The VRM heatsinks are quite big, and the I/O cover is made of aluminum and helps cool the VRM, as there is a heat pipe connecting the I/O cover and the main heatsink. The motherboard provides 16-phase power delivery, which greatly helps in overclocking the processor while having a stable voltage, thanks to the latest power design used by ROG in this motherboard. That is why the performance of the processors on this motherboard is going to be better than any other motherboard from ASUS and even most of the motherboards from other companies. This motherboard is uniquely known for providing top-notch overclocking performance. The same is the case with the I/O heatsink, and RGB lighting is present in both heatsinks the ROG logo on the chipset heatsink looks really cool.

The chipset heatsink at the bottom side of the motherboard is in glossy black color, while the left part of the heatsink has a striped black texture.

This move was pretty much expected from Intel because Intel always breaks the compatibility after around two years.Ĭoming to the motherboard’s design, this motherboard is quite similar to other ROG series motherboards from ASUS, and no doubt that it looks superb.

The main difference between the Z490 and Z390 chipset is that the Z490 chipset comes with an LGA 1200 socket instead of LGA 1151, breaking the compatibility between the 9th generation processors and this motherboard. The motherboard provides an LGA 1200 socket instead of the LGA 1151 socket previously used in many Intel processors. Speaking of the chipset, ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme is based on the latest Z490 chipset, providing support for the latest 10th generation Intel processors. The motherboard costs almost four times the price you would pay for basic motherboards for this chipset. ASUS ROG Maximus XII Extreme is the flagship motherboard among the MAXIMUS series, and that alone can tell many things about this motherboard. The MAXIMUS motherboard series is the flagship motherboard series for Intel mainstream processors and is known for providing top-notch performance with no compromise. ASUS ROG is a subsidiary of ASUS, and it specializes in gaming-related components. ASUS needs no introduction, and the company is famous for manufacturing some of the most powerful motherboards.

Best gigabyte motherboard