ASUS RoG Maximus III Extreme LGA 1156 Motherboard Preview

Initial Impressions

ASUS is one of those companies that we always have great expectations for whether its an upcoming ultra high end enthusiast product or low priced motherboard. Naturally, there is a lot to be excited about when it comes to a board like the Maximus III Extreme simply due to the fact that it represents the pinnacle of ASUS’ years of experience in this market. It has features people weren’t even dreaming of a year ago and sports a layout that will have both enthusiasts and Folders chomping at the bit for a piece of the action.

If anything about this board first attracted you, it was probably the knowledge that the RoG label brings a certain pedigree to certain ASUS products. The amount of time we have spent with this board hasn’t led to expertise by any stretch of the imagination but it reads like a story of epic proportions. Granted, the BIOS isn’t what can be called mature but like any good wine, motherboards like the MIIIE need time to age before they can be truly appreciated. This also leads us to another point: even with a somewhat immature BIOS, this board has been the picture of stability throughout the limited amount of overclocking we have done so far.

From the days of the Blitz series with their innovative Crosslink interface, the Republic of Gamers boards have always pushed the limits when it comes to features and the Maximus is no different. This actually acts like a double edged sword because it is quite possible the majority of people who buy it will never use all of the MIIIE’s features. It is truly a shame to let the innovation this board has to offer go to waste but at least we can take solace in the knowledge that things like BIOS flashback and MemOK are lurking in the background, ready if ever needed.


With all that gushing out of the way, let’s talk about that 300lb gorilla sitting in the corner of the room which no one wants to mention: price. The one thing that we all have to remember is the Maximus III Extreme’s $300+ price considering it is still “only” a P55 motherboard. This will most definitely be a bitter pill to swallow for even hardened overclockers since the 1156 series of Intel processors are (in our opinion) a dead end. Basically, if you want to upgrade from an i7 1156 processor, the only way to go at this point is X58 and 1366. This will of course necessitate the purchase of a different platform altogether while your $300 motherboard gathers dust in the corner.

The Maximus III Extreme looks to be one hell of a product and even though we do have reservations about its price, we won’t pass judgement until all of the testing is done. What we covered in this article was nothing more than the tip of a massive iceberg so stay tuned for the full review in the coming weeks.