Asus Maximus Formula Special Edition

Overall then, the Maximus Formula turns out to be a typical ASUS motherboard offering - A logical feature set for its target market, a good layout and a fantastic array of overclocking options. It also revels in some smart little features to make life easier for users, such as the CMOS reset button on the motherboard's back plate, and the inclusion of a water cooling compatible chipset cooler block on the Special Edition part we've looked at today. Personally, I'm not sure about the inclusion of the SupremeFX II as a PCI Express 1x audio solution over having it as a more traditional on-board part, especially considering the fact that it's the exact same chip as that used on-board in the P5E3 Deluxe, but that aside there really isn't a great deal to criticise about the Maximus Formula. There are certainly cheaper Intel X38-based motherboard solutions out there, including those that make use of DDR2 memory, and if you're planning on running your system at stock settings I'd certainly advise looking into those boards - However, if you're after any detailed level of overclockability, then few parts will be able to compete with the sheer wealth of options on show here.

Throughout our testing over the previous pages, the Maximus performed consistently faster than the P35 based DFI Lanparty board and even managed to come within a whisker of 500FSB on our quad-core Q6600 chip. Whether or not this is directly down to the use of the X38 chipset, Asus playing with chipset and memory sub-timings or a combination of both is up for debate - but either way, Asus certainly have come up trumps yet again with another top motherboard in their ROG lineup.

Performance on the previous pages shows the Maximus to be better than the MSI Platinum under some tests while being bested in other. However, its no surprise that ASUS continues to improve their boards with BIOS updates and we think that the same would apply for the Maximus. The overclocking potential of this board is phenomenal and ASUS does a great job with its feature set as well. Although DDR2 is the price/performance leader at the moment, we’re not quite sure if you would want to invest in a board that’s based on an X38 chipset and does not support DDR3.

At this point in time, all X38-based motherboards I've seen are expensive, with the Maximus Formula being one of the least expensive. Yes, seriously. The feature-rich P5E3 Deluxe board sits at $350 at popular e-tailers, making it even more exclusive. It's a great board as well. Though I haven't managed to overclock it as high as the Maximus (yet), it features many more additions that would better please casual computer users, thanks to it's n-based WiFi card and ExpressGate on-board Linux. After taking all things into consideration, I am awarding this board an 8 out of 10 along with our Editor's Choice. This is the same rating I gave the Blitz boards back in July, and really, the Maximus is not that much different... it's the Blitz with X38 perks. If you don't require the X38 bonuses but can find a Blitz Formula for much cheaper (although I am finding them difficult to track down), you might want to save the premium and go with it instead.

The Maximus Formula is an affordable high-end motherboard geared towards gaming. This was made evident not only because of the price but also because of the DDR2 memory support. This translates into cheaper upgrades without getting stung by excessively high memory prices that DDR3 currently presents. This also means you can load up the Maximus Formula with 4GB of quality DDR2 memory for as little as $300. When focusing on the value of the Maximus Formula and the features it offers, we believe this to be one of the best LGA775 motherboards yet released no matter whether you are building a system from scratch or upgrading to the Core 2 platform.