Asus Z170 Rog Maximus Viii Ranger

ASUS Maximus VIII RANGER Motherboard Review

Intel's new Skylake feature packed platform is hither and all motherboard manufacturers are introducing new products featuring Z170 chipset and new LGA 1151 Socket. With this new platform ASUS decided to re-design the Republic of Gamers (ROG) series of motherboards, with overall new design aesthetics and features. Instead of the old red and black color theme, the new generation ROG series of lath gives an enthusiast class feeling with blackness and soft gray colour theme added with few ROG cerise strips. Personally I love the new colour theme.

Today we have the honor of reviewing a peak mid-range ROG motherboard, the ASUS MAXIMUS 8 RANGER Motherboard. A feature rich ATX z170 gaming and enthusiast motherboard designed for mid tower to full tower builds.

At present permit's see what this ROG board have for us.

Features

LGA1151 socket for 6th-gen IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢ desktop processors.
Dual DDR4 3400 (OC) support.
Best gaming performance â€" 5-Mode Optimization with Car-Tuning, 2d-generation T-Topology and OC design
All-time gaming sound â€" reinvented SupremeFX 2015 with intuitive Sonic Studio Ii.
Best gaming networking â€" best-in-class IntelÂ® Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard and GameFirst engineering science.
All-time gaming protection â€" carefully-selected premium components to ensure maximum durability.
ROG gives you lot more â€" more gaming-oriented utilities, all free!

SupremeFX 2015 Audio - ROG provides you with the very all-time gaming-audio inputs and outputs, with special shielded designs, and a drove of carefully selected professional-class sound components, including an ESS ES9023P digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with Hyperstreamâ„¢ engineering, ultra-low-jitter clock, Nichicon capacitors, 2Vrms headphone amp, and Sonic SenseAmp that automatically detects and optimizes any headset (32-600 ohms) for purest sound quality. SupremeFX 2015 also features intuitive Sonic Studio 2 for you to employ and savor different audio effects for perfect entertainment, plus Perfect Noise dissonance-cancellation engineering for squad conversations with full clarity.

SONIC STUDIO II - Intuitive sound-tuning suite.

ONE CLICK OVERCLOCK AND COOLING, Washed! - 5-Style Optimization at your disposal it takes just one click to melody complex settings â€" for instant, highly-controllable performance boosts! Our exclusive applied science dynamically optimizes essential aspects of your system based on real-time apply, so you lot get superb CPU functioning, everyday energy savings, ultra-stable digital power, cool and quiet fans, and fifty-fifty networking and audio settings that are tailored for the apps that you are using. In brusk, 5-Way Optimization ensures that your PC is perfect for gaming, entertainment, productivity or just nearly annihilation else!

Games run swiftly and smoothly with high operation, prioritized bandwidth and vivid sound
Fans stay whisper-quiet for everyday computing, and ensure extreme cooling efficiency when gaming
Stutter is eliminated for smoothen-running apps, even nether heavy loading
Energy waste is reduced so you'll salve money

TPU - Unleash your PC'south full performance with the ASUS AI Suite 3 utility! The TurboV Processing Unit (TPU) offers precise voltage control and advanced monitoring for the CPU and the graphics card. This gives you the freedom to adjust CPU frequencies and ratios for optimized performance and the ability to unlock the potential from your graphics card.

EPU â€" With the Energy Processing Unit (EPU) you'll bask real-time, organization-wide power savings. EPU detects and adjusts ability consumption according to the PC's needs â€" automatically. It can also reduce CPU wattage to a fix level and evangelize even more than savings with Away Mode. This creates an farthermost energy-saving scenario by shutting downwards unused extra I/O controllers and reduces the graphics cards' ability level while you're away, then the PC consumes only the free energy it needs â€" and not a drop more!

Fan Xpert 3 â€" Advanced fan and water-pump controls for ultimate cooling and quietness with onboard thermal sensors and hardware-level 4-pivot PWM/3-pin DC mode detection, Fan Xpert iii makes certain every fan achieves the best balance of cooling functioning and low noise!

Car-Tuning Mode: Scans fan parameters, and all fans with a single click.
Extreme Quite Mode: Reduces CPU fan speed to below the default minimum, for actress-tranquility operation and power savings during light loads.
RPM Fixed Mode: Lowers noise levels to about-0dB silence, allowing to you set the fan speed.

OC DESIGN - ASUS PRO CLOCK TECHNOLOGY â€" A defended base-clock (BCLK) generator designed for 6th-generation IntelÂ® processors that allows overclocked base of operations clock frequencies up to 400MHz. This custom solution works in tandem with the ASUS Turbo Processor Unit (TPU), to enhance voltage and base of operations-clock overclocking control â€" granting an exciting new style to boost operation to extreme heights.

DDR4 OVERCLOCKING Forcefulness IN NUMBERS â€" ASUS 2nd generation T-Topology allows DDR4 memory overclocking to reach new heights: over DDR4-3400 MHz with all memory slots populated. Featuring a customized trace layout for reduced crosstalk and coupling dissonance, ASUS 2nd generation T-Topology ensures time-aligned signal transfer for improved memory stability and compatibility.

INTEL GIGABIT ETHERNET - ROG features the very latest IntelÂ® Ethernet (I219-V) for faster, smoother gaming â€" always. Intel's LAN has the serious double advantage of reducing CPU overhead and offering uncommonly loftier TCP and UDP throughput, so there'south more than power for your game and your gameplay.

LANGUARD Bespeak-coupling technology and premium surface-mounted components ensure a more reliable connection and ameliorate throughput. Additionally, electrostatically-guarded and surge-protected components (ESD Guards) permit for 1.9x-greater tolerance to static electricity and 2.5x-greater protection (up to 15kV) against surges!

GAMEFIRST Three - Exclusive GameFirst III prioritizes game-related packets and allocates more bandwidth to games, eliminating laggy gameplay, streaming stutters and file-sharing slowdown â€" so you lot'll always exist the frontrunner. Cull from Optimization, Game, Media Streaming or File Sharing presets and lookout your network wing!

ROG Protection -Every bit a gamer y'all demand stability and immovability, so ROG integrates long-lasting, premium components, plus exclusive smart DIY designs beyond the board â€" ensuring the best gaming experiences.

OVERWOLFThe clever unobtrusive overlay that keeps you in the game, so you can browse, email, IM, stream or tape while you play, and all dressed up in color-matched ROG skins to show you're part of an elite pack â€" presently to be available for download on Overwolf'south app store!

KEYBOT IIThe gratuitous keyboard upgrade.

Specifications

Parcel

Board comes in a nice Blood-red cardboard box with model number, image of the lath and details about supporting technology and features.

Inside the box

ASUS RANGER 8 comes with very overnice set of accessories:

Looks

Lath made with a Matte black PCB of size ATX (30.5 10 24.four cm). The new generation ROG series of board gives an enthusiast grade feeling with blackness and soft gray colour theme added with few ROG red strips.

Layout

Detailed layout of board.

1. Intel LGA 1151 socket

2. ASUS RANGER Eight is equipped with four DIMM for dual channel DDR4 memory supporting max. 64GB at 2133MHz in normal and up to 3400MHz when OC.

iii. ATX Power connector (24-pin EATXPWR)

4. ATX CPU Power Connector 8-pivot ATX12V_2x4.

5. Back I/O Ports - 1 x PS/two keyboard/mouse combo port(s), 1 10 DisplayPort, one 10 HDMI, 1 x LAN (RJ45) port(s), ane x USB 3.1 , black)Blazon-C, 1 x USB 3.1 (red)Type-A, 2 x USB 3.0 (blue) , 4 ten USB 2.0 , 1 ten Optical Southward/PDIF out, 5 ten Audio jack(s), 1 ten USB BIOS Flashback Button(s)

6. seven. 9. ten. 11. 12. one x CPU Fan connector(due south) (i ten iv -pin), ane x CPU OPT Fan connector(s) (one x 4 -pin), 4 x Chassis Fan connector(s) (iv 10 four -pin), 1 x Water Pump header (4-pivot)

eight. MemOK! Push when pressed automatically choice upwardly the necessary parameters of the retention for a successful system boot.

xiii. 17. 2 10 USB 3.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 3.0 port(s) (19-pivot)

14. two x SATA Express connector: grayness, Uniform with four x SATA 6.0 Gb/south ports,2 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(southward)

15. Chiliad.2 Socket three with M Central design, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (Supports both SATA & PCIE SSD)

sixteen. System Front console(s) (Q-Connector) and 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connector.

eighteen. USB 2.0 connector(s) support(due south) additional iv USB 2.0 port(s)

xix. ROG extension (ROG_EXT) header(south)

20. 21. Power-on push, Reset button(southward), Clear CMOS button(southward) and TPM connector(due south)

22. 23. Thunderbolt header and Front panel Audio connector

24. Expansion Slots - ii ten PCIe 3.0/two.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8, gray), 1 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 (max at x4 way, black), 3 10 PCIe 3.0/two.0 x1 (x1 mode, black)

Removing Heat-sinks

Heatsinks are fabricated up of dense aluminum with thermal pad installed, giving great passive cooling to VRM MOSFETs and Z170 chipset.

Component Layout

Allow's now meet what all components ASUS have planned for this board.

one. Digital 10-stage CPU Power VRM Section with Texas Instruments 87350D MOSFETs rated upwards to 40A each forth with 60A Ferrite Chokes and 10K Black Capacitors.

2. Asus DIGI+ VRM Asp 1400 voltage controller bit.

3. Ii separate DRAM Ability section

4. ASUS ROG fleck handling USB BIOS wink.

5. Etrontech EJ179V chipset is the USB 3.1 Type-A and Blazon-C switch with logic control chip.

6. ASMedia ASM1142 is PCIe-to-ii-port USB 3.ane controller

7. Intel'due south i219v is used as the integrated GBit LAN solution.

8. The nuvoTon NCT6793D is the principal SuperIO controller used for fan control, voltage and temperature monitoring, and the PS/ii port.

nine. ASUS SupremeFX 2015 audio solution is powered by Realtek ALC1150 audio codec coupled with ESS ES9023P DAC with Hyperstream engineering science, Nichicon Premium Audio capacitors, SupremeFX Shielding, 2VRMS Headphone Output, NEC De-pop Relay and Dedicated Clock Crystal.

A semi-transparent line on motherboard separates the whole audio department from the rest of the board in order to minimize interference. Front Audio department features Sonic SenseAmp for best headset sound experience.

RightMark Audio Analyzer (RMAA) suite is used for testing test ASUS RANGER VIII audio confronting Asus Xonar DX Audio card. You can run into clearly the difference between Noise level, dynamic rang and Full harmonic distortion percentage produced by on-board sound.

RMAA Asus Xonar DX

RMAA SupremeFX 2015 Audio

10. Intel Z170 Chipset.

11. UEFI BIOS is stored in a Winbond 25Q128fV 128MB 8-Pin DIP Package scrap, installed in a DIP socket 8-Pin for easy user replacement.

12. 13 ASUS custom ROG & TPU controllers.

14. ASMedia ASM1480 PCI-e lane switch chips.

Testing

CPU	Intel Core i5 6600K
Board	ASUS MAXIMUS Eight RANGER
RAM	2 X 4GB Yard.SKILL Ripjaws4 DDR4 3000Mhz
SSD	Kingston SV300 120GB
Cooler	Corsair H100i
GFX	Asus HD7750
PSU	CM 750
Display	Acer S220HQL
OS	Win 8.1 Pro / Windows 10

BIOS

Bundled Softwares

Overclocking

Benchmarks

Power Consumption

Wattage reading every bit per displayed by APC Pro 1000VA (Model no. BR1000G-IN) UPS.

Pros

Peachy looks
PMW pump header
Good Sound
Solid build Quality
Excellent Overclocking

Cons

Low Cost difference with ASUS Maximus Eight Hero

Conclusion

First we like to thank you ASUS for providing ASUS MAXIMUS Viii RANGER Motherboard for review. Asus have always impressed me with the build quality and design of their products. The new ROG Series of motherboard are having cracking advent and Maximus VIII Ranger is besides a having neat eye catching design with features and functionality enthusiast and gamers are looking for.

Finally, if y'all are planning to upgrade to a new Z170 platform and don't want to spend a fortune for motherboard alone and would like to enjoy the best gaming and great overclocking experience, then you should consider ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger board. Will all the features and toll segment ASUS Maximus VIII Ranger is worthy of our PC TeK REVIEWS EXCELLENCE Award.

Manufacturers Info

Site Link

Thanks.

Source: https://www.pctekreviews.com/Reviews/ASUSRANGERVIII.aspx

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