how is it hype when the Striker has been proven over and over again to be the best gaming board, not to mention a GREAT overclocker.
I wouldn't go
that far. Reviewers have had more success with the P35 boards. I'd say your Mobo would be preferable to the Striker, chiefly due to the Strikers pickyness when it comes to RAM. And yours is more overclockable as well, I've read, but of course, can't say any of this from experience!
Don't get me wrong, they are both great boards, but I think its the features rather than the performance that makes them so.
EDIT: on a sidenote, lets not beat about the bush here:
Maximus Extreme. What on earth were Asus thinking??
The only way I can envision someone coming up with such a rubbish name is by some random drunk guy:
-'Hey, guysguys, lets call it the Uber daddius maximus nobbius'
-'Oh yeah! thats like really clever or something'
idiots