Forget the faff of external RGB controllers! With ROG's Aura RGB Strip header, it's quick and easy to cast brilliant colors across your rig and room: Just slide standard 12V RGB strips onto the 4-pin Aura RGB-strip headers, then weave your lighting any way you like. Customize static, strobing and pulsating effects, or have the colors change in time with music or indicate CPU temperature.Maximus VIII Hero Alpha includes the amazing Aura lighting-control utility to cast stunning multi-color glows across your gaming rig, via the motherboard's powerful built-in RGB LEDs or attached RGB strips, or both ¿ and in perfect synchronization!Maximus VIII Hero Alpha's onboard audio isn't just good ¿ it's as good as you can get! You benefit from the best gaming audio inputs and outputs, with special shielded designs, and a collection of carefully selected professional-grade audio components, including an ESS¿ ES9023P digital-to-analog converter (DAC) with Hyperstream¿ technology, ultra-low-jitter clock, Nichicon capacitors, 2V_RMS headphone amp, and Sonic SenseAmp that automatically detects and optimizes any headset (32-600ohms) for purest sound quality. SupremeFX 2015 also features intuitive Sonic Studio II, so you'll apply and enjoy different audio effects for perfect entertainment ¿ plus Perfect Voice noise-cancellation technology for team conversations with total clarity!You don't need to be an expert to max out gaming performance on your Maximus VIII Hero Alpha build's gaming performance ¿ because 5-Way Optimization sorts all the complex settings with a click, for an instant, highly-controllable performance boosts! Our exclusive technology dynamically optimizes essential aspects of your system based on real-time use, so you get superb CPU performance, everyday energy savings, ultra-stable digital power, cool and quiet fans and even networking and audio settings that are tailored for the apps that you are using. In short, 5-Way Optimization ensures that your PC is perfect for gaming, entertainment, productivity or just about anything else!Play quieter and cooler with advanced fan and water pump control for the ultimate in undisturbed gaming. With onboard thermal sensors and hardware-level 4-pin/3-pin PWM/DC mode detection, Fan Xpert 3 makes sure every fan achieves the best balance of high cooling performance and low noise, so you enjoy all the performance you demand with none of the rackets!

Product Highlights

• LGA1151 socket for 6th-generation Intel¿ Core¿ desktop processors
• Dual DDR4 3800 (OC) support
• Best gaming connectivity - Aura RGB-strip headers, 2x2 802.11ac MU-MIMO Wi-Fi, U.2, and M.2, plus Intel-powered USB 3.1 controller
• Best gaming performance ¿ 5-Way Optimization with Auto-Tuning, second-generation T-Topology, and OC design
• Best gaming audio ¿ Reinvented SupremeFX 2015 with intuitive Sonic Studio II
• Best gaming networking ¿ Best-in-class Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard, and GameFirst technologies
• Best gaming protection ¿ Carefully selected premium components to ensure maximum durability
• ROG gives you more ¿ More gaming-oriented utilities, all free!