Conclusion
The Maximus V Extreme is the Z77 counterpart of the X79 Rampage IV Extreme motherboard with Socket 2011. All of the new and unique features ASUS introduced with that motherboard are also present on this new Socket 1155 board. It's these features that justify the claim of it being the "ultimate Z77 motherboard for extreme overclockers", and are unrivalled by the competitors.
On the other hand, the motherboard seems to suffer a bit from a split personality. Features such as the sub-zero sensors, VGA hotwire, the ability to measure 13 different voltages, DIP switches for disabling PCI-Express slots and OC Key are solely interesting for extreme overclockers working with exotic cooling methods. And that target audience probably couldn't care less about eight USB 3.0 ports, Thunderbolt, WLAN or Bluetooth, which are precisely the additions that cost the most. ASUS more than likely could have please the overclocking crowd with a more affordable board without those bells and whistles.
Consumers that are interested in all those connectors, Thunderbolt and so on, more than likely will not take advantage of all the overclocking options. They can save almost £150 by instead getting a motherboard such as the ASUS P8Z77-V Pro/Thunderbolt or MSI Z77A-GD80 and get similar connectors and features. For non-overclockers this Maximus V Extreme is simply too expensive.
Now that's been addressed, we will still give the Maximus V Extreme our highest decoration in the form of the Hardware.Info Gold Award. The Maximus V Extreme remains the best Z77 motherboard out there for overclockers. Particularly the OC Key proves that ASUS has a team of very talented designers that keep coming up with original features for making their motherboards even more comprehensive and versatile. As dedicated overclocker you'll just have to accept those extra features you might never use, because the Maximus V Extreme is an outstanding board for overclockers.
ASUS Maximus V Extreme
