Consumercarts is reader-supported. Learn more
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.
Manufacturer: ASUS Last updated: September 11, 2026
ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E) Review
The ROG Maximus XIII Hero was ASUS's flagship LGA1200 board for 11th/10th Gen Intel processors, notable for including onboard Thunderbolt 4 well before it became common on mainstream boards.
Power delivery uses a 14+2 power stage design, giving it strong headroom for i9-11900K and i9-10900K chips at sustained overclocked settings. Four DDR4 DIMM slots support overclocked speeds rated up to DDR4-5333, among the higher-rated DDR4 OC speeds available on LGA1200. Expansion includes a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for the GPU. Storage covers four M.2/NVMe SSD slots. Dual 2.5Gb LAN controllers handle wired networking, paired with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and onboard Thunderbolt 4. Audio uses ASUS's Aura RGB-enabled SupremeFX implementation. As the flagship LGA1200 board in this batch, the Maximus XIII Hero offers the highest DDR4 OC rating and the only onboard Thunderbolt 4 among the LGA1200 boards here, positioning it for builders who want the best possible 11th/10th Gen Intel platform.
Power Delivery and VRM Design
Power delivery uses a 14+2 power stage design, giving it strong headroom for i9-11900K and i9-10900K chips at sustained overclocked settings.
Memory Support
Four DDR4 DIMM slots support overclocked speeds rated up to DDR4-5333, among the higher-rated DDR4 OC speeds available on LGA1200.
Expansion and Storage
Expansion includes a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot for the GPU. Storage covers four M.2/NVMe SSD slots.
Connectivity
Dual 2.5Gb LAN controllers handle wired networking, paired with Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, and onboard Thunderbolt 4. Audio uses ASUS's Aura RGB-enabled SupremeFX implementation.
Comparison to Sibling Products
As the flagship LGA1200 board in this batch, the Maximus XIII Hero offers the highest DDR4 OC rating and the only onboard Thunderbolt 4 among the LGA1200 boards here, positioning it for builders who want the best possible 11th/10th Gen Intel platform.
Specifications
Platform and CPU compatibility
| Platform | Intel |
|---|---|
| Socket | LGA1200 |
| Socket | Intel 11th / 10th Gen Core |
| Chipset | Z590 |
Platform
| Socket Type | LGA1200 |
|---|---|
| Form Factor | ATX |
Memory
| Memory Type | DDR4 |
|---|---|
| Memory Slots | 4 |
| Max Memory | 128 GB |
| Memory Type | 4x DDR4 DIMM, up to DDR4-5333 (OC) |
Expansion & Connectivity
| M.2 Slots | 4 |
|---|---|
| PCIe 5.0 Support | No |
| Wi-Fi Onboard | Yes |
Network and audio
| Audio Codec | ASUS SupremeFX, Aura RGB |
|---|
| Model | ROG Maximus XIII Hero (WiFi 6E) |
|---|---|
| VRM | 14+2 power stages |
| Expansion | PCIe 4.0 x16 |
| Connectivity | Thunderbolt 4 onboard |
| Networking | Dual 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
| Special Features | 4x M.2/NVMe SSD slots |
Expert Review
Reviewed by Burooj Alam. Rated by us, not by users.
Best for
- Builders who want the best available 11th/10th Gen Intel board with Thunderbolt 4
- Enthusiasts completing a high-end LGA1200 system
Not for
- New builds better served by a current-generation Intel or AMD platform
- Budget-first LGA1200 builds
FAQs
What are the key specifications of the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)?
The ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E) is a motherboard from ASUS. Key specs: Socket LGA1200, Chipset Z590, VRM 14+2 power stages, Memory 4x DDR4 DIMM, up to DDR4-5333 (OC), Expansion PCIe 4.0 x16.
Will the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E) work with my current setup?
The ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E) lists Socket is LGA1200. Check that against the hardware you already own before buying, since this is the field that most often decides whether a part fits.
Who is the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E) best suited to?
It suits builders who want the best available 11th/10th gen intel board with thunderbolt 4, enthusiasts completing a high-end lga1200 system.
What are the drawbacks of the ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)?
It is a poor fit for new builds better served by a current-generation intel or amd platform, budget-first lga1200 builds.
Compare and read more
- ASRock B650E PG Riptide WiFi (AM5/AMD B650E/ATX/14+2+1 Power Phase VRM/Wi-Fi 6E) vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)
- ASRock B850 Steel Legend WiFi (AM5/AMD B850/ATX/14+2+1 Phase 80A Dr.MOS VRM/Four M.2 Slots/Wi-Fi 7) vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)
- ASRock B860 Steel Legend WiFi (LGA1851/Intel B860/ATX/14+1+1+1+1 Phase 80A Dr.MOS VRM/Wi-Fi 6E) vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)
- ASRock B650 PG Lightning (AM5/AMD B650/ATX/Two M.2 Slots/PCIe 5.0/2.5G LAN) vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)
- ASRock B650E Steel Legend WiFi (AM5/AMD B650/ATX/16+2+1 Phase 60A SPS VRM/Three M.2 Slots/Wi-Fi 6E) vs ASUS ROG Maximus XIII Hero (LGA1200/Intel Z590/ATX/14+2 Power Stages/Thunderbolt 4/Wi-Fi 6E)