Asus Maximus VII Impact (Z97) mITX Motherboard Review

Cinebench

We used the ‘CPU’ test built into Cinebench R15 .

WinRAR

WinRAR’s built in benchmark and hardware test can help us outline the performance differentials between each motherboard. We record the amount of data processed after a 30-second run.

Handbrake Conversion

We measured the average frame rate achieved for a task of converting a 4.36GB 720P H.264 movie (in the MKV container) to one in the MP4 container.

The CPU-related Cinebench and Handbrake tests force the Maximus VII Impact to start showing some strain when stressed. While the half-a-percent deficit (compared to most of the Z97 pack) in Cinebench and 1-3 frame slow-down in Handbrake are little to worry about, they are signs that some minor performance differences may be exhibited by the M7I.

On the greater scale of analysis, the possibility of minute performance penalties may be deemed a fair trade-off to consumers requesting a downsize.

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