F E A T U R E R E V I E W // R O G M A X I M U S X I G E N E
XI
GENE
ROG MAXIMUS
T
here was once a time where
one could buy all sorts of
motherboards, from Mini-ITX
right up to XL-ATX readily. Those days
are behind us and for the most part all
we see now is ATX and E-ATX for mid
to high end boards. I’m unsure why
this is so, but I do suspect it’s related
to industry pressures and changes
where some form factors just may not
be as feasible (profitable) as before.
A form factor which has seemingly
suffered or been sacrificed because
of this is the Micro-ATX form factor.
These boards are increasingly rare to
find and if you do, they are relatively
expensive.
The ROG Maximus XI Gene then is no
exception. It’s difficult to find outside
of specific regions and it isn’t cheap by
any stretch of the imagination.
16 The OverClocker Issue 46 | 2019
That said, do not let this deter
you from what is potentially if not
objectively the best Micro-ATX board
ever made. A bold statement for sure,
but then again how many Micro-
ATX boards could have claimed so
many overclocking records right
out the gate? Even better, how many
motherboards claimed this many
overclocking records on release day?
I don’t think there’s any, so despite
having to deal with the many issues
facing this form factor, the Maximus XI
Gene is thoroughly sorted and well
worth the trouble of sourcing it. It is
right up there and possibly the best
board in the business to date.
After a good two months with
this motherboard, these are my
experiences with the GENE. Make of
them what you will, but I’ll tell you now
in case you choose to stop reading
here. The Maximus XI Gene is an
incredible board. Better than I could
have expected it to be actually, despite
not being perfect. It’s pretty much as
close as you’re going to get or at the
very least the best you’ll get in this
form factor.
ON BOARD FEATURES
AND FUNCTIONS
As with all ROG board, the Gene has
the typical extreme overclocking
buttons and switches. The board gives
you access to power, reset, clear
Cmos, Bios flashback, ProbeIT points,
retry, safe boot, Slow mode and Pause
among many others. It's purpose built
much like all the previous
generations. The size has imposed
some limitations of course, but for the