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The third and final addition to ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Maximus V motherboard series is the Maximus V Extreme (M5E). ASUS reserved its launch to follow that of the Maximus V Formula and the already-launched Maximus V Gene, in what is a classic case of saving the best for the last.

ASUS launched its ROG Maximus V line of socket LGA1155 motherboards based on the Intel Z77 Express chipset, with the Maximus V Gene, which launched alongside the company's first wave of P8Z77-V line of motherboards. Its second addition to the series, the Maximus V Formula, has since been picture in several events, but is yet to be launched. Its top model, the Maximus V Extreme, has been MIA, until now.

ASUS showed off an early version of the Maximus V Extreme. The company is yet to finalize a whole bunch of things, including heatsinks' designs. What sets the Maximus V Extreme apart from the Maximus V Formula, is PCI-Express load-out. While the Formula relies entirely on the PCI-Express 3.0 x16 link from the processor to wire out its three PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots, in x16/NC/NC or x8/x8/NC or x8/x4/x4 configurations, depending on how they're populated; the Maximus V Extreme incorporates a PLX PEX8747 PCI-Express 3.0 switch, which doubles the platform's PCIe lane budget. The Maximus V Extreme, hence, has four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (red) slots, which can be arranged as x16/NC/x16/NC, x16/NC/x8/x8, or x8/x8/x8/x8, depending on how they are populated.

Other (visible) expansion slots of the Maximus V Extreme include a PCI-Express 2.0 x16 (electrical x4), and an open-ended PCI-Express x4. While the PLX PEX8747 expands the PCIe lane budget of the processor, a PLX PEX8613 bridge chip doubles the PCIe lane budget of the Z77 PCH. Apart from wiring out additional PCIe slots, the bridge helps drive a variety of onboard devices, including a Thunderbolt controller (single Thunderbolt + mini-DP connector), at least three additional SATA 6 Gb/s controllers (we count a total of 12 SATA ports), and an unknown number of additional USB 3.0 controllers.

The LGA1155 socket is powered by a 12-phase Digi+ VRM, which draws power from an 8-pin EPS and a 4-pin ATX connector, just like the Crosshair V Formula. There appears to be the usual contingent of features exclusive to the ROG family, inslucing consolidated voltage-measurement points, ROG Connect, etc., and connectivity that includes 802.11 b/g/n, Thunderbolt (with mini-DP display output), USB 3.0, HDMI (display output), 8-channel HD audio, probably two gigabit Ethernet interfaces, etc. The Maximus V Extreme will be further detailed in the days to come. Its launch is expected to follow that of the Maximus V Formula.

Source: VR-Zone Chinese