Demand for Mini-ITX motherboards has increased significantly over the past few years as enthusiasts trade the larger ATX form factor in order to utilise a compact system configuration. Although there are Mini-ITX Intel Z170 motherboards out there, manufacturers do have a tendency to compromise on features due to size constraints, whereas ASUS has been able to still deliver their well-known, trademark features in today’s fine example.

Although much of the motherboard will be concealed by components once the system has been built, Impact adopts the finesse seen on other ROG Z170 motherboards. The PCB uses a matt black finish while slots, ports, lanes and the heatsinks also use black too. Unlike previous generations of ROG motherboards, there is very little red seen across the motherboard.

In the Mini-ITX segment, Impact’s feature-set will likely set it apart from other options. This motherboard is packed with features which both gamers and enthusiasts will find useful. Although there is no space on the actual board itself for management buttons, ASUS has used initiative and designed Impact to have a designated area on the rear IO for such usage. Impact also features a U.2 port which most brands are steering clear of since its still early days for this standard. But with that being said, having such an option on the motherboard will still future-proof a configuration anyway.


Throughout our series of tests Impact dealt with the varied benchmarks very well indeed. This motherboard might be small, but it still packs a punch! The other aspect which is especially encouraging is how well Impact overclocks. Our current milestone with the Intel Z170 chipset and our trusty Intel Core i7-6700K, is 4.8GHz – Impact managed to reach this mark with ease and we have high hopes that this motherboard can take another CPU even further.

Our only real gripe with Impact is the lack of M.2 support on the motherboard. Adding such a feature would prove rather beneficial given the increasing number of drives hitting the market at attractive price-points.

Being priced at £187 GBP / $238 USD, Impact is quite a pricey investment for those wanting to downsize but it’s important to keep in mind all of the included features, bundled accessories and a generous 3-year warranty.

ASUS has proven why they dominate the Mini-ITX sector; the Maximus VIII Impact crams almost every conceivable feature into a small workspace and doesn’t shy away from offering the very best features for users planning a move to Intel Skylake.




Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.