Today we are talking about two of the most potent motherboards in Asus lineup; The Asus ROG Z390 Maximus XI Extreme vs Hero. The Extreme model is yet to hit the market. However, we will be discussing whatever information is available out there, to give you about an idea of what these motherboards are all about and how their performance level differs from each other. We will go through all the relevant specifications and technical details side by side, so our readers get the differences clear right before their eyes.
Also Read: Best Z390 Motherboards
Motherboards features in this article:
Feature / Specs Highlights: (Maximus XI Extreme vs Hero)
Before we move to the specification comparison, let us have an overview of both of the motherboards. So here is quick specification highlight for both Asus ROG Z390 Maximus XI Extreme and Asus ROG Z390 Maximum XI Hero:
ASUS ROG Z390 Maximus XI Extreme – Specs Highlights:
- Supports 9th and 8th gen Intel Core desktop processors with LGA1151 CPU Socket
- ROG ecosystem, aura sync RGB lighting, dedicated headers for standard / addressable RGB strips
- Dedicated water cooling zone, heatsinks for M.2 drives, modifiable fan controls, vertical M.2 expansion slot for enhanced cooling with sinks
- Custom cooling profile support, Artificial intelligence overclocking, extensive tuning optimization
- 5G LAN, inboard Intel Gigabit Ethernet, 4x M.2, USB 3.1 Gen 2, ac Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO, LanGuard, GameFirst technologies
- SupremeFX and Sonic Studio III for best sound experience
- I/O Shield (pre-mounted), ASUS SafeSlot, high-quality components for enhanced durability.
ASUS ROG Z390 Maximus XI Hero – Specs Highlights:
- Supports 9th and 8th gen Intel Core desktop processors with LGA1151 CPU Socket
- RGB lighting sync technology (requires Aura Sync supported components), supports addressable light strips, Philips Hue
- Enhanced cooling with dedicated water cooling zone, custom fan control and heatsink for M.2
- Onboard Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LAN Guard, dual M.2, USB 3.1 Gen 2 connectivity
- Custom cooling profile support, Artificial intelligence overclocking, full tuning optimization
- SupremeFX and Sonic Studio III for best sound experience
- Asus Safe Slot, premium components for increased durability
As this section implies, there are some similarities and many differences as well in these two motherboards. For example, they both have similar audio technologies, safeguard parameters and cooling specifications, overclocking support, etc. However, there are many differences as well. We will go a little bit deeper into the technical aspect in the following section.
Asus ROG Z390 Maximus XI Extreme vs Hero:
So after getting a quick overview of what these both motherboards, the Asus ROG Z390 Maximus XI Extreme and Hero has to offer, let us dive in a little deep into the technical specifications. Following is a brief specs comparison for both motherboards, categorized in various criteria. Have a look; we hope it will help you to get a complete understanding of the motherboards.
CPU:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero
| |
Socket | Intel Socket 1151 | Intel Socket 1151 |
CPU Support | 9th / 8th Gen Intel Core, Pentium, Gold, and Celeron Processors | 9th / 8th Gen Intel Core, Pentium, Gold, and Celeron Processors |
Architecture Support | Intel 14nm CPUs | Intel 14nm CPUs |
Chipset | Z390 | Z390 |
As the table implies, the CPU support is nothing different for both the motherboards. They both are based on same architecture and chipset, they both come with the same socket and thus support the same range of Intel 8th and 9th gen CPU families without any restrictions.
Memory:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme
| Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
Slots | 4x DIMM DDR4 slots | 4x DIMM DDR4 slots |
Max. Memory Size | 64 GB | 64 GB |
Supported Memory Type | 4400, 4266, 4133, 4000, 3866, 3733, 3600, 3466, 3400, 3333, 3300, 3200, 3000, 2800 (OC) 2666, 2400, 2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory | 4400, 4266, 4133, 4000, 3866, 3733, 3600, 3466, 3400, 3333, 3300, 3200, 3000, 2800 (OC) 2666, 2400, 2133 MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory |
Other | Dual Channel Memory Architecture XMP Support (Intel Extreme Memory Profiler) | Dual Channel Memory Architecture XMP Support (Intel Extreme Memory Profiler) |
Like the CPU support, the memory configuration for both Asus ROG Z390 Maximum Xi Extreme and Hero are same. They come with four DIMM DDR4 slots supporting up to 64 GB of Non-ECC, the Un-buffered main memory of types specified above. However, the supported memory types may vary based on what type of processor you are going to use in your rig.
Moreover, they come with dual channel memory architecture. Which means you will need to install two or more supported memory modules into matching slots so that that memory controller can access each of these. Another great feature is Intel XMP support. The Intel Extreme Memory Profiler allows you to overclock the memory by merely tuning some BIOS settings to enhance your creation and gaming experience. That’s not it, XMP also allows loading and test predefined profiles through different ways. It makes convenient to find the right settings for your system.
Video:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
IGP Support | Intel UHD Graphics Support | Intel UHD Graphics Support |
Multi VGA Output | NO | YES |
VGA Outputs | HDMI Port | HDMI Port DisplayPort Port |
Max. Resolution | 4096 x 2160 / 30 Hz (HDMI) | 4096 x 2160 / 30 Hz (HDMI) 4096 x 2304 / 60 Hz (DisplayPort) |
Multi GPU Support | NVIDIA 2 Way SLI Technology AMD 3 Way CrossFireX Technology | NVIDIA 2 Way SLI Technology AMD 3 Way CrossFireX Technology |
Both of the motherboards are designed to optimize the integrated graphics processor (if your CPU has any). When we talk about the differences, the Maximus extreme does not support multiple VGA outputs. It has only one HDMI output, delivering 4096 x 2160 maximum resolutions with a 30 Hz refresh rate. On the other hand, Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Hero supports dual VGA output. Addition to HDMI, it also has DisplayPort, which delivers better resolution and refresh rate compared to HDMI, that is 4096 x 2304 at 60 Hz.
Both the motherboards come with support to multiple GPU. They support various technologies by Nvidia and AMD to serve the purpose. You can use up to two Nvidia graphics card with the same GPU in both motherboards. AMD gives you some more space as it allows up to 3 graphics card and that too with different GPUs.
Audio:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
Audio Coded | ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel S1220 | ROG SupremeFX 8-Channel S1220 |
Compliant Standard | High Definition Audio | High Definition Audio |
Technologies | Impedance sense jack detection, multi-streaming, front panel jack retasking 120 dB SNR stereo playback output 113 dB SNR recording input Supreme FX Shielding technology ESS ES9023P 32 bit / 192kHz playback support | Impedance sense jack detection, multi-streaming, front panel jack retasking 120 dB SNR stereo playback output 113 dB SNR recording input Supreme FX Shielding technology ESS ES9023P 32 bit / 192kHz playback support |
Features | Gold plated jacks Optical S/PDIF out port Sonic Radar III Sonic Studio III + Sonic Studio Link | Gold plated jacks Optical S/PDIF out port Sonic Radar III Sonic Studio III + Sonic Studio Link |
The audio specifications in both motherboards are some.
Expansion Slots / Connectivity:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
Expansions Slots | 2x PCIe 3.0 / 2.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8) 1x PCIe 3.0 / 2.0 x16 1x PCIe 3.0 / 2.0 x1 | 2x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8 or x8/x4/x4) 1x PCIe 3.0 x 16 (x4 mode) 3x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
Storage Interface | SATA & PCIe 3.0 x4 mode PCIe 3.0 x4 mode 6x SATA 3 GB/sports (RAID 0-1-5-10 support) | SATA & PCIe 3.0 x4 mode PCIe 3.0 x4 mode 6x SATA 6 GB/sports (RAID 0-1-5-10 support) |
USB Ports | 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 port (front) 4x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports (back) 8x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports 4x USB 2.0 ports 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports | 4x USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (front) 2x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports (back) 2x USB 2.0 ports (back) 4x USB 2.0 ports (mid-board) 1x USB 3.1 Gen 1 front panel ports |
As you can clearly see in the table above, the expansion support and storage interface is almost similar for both the motherboard. However, note that Hero offers better 6 GB/s SATA slots compared to ASUS ROG Z390 Maximum Extreme which offers only 3 GB/s SATA slots. Moreover, the USB specification and positions are different as well.
Networking:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
LAN | Aquantia AQC111C 5G LAN Dual Integration technology Anti-surge Lan guard RPG GameFirst Technology | Intel I219V, Gigabit LAN Controller Dual integration technology Anti-surge Lan guard RPG GameFirst Technology |
Wireless | Intel Wireless AC 9560 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Dual band 2.4 / 5 GHz support MU-MIMO Support Channel bandwidth support (HT 20 / 40 / 80 / 160) | None |
Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.0 | None |
Talking about the wired connectivity, Extreme offers Aquantia AQC111C 5G LAN controller which Hero has onboard Intel I219V and Gigabit LAN controller as well. We are not sure how much it will impact the networking performance. However, Hero does not feature wireless connectivity nor Bluetooth, which is a big plus for extreme. It is going to save you from investing in separate Bluetooth / wireless cards. You can see in detail wireless connectivity details for ASUS ROG Z390 Maximus XI Extreme is described in the table above.
Features:
These motherboards come with some highlights and supported technologies as described in the table below, as it implies, Extreme has much more to offer compared to Hero:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
ROG Exclusive Features | Retry, Safe Boot, Start Button LN2 Mode Extreme Engine Digi+ Mem Tweak-it Extreme Tweaker ROG Exclusive Software | Retry, Safe Boot, Start Button – Extreme Engine Digi+ Mem Tweak-it Extreme Tweaker ROG Exclusive Software |
Other Features | Live dash OLED Safe DIMM slot ASUS AURA ASUS EZ DIY ASUS Q Design Overclocking Protection OptiMem II | ASUS AURA Asus Q-Design Features |
Other:
Specification | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Extreme | Asus ROG Z390 Maximus Xi Hero |
BIOS | 2x 128 Mb Flash ROM UEFI AMI BIOS PNP DMI 3.0 SM BIOS 3.1 ACPI 6.1 | 1x 128 Mb Flash ROM UEFI AMI BIOS PNP DMI 3.0 SM BIOS 3.1 ACPI 6.1 |
Form Factor | ATX Form Factor (12 x 9.6 inches) | ATX Form Factor (12 x 9.6 inches) |
Recommended OS | Windows 10 – 64 bit | Windows 10 – 64 bit |
Conclusion:
We hope this post helps you to understand the significant differences between Asus ROG Z390 Maximum xi extreme and hero. If there is any doubt or suggestion on your mind, feel free to contact us directly or comment down below. Make sure you subscribe Face of IT for regular tech updates. See you until next post, Thank You.