The ASUS Republic of Gamers Maximus X Apex LGA1151 E-ATX Motherboard lets you build an 8th-generation Intel Core processor gaming rig or workstation by featuring an Intel Z370 chipset and LGA1151 socket along with four PCIe 3.0 x16 slots. The Apex motherboard comes equipped with hardware-level controls that aid you in overclocking the system. With overclockers toolkit, you can change between the motherboard's two BIOS chips, halt the system, turn on or off PCIe slots, and more. Moreover, installing and raiding two M.2 SSDs are made possible by an included DIMM.2 module, which supports NVMe drives and installs in the motherboard's single DIMM.2 slot.
The Gamers Maximus X Apex motherboard comes with four SATA connectors for optical and 2.5"/3.5" drives and two DDR4 DIMM slots, so you can install up to 32GB of memory chips. ASUS has also outfitted the motherboard with built-in LEDs and lets you install LED strips to illuminate the insides of your case.
The motherboard has two USB 3.1 and six USB 3.0 ports to access printers, external storage drives, and other external peripherals. The USB 3.1 ports transfer data at up to 10 Gb/s speeds, and one of these ports sports a convenient USB Type-C design. For non-gaming builds, DisplayPort and HDMI outputs are on board to deliver 4K visuals, coming from the processor's integrated graphics chipset. To complete the multimedia experience, you can connect your sound system to the motherboard's six audio ports, which are powered by a SupremeFX S1220A audio processor. There's also a pair of Ethernet ports, and one of the ports has a bandwidth of 5 Gb/s. Adding additional ports can be accomplished by installing optional PCIe cards to the motherboard's two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots.
Intel Z370 Chipset
The Intel Z370 is a single-chipset design that supports 8th-generation Intel Core LGA1151 processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, the Z370 provides a maximum of ten USB 3.0 ports, six SATA 6 Gbps ports, and 32 Gbps M.2 and PCIe 3.0 lane speed support, for faster data retrieval. Intel Z370 also supports integrated-graphics.
Overclocker's Toolkit
ROG Maximus X Apex includes an overclocker's toolkit with hardware-level controls to aid your overclocking experience. The motherboard's Dual-BIOS design allows you to experiment with different firmware versions and provides a path for recovery in case one becomes corrupt, and the onboard switch allows you to easily change between the first and second BIOS. The overclocker's toolkit also includes a Pause switch to halt the system, and four PCIe switches for quick slot toggling. Other tools include Safe Boot and ReTry buttons, a LN2 mode jumper to aid POST at sub-zero temperatures, and a Slow mode switch.
- QLED - four LEDs show the current boot status
- Slow Mode Switch - reduces the CPU ratio to 8X to bypass benchmark passages
- Pause Switch - activate to pause the system and fine-tune OC parameters mid-benchmark
- PCIe Switches - four switches to independently enable or disable any of the four x16-length PCIe slots, for easy debugging
- LN2 Mode Jumper - enable special options and functions for liquid-nitrogen (LN2) overclocking
- PROBEIT - check the voltage via integrated measurement points
- Retry Button - one press instantly initiates a hard reset
- Safe Boot Button - instantly reset the system and boot directly into a safe mode
- MEMOK - instantly retune memory settings for a guaranteed boot
- BIOS Switch (for dual BIOS) - switch quickly and easily between BIOS one and two
DDR4 Overclocking
Two-slot memory design allows for a short trace layout that enables a tight control over impedance and reduced signal interference. It's teamed with ASUS OptiMem to preserve memory signal integrity by routing traces and vias to the optimal PCB layer. These enhancements provide more headroom for overclocking and improved stability, allowing Apex to achieve memory speeds of DDR4-4500 MHz.
ASUS Pro Clock Technology with Extreme Engine DIGI+
The dedicated base-clock (BCLK) generator, designed for 8th-generation Core processors, allows an overclocked BCLK frequency record of 584 MHz. This custom solution works in tandem with an ASUS Turbo V Processing Unit (TPU) to enhance voltage and base-clock overclocking control. Additionally, Maximus X Apex includes Extreme Engine Digi+, which is a digital power controller. With a Digi+ PWM controller, Texas Instruments NexFET MOSFETs, MicroFine alloy chokes, and 10K black metallic capacitors, Extreme Engine Digi+ technology delivers stable power.
ROG DIMM.2
The ROG DIMM.2 module is a vertically-installed expansion card that allows two M.2 drives to be connected via a DDR4 interface. You can then add a memory cooler or a fan via the included mounting bracket to direct cool air over the M.2 drives, helping to control thermals and ensure maximum performance. ROG DIMM.2 includes a pair of onboard thermal probe headers that allow control over the speed and acoustics of mounted fans via Fan Xpert 4 software or UEFI.
Aura Sync
ASUS Aura Sync offers full RGB control with a variety of functional presets for the built-in RGB LEDs as well as the LED strips connected to the four onboard 4-pin RGB headers. It provides Static, Breathing, Strobing, Rainbow, Color Cycle, Comet, Flash & Dash, Wave, Glowing Yo-Yo, Starry Night, Music, and CPU temperature effects.