Asus Maximus VI Formula Unboxing & Overview

UPDATE: Here's what ASUS has to say about their aluminum liquid cooling implementation: rog.asus.com/26...
The Maximus VI Formula from ASUS is (in my mind) as good as it gets without starting to spend money on things that will never matter. It looks great, has an awesome onboard sound implementation, and has pretty much every feature you could want.
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[@LulaPlays]

Jesus---2019 and this is still one of the sexiest boards ever made....

[@StaelTek]

Look at the MAXIMUS II FORMULA. Even though it is well over 10 years old, it does not look that old

[@robertsoulstar]

I bought one yesterday... march 2020 and I confirm it's still one of the sexiest mobo ;)

[@roshill2010]

Have it for 7 yrs now. Running great. Although I am planning on turning it into a storage and multimedia pc as I am upgrading. Still loving it. 0 issues thus far.

[@lee2003uk]

@@robertsoulstar Just got one 2021 lol

[@solomonkendall8895]

You probably dont give a shit but does someone know of a way to log back into an instagram account? I somehow forgot my account password. I love any help you can give me.

[@ASKALAPHUS]

I miss these types of videos from linus. These are the ones that gave me the undrstanding and confidence to build my own computer some years ago.

[@TheDepressedTurtle]

Love this mobo, just got it for my new build. Specs are: Maximus VI Formula 16GB Dominator Platinum i7 4770k cooled with H100i Asus GTX 780 DirectCUII (running in SLI) AX860i Corsair 750D 250GB Samsung 840 EVO WD 3TB Black

[@ThePokemonx7]

We have almost the same build, lol. I got the same mother board, same CPU, same power supply, same ram and the same HDD. The only difference between our builds is that i got a EVGA GTX 780 TI Superclocked with ACX cooling a Phanteks Enthoo series Primo aluminum ATX full tower case with blue led and a Corsair Hydro series H100i with a 500gb Samsung 840 EVO. But still everything almost the same .

[@Gizmetti]

just about the same build here as well lmao

[@checkup1944]

Just received all the hardware, did not buy the 780 because I will be using a 24" monitor. Cooler Master HAF XM - High Air Flow Mid Tower Microsoft Windows 8.1 Pro - 64-bit PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III Series 850W Modular ASUS GTX770-DC2OC-2GD5 GeForce GTX 770 2GB 256-bit (2) Intel 530 Series SSDSC2BW240A4K5 2.5" 240GB SATA III ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X - Asus MAXIMUS VI FORMULA Intel Core i7 4770K Unlocked Quad Core 3.5GHZ Processor BenQ XL2420TE 24IN LED 144HZ 1MS Corsair Dominator Platinum 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 ASUS ROG RAIDR Express PCI-E 240GB PCIe 2.0 x 2 MLC (SSD) Swiftech H220 Quiet Power PLUG-AND-PLAY Liquid

[@joniostis]

Also almost same build :D only 32 gb RAM, 2x palit gtx 780 ti jetstream in SLI of course 1250W Seasonic x-1250 case: same cpu: same mobo: same cpu-cooler: same ssd: same hdd: same

[@TheDepressedTurtle]

joniostis To be honest with you I think 32GB RAM is overkill for pretty much anything, I used to have 32GB in my last system but then I realised it was a mistake and by the time games begin to use more than 16GB of RAM I won't be using this system anymore so I decided not to go with the 32GB.

[@LinusTechTips]

Actually now that I think about it I do say what I feel is a very negative thing about this product in the video. I called ASUS out for using aluminum in their liquid cooling implementation :)

[@Precourser1]

I would be the person to buy this MOBO just to get all those native USB ports.

[@coololly]

go amd if u want usb ports

[@daaronsdoesskids]

but your just a mouse courser?

[@Deybis]

Holy Your Pic Scared The Shit Out Of Me IDK Why But It Did LOL

[@VariumHD]

I would get this just to show off its sexyness

[@daaronsdoesskids]

your your your your your *****

[@LinusTechTips]

1. ASUS has never given me a penny. 2. ASUS (and others) do provide us with many of the products we showcase 3. Most of my personal opinion goes into videos like our weekly WAN Show stream. Unboxings are more intended as a product showcase if you wanted to see it and learn about what it offers.

[@steelapplepipeapfel995]

nice ! :)

[@danpope5652]

It's a little bit disappointing that you mostly have to go over budget with the mobos to get a proper fan connector layout.

[@LinusTechTips]

I'm a little curious what about this video was all about sponsors? I genuinely want the feedback. Please PM me.

[@OnceIWasBooker]

That board looks beast

[@SteveL11]

***** no its fancy

[@FrenchyAU]

Nah its swag

[@evanbrown3907]

lfren38 Sweg*

[@Pissanttrail]

correction, I believe the term would be Fleek

[@A-Certain-Accelerator]

A beautiful board and a thorough review as always. Nicely done Linus.

[@q4h4r26]

Am i the only one who wants him to unbox the knife on the shelf next to the power supply ?

[@Ojiispearz0rz]

It's a Sting letter opener from The Hobbit. He used it to unbox the corsair 750D case.

[@q4h4r26]

Gotta check that out ! thanks pal :=)

[@Kai_K]

I have had one for about 5 weeks and I have no complaint. It works beautiful and it looks amazing

[@MinecraftEclipseTV]

which is better for gaming? An asus maximus VI Formula or an asus maximus VI impact?

[@LittleGingerChild]

Both are awesome boards, but the Formula is built especially for gaming where as the Maximus is a high end board for heavy overclocking use. If your building a Gaming PC go with the Formula, If your building a Gaming/Multimedia PC go with the Maximus (only if you are going to overclock; no point spending more money for something when your not going to ultilize its full capability).

[@yukido42]

impact for itx case, formula for mid tower and above case. both perform great.

[@MinecraftEclipseTV]

i already have an h81 but it sucks its tiny and there is only enough room for one gpu

[@MinecraftEclipseTV]

well, what if I want a sound card or something

[@LittleGingerChild]

Their no point getting a sound card with this motherboard unless your having a surround sound speaker system setup on your computer. The onboard sound on this card is good for all gamers and regular users. Only a sound buff would get anything out of buying himself a sound card. In most cases if your buying this motherboard don't bother buying a sound card.

[@CassioMarinello]

2021 and yes... it's so cool Run Cyberpunk with 4770k and this VI Formula into a Thermaltake P90.

[@TeaBagsForDays]

One downfall of watching Linus' videos, I get upset knowing I can't afford most of the the things he makes videos about :(

[@diesertyp7822]

Well same thing here but 5 years later I bought a rig with a Maximus VI Formula inside lol.

[@AlchEm1st88]

Hey, thanks for posting! I actually ordered this board the day before yesterday. I think for the price you can't really do much better at the moment. Really can't wait for it to get here!

[@steelapplepipeapfel995]

was nice?

[@kevinye1104]

Disc isn't useless! It has Daemon Tools!

[@liesdamnlies3372]

I'm glad they responded to concerns about the aluminum. Bare aluminum isn't just bad in a cooling system, it can be catastrophic. Even with anti-corrosion additives at the very least you're really shortening your maintenance cycle. Given that they've anodized it...yeah, I'll be getting this board. God damn is that ever smexy.

[@Freemoonminecraft]

i so want that board >

[@jamesdienow]

Doesn't aluminium have a protective layer when exposed to air called Al2O3? It prevents corrosion, precisely the reason why drink cans, cars, airplanes etc are all made out of aluminium, because it does not corrode. Am I missing something? Sorry if I am.

[@garcex1382]

jamesdienow mixing metals on a watercooling loop like aluminum with copper or nickel may cause corrosion over time

[@sean_farrell]

What does the water cooling actually cool?

[@slickfawn]

The motherboard?

[@sean_farrell]

Alex G. Yeah but to my knowledge the motherboard doesn't get that hot that it requires water cooling

[@dingusmcgillicutty9183]

If your running a water cooled CPU, the VRM tends to run a bit hotter with out the fan from an air cooled solution circulating the air in that area. Especially if your into heavy duty overclocking it would behoove you to cut that in the water loop.

[@hoangviet0312]

Everything in your pc :))))

[@BrownieX001]

I think this is one of Linus' best, most informative and enthusiastic videos. Great job. Watching you really makes me want to buy things.

[@ayalaamaury]

hahaja i was like i need one of these, looked at the price and nope im good

[@GibbyVGM]

you're a wizard linus. learning a lot more than i already knew about computers from this channel. woulda never went with a haswell processor if i hadn't seen you talk on em. woulda ended up with another amd processor. same with my z87 board. maybe when i'm ready for ANOTHER computer build, i'll go with a ROG board.

[@081908009999]

made in china? I want it made in Germany.

[@081908009999]

or, at least made in Japan.

[@081908009999]

everything made in china is trash.

[@dessertlimbo]

It's because if the mass (quantity) and not quality I would like German or Japan too

[@Einarrr]

+Dessert Limbo im glad to hear that as a german. thx for that. be quiet is for example a great PC tech company from germany

[@Einarrr]

+tepf99 and ofc Cherry they are in every better quality mechanical keyboard

[@holdthissl]

I just got this board, probably coming in on Monday and Tuesday cant WAIT!!!!!

[@nicholasgill5236]

more mobos need backplates, and graphics cards.

[@rojamb2012]

Preach it. MOAR

[@ahbalone]

Just built a 4770k system with a new - Formula VI I had in storage. I was going sell it for full retail on Fleabay but it's just too sexy to let go of. Like a red Ferrrari. With a nice, used GTX980ti still got over 6000 Passmark out of the system with a stripped-down Win 7. Heavy duty back plate supports a heavy Cryorig R1 Uni. If there is such a thing as classic PC gear, this mobo is a contender.

[@00Fugitive00]

will you read my comment ?

[@katsuneshinsengumi8727]

he probably didnt,.

[@gabrielatienza7438]

except yours

[@00Fugitive00]

Sevan Kreus LOL

[@jedikoth]

Thank you Linus for another great unboxing! I love your unboxings of motherboards in particular. I would say the MB is your strongest piece of 'tech' you talk about and what got me hooked on the channel. Great insights and knowledge on what to look for in a motherboard. I am still loving my maximus v but this one looks so pretty. Would a msata SSD installed on this board in the mini-pc thingy run at the same speed as a SSD hooked up the sata3 port? What is the speed difference? 6GBs vs ???

[@Juurus]

Anus Maximus

[@boktorinator693]

bruh

[@Metroidam11]

Excellent video! Covered so much content in a concise package. Linus just keeps getting better!

[@kpricepc]

Its always nice when you can put a dollar value on things like the on board sound. Thanks for sharing that information with us.

[@LinusTechTips]

I read all the comments.

[@Arenjias]

I work for a coolant company as a formulation chemist, the copper non-corrositivity is insane to get. Aluminum (in general) non-corrositivity is fairly easy... Aluminum is most likely safe to have come in contact with the coolant although everything is corrosive technically, so.. yea.

[@iiBzTank]

Just got mine in today, can't wait to get the rest of my PC parts in!!

[@myuniquevision]

I just got it and im loving it. Great board.

[@hectorvalentine9044]

I miss these long and very detailed unboxing's.

[@shorty430551]

This board is the reason I went with a red color scheme in my build. Such a good looking board and all the extras you really need.

[@christopherbrummet4997]

I have this board running 24x7, 7 years later and it's still rock solid. ASUS isn't immune to the occasional dud / lemon, but they definitely earn their customer loyalty with boards like this.

[@ctguy1955]

I bought a Corsair 650D case and this MB. When you mentioned not using the water cooling aspect of the MB, I was disheartened until you mentioned using a special cooling liquid that allows the use of dissimilar metals. I decided to not use my Corsair 850 PSU and am now waiting for the UPS truck to deliver my 1050 today, so I can finish the build. I went with a 3770K CPU and bought a corsair H100i cpu cooler. My EVGA 680/4 gig will be installed for now, and 32 megs Gskill Trident X 2400 ram.

[@wpgrunner5]

I own this MoBo, Had to pay a little bit more, but the features you get with it are definitely worth it. You get what you pay for, and in this case you get more. Absolutely recommend to a high-budget build.

[@monzter221]

i really like what he is doing on the endings, keeps me watching to the end :D

[@DrBoompap]

Great review. Helped me a lot with my mobo selection. (: Going with this board for my new build.

[@bravedwarf]

Thank you so much for the videos decided to go for this board on my scan build

[@2victor2]

My future motherboard! Can't wait! Ordering next Friday.

[@elmonte5lim]

15 years ago, I was asking the same question, the answer to which, BTW, essentially, is yes. You might say that it's your PC's nervous system. Having said that, there's a little more to it: different boards, different CPUs/features/problems etc. Incidentally, with deep enough pockets, it looks as though this particular board would support a potent system.

[@RoadrunnerR74]

hello linus do you know how many watts you can pull out off the fan connectors on this bord. i wondring if it is only one fan per connector or if it can handle multi fans on each connector.. im going to bulid an monster water cooling machine with this board and a corsair 900D have bought 25 corsair fans so i was hoping the board can handle 5 fans on each connector

[@swekiller98]

you don't need to connect the fans to the board

[@ronnietjikoeri9965]

get yourself a molex to pwn adapter static.scan.co.uk/images/products/900075-a.jpg

[@RoadrunnerR74]

it is asembled and it is looking stunning just totaly awesome build

[@stefandesimpel]

this totaly convinced me of buying this board, thanks linus :D

[@xSiN26x]

Omg that board looks mad cool I want this for my next build

[@Akash_Banerjee]

Still running like a boss.

[@willis936]

Audiophiles will call color. At the end of the day which opamp you use doesn't heavily affect performance. Noise from resistors and smaller AC coupling capacitors will be what you can actually hear.

[@DaveJubens]

Yes, an external DAC is the most important thing you can do. An amp is not necessary if you are not using passive speakers, many headphones can be driven with a DAC.

[@AnalogFoundry]

Planning to get this motherboard. Good video as always :)

[@michelrochette3066]

Thanks for the review. Nice board with lot of features.

[@stonep11]

I built my PC a year ago and was trying to decide between the cool ROG red/black color scheme of the MVF and the awesome Armor of the Sabertooth. Then, they built this damn thing, the perfect motherboard 6 months later. FML

[@mudcrab1317]

In terms of being 'worth the upgrade', you would be essentially slightly upgrading the CPU with the addition of buying a mobo just for socket compatibility and a few other new chipset benefits. By a slight slight CPU upgrade, I mean the benchmark comparisons are very minute (Highest increase being multi-threaded performance at 7%).

[@MegaHELLRAISER01]

I always go for ASUS when building PC's. Never had a problem with ASUS considering my motherboard and graphics card is from ASUS there is a very unlikely chance of compatibility issues. And these motherboards above looK SO damn cool and it also has very good overclocking potential and stability. WELL DONE ASUS!! :)

[@NickBouwhuis]

PS/2 is popular with overclockers because, if you overclock your board to much USB sometimes won't respond. PS/2 uses hardware interrupts and will always work where as USB keyboard work with polling rates. D-Sub is obsolete, yes. But I can understand how some people are going to miss the PS/2 port

[@DLTX1007]

Swappable opamps are okay, even if the circuit is designed around the component doesn't mean it's bad to swap a opamp unless you go to a radically different type of opamp ... like a JFET opamp instead of a CMOS opamp/BiFET/BJT opamp

[@Bradgilliswhammyman]

Yea, he is one of a very small handful of people that can do this. Viewership drops way down after the top 5 or so computer web reviewers. It is a great job, up there with running your own computer game company or software company.

[@IBIubbleTea]

I have this motherboard and it is actually pretty good. The audio solution is noticeably better than my old Z77 motherboard. One thing I don't like about this motherboard is that all of the 4-pin fan connectors are not true PWM expect for CPU_FAN and CPU_OPT which really sucks saying that this motherboard is around $300 CAD.

[@DiivZee]

When I got my Maximus V formula... I hat to manualy place the antenna cables. I USED FOREVER TO GET THOSE ON .. and now they are attached when you get it? Good job asus!

[@Alexandra-Rex]

If you saw the video, he talked a lot about the sound capabilities of this motherboard. So what it meant was, I like the motherboard, but I'll be using the Sound Blaster ZxR sound card, not the sollution on the motherboard itself. It's not hard to understand.

[@Lemniscated]

Cant wait for someone to show up on build of the week with that board as the centerpiece.

[@israkshakur2564]

your reviwes really helps us a lot.for a highend gamer like me

[@Klinikal773]

Firstly, I just want to say that I love your videos! Whenever I'm looking to invest in a new piece of hardware and would like to watch a formal unboxing and review of the product you are my go-to guy! My KZbin search might look something like "ASUS Maximus VI Formula Linus", lol. Anywho... my question is regarding the space between the CPU socket and the first PCI-E slot just underneath. My intention with this motherboard is to have a GTX 780 in the top two PCI-E 3.0 slots and an ASUS Xonar Essence STX just above in the top PCI-E slot. That said...with this configuration, will I have room for the modern, over-sized (mostly for aesthetics, who am I kidding..) CPU heat sync/fans? i.e., the Cooler Master V8 GTS.

[@cwancyk]

great board, great review as always, thanks Linus

[@IRevoltsGamer]

Linus, please I need to know what it is for the 8-pin connector side of the 4-pin, and it also supports memory of 1866hz default, no overclocking. I want to buy this motherboard, but that only accurate details. Thank you and I'm your fan too.

[@vandaline6154]

Thats not nice

[@blaze12256]

I think that connector is to supply the motherboard with more power for 2+ GPU configurations and CPU overclocking.

[@RedlineGeckos]

Finally! Sweet review man

[@dylanduffy522]

Seems like I'm late to the party but this board for Intel's Haswell chips looks amazing and the specs are incredible! Thank you Linus.

[@devontoner]

both will perform pretty much the same, go for additional features or cheapness, MSi's gd65 gaming has had great reviews as well performing on par with the m vi extreme when using an h100

[@lawrenceb4954]

This dude always makes me want something. I'm about to be moving to a 4770k, and this board would match up great with my DCU II 780. However, I'm thinking hero, or sabertooth (which is ugly). This board is tempting however, just because.

[@GregPeden]

Regarding the on-board USB 2.0 headers... there actually are two, except one of them is designed to be used as part of the ROG handheld console thing. It doesn't have the plastic guide that others normally do, but even in this video you can compare the pin arrangement to see that it's there and it can be used like a normal USB header... just be careful when plugging in to it!

[@CalypsoRaz]

Definitely a sexy looking board. I think I'll wait for VII though. Currently running a V w/3770K

[@Merky2k]

Keep up the good vids Linus!

[@allendallman9832]

very informative thank you and you have helped me make my decision on my next main board

[@BramSLI1]

Another nice unboxing and overview. If I was going Intel I would probably go with this board. I really like the features. I just wish it used a good copper water block though.

[@kenvives]

Some small errors: Fan Expert 2 gives control over the CPU fans and the 3 Chassis fans, but not over the Optional Fans. Also, there are actually 2 front panel USB 2 header connectors, one is available instead of the optional ROG OC panel and each can carry 2 USB plugs, so a total of four for the front panel.

[@jadonbtmurder9744]

I remember that champion at break doorknob decoration when I got this. Nostalgia

[@toontent]

With a few added product feature shots, making it better than it used to be.

[@jimshaly1]

Just recently replaced this board and the 4770 within it with a Crosshair VIII Hero and a 3800X. But jeez, I do kind of miss having it in my case, if even for just nostalgia.

[@JAVIERLIPONTREA]

awesome video man!!! thanks for the information!!! you are the best!!!

[@cutchyacokov]

Linus using encoding that works with HTML5 right off the bat! Thank you so much for this.... unless youtube is doing it automatically now. Thanks for the videos anyway, if that's the case.

[@MrKillmenow5000]

Question for building a new rig! ASUS Maximus VI Formula or ASUS MAXIMUS VI EXTREME VS MSI Z87 XPOWER 1: Which board has better features to offer in your opinion? 2: Would the ASUS boards be better in an air cooled situation VS the MSI board? 3: Would there be high maintenance for doing a water loop through the VRM due to it being made of aluminum? 4: Which board would have a better sound solution in your opinion? An answer to any one of these questions would be much appreciated.

[@duggersix]

Great review dude! I just ordered this board for my new build. On top of lookin sexy I think this will be an awesome board. Thanks for the review

[@nielslauridsen2323]

This is the best show about computers and gaming, by far

[@signspace15]

i love watching these videos, even though i have no idea what he is talking about, more than half the time, hey we all gotta start somewhere :)

[@BambiBoyyyHD]

Easy choice after this video. Beautiful looks, features are good and good pricing to be a ROG board.

[@CristopherKiri]

Great video, Linus! Bet you didn't notice the 17 ninja's in the background?

[@steinarne79]

Just.. wow... I love your personal specs Linus!!!

[@buddyroach]

I have the Sabertooth board myself. Love it.

[@DBRichardNL]

This board actually got 2 optional USB 2.0 headers for an additional 4 usb ports (there is an open usb header left of the usb header with the raised edge) took me a while to actually see it on my board

[@justnvc]

Tempted to jump from my Z77 Sabertooth to this, looks pretty! :)

[@BrettCulley]

you have your opinion i have mine, ddr4 will still become standard and if people want to waste there money on a motherboard 2 times over thats a decision the buyer can make, thats why i have stayed with my 3770k until may of next year when this has blown over and either a revision on the haswell or the next cpu that lines up with ddr4.

[@RogerThat1945]

What a magnificent Mo-bo. some useful/complex issues mentioned by Linus. I have to watch twice. Anyway, at almost $200 more than the Z87 Sabertooth (here in Japan), this board is outside any regret range. Its the additional price of a Samsung SSD Pro 256Gb and a Copy of Battlefield 4. But brilliant if you got a lottery win.

[@RogerThat1945]

***** I actually bought one 6-months ago because the alternative (by a different company) would not run crossfire as it was advertised (so Amazon re-stocked); I had to pay an extra $100 above the price of the previous board though. The sound on it is really good; although I recently connected it through an Amp, (it still sounds [even more] fantastic); and I don`t have any issues with it, as it does run Great. I think it probably runs better than the Z87 Sabertooth in my main gaming rig.

[@ToddBoniface]

Great work Linus, I know you are reading this... and I absolutely love your videos, it's what I look forward too at the end of a day! Thanks, Todd.

[@kronauer88]

Damn, thats a hell good lookin' MOBO. Great unboxing video, thank you Linus. But i miss something in this video, just as i miss in a lot of previous ones. Why don't you keep doing stupid things at the ends of the videos, like posing with an axe under the shower? It gave a better taste to LinusTechTips videos and with those kind of silly things these videos was much more than a regular unboxing videos. Anyway thx again for the unboxing and overview.

[@camiloramirez798]

Nice review...greetings from Bogotá-Colombia, South America

[@twizz420]

Who is filming this stuff? Brandon? Didn't Ivan film NCIX/LTT videos at one point or was that a different russian?