There is no getting away from the fact that Formula is a high-end model designed for specifically for the tech enthusiast that demands the absolute best. However, it also goes one step further than this and branches out to satisfy the needs of avid water-coolers too - the very nature of this motherboard and its collaboration with EK Waterblocks reinforces its placement and intended audience.

Aesthetics have moved up a notch with this latest generation of the Maximus line, opting for highly reflective covers, engaging RGB lighting and aggressive MOSFET heatsinks. If you already have other ROG hardware then this motherboard will be the ideal element that ties everything together.

Formula is certainly feature-rich. Some of the extra features may not be required by many, but it steps above the rest and offers features like 10G Ethernet, Livedash OLED display panel, diagnostic tools – Q-Code and Debug LED, and of course the water-centric features which include a water flow rate header for tachometer, water in/out sensor and the headliner, the Crosschill EK III system.

There are however a few things which are noteworthy. While we do get plenty of USB 3.2 Gen1/2 ports, on a motherboard costing this much we expect to see USB 3.2 Gen2x2, we also expect to see a Thunderbolt 3 port, or at the very least a Thunderbolt 3 adapter (since there is a provided header on the motherboard).


As anticipated, Formula provides some great results when we applied our benchmarks. The cooling design for both the VRM and chipset configurations is one of the strongest we’ve encountered, with figures barely fluctuating. Overall, this board is a great performer – though we did experience some lower figures in our PCIe storage analysis.

Although we weren’t quite able to hit 5.3GHz on all cores of our Intel Core i9-10900K, we did achieve 5.2GHz. Furthermore, a nominal supply of CPU voltage was required for this – just 1.2v. Such low voltage meant that temperatures are significantly lower than other boards we’ve tested. This is a commendable achievement and is certainly very impressive.

Pricing for Formula is not for the faint hearted, it is listed at: GBP £499 | USD $500 | AUD $999. Granted, this is a specialised motherboard, intended for water cooling enthusiasts, we still feel this is a big asking price. (Double the cost of the first Formula, with a similar array of features!) If you are the type of enthusiast/gamer who may not need such water cooling features then the Maximus XII Hero is another cheaper option without the water cooling attributes.

Maximus XII Formula is jam-packed with features and is quite obviously water-centric. If you plan to go down this route with cooling then it’s a fantastic option for Intel’s 10th Gen.




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