The Best Overclocking Experience on Intel Z68 with ROG Motherboard

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This motherboard supports the latest Intel® Core™ i3/Core™ i5/Core™ i7 2nd generation processors in the LGA1155 package, with memory and PCI Express controllers integrated to support 2-channel (4 DIMM) DDR3 memory and 16 PCI Express 2.0 lanes. This provides great graphics performance. Intel® Core™ i3/Core™ i5/Core™ i7 2nd generation processors are among the most powerful and energy efficient CPUs in the world.

Chipset Features
Intel® Z68 Express Chipset

The Intel® Z68 Express Chipset is a single-chipset design to support socket 1155 Intel® second generation Core™ i7/Core™ i5/Core™ i3 processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, Z68 chipset provides 2 SATA 6Gb/s and 4 SATA 3Gb/s ports for faster data retrieval at double the bandwidth of current bus systems. Moreover, Intel® Z68 Express Chipset also supports iGPU function, letting users enjoy the latest Intel integrated graphic performance.

Intel® Smart Response Technology
Faster Access, Bigger Storage
Intel® Smart Response Technology boosts overall system performance. It uses an installed fast SSD (min 18.6GB available) as a cache for frequently accessed operations, speeding up hard drive/main memory interaction. Key benefits are expedited hard drive speeds, reduced load and wait times and maximized storage utilization. Power consumption also goes down by reducing unnecessary hard drive spin, an important part of Green ASUS eco-friendly computing.

* Support Intel® Smart Response Technology on 2^nd generation Intel® Core™ processor family

Multi-GPU support
Lucid Virtu

Enjoy optimal onboard graphics and discrete GPU's performance by dynamic switching!
Lucid Virtu is the GPU virtualization software along with 2nd generation Intel® Core processor featuring like Intel Quick Sync to enable an all-inclusive media platform and discrete GPUs coming with high-end DirectX 11 3D, anti-aliasing and performance features to get the thrills in games. Ultimately, users can enjoy optimal simultaneous performance in 3D gaming and video functions like transcoding and HD playback without having to manually change settings between GPUs.

* ASUS Maximus IV Extreme-Z motherboards retain iGPU accessibility alongside native LucidLogix® Virtu™ support for auto switching between integrated graphics and discrete graphics cards. This enables full use of Sandy Bridge iGPU features for improved media performance regardless of whether you use onboard or add-on VGA output.

SLI/CrossFireX On-Demand

Why choose when you can have both?
SLI or CrossFireX? Fret no longer because with the ROG Maximus IV Extreme-Z, you´ll be able to run both multi-GPU setups. The board features SLI/CrossFireX on Demand technology, supporting SLI or CrossFireX configuration. Whichever path you take, you can be assured of jaw-dropping graphics at a level previously unseen.

Plug and Overclock - Tweak it the hardcore way!
Monitor the status of your desktop PC and tweak its parameters in real-time via a notebook—just like a race car engineer—with ROG Connect. ROG Connect links your main system to a notebook through a USB cable, allowing you to view real-time POST code and hardware status readouts on your notebook, as well as make on-the-fly parameter adjustments at a purely hardware level.

ROG iDirect

Tune your PC from your iPhone or iPad now!
Still overclocking your PC the old-fashioned way? Let ROG iDirect bring you a whole new tweaking experience right on your iPhone or iPad! Thanks to the Bluetooth card that comes with select ASUS ROG motherboards, you can monitor your PC and tweak parameters such as voltages and frequencies in real time wirelessly from your iPhone or iPad!

RC Bluetooth

Smashes through all the barriers of conventional overclocking !
Still overclocking in old-fashioned way? Let RC Bluetooth bring you the whole new idea of how to do! Just simply push the button from the Back I/O on the RC Bluetooth card, overclockers can real-time monitor the desktop PC system status & tweak its parameters - such as voltages and frequency on the fly. When users want to use ordinary bluetooth functions, just simply push the button once again & enjoy all the wireless convenience brought from RC Bluetooth.

USB BIOS Flashback

Refresh the BIOS can never be that easy
USB BIOS Flashback must be the most convenient way to flash BIOS ever! It allows overclockers to try their BIOS with the simplist way one can imagine. No need to enter the BIOS or the operating system, just plug the thumb drive into the ROG Connect port & push the ROG Connect button for 2 seconds, BIOS would be automatically flashed under standby power. It's no doubt that USB BIOS Flashback gives overclockers the ultimate convenience!

Extreme Engine Digi+

Powerful combination of analog and digital design elements
Extreme Engine Digi+ equipped with high performance digital VRM design can easily achieve the ultimate performance with adjustable CPU PWM frequency. It expedites heat dissipation and achieves better electric conduction keeping critical components reliable. Now you'll be able to push your spanking new Intel CPU to the limit, hitting benchmark scores that others only dream of. Extreme Engine Digi+ balances the need for voltage and the desire for rock solid performance to bring the ultimate user experience.

BIOS Flashback

Two BIOS ROM. Two BIOS settings. Twice the overclocking flexibility.
Overclocker's prayer to have BIOS flexibility is answered! With the new BIOS Flashback, PC enthusiasts can overclock with even more confidence. BIOS Flashback gives overclockers the ability to save two versions of the BIOS simultaneously. Very much like the "SaveGame" function, one BIOS can be used for the overclocking adventure, while the other BIOS is to be stored with any previous version. BIOS Flashback brings the ultimate convenience to overclockers!

Dynamic timing adjustments, DRAM efficiency gauge
When changing DRAM settings in BIOS, it always takes time for the system to reboot. Worry no more! With Mem TweakIt, you can do DRAM tuning in real-time, view your DRAM efficiency score, and upload and share your ranking online.

ROG Rich Bundled
3DMark® Vantage Advanced Edition

The gamers´ benchmark
3DMarkVantage is the new industry standard PC gaming performance benchmark from Futuremark, newly designed for Windows Vista and DirectX10. It includes two new graphics tests, two new CPU tests, several new feature tests, and support for the latest hardware. 3DMark® Vantage is based on a completely new rendering engine, developed specifically to take full advantage of DirectX10, the new graphics API from Microsoft.

Kaspersky® Anti-Virus

The best protection from viruses and spyware
Kaspersky® Anti-Virus Personal offers premium antivirus protection for individual users and home offices. It is based on advanced antivirus technologies. The product incorporates the Kaspersky® Anti-Virus engine, which is renowned for malicious program detection rates that are among the industry´s highest.

Whole new design of CPU-Z
ROG CPU-Z is a customized ROG version authorized by CPUID. It has the same functionality and credibility as the original version, with a unique design. Use the whole new look of ROG CPU-Z to truly report your CPU related information and your uniqueness.