ASUS ROG Maximus VIII Hero Alpha Review

👤by David Mitchelson Comments 📅27-01-16
Conclusion

Opting for the Maximus VIII Hero Alpha over the standard Hero will likely come down to the necessity for the additional features that this new motherboard brings.

The supplementary features come in the form of dual U.2 ports, up to 3 PCI Express RAID devices, 802.11ac WiFi, RGB Strip headers and an Intel USB 3.1 controller. Some users will undoubtedly see the value in having such options available on the motherboard and certainly the two U.2 ports will further future-proof this purchase. As you’ll appreciate, these features do not make the standard Hero redundant in any way.

One of the unique selling points of Maximus VIII Hero Alpha are the RGB LED headers – in the current trend where it’s all about the LED, ASUS has made a wise move by being the first to step forward with connection points for case lighting. What it means is that you aren’t locked into buying LEDs from a specific manufacturer or having to use their software; though ASUS AURA software is needed if you want to be able to modify the colours.


Taking on ROG’s new theme for Intel’s 10 series, the Alpha is adorned in an impressive black, titanium and red livery. The styling lends itself to being able to pair up rather nicely with other hardware such as memory and graphics cards for example.

Not only are the customary ROG features present on Alpha, but this motherboard performs well in a range of different benchmarks. An intuitive BIOS and resilient CPU features allowed us to climb to 4.8GHz with our Intel Core i7-6700K – a milestone which only one other motherboard has managed to attain.

Maximus VIII Alpha is priced at £230 GBP / $300 USD; considerably more than its counter-part, the Hero. For that extra cost you are however getting some handy and worthwhile features, users will likely need to work out whether they are essential to their requirements.

The Maximus VIII Hero Alpha adds a level of depth to the already successful Hero motherboard. Those wanting to future-proof their platform with useful features will do well to invest in this superb offering.

VIDEO REVIEW - VORTEZ TV


Pros
+ Appealing to the eye
+ High-quality components
+ Lots of options in the BIOS
+ RGB LED headers
+ Twin U.2 ports
+ Extensive accessories bundle
+ Packed with useful features
+ Great performance
+ Overclocks very well

Cons
- Pricey
- No twin M.2 slots

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

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