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The Asus Maximus VIII Impact is a high-performance mini-ITX motherboard that will grab the attention of SFF enthusiasts interested in crunching through pixels in the latest games.
General performance from the motherboard is superb. The same can be said for overclocking; we had no problem taking our 6700K CPU to its 4.8GHz limit while also using 3200MHz DDR4. Voltage accuracy was decent and could be tweaked depending on one's preference thanks to eight LLC profiles. And the small touch of instability we experienced was resolved by reseating the CPU cooler and memory modules.
Asus' UEFI layout is superb, as are its included features. The interface is easy to navigate which makes achieving a stable overclock a simple and fast process. Despite the solid interface, Asus' UEFI-based automated overclocking options were not good. The voltage levels for the preset and EZ Tuning wizard were far too high for daily usage. Thankfully, the OS-based 5-Way Optimization tuning was truly excellent and incredibly successful.
Features are both a strength and an area for debate with the Maximus VIII Impact. The inclusion of a PCIe 3.0 x4-fed Intel DSL6540 USB 3.1 chipset to provide the 10Gbps Type-A and Type-C ports is welcomed. Performance from the SupremeFX Impact III audio solution is excellent. Many gaming HTPC buyers will be glad to see 802.11ac WiFi included, although some of those may miss the lack of DisplayPort for 4K60P connectivity through the iGPU.
Another of the board's strengths is its included 32Gbps PCIe 3.0 x4 U.2 connector. With that said, the U.2 connector seems to have replaced the far more versatile and valuable (at this point in time) M.2 slot. Asus' decision to ship a flagship mini-ITX motherboard without an M.2 connector to house NVMe SSDs such as Samsung's extremely popular 950 Pro is one that could alienate a vast number of potential buyers.
Continuing with the storage theme, four SATA 6Gbps ports on an enthusiast motherboard also seems to be cutting it fine. And I do not like to see the complete omission of USB 2.0 ports, with not even an internal header deployed. Two more SATA 6Gbps ports (or a single SATA-Express connector for front panel USB 3.1 bay functionality) and a USB 2.0 header could have easily been provided out of the Z170 chipset's spare lanes that currently go unused on this motherboard.
Asus' diverse set of included software is very good for gaming and general usage scenarios. GameFirst IV provides network optimisation, KeyBot can be used to assign macros and perform system functions in S5 state, and the number of audio-related tools are useful for gamers. AI Suite 3 provides many worthwhile functions, including good system monitoring abilities, USB 3.1 Boost, and further options for WiFi functionality.
Support for up to five 4-pin fan headers, and additional temperature sensors, thanks to the included fan extension board is superb. Asus' UEFI- and OS-based fan control methods are also very good for giving users plenty of flexibility for operating speeds.
Available for £187.99 at OverclockersUK, Asus' Maximus VIII Impact is the highest priced mini-ITX board on the market. Asus delivers innovation in the form of the company's Impact Power III board and SupremeFX Impact III audio to help justify the price tag. And in other areas, features such as Intel-based USB 3.1, a 32Gbps U.2 connector, and superb software implementations are points which will tempt potential buyers.
With that said, there is compromise to be made if you plan to use the Maximus VIII Impact. The biggest compromise comes from the lack of an M.2 connector, however four SATA 6Gbps and no USB 2.0 connections may also limit connectivity and expansion options. If these points are compromises that you can happily accept, Asus' Maximus VIII Impact is a superb choice for your high-performance mini-ITX system.
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Pros:
- SupremeFX Impact III is an excellent audio solution (provided you don't need 7.1 support).
- Intel DSL6540 10Gbps USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports.
- High-performance power delivery system thanks to the smart design of the Impact Power III board.
- 32Gbps PCIe 3.0 x4 U.2 connector is good to have.
- Good networking capability via Intel NIC and 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac WiFi.
- Excellent UEFI implementation and a very good array of gamer-orientated and general usage software.
- Motherboard layout is generally good for mini-ITX builders and overclocking users.
- Support and control for up to five 4-pin fan headers is great.
Cons:
- No M.2 connector (!).
- No USB 2.0 connectivity at all.
- More than 4 SATA 6Gbps connectors should be included, especially with the lack of M.2.
- PS/2 port may be missed by extreme overclockers and troubleshooting (or Windows 7) users, albeit a minor point.
KitGuru says: Intel USB 3.1, a 32Gbps U.2 connector, and superb audio performance are just some of the features that make the Asus Maximus VIII Impact a tempting motherboard for a high-performance mini-ITX build.
Looks like a great ITX board but no m.2 = no purchase from me 🙁
No M.2 = no purchase.
I have the z170i Pro Gaming, which has a lot of these features (but has M.2 NVMe), minus the additional soundcard and VRM cooling (but still has decent of both) and can go as high as 4GHz on the RAM (though my BIOs shows 4.133Mhz). Same Software, same Wifi… about £50 cheaper.
That said, I’m in the process of returning it to Scan as the WiFi died on me. Let me just say that Scan have a horrendous returns policy. No advanced return. Offered to just buy a new board and they refund me when they received mine… they said ok, but were only willing to refund £125 (the price I paid). It’s now £133 + £12 postage on their website, so I’d be out of pocket. So, I have to wait 5-7 days to return. Moral of the story – buy from Amazon (sold and fufilled by) Free next day delivery for Prime and they ship a replace before you return.
EDIT:
Those VRMs would interfere with most cooling in ITX cases too. At least in my Corsair Obsidian 250D, which is a squeeze with my H100i GTX as it is.
there are u2 to m2 converters… and as someone who has the Intel 750 SSD, this board was exactly what i needed.
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Do you have a link for U.2 to M.2 adapters? I have seen M.2 to U.2 but have yet to come across the other way around.
Indeed USB 2.0 devices will work fine in USB 3.0 ports, however the lack of an internal header could be a problem to somebody who has a mini-ITX chassis with front panel USB ports, in addition to something like a card reader. There’s not enough internal USB (including 2.0, which is small and easy to fit on the PCB) connectivity in that case.
Yes, there are quite a few enthusiast mini-ITX cases (Corsair 250D, Phanteks Enthoo ITX, etc.) that will take four SATA devices or more. And that’s without just placing 2.5″ SSDs in some free space, without an actual drive mount (which is quite common and perfectly fine). Some people will want more than 4 SATA devices, especially with the lack of M.2, so it would have been better to include another two SATA ports (especially because the Z170 chipset has plenty of spare lanes). If 4 SATA ports is fine for somebody’s needs, then great – that point is not an issue at all.
Which CPU cooler are you using? The NH-D14 fit fine in our testing. Make sure to send some pics to our Facebook page when you’ve completed the build :)!
i dont understand why so many insist on a PS/2 keyboard/mouse connector. This is a High end board. Thus majority will have New-ish USB keyboard mouses? why waste the space. Get real Kitguru. Your spending a solid Few hundred on a Motherboard, your going to have a decent mouse/keyboard combo too.
If the U.2 port is positioned under the board like my Z170i Pro Gaming then an adapter might be an issue…
Showing my ignorance, though, as I’m unfamiliar with U.2. The bus link is the same PCI-E x4, though, so I don’t see the advantage on this board. Surely a topside M.2 with a U.2 adapter would be the best case scenario?
I wouldn’t say the Z170 has spare lanes. SLI/XFire is more limited than the 2011-3 X99 boards due to less lanes on the CPU
When I say Z170, it refers specifically to the chipset, not the LGA 1151 CPU or the platform as a whole. The CPU’s lanes are generally reserved for the wider PCIe links (x4, x8, x16) for graphics and other expansion cards, however that’s not really important with this board as all 16 lanes get delivered straight to the one full-length PCIe slot.
The Z170 chipset has spare lanes available for use, compared to what has been deployed on this motherboard. The Z170 chipset itself actually supports up to 26 IO lanes, however there are some limitations as to how many of these can be deployed as PCIe, USB, and SATA 6Gbps.
I think youre right, I cant find a link, must have been thinking of M.2 to U.2, once there is a market for it im sure adapters will exist though.
Like a said, for my use case all of the above are non issues.
I am going to be putting a build together in the RVZ02 and trying either the Scythe BIG Shuriken 2 Rev. B or the Zalman low profile. Not sure yet, Im overseas and the mobo is stuck in customs.
yeah max lanes for m.2 is the same as u.2, but if im not mistaken some of the boards that have m.2 and more additional connectivity options share some of the lanes? Like depending on your configuration and what you are using, your m.2 is limited?
if the u.2 was am m.2 instead, would one of the converter cards fit in there?
Yeah, sure, but X99 boards can support x16, x16 and x8 configurations on PCI-E with some spare for I/O… Just saying the z170 is lacking in the PCIE lanes department
Using this board in a HTPC build with a ML07 case and a gtx 1060sc gpu Ive run into an issue with the sound card connector for the front panel jacks,,it appears most low profile coolers end up right up against the sound card, leaving no room to connect the HD audio cable for the front jacks, if there was a cable that would allow the sound card to be mounted off the board somewhere it would help but I havent found a cable yet that would allow one to mount it elsewhere much like the included fan header card. As it stands now I will just cover the male connectors with insulating tape to keep them from contacting the cooler fins on my Geminii M4 cooler and forego using the front jacks until i get a different cooler or find a jumper cable that allows moving the sound card to a better mounting position in the silverstone case.