Confused between the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E vs Maximus X Hero motherboards? Coffee lake chipset is currently one of the most popular chipsets for motherboards as it houses all Intel 8th generation Processors consisting of Core i3, i5, and i7. There are many motherboards available out there with the said chipset if you are willing to buy one of these processors. ASUS is the well-known brand when it comes to computing, and definitely, their products serve value for money. What makes it hard to choose ASUS products is when they release multiple variations for a single type of product.
ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E vs Maximus X Hero
For example, Asus ROG Strix Z370-E and Asus ROG Maximum X Hero are both Intel Z370 chipset motherboards. However, they might differ a lot when it comes to technical specifications. Today, we will compare these two motherboards to give our readers a brief idea about both of them and how they differ. This comparison will make you understand which product suits best according to your requirements so you can choose the right one for you.
ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E vs Maximus X Hero (WI-FI AC):
If you are into building custom desktops, you must know that motherboard is the main key that puts all other components together and integrates their functionality. Thus, these motherboards have a lot of technical configurations and specifications. Even if we list them side by side directly, it will get pretty confusing for an average customer. Keeping that in mind, we have divided the specifications and technical details into several parts. So following is a brief comparison about “Asus ROG Strix Z370-E Gaming v/s Asus ROG Maximum X Hero (Wi-Fi AC):
1. General:
| Asus ROG STRIX Z370-E Gaming
| ASUS ROG Maximum X HERO
| |
| Chipset Type | Intel Z370 | Intel Z370 |
| Compatible Processors | supports 8th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 | supports 8th Generation Intel Core i3 / i5 / i7 |
| Processor Socket | LGA1151 Socket | LGA1151 Socket |
| Max Processors Qty | 1 | 1 |
If we look at the socket and the chipset, these two motherboards are no different. Both of them are based on Intel Z370 chipset which offers LGA1151 Socket. It supports all Intel 8th Gen Coffee lake processors including Core i3, i5, and i7.
2. EXPANSION / CONNECTIVITY
| Expansion Slots | 1 x CPU 4 x DIMM 288-pin 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (dual x8 mode; single card: x16 mode) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 mode) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x1 | 1 x CPU 4 x DIMM 288-pin 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16, x8/x8, x8/x4/x4 modes) 1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 mode) 3 x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
| Storage Interfaces | SATA-600 -connectors: 6 x 7pin Serial ATA – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10 / RAID 5 SATA-600 / PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x M.2 | SATA-600 -connectors: 6 x 7pin Serial ATA – RAID 0 / RAID 1 / RAID 10 / RAID 5 SATA-600 / PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 -connectors: 1 x M.2 |
| Internal Interfaces | 4 x USB 2.0 – header 4 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 – header 1 x serial – header 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 – header | 4 x USB 2.0 – header 2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 – header 1 x audio – header 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 – header |
| Power Connectors | 24-pin main power connector, 8-pin ATX12V connector | 24-pin main power connector, 8-pin ATX12V connector |
As you can see, most of the specs related to expansions, storage interface, the internal interface, and power connectors are same. The only difference is that the PCIe 3.0 x16 slots in Asus ROG Strix Z370-E supports dual x8 mode and single x16 mode only Where in Maximus hero, it supports x16, x8/x8, and x8/x4/x4 modes.
3. AUDIO
| Audio Codec | SupremeFX (S1220A) | SupremeFX (S1220) |
| Compliant Standards | High Definition Audio | High Definition Audio |
Strix Z370-E comes with Supreme FX S1220A audio codec where Maximum X Hero offers Supreme FX S1220 coded, both supporting High Definition Audio.
4. INTERFACE PROVIDED:
| Qty | 1, 2 | 1, 2,4 |
| Type | DVI-D, DisplayPort, HDMI, LAN (Gigabit Ethernet), TOSLINK, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C Gen2, audio line-in, audio line-out, audio line-out (center/subwoofer), audio line-out (rear), microphone | DisplayPort, HDMI, LAN (Gigabit Ethernet), TOSLINK, USB 2.0, USB 3.1 Gen 1, USB-C Gen2, audio line-in, audio line-out, audio line-out (center/subwoofer), audio line-out (rear), microphone |
| Connector Type | mini-jack | mini-jack |
Various interface connectors provided in both the products are listed above. They are pretty much same. The only difference is that Asus ROG STRIX Z370-E offers an additional DVI-D port for display output along with standard display output and HDMI port. However, ASUS ROG Maximum X Hero offers only standard display port and an HDMI port.
5. NETWORKING:
| Data Link Protocol | Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n | Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11ac, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n |
| Network Controller | Intel I219V | Intel I219V |
| Network | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet | 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet |
In term of networking connectivity and features, both motherboards are same. With an Intel I219V Network controller, they offer Bluetooth, Gigabit Ethernet, and IEEE standard Wi-Fi as listed above.
6. SUPPORTED RAM:
| Bus Clock: | 2400 MHz, 2133 MHz, 2666 MHz, 2800 MHz (O.C.), 3000 MHz (O.C.), 3200 MHz (O.C.), 3300 MHz (O.C.), 3400 MHz (O.C.), 3333 MHz (O.C.), 3466 MHz (O.C.), 3733 MHz (O.C.), 3600 MHz (O.C.), 3866 MHz (O.C.), 4000 MHz (O.C.) | 2400 MHz, 2133 MHz, 2666 MHz, 2800 MHz (O.C.), 3000 MHz (O.C.), 3200 MHz (O.C.), 3300 MHz (O.C.), 3400 MHz (O.C.), 3333 MHz (O.C.), 3466 MHz (O.C.), 3733 MHz (O.C.), 3600 MHz (O.C.), 3866 MHz (O.C.), 4000 MHz (O.C.), 4133 MHz |
| Features | Dual channel memory architecture, Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) | Dual channel memory architecture, Intel Extreme Memory Profiles (XMP) |
| Registered or Buffered | Unbuffered | Unbuffered |
| Technology | DDR4 | DDR4 |
| Max Size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Supported RAM Integrity Check | Non-ECC | Non-ECC |
Strix offers similar RAM frequencies as Maximus X hero. However, Maximum X Hero offers additional 4133 MHz bus block for RAM. We hope this post will help you to understand how these motherboards differ.
Conclusion
We hope this gives you some clarity on the ASUS ROG Strix Z370-E vs Maximus X Hero coffee lake motherboards. As you can see, both are essentially the same, but with minor differences if looked under a microscope.
We hope you like our article. Suggestions or feedbacks are welcome in the comment section below.
