Unbeatable Z87 board with double-sided ROG Armor, 23°C-cooler CrossChill and 120dB SNR with plus 600ohm-headphone amplifier LGA1150 socket for 4th Generation Intel®Core™ i7/ i5/ i3/ Pentium® / Celeron® ProcessorsIntel® Z87 Express ChipsetCrossChill - Great on air. Cooler with water SupremeFX Formula - Amazing 120dB signal-to-noise ratio with integrated 600ohm-headphone amplifierROG Armor - Style, strength, and cooling in oneSonic Radar - Scan and detect to dominatemPCIe Combo II With Wi-Fi - Extra connections with new gen supportExtreme Engine Digi+ III - Hardcore power delivery with premium componentsGameFirst II + Intel LAN - Put Your Frags FirstRAMDisk - Double up on speed with RAM Shop Modal header THE WINNING FORMULA! Maximus VI Formula series is the ultimate ATX gaming motherboard. Why? Just count the reasons. ROG’s sixth-generation Formula packs even greater cooling performance, the very best onboard audio, incredible strength, amazing heat dissipation and advanced shielding technology. With ultrafast Intel® Ethernet plus attention to design that goes right down to the level of audio capacitors and amplifiers, the Maximus VI Formula arms you with gaming-dominating advantages that other motherboards just can’t match — that’s why it’s the winning formula. Excited? Then our Maximus VI Formula video is sure to get you truly pumped. CrossChill hybrid thermal design Great on air. 23°C Cooler with water Choose between air or water cooling: it works with both! Unlike competing hybrid thermal solution, CrossChill requires no fan, so there's no noise or dust build-up. For those who do venture into water cooling, you can achieve up to 23˚C lower MOSFET temperatures for more stable overclocking! Internally the water channel fins help to maximize the surface area for heat transfer, and thanks to its G1/4 threaded fittings, CrossChill even fits into any existing setup! Don't settle for a second-best solution. ROG Hybrid thermal evolution From fusion block to hybrid thermal Click to enlarge SupremeFX Formula Amazing 120dB signal-to-noise ratio with integrated 600ohm-headphone amplifier SupremeFX Formula delivers premium sound card quality. Combining SupremeFX Shielding technology through physical PCB isolation, grounding separation and EMI cover shielding, while premium components such as ELNA® audio capacitors and German-made WIMA® film capacitors deliver audiophile grade performance. Lossless audio quality is ensured thanks to differential circuit design with high-fidelity operational amplifiers (op-amps) and Cirrus Logic® CS4398 headphone digital/analog converter (DAC) delivering a brilliant 120dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Finally the Texas Instruments® TPA6120A2 600ohm headphone amplifier is able to boost every sound detail. SupremeFX German-made audiophile-grade components. Provide better response in very low and high frequencies, resulting in rumbling explosions and clear gunshots and footsteps. Premium ELNA audio capacitors Japanese-made audiophile-grade audio capacitors provide warmer, more natural, and realistic sound to enhance immersive gaming experiences. Proven to reproduce in-game sound effects in great detail. Differential circuit design with operational amplifiers Analog signals from the SupremeFX audio chip are split into two identical but opposing phases via intricate PCB logic. The high-fidelity operational amplifier (op-amp) then combines them while filtering out noise and interference, providing a clear audio stream with double the intensity. SupremeFX Shielding Technology Perfect Voice Upgraded noise cancellation Simple and effective technology greatly improves internet calls (VoIP) with crystal-clear communications and no additional array microphones needed. Noise gate Exclusive digital signal processing removes noise during pauses in speech and other periods of silence. Noise reduction Spectral-subtraction algorithm analyzes and determines the amount of ambient noise to be countered. Sonic Radar In-game sound visualization overlay Dedicated to FPS gamers, Sonic Radar is a stealthy overlay that shows you what opponents and teammates are up to. Gunshots, footsteps, and call-outs appear with precise directioning via the on-screen radar. Includes a hotkey that allows you to switch sound detection focus for specific effects within games, and intuitive settings that provide greater gaming experiences: Four optimized game presets: three fine-tuned presets based on major FPS games, plus one general preset, all ready for your arena of engagement. Six key sound effects detected: visualize major game sound effects to help you complete your mission every time. ROG Armor Style, strength, and cooling in one 100% exclusive to ASUS, the ROG Armor is more than just a stylish addition to the ultimate gaming motherboard, it contains two parts; a strong ABS top cover that blocks the heat from graphics cards directly to achieve lower system temperature as well as DIYers can apply their own personal style to, and a fortifying SECC steel support behind the PCB to prevent bending. It also ducts heat away from crucial components via thermal pads. Extreme Engine Digi+ III Hardcore power delivery with premium components Completely digital architecture attains total control over the Fully Integrated Voltage Regulators (FIVR) of Intel® processors to supply the highest stability and precision for the CPU and memory. The design features dynamic speed adjustments alongside intricate manual controls that allow you to push processors and RAM beyond their limits. Power components are also upgraded. NexFET MOSFETs handle up to 90% efficiency in high current delivery under normal operation and better durability in half the size of standard MOSFETs. Exclusive BlackWing chokes remain cool even when sizzling with as much as 60 amps of power with 3-5°C lower temps and minimal-loss power delivery. Japan-made 10K Black Metallic capacitors last five times longer and deliver 20% greater extreme temperature endurance than generic solid state capacitors, easily standing up to hardcore demands. mPCIe Combo II with 802.11ac/Bluetooth 4.0 Extra connections with M.2 (NGFF) support The next evolution of the mPCIe Combo card gives you even better expandability with the latest standards in connectivity and easy install. You get mini PCI Express 2.0 plus USB 2.0 with an included dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.0 module, powered by ASUS-exclusive Wi-Fi GO! Remote and Wi-Fi Engine, which maximize performance for better experiences. It’s an instant upgrade to the fastest wireless right on your desktop. All without having to sacrifice a PCI Express slot! The compact but versatile mPCIe Combo II further future-proofs your build with M.2 (NGFF, Next Generation Form Factor) connectivity for SSDs. M.2 is a fast and power-efficient standard that aims to replace mPCIe and mSATA, designed to optimize SSD performance. mPCIe Combo II works with your high speed M.2 SSDs and makes the most of their potential, helping you reduce load times to run your OS and games even faster. Dual Intelligent Processors 4 with 4-Way Optimization One click for better performance, efficiency, digital power control, reduced noise, and improved cooling. 4-Way Optimization starts with Turbo Processing Unit (TPU) — for an instant system speed boost with a single click. Don’t waste time trying different settings and configurations: just pick your target CPU frequency — 4200, 4400, 4600MHz — and enjoy performance that really flies! The process then moves to the Energy Processing Unit (EPU), which customizes power saving profiles for periods of light use or idle states. Within this module are options to set a TDP cap for low power scenarios, as well as selectively shut off SATA and USB ports when idling. Next, DIGI+ VRM optimizes digital power settings to take full advantage of the CPU's built-in digital power delivery, creating a more precise and stable overclocking experience through OCP and LLC presets. Finally, Fan Xpert 2 tests and calibrates each individual case fan connected to your motherboard to create selectable cooling profiles that can be further customized upon completion. The ability to assign customized fan curves and/or all-or-nothing temperature thresholds to profiles is also included. Upgraded UEFI BIOS Most award-winning in segment The new ROG UEFI BIOS includes a Last Modified feature that records recent changes. And to make sure you never forget a tuning idea, the in-BIOS Quick Note is perfect for jotting down memos and system details. It sure beats easily-misplaced paper notes! There’s also F4 My Favorites and Shortcuts for easy access to the BIOS features you need most, and you can even adjust boot logo size. The new BIOS also lets you name individual SATA ports so you can easily identify them to save time when defining boot sequences and other drive-related settings. With ROG Pulse, a cool flashing ROG logo indicates system activity, and very importantly, the helpful SSD Secure Erase has been added, restoring SSD speed from inside the BIOS and with no need for less compatible third party utilities. Click the upper right tab to learn more. SSD Secure Erase Recover lost performance. Back to high speed SSD performance degrades with time due to overwrite action. ROG is the world’s first motherboard brand to integrate SSD Secure Erase into UEFI BIOS for better compatibility and easier use, offering the best removal method to completely delete all data on an SSD to recover lost performance and restore factory speeds. ROG RAMDisk Don’t waste your RAM: 20X faster storage than SSD! ROG RAMDisk easily turns RAM into superfast temporary storage to accelerate operating system performance and reduce load times. It can use up to 80% of available system memory, and accesses files without relocating them to protect data integrity and minimize accidental corruption. To do this, the utility creates junction points which serve as quick links between files and RAM storage. All files are automatically saved and restored to their specific locations on hard drives when you turn your PC off, then go back to RAM when you power on again. Intel® I217 Gb LAN with GameFirst II Less lag for more win Combines superior hardware with intuitive software to control your gaming experience, intelligently lowering pings and prioritizing bandwidth ROG – that special extra Kaspersky® Anti-Virus The best protection from viruses and spyware Kaspersky® Anti-Virus Personal offers premium antivirus protection for individual users and home offices. It is based on advanced antivirus technologies. The product incorporates the Kaspersky® Anti-Virus engine, which is renowned for malicious program detection rates that are among the industry's highest. DAEMON Tools Pro Standard The real tool for optical and virtual discs DAEMON Tools Pro offers essential functionality to backup CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs. It converts optical media into virtual discs and emulates devices to work with the virtual copies. DAEMON Tools Pro organizes data, music, video and photo collections on a PC, notebook or netbook. ROG CPU-Z Whole new design of CPU-Z ROG CPU-Z is a customized ROG version authorized by CPUID. It has the same functionality and credibility as the original version, with a unique design. Use the whole new look of ROG CPU-Z to truly report your CPU related information and your uniqueness. Mem TweakIt Dynamic timing adjustments, DRAM efficiency gauge When changing DRAM settings in BIOS, it always takes time for the system to reboot. Worry no more! With Mem TweakIt, you can do DRAM tuning in real-time and view your DRAM efficiency score. CPU and Chipset Features CPU and chipset Intel ® features Intel® LGA1150 4th Generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3/Pentium®/Celeron® Processors Ready This motherboard supports Intel® 4th generation Core™ i7/i5/i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors in the LGA1150 package, with iGPU, memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to support onboard graphics output with dedicated chipsets, 2-channel (4 DIMM) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 3.0/2.0 lanes. This provides great graphics performance. Intel® 4th generation Core™ i7/i5/i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors are among the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world. Intel® Z87 Express Chipset The Intel® Z87 Express Chipset is a single-chipset design that supports socket LGA1150 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7/i5/i3/Pentium®/Celeron® processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, Z87 provides a maximum 6 USB 3.0 ports and 6 SATA 6Gb/s ports for faster data retrieval. Moreover, the Intel® Z87 Express Chipset also supports iGPU functions, letting users enjoy the latest Intel integrated graphics performance. Intel® Smart Response Technology SSD speed with HDD capacity Uses an installed fast SSD (min18.6GB available capacity required) as a cache for frequently-accessed data. Key benefits include reduced load and wait times, and lower power consumption through the elimination of unnecessary hard drive spin. This technology combines SSD performance with hard drive capacity, operating up to 6X faster than a hard drive-only system. Intel® Smart Connect Technology Auto application refresh and shorter wait times Your computer can receive web updates with fresh content for selected applications, even when the system is in sleep mode. This means less time waiting for applications to update and sync with the cloud, leading to a more efficient computing experience. Intel® Rapid Start Technology Instantly awaken your PC from sleep mode Allows your computer to quickly resume from a low-power hibernate state in seconds. Saving your system memory to the designated SSD, it provides your computer a faster wake-up response time, while still keeping energy use low. RoHS GreenASUS Motherboards are EU Energy-related Products (ErP) ready, which requires products meet high efficiency standards with regards to energy consumption. This is in line with the ASUS vision of creating environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient products through design and innovation that reduce the carbon footprint of products and thus mitigate ecological impact.