Introduction

Specifications

Specifications CPU SUPPORT: 5th/New 4th/4th Generation Intel Core i7/i5/i3/Pentium/Celeron processor family for the LGA 1150 Socket POWER DESIGN: CPU Power: 8 Phases

Memory Power: 2 Phases CHIPSET: Intel Z97 INTEGRATED GRAPHICS: Dependant on installed CPU MEMORY: 4 x DIMM, Max. 32 GB, DDR3 1333 to DDR3 3300+(OC) BIOS: AMI UEFI BIOS with 64 Mb Flash ROM SLOTS: 2 x PCIe 3.0/2.0 x16 slot (x16 or dual x8)

1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slot (max at x4 mode)

3 x PCIe 2.0 x1 slot HDD CONNECTVIITY: 6 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s (Intel Z97

2 x SATA 6.0 Gb/s (ASMedia)

1 x M.2 Socket 3 (Intel Z97) NETWORKING: 1 x Intel Gigabit LAN (1x I218V) PORTS: 6 x USB 3.0 ports (2 at front panel, 4 at rear panel)

7 x USB 2.0 ports (5 at front panel, 2 at rear panel)

1 x RJ45 LAN connectors

6 x audio jacks

1 x HDMI port(Supports 4k 4096@2160)

1 x DVI-D Port

1 x D-Sub

1 x PS/2 Port

1 x Optical S/PDIF out

1 x BIOS FlashBack button AUDIO: ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC FAN HEADERS: 6 x 4-pin FORM FACTOR: ATX Form Factor (305 mm x 244 mm) EXCLUSIVE FEATURES: Extreme Engine Digi+ III :

- 8 + 2 phase power design

- NexFET™ Power Block MOSFET

- 60A Ferrite Chokes

- 10K Black Metallic Capacitors

KeyBot

- CPU Level Up

- XMP

- Direct Key

UEFI BIOS features :

- GPU.DIMM Post

- Tweakers' Paradise

- ROG SSD Secure Erase

- Graphic Card Information Preview

ROG RAMDisk

GameFirst III

Extreme Tweaker

ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5 :

Gamer's Guardian:

- ESD Guards on LAN, Audio, KBMS and USB3.0/2.0 ports

- DRAM Overcurrent Protection

- 10K Black Metallic Capacitors

- Stainless Steel Back I/O

ASUS Exclusive Features :

- MemOK!

- AI Suite 3

- Ai Charger

- USB Charger+

- USB 3.0 Boost

- Disk Unlocker

ASUS EZ DIY :

- ASUS O.C. Profile

- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3

- ASUS EZ Flash 2

- ASUS USB BIOS Flashback

- Push Notice

ASUS Q-Design :

- ASUS Q-Shield

- ASUS Q-Code

- ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)

- ASUS Q-Slot

- ASUS Q-DIMM

- ASUS Q-Connector

Overclocking Protection :

- ASUS C.P.R.(CPU Parameter Recall)

Media Streamer

ASUS severely shook up their ROG product line with the launch of Intel's Haswell and Z87; new SKUs were introduced while old ones were re-hashed in ways most of us just didn't expect. ASUS's last HERO swung into action to save the day with Z87, but now that we have Z97 out on store shelves, we've also have a new HERO, the ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO.The ASUS MAXIMUS VII HERO has a long-standing tradition to live up to, and while the first Hero board did well, it did have a few shortcomings and might have been overshadowed by some of the other new ROG boards, like the IMPACT. What an apt name that is too, IMPACT, as that board definitely made its mark on the OC scene. So who exactly did the HERO save?I think people may overlook something with ASUS's HERO SKU. The idea of who it's suppose to champion may not be immediately obvious unless you know some of the OC scene's past history and ASUS's ROG branding. Like with the IMPACT, many users requested that ASUS release a trimmed down board, stripped of the features that were not needed while still packing all the awesome engineering ASUS is known for. To me, that is this HERO's main purpose. Capable of much, but much cheaper than HEROs of the past, the EXTREME, GENE, and FORMULA, it is to provide a decent and affordable platform to push performance limits on.