Z87 saw cost-effective gaming-calibre motherboards take the limelight. All of the big vendors released at least one product that provided gaming-orientated features in a cost-effective package. Asus SKU of choice was the successful Hero ? a board which ticked many of the boxes and did so with an efficient price tag. The motherboard market is fierce so Asus welcomes back its Hero for Z97 and adds an even more aggressively priced variant to its Republic of Gamers (ROG) arsenal ? the Maximus VII Ranger.