For those who thought the ASUS Crosshair Hero motherboards have been as excessive because it will get, the most recent extremely high-end motherboard from ASUS takes issues to a different stage. The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial has a mind-blowing characteristic set and would preserve any PC fanatic busy with weeks of enjoyable tinkering, however simply as importantly, that is the primary time this mannequin has appeared on an AMD platform, highlighting simply how dominant the corporate’s CPUs are on desktop proper now.
This flagship Socket AM5 motherboard will not disappoint both. Its large EATX kind issue barely has any free house, whether or not it is because of a lavish five-inch show, huge heatsinks or intensive shrouds or distinctive DIMM.2 SSD enlargement slots. You do not want a watercooling system to get essentially the most out of it both as this mannequin’s VRMs are air-cooled. Clearly it is restricted to a choose few that may afford it, nevertheless it’s at all times enjoyable to dream. Let’s have a look.
|
Socket |
AMD Socket AM5 |
|
Chipset |
AMD X870E |
|
CPU compatibility |
AMD Ryzen 7000/8000/9000 desktop |
|
Kind issue |
ATX |
|
Reminiscence assist |
DDR5-4800 to DDR5-9600 (OC), as much as 256 GB |
|
Storage |
7x M.2, 4x SATA |
|
USB (rear) |
2x USB4 Sort-C 40 Gbps, 4x USB 3.1 Sort-C 10 Gbps, 8x USB 3.1 Sort-A ten Gbps |
|
Show |
2x DisplayPort over Sort-C |
|
Networking |
Realtek 10G LAN, Wi-Fi 7 |
|
Audio |
Realtek ALC4082 |
|
Worth |
$1200| £945 | $AU 1,949 |
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Purchase if…
✅ You need essentially the most fascinating AMD Ryzen motherboard ever made: The loopy specs are matched solely by the board’s price ticket and visible prowess and would impress any fanatic.
Do not buy if…
❌ You have not already maxed out the remainder of your PC: That is the final word in PC extravagance, however a board costing 80 p.c much less would nonetheless deal with high-end {hardware} completely nice
The opposite 4 are positioned in pairs on each a DIMM.2 module subsequent to reminiscence slots and on a PCIe enlargement card. The previous homes a pair of PCIe 4.0 M.2 ports whereas the latter has two PCIe 5.0 M.2 ports which might be cooled by a single large heatsink. Sadly, you may have to drop your GPU’s PCIe lane depend to eight if you wish to use the enlargement card and of the 2 PCIe 4.0 M.2 ports on the extra DIMM.2 card, one solely has two lanes.
The 5 inch display screen is configurable within the board’s software program, each with preset shows providing animated graphics and system sensor knowledge or with your personal designs. It will possibly additionally slide forwards to make room for rear case followers. It is one of many largest shows we have seen on a motherboard and appears completely gorgeous too. On the opposite aspect of the board is a small detachable fascia that hides a magnetic mount for a reminiscence cooling fan. It is cable-free and makes use of contact pins for pace and energy whereas being tuneable within the software program or EFI as regular.
Different perks of the monstrous price ticket are 60 W energy supply over the entrance panel Sort-C header, an ESS audio DAC and a pogo pin connector for appropriate ASUS wi-fi AIO liquid coolers. The Rear I/O panel has much more eye-popping options similar to six USB Sort-C ports together with a pair of USB4 ports and a pair of 10 Gbps Ethernet ports for what’s probably a primary on a consumer-focussed motherboard.
That is all along with virtually each tweaking and overclocking characteristic you may think about similar to energy and reset buttons, twin BIOS change, 2-pin thermistor header, LED POST code show eight fan headers, two of which able to dispensing an enormous 36W.
Overclocking and fine-tuning your followers is simple because of a wonderful EFI, nevertheless it’s one which’s interesting to each newcomers and hardcore overclockers too so no matter angle you are coming from, it will not disappoint. The software program is slightly bloated and requires you to put in a number of apps simply to get on the extra common fan management and RGB lighting areas, however they make it easy to manage your followers, lighting and the LCD display screen from inside Home windows.
The VRM temperature peaked at 56 °C on our open air take a look at bench leaving numerous room for overclocking with extra cores than our Ryzen 9 9900X CPU. The person chipset heatsinks noticed some impressively low temperatures too with the height throughout the twin X870 chipsets being 41 °C, which is without doubt one of the lowest AMD outcomes we have seen.
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Gaming efficiency
| Product | Worth |
|---|---|
| Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial | 114 Avg FPS, 82 1% Low FPS |
| MSI MEG X870E Godlike X | 111 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS |
| MSI MEG X870E Ace Max | 113 Avg FPS, 84 1% Low FPS |
| ASRock X870 Nova WiFi | 109 Avg FPS, 72 1% Low FPS |
| Gigabyte X870E Aorus Professional | 111 Avg FPS, 78 1% Low FPS |
| NZXT N9 X870E | 116 Avg FPS, 76 1% Low FPS |
The common CPU bundle energy in video games of 117 W and peak energy in heavy processing of 170 W was slightly greater than the common, however with so many additional parts similar to twin 10 Gbps Ethernet ports, DIMM.2 module, enlargement card and reminiscence fan, this was going to be a chance. The perfect SSD temperature was utilizing the PCIe enlargement card the place we recorded a peak of 61 °C. Nonetheless, the onboard heatsinks have been 10 °C and 16 °C hotter so the cardboard is probably value utilizing if you would like the perfect temperatures, particularly for a number of SSDs.
There’s little doubt the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial might be essentially the most loopy and extremely high-end motherboard we have ever seen. Whereas its price ticket means it is firmly out of attain for all however a choose few, it is a uncommon case of being extra than simply willy waving. It is stunning, dripping with leading edge options, has incredible cooling and would not fall quick in any single space, besides for those who have been anticipating an built-in waterblock like earlier fashions have usually had.
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Loads of related boards have didn’t make us take into account taking out a financial institution mortgage, however ASUS has undoubtedly managed it right here. The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial can preserve your {hardware} cool, home as much as seven SSDs, has twin 10 Gbps Ethernet ports, 60 W entrance panel Sort-C energy supply and dials visible prowess and distinctive options as much as 11.
Even opening its accent field really feel like a premium expertise. Finally, we’re extremely envious of anybody that will get to expertise constructing a PC utilizing this motherboard. In the identical manner a Bugatti Chiron is one thing almost all of us won’t ever get near proudly owning, most have been glued to opinions and drag races that includes it, and seeing one in individual could be a particular expertise. In the identical manner, we are able to all aspire to proudly owning the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial and respect the very fact it exists, even when we’ll by no means personal it.
