Asus RoG Maximus X Hero $280

WE HAVEN’T HAD chance to play with a lot of Z370 motherboards yet (we have some seriously juicy ones coming up next issue), because as this issue goes to press, Coffee Lake will have only just dropped. That said, it’s hard to argue with the Asus ROG Maximus Hero’s heritage. We’ve been using this lineup of motherboards in our test benches since Devil’s Canyon and Z97.

The Asus ROG Maximus X Hero is a fantastic update to the series, featuring an integrated rear I/O cover, oodles of USB ports, BIOS reset switches, Ethernet ports, integrated Wi-Fi, dependable audio, a ton of onboard storage support, M.2 heatsinks, and more. One of the things we’ve already touched upon with our love for Asus is just how easy it is to use the UEFI BIOS. It may be difficult to quantifiably review a BIOS, because those familiar with one manufacturer’s BIOS will almost always know how best to take advantage of that compared to another, and it’s often personal preference that dictates the issue; however, the placement of menus, along with the options and items you can tweak in Asus’s BIOS make it one of the more intuitive and easy-to-use that we’ve seen in the last few years.

This board is a touch on the pricey side, but if you’re looking to shell out on a high-end Coffee Lake processor, it’s well worth the investment.