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With Intel's fourth generation chips knocking on the door of release day, KitGuru was invited to a technical seminar held by Asus to outline the company's products, features and plans for its range of Z87 motherboards.
As has been the case with Asus' recent motherboard line-ups for both the Intel and AMD platforms, the company will be putting three main series onto the market.
Comprised of entry-level all the way up to high-end motherboards, the ‘Z87-‘ models will form the largest proportion of Asus' product catalogue. Expect these models to target identical audiences to those of their current Z77 variants, such as the entry-level ‘P8Z77-V LX2‘, mid-range ‘-V', and high-end ‘-V Deluxe‘.
Now common place to Intel's and AMD's main platforms, TUF, or The Ultimate Force, series boards will be making an appearance for Z87. As with previous generations of the company's uniquely-designed and well-respected motherboards, the Z87 TUF products will be optimised for system stability and thermal performance.
Where would a mainstream Intel platform launch be without Asus' Republic of Gamers (ROG) set of motherboards? Gamers and all-round enthusiasts continue to comprise the target audience for Asus' highest-calibre consumer motherboards. Maintaining the red and black colour scheme and highly-optimised features, the enthusiast segment of the market continues to be a clear target for what is now Asus' sixth iteration of the ‘Maximus' product line.
Read on for an in-depth look at some of the new features that Asus' Z87 motherboards are equipped with, and the surprise that the Taiwanese-based company has up its sleeve.
Common Features
– Dual intelligent processors with 4-way optimisation
– Unique CPU fan header design
– Updated UEFI BIOS
– New and improved wireless connectivity
The features listed above are those common to each motherboard in Asus' mainline ‘Z87-‘ series, with the exception of the wireless connectivity.
Perhaps the most interesting feature is the unique CPU fan header design. Using some intelligent electronic engineering, Asus has designed a 4-pin CPU fan header which has the ability to control the speed of 3-pin, non-PWM fans. This an impressive feature, especially for those using high-quality 3-pin fans on their CPU cooler, such as Scythe's highly-regarded Gentle Typhoon (AP15) units.
New and improved wireless technology sees Asus equipping its higher-end motherboards with updated receivers. We aren't allowed to say too much about the improved wireless technology, but we can confirm that we were impressed with the ease-of-use features and technologies that Asus showed us. A closer observation of the motherboard pictures may give an indication as to what that improvement is.
‘Z87-‘ Models
Previously classified by their ‘Px' prefixes, Asus' ‘standard' line-up of motherboard models will now feature the ‘Z87-‘ name tag, followed by an additional letter or word, dependent upon their feature set. For users who are accustomed to Asus' naming methods, the mid-range to high-end boards will be keeping the same name suffix of ‘Pro' and ‘Deluxe', amongst others.
It's towards the entry-level section of the market where Asus is making its naming system easier to understand. The LX, LX2, LK and other boards which feature confusingly-indistinguishable suffixes are set to be renamed to ‘-A', ‘-C' and ‘-Plus', for example. This should help make Asus' motherboard hierarchy easier to analyse for consumers.
Asus' ‘Z87-‘ boards are equipped with Dual Intelligent Processors 4 with 4-Way Optimization. The TPU performance tuning chip, EPU energy consumption manager, DIGI+ Power Control, and Fan Xpert 2 can all be activated with one click of the mouse to ensure real-time performance optimization, better energy efficiency, precise digital power control, and detailed case fan management for reduced noise and improved cooling.
As is the case with Asus' current line of ‘mainline' motherboards, parts from the Z87- range will have substantial differences in feature set, performance and target audience. From the samples that we saw at Asus' press event, it is clear that the motherboard manufacturer is aiming to cater for every possible market, including the m-ITX, with Z87I-Deluxe, and workstation, with Z87 WS, guys. This doesn't surprise us; just look at Asus' current Z77 line-up for proof that no market is left untouched and no consumer left without a suitable product.
By far the biggest change to Asus' main series of motherboards, in comparison to previous years, is the switch to a black and gold colour scheme. Asus made it clear that the company wanted its boards to stand out from the pack. Adding some gold into the mixture is one way of making that a possibility.
The five ‘Z87-‘ series motherboard pictured below are the; Z87-A, Z87-C, Z87-Plus, Z87-Pro, and Z87-Deluxe (in order of performance hierarchy, highest performance last).
Hold the press! Big news to follow!
We will be seeing a pair of new motherboard models from Asus: the TUF-class, mATX ‘Gryphon' and the ROG range's Maximus VI Hero. That's right, Asus is adding to its enthusiast-adored ROG series and uniquely-designed TUF class of motherboards.
So where do these boards fit in?
Republic of Gamers
As part of Asus' Republic of Gamers range of motherboards, the Maximus VI Hero will be targeting the more cash-strapped gaming enthusiasts who desire the specialised features that the Taiwanese company's top-of-the-range red and black boards offer.
Asus tells us that to somebody who spends around $1400 on a system, the motherboard is further down the priority list than graphics, storage and processor. Many consumers struggle to justify paying more for a board than they do for their i5 or i7 chip (going by current 3rd generation Intel Core CPU prices).
Taking this on board, Asus is releasing the cheapest ATX member of the ROG family – the Maximum VI Hero – at a price point of “sub $230”, making it an affordable component to upper-mid-range and high-end gamers and builders. The key point here is that the majority of the ROG line's exclusive features will be possessed by the Maximus VI Hero.
Perhaps the best way to describe the Maximus VI Hero is as a no frills, no gimmicks ROG motherboard, if that's even possible.
Features exclusive to the Republic of Gamers series of motherboards include; SupremeFX audio, MPCIE Combo II, Extreme Engine Digi+ III, and OC Panel.
Supported by the updated MPCIE Combo II are M.2 Type 2242 form factor SSDs. We can't say much about Extreme Engine Digi+ III, but we would expect at least an electronic component upgrade.
Additional ROG-exclusive features include Sonic Radar – a gaming overlay which can be used to indicate the direction of enemy fire, footsteps, explosions and more, in supported games, and many other features that we can't reveal until launch date.
OC Panel is designed to create a new level of ease to the way in which users go about overclocking. Connecting to an ROG motherboard via a proprietary cable, the OC Panel features an LCD screen and input buttons which can be used to tweak and view parameters such as settings, clock frequencies and fan speeds. It also has enough power to run up to four fans, when used with a USB 3.0 cable for extra current.
Users can place the OC Panel in an easy-to-access location such as their desk or in a 5.25″ bay by making use of the supplied adapter.
Three ROG motherboards will be available from launch; Maximus VI Hero, Maximus VI Gene, and Maximus VI Extreme.
The Ultimate Force (TUF) Family
With the undeniable success of the TUF series' Sabertooth motherboards, Asus is taking the next step to making a thermally-optimised and stability-orientated motherboard a possibility for everyone. Gryphon is the newest member of the TUF family, a mATX motherboard which inherits the same design features and target audience as the ATX Sabertooth.
Aided by its reduction in physical dimensions, the mATX Z87 Gryphon is able to kick-start the TUF series at a lower price point. Asus takes another step towards making TUF-class boards more affordable than ever before; the Gryphon is supplied without thermal armour, by default. Not to worry though, the Armour kit can be purchased separately for a “competitive price”.
As I'm sure you will have guessed; the decision to supply a TUF motherboard without its unique insignia is going to cause quite the discussion. Only time, and our in-depth review of the motherboard, will tell whether Asus' price-reducing decision was a wise one. One thing's for sure: the mainstream market is a TUF one to conquer!
Key features for the TUF series of motherboards include; updated thermal armour with flow valve, TUF fortifier, dust defenders, and improved TUF components.
Featuring updated thermal armour and a flow valve which aims to improve VRM cooling performance, the TUF series of motherboards continues to target cooling aficionados. TUF fortifier is a flex-preventing metal sheet which also acts as a heatsink for the rear-mounted VRM components. Dust defenders are covers for the main slots, such as the DIMM, PCI-E, SATA and IO ports, which prevent an unwanted build-up of dirt.
Two TUF motherboards will be available on launch day; Z87 Sabertooth, and Z87 Gryphon.
Judging by the information that we gathered from Asus' Z87 press conference, it is clear that the company is taking the motherboard market very seriously with its 8 series chipset products, and is aiming to cater for every market.
According to Asus marketing maestro, Miodrag Relic, Z87 could represent the company's largest motherboard line-up with the possible number of unique models in the region of thirty.
Even with the bold colour change for its main line-up of boards, unique fan header design, new and improved wireless connectivity, interesting ROG features, and updated TUF components, by far the biggest news for Asus' Z87 launch is the introduction of two brand new models.
The Maximus VI Hero looks to be an influential product as it aims to bridge the price gap between Asus' main series of motherboards and the coveted Republic of Gamers offerings. Gryphon is a product that allows the TUF series to appeal to a broader audience.
KitGuru says: You can bet that KitGuru will have coverage of these products as soon as they launch, so in the near future, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for in-depth analysis of Asus' Z87 motherboards, as well as further content relating to Intel's fourth generation Core processors and the 8 series chipset.
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