Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial overview

If you happen to thought the ASUS Crosshair Hero motherboards had been as excessive because it will get, the newest 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 maintain 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 huge EATX type issue barely has any free house, whether or not it is because of a lavish five-inch show, monumental heatsinks or in depth shrouds or distinctive DIMM.2 SSD growth slots. You do not want a watercooling system to get probably 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, but it surely’s at all times enjoyable to dream. Let’s have a look.

As its identify suggests, there’s solely a white model of the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial, however any white {hardware} followers will undoubtedly like it. A lot of the PCB is roofed in detachable heatsinks or shrouds, hiding unpleasant ports, however they are often eliminated to assist cable tidying with most being held in place utilizing magnets. This contains the big cowl sporting the ROG emblem, which you may seemingly wish to take away because it covers the first PCIe slot.

It does not simply return within the field, although, as it might probably connect magnetically to your case. The big M.2 heatsink above it incorporates a heatpipe to assist cooling whereas an excellent bigger one sits beneath the ROG-themed shroud beneath and cools two additional M.2 ports. The eagled-eyed might need seen the specs point out the presence of seven M.2 ports and simply three of these are on the PCB, together with two which are PCIe 5.0-capable.

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The opposite 4 are positioned in pairs on each a DIMM.2 module subsequent to reminiscence slots and on a PCIe growth 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 are cooled by a single huge heatsink. Sadly, you may must drop your GPU’s PCIe lane rely to eight if you wish to use the growth 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 information or with your individual designs. It might 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 beautiful too. On the opposite facet 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 suitable ASUS wi-fi AIO liquid coolers. The Rear I/O panel has much more eye-popping options akin 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 akin to energy and reset buttons, twin BIOS change, 2-pin thermistor header, LED POST code show eight fan headers, two of which able to meting out a large 36W.

Overclocking and fine-tuning your followers is simple because of a superb EFI, but it surely’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 a little bit bloated and requires you to put in a number of apps simply to get on the extra in style 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 plenty of 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 likely one of the lowest AMD outcomes we have seen.

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The typical CPU bundle energy in video games of 117 W and peak energy in heavy processing of 170 W was a little bit larger than the typical, however with so many further parts akin to twin 10 Gbps Ethernet ports, DIMM.2 module, growth card and reminiscence fan, this was going to be a risk. The most effective SSD temperature was utilizing the PCIe growth card the place we recorded a peak of 61 °C. Nevertheless, the onboard heatsinks had been 10 °C and 16 °C hotter so the cardboard is probably value utilizing in order for you the perfect temperatures, particularly for a number of SSDs.

There’s little doubt the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial might be probably 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 improbable cooling and does not fall brief in any single space, besides should you had been anticipating an built-in waterblock like earlier fashions have typically 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 positively managed it right here. The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial can maintain 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 practically all of us won’t ever get near proudly owning, most have been glued to critiques and drag races that includes it, and seeing one in particular person can 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.