Numerous prototypes remain unseen by the public eye. Prototyping allows companies to venture into new concepts and assess hardware before launching it into the market. The ROG Maximus XIII Hero motherboard seems to have never been officially launched or put up for sale. Nonetheless, it appears that someone has acquired it.
Don’t confuse the socket cover branding it as a TUF Gaming board. It’s actually a premium ROG Maximus model from an earlier generation. The Maximus III series utilized the Intel LGA-1200 socket, tailored for 10th Gen Core “Comet Lake” and 11th Gen Core “Rocket Lake” processors. This socket had a brief lifespan of just two years before being replaced by the LGA-1700 socket with Alder Lake architecture.
As per the images posted by @wnxod, the board is equipped with four DDR4 SODIMM slots. Moreover, it doesn’t include PCIe and audio area heatsinks; instead, it showcases a prototype code of TEM14280. However, the I/O heatsink seems identical to the final retail product. Based on the board’s appearance, it’s clear that it was never intended for release or completion for retail distribution.
Additional images reveal the board booting up with the Kingston Fury logo, indicating it might be a prototype board undergoing testing with Kingston. It’s well-known that motherboard manufacturers collaborate closely with memory suppliers to guarantee full compatibility of their platforms prior to release. What remains uncertain is the reason behind considering the laptop SODIMM form factor. Nonetheless, the board was demonstrated operating with the Core i5-10600K processor at a DDR4 frequency of 2133 MHz and 1.2 volts.
It’s uncertain whether we’re observing hobbyists experimenting with a prototype or if these images originate from ASUS laboratories. Nevertheless, it’s noteworthy that there’s an IKEA pegboard and an ASUS power supply visible beneath the motherboard in the images, suggesting that the source of these images likely has a close connection with ASUS.
Source & Images: @wnxod