ASUS X570 Buyer’s Guide
PICKING THE RIGHT X570 MOTHERBOARD FOR YOUR NEXT PC.
The next generation of AMD Ryzen CPUs is here, pairing Zen 2 architecture with PCI Express 4.0 connectivity across multiple models that are based on the ASUS X570 chipset. This is the first desktop chipset to give you PCI Express 4.0 connectivity, granting you greatly expanded throughput – an extraordinary 2GB per lane! These motherboards are designed for the future – you’ll be prepared for any SSDs, graphics cards, and other peripherals you might want to plug into down the track. Here’s our rundown of ASUS’ X570 range.
THE REPUBLIC OF GAMERS CROSSHAIR SERIES
The Crosshair VIII boards are designed for the serious overclocker and the gamer who wants to eek every bit of power from their system. These boards will push your PC to the next level, and future-proof it for years to come.
The Crosshair VIII Formula sports an integrated VRM water-cooling solution with its CrossChill EK III hybrid water channel, as well as active chipset and M.2 aluminium heatsinks to keep it cool as it goes to work. With a huge VRM, 16 PowIRstages and MicroFine Alloy chokes, this is a board designed to push the CPU as hard as it will go, while remaining stable with a constant flow of power. The unit hosts a 1.3 inch OLED display for information on CPU speed, BIOS flashback status, and more, and the integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6 adapter and Aquantia 5G controller allow for superior connections and significant throughput. This is the top of the range board for serious builds, supporting 4x DDR4 memory, as well as two SLI plus three CrossFireX GPUs.
The Crosshair VIII Hero is equally powerful but is designed with air-cooled systems in mind. It’s the same size and has many of the same incredible features, and just as much memory capacity. You can use the Hero without losing any power, so it’s still ideal for overclocking. It features a light-up display for troubleshooting, and features connectors for AIO and custom loop pumps if you want to outfit your own cooling solution. There’s a 2.5G LAN chip in place of the Aquantia if you’re going for a pure ethernet connection.
The Crosshair VIII Impact is a miniDTX two-DIMM board that allows for extreme overclocking in a smaller package. The 1DPC design enables superior DRAM OC headroom alongside the latest OptiMEM III Technology. It has many of the same features of the other Crossfire boards, including PCIe 4.0 lanes, Wi-Fi 6 networking, and Pre-mounted I/O shield. Metal backplate, SODIMM.2 and ESS® SABRE9023P headphone DAC are also in placed to ensure zero compensation on expansion even after going small.
THE ROG STRIX SERIES
The Strix series is designed for complicated, interesting builds, and while it doesn’t push quite as hard as the Crosshair series, it still has many of the same strengths and features. ROG has focused on giving gamers features they’ll use.
The Strix X570-E Gaming and Strix X570-F Gaming are the headliners of this range, and they’re both designed to be stunning to look at, but also extremely powerful and flexible. The E has a slight edge over the F when it comes to overclocking: its Digi+ VRM has 12+4 power stages, while the F has 12+2. Both feature superior copper heatpipes for improved dissipation, as well as OptiMem, a technology that focuses on improved stability and performance when you’re tweaking RAM, a vital tool for tapping into your
computer’s full potential. They’re built for fan or liquid cooling, depending on your set-up. Both boards feature 4 x DDR4 memory and HDMI 2.0 support. The F is designed with ethernet connections in mind, while the E is Wi-Fi 6 compatible and gives you the option of Bluetooth 5 support. Both use the powerful SupremeFX S1220A codec with double Amp, too.
The Strix X570-I Gaming is a Mini-ITX board that packs a lot of the same punch into a smaller form. It’s got an extremely powerful VRM with 8+2 power stages – much more than you’d usually get in a mobo this size. It slots in under its own fan and features a metal backplate for superior cooling, which lets you push it hard for some serious overclocking. It features 2 x DDR4 memory, along with built-in HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs, Intel Wi-Fi 6 and optional Bluetooth 5.0 support, making it ideal for a home cinema set-up. Finally, CROSSHAIR VIII and ROG STRIX X570 series come with USB BIOS Flashback for the absolute peace of mind when it comes to BIOS updates.
TUF GAMING
The TUF gaming range is designed to deliver the gaming features you need at a price you can afford, all in a board that you can rely on to get the job done. The TUF GAMING X570PLUS (WI-FI) fits the bill. Its VRM uses 12+2 DrMOS power stages. It sports a high heat tolerance and TUF chokes to ensure steady power is being fed to the CPU. The ethernet port even features TUF LANGuard to protect against any potential hazards it might face. This is a board that you can depend on, with its PCIe x16 slots featuring SafeSlot reinforcement to improve retention and increase resistance to shearing.
THE PRO AND PRIME SERIES
Sometimes you want a system with some flexibility that won’t look out of place in the office. The Pro WS X570-ACE pairs the X570 chipset’s features with ECC RAM, Dash remote management network, plus expansions to server grade parts such as enterprise NVMe and more. It’s for when you need power beyond gaming – it’s ideal for creators who need some serious power.
The Prime series’ X570-PRO and X570-P are aimed at businesses, freelancers, and anyone who wants a versatile, powerful business PC. They can still handle a heavy gaming load, but their aesthetic and sensibilities are different. The Pro is more feature-rich, but the P will still deliver the goods. Last and not the least, all ASUS X570 motherboards come with custom made high performance PCH fan from Delta, for extended performance and longevity. Serving your system with confidence.