Maximus VI Formula Special Features
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Asus makes it easy to hide storage on its Maximus VI Formula, but not where you might think. The drive connector isn’t found on the board itself, but instead under the metal cover of its riser card.
An M.2 interface makes adding 256 GB of conveniently-placed solid-state storage a snap! Just be aware that this only interfaces with a single PCIe lane, whereas the drive we tested in SanDisk A110 PCIe SSD: Armed With The New M.2 Edge Connector benefited from a x2 link. The other side of the riser hosts Broadcom’s 2x2 802.11ac dual-band controller on a mini-PCIe card. That component is rated for 867 Mb/s of maximum throughput, though you naturally need a compatible router in order to maximum wireless performance. Best of all, the entire package consumes less than half an inch of space on the I/O panel.
A row of voltage detection points along the top edge make it easy to confirm your settings, and the MemOK! button initiates a temporary RAM underclock to so you boot up without destroying your other overclocking options.
Asus adds a four-pin ATX12V interface to the Maximus VI Formula’s eight-pin EPS12V connector to give extreme overclockers the extra amperage they need to push the most taxing voltage levels. Next to those connections, removable plugs provide access to G1/4 liquid cooling fittings on the CPU input voltage regulator.
