ASUS Maximus II GENE P45 mATX Motherboard Review

A Closer Look at the ASUS Maximus II GENE

The Maximus II GENE is a small form factor motherboard based on the microATX standard. As such, it measures a relatively compact 9.5" by 9.5", which makes it equal in width but 2.5 inches shorter than a typical ATX motherboard. Despite the small PCB size, ASUS managed to cram a decent assortment of expansions slots and headers, while maintaining a clean and user-friendly layout. Specifically, we are pleased that the ATX power connector, 8-pin CPU power connector, IDE connector, six SATA ports, and USB headers are all conveniently placed at the edge of the motherboard. While our initial impression is quite positive for an mATX motherboard, let's take a closer look at the indidivual sections.


As you can see, the general CPU socket area on this motherboard is quite clean, with only a handful of capacitors located near the actual socket. Of particular interest is the fact that this motherboard appears to share the same 8-phase power design as the Rampage II GENE, which bodes very well for this motherboard's ability to handle 'mere' Core 2 Duo/Quad processors. Another similarity with the RIIG is the familiar low-profile northbridge and MOSFET coolers, which should ensure that just about any large CPU cooler can fit on this model. Greatly enhancing this feeling of 'openness' around the socket, is the fact that there are no MOSFETs and accompanying cooler located above the CPU socket, which is definitely a design feature that we could get used to.


Above the CPU socket, the only chip of any significance is the EPU2 controller with works in coordination with the EPU-6 Engine software to help maximize energy efficiency. In the upper-left corner of the motheboard is the header for the RoG LCD poster, as well as the Voltiminder LEDs for the CPU voltage.


The DDR2 memory slots feature a robust 2-phase power design, but the area is interesting for a number of other reasons. First, as you can see due to space constraints, ASUS had to install the battery in an upright position in the upper-right corner. Secondly, right above the slots is the MemOk! button, which claims to fix any memory compatibility issues upon first system boot. The most interesting aspect is the unique bottom-end of the memory slots, as there are no clips. The reason for this innovative design is due to the fact that the clips would have come in contact with the back of the graphics card, and would have made removal of the memory modules impossible without first removing the graphics card. It may look a little a weird, but it works easily enough in practice. By the way, notice the memory voltage status LEDs below the memory slots.


At the bottom-right corner we have the six blue angled SATA ports, which are supplied by the ICH10R southbridge and support RAID 0/1/5/10. The black upright SATA port is managed by the JMicron JMB363 controller, which also supplies the ubiquitous IDE port. Next we have the two iROG-labelled chips, one allows for the monitoring and controlling of hardware settings on-the-fly, while the other takes care of the other RoG-specific features, Voltiminder LEDs, MemOk!, etc.


The ICH10R southbridge is cooled by a small, passive heatsink that is low enough in profile to not interfere with any of the graphics cards. One of the most appreciated features of the Republic of Gamers series is the onboard start and reset buttons, as they make running the motherboard outside of a case so much simpler.


Since this is a microATX model, we really can't be too critical of the layout and the assortment of the expansion slots...nor would we want to be. Having two mechanical PCI-E x16 slots, one PCI-E x1 slot, and one legacy PCI slot is a perfectly suitable layout for such a space constrained motherboard. The two PCI-E slots do support CrossFire, but will operate only in x8/x8 mode. Also, although the gap between the two physical PCI-E x16 slots is large enough to ensure that dual-slot graphics cards can be installed, doing so will result in the loss of both the PCI-E x1 and PCI slots.

As mentioned above, the JMicron JMB363 controller supplies the black upright SATA port and the IDE port. By the way, under the PCI slot, to the right of the fan header, you will notice the socketed BIOS chip, which is a terrific addition since ASUS can simply ship you a new BIOS chip for easy replacement, should an update go terribly wrong.


As mentioned above, the northbridge cooler on this model is the same as the one on the Rampage II GENE. The fin portion of this cooler can be removed, which suggests that the base may be compatible with the Swiftech MCW-MAX water block designed for the Rampage series. The P45 chipset benefits from a 2-phase power design and you can spot the Voltiminder LEDs next to the two solid capacitors.


Starting from the top-left, the VIA VT2010 is the onboard 8-channel HD audio codec. The Winbond W83667HG-A is a Super I/O controller, which not only provides support for legacy devices (PS/2 port, serial port, floppy drive), but also fan monitoring capabilities. The VIA VT6315N controller supplies the 1394a/FireWire port and header. The Realtek 8111C is a gigabit LAN controller which runs on the PCI-Express bus.


The rear I/O panel features a gigabit LAN port, six USB ports, a FireWire port, an eSATA port, and a PS/2 keyboard port. ASUS has finally gotten rid of the ancient green PS/2 mouse port. There is also a handy clear CMOS switch on the rear I/O panel, which is quite convenient for those overclocking. It also sports six audio jacks on the audio module and one optical S/PDIF connector.


The back of the motherboard is fairly standard, but ASUS have installed a second set of MOSFETs there, opposite the front-mounted set covered by the MOSFET cooler. We are glad to see that the northbridge cooler is held in place with proper mounting screws, no feeble push-pins for this enthusiast motherboard, but the southbridge cooler has not received the same treatment.