard built beyond Intel’s specifications, is to give the user a choice on first boot: to choose Intel specifications, or ASUS’ Optimized settings. It looks a little something like this.
ASUS’ optimized settings in this case gave us extended turbo profiles, raising the power limits and power time for when the processor was in its turbo modes. As a result we saw a not-insignificant 2% gain in performance, at a slightly lower power, with ASUS’ Optimized settings rather than Intel defaults. In the land of motherboard operation, where most users see them as performing all the same, this becomes a factor in actual end-user performance worth noting.
As I pitched at the beginning of this review, although this is useful for the enthusiasts among us, for those that don’t know that the motherboard might be able to go beyond Intel’s settings, it might be a bit overwhelming, and they will chose Intel defaults by standard. Not all is completely lost here, given that the user still benefits from ASUS’ extended power delivery and chipset cooling. However, for $399, I wonder just how many non-enthusiasts would be stumped here.
The motherboard as it stands is an interesting bit of kit. It has fan headers coming out of every segment of the motherboard (it has eight), and offers some premium controller support, such as Aquantia 5G Ethernet, Intel’s AX201 Wi-Fi 6 module, a USB 3.2 Gen 2.2 (20 Gbps) port, plenty of additional RGB headers and support for liquid cooling, and three PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots underneath the chipset heatsink for a unified cooling strategy. There’s also the enhanced SupremeFX audio and ESS ES9023 DAC as well.
In our performance metrics, the Hero scored well in power consumption, Boot Time, and was very competitive in our CPU/GPU benchmarks. We did indeed see benchmark differences when using ASUS’ Optimized settings over the Intel defaults, making it well worth enabling for all users, especially as we also saw a lower peak power reading at the wall.
For overclocking, our eight-core Core i7 chip did 5.1 GHz very easily, but started to throttle back at 5.2 GHz due to the chip overheating rather than anything on the motherboard. In our overclocked settings, the thermal readings both on the power delivery and behind the power delivery were well under 60ºC in a case, showing that this board has the strength to push a processor assuming the user has a good chip and sufficient cooling. For this generation it seems, for day-to-day overclock use, the limits are almost certainly the CPUs and not the motherboards.
At $399, the ASUS ROG Maximus XII Hero is on the expensive end of the market. There’s no immediate gimmick that makes this motherboard a must buy for a certain section of the audience, but it simply comes across as a polished design with a number of key controller upgrades that the cheaper boards lack. A polished design with a good cooling strategy is always worth looking at for the Core i7 and Core i9 unlocked processors, which is what this board will end up paired with.
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Devo2007 - Thursday, June 11, 2020 - link
“ The worry comes when the board is to be used by a non-technical user.”Something tells me a non-technical user would not be using this $400 motherboard anyways.
close - Thursday, June 11, 2020 - link
You'd be surprised how many people just want to buy the best/coolest just because. And once they have it they will also attempt to play a bit with it.GreenReaper - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link
Perhaps they will learn something by doing so.Tom Sunday - Wednesday, February 24, 2021 - link
My neighbor at his sweet age of 75 just bought himself a Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe. The folks at Palm Springs Mercedes love him. Harry drives about 300 miles per year as his fairway Thunderbird home is a 5-month snowbird retreat. The only passed get his GT will ever see are golf clubs if he elects to play another course and leave our gated community. Harry is also a very bad driver, very often gets lost when outside the gate, but a real nice guy otherwise.Harry knows nothing about computers and never will. But if so he would instantly be calling Digital Storm and drop $8000 on the very best they could possibly hobble together. But then many of us older retired guys here at the country club are actually like Harry. We of course here by choice would not really 'play a bit' with computers, as our minds and hopes are still tied to having a younger blond that can walk the walk and talk that talk. Maybe even cooks likes she walks? Try doing that with a motherboard.
kreimers - Friday, March 26, 2021 - link
Yep- spent almost $700 big ones on Crosshair Hero 8 which affords liquid cooling. Why? Could not get the Hero 4. Why? Supply from CCP was curtailed because of 1/2 trillion trade deficit with this communist crap of a country that launched the CCP virus so that mail-in fraudulent voting could occur. Now we have a fake president and other illegitimates who need to be removed from the White House- peacefully I hope. But if not, all bets are off. Regardless, silicon valley needs to be making most of this stuff here.n0t4h4x0r - Thursday, April 1, 2021 - link
You sound like old perverts. Maybe use that money for good and get a life? Your minds and hopes are tied to illusions that will never come true. You guys are the reason the country is falling apart. Not caring and only thinking about perverted crap. I've met many women online and then face to face obviously "wItH a MoThErBoArD" you pathetic old man. Sorry you missed out! Have fun playing your pathetic "game" of put a ball in a hole.Sorry you only had sex a handful of times(if that), but gtfo boomer.
Digital Storm. LOL.
Polaris198321 - Friday, June 12, 2020 - link
5g chipsets Wi-Fi 6 cat 7 Ethernet ports with special made chipset combining them all to boost internet speeds for desktops and laptops and smart tvs for 4k cable tv and cloud gaming at 144 hz at 1440p as the either net wire can also be used to power the device as well elimating the power cord as well if the computer cooling system using compressed air blown into it or solar transparent panels on glass panels for desktops. monitors and laptops are not for you like on the old Logitech solar powered wireless keyboard they once made back in the day i saw online and at costco...philehidiot - Thursday, June 11, 2020 - link
It has been a while since I had an Asus mobo with an optional stick on MOSFET cooling fan. It was back in the days of "MOAR PHASES!" because obviously 10000001 phase power is what you need on a mid range mobo.Peskarik - Thursday, June 11, 2020 - link
Thank you, I was waiting for this review!DanNeely - Thursday, June 11, 2020 - link
Where does the MOSFET fan attach to?