It looks like ASUS decided to upgrade their Maximus VIII Hero motherboard. Wit their new "Alpha" they now have a board in their portfolio, which feautures two U.2 connectors for attaching fast NVMe-SSDs.

Apart from the new U.2 connectors the Maximus VIII Hero is similar to the predecessor. Apparently the new "Alpha" also supports Intels latest Skylake processors. Furthermore there is a new integrated RGB header, which is compatible with 12 volt RGB LED strips for custom lighting effects.

Continuning with the specs we find a 2x2 802.11ac MU-MIMO WiFi module, supporting up to 867 Mbit/s throughput. There are also several USB 3.1 Type-A connectors as well as a Type-C port offering up to 10Gbit/s bandwidth.

Undoubtedly the keyfeatures, that's what the two U.2 ports on this board are. So far there is no other motherboard on the market, which comes pre-equipped with two U.2 ports for fast NVMe-SSDs. According to ASUS approximately 3.4GB/s read and 3.6GB/s write speed was achieved on this board thanks to these new connectors and NVMe-SSDs.

Furthermore there are the usual additional features you get with almost all ASUS Republic of Gamers motherboards. Like for example a high-quality digital power design, good overclockability, beefed-up audio, great looking design and an extensive software suite.

The new Maximus VIII Hero Alpha is already listed on Geizhals and so far the board is anything but cheap, setting you back 302 Euro.










Source: ASUS