Introduction
With the launch of the Ryzen 9000 now behind us and all enthusiast SKUs have been released including the saving grace of the line-up, the Ryzen 9800X3D, we can now cover “cover” the X870E and X870 motherboards from a fresher perspective. This doesn’t absolve AMD and the Ryzen 9000 non-X3D CPUs which are generally being received as a “no other way” purchase since supplies of Ryzen 7000 CPUs have all but dwindled or shot up in pricing.
That said, if you’re buying a Ryzen 9000 series. For new builds, sure it’s fine but for upgraders, other than the 9700X and to a lesser extent, the 9600X, there’s very little reason to upgrade to a 9000 series if you’re already on a 7000 equivalent e.g. 7800X3D, 7900X/X3D and the 7950X/X3D.
That said, the motherboards themselves are an entirely different conundrum but to sum it all up, if you’re already on an equivalent platform then there’s very little reason to jump e.g. X670E to X870E, etc. The difference maker here though is IO where AMD is streamlining the offerings between each segment although making it confusing simultaneously with its naming convention.
Board partners will now have to deal with an uninterested market and potential consumers willing to settle for an X870 believing it to be similar to the X870E minus the Gen5 slots. It is easily the toughest market landscape right now and depending on how you look at it, motherboard makers are either being more redundant or being more aggressive in polishing their boards.
In ASUS’ case, they already have a decent design with the ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO but it felt more reserved versus its Intel counterpart but that changes this generation with the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO. With AMD missing some time between chipset generations, the motherboard landscape has shifted and the focus on quality-of-life improvements has been ASUS’ top additions on their newest boards. These have been trickled down to their AM5 offers with the new ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO and we’ll walk through these in our review of this motherboard. Read on!
Specifications
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Supported Processors | AMD Socket AM5 for AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series Desktop Processors |
| Chipset | AMD X870E |
| Memory | 4 x DIMM slots, max. 192GB, DDR5 Supports up to 8200+MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 9000 Series, 8600+MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 8000 Series, 8000+MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 7000 Series, ECC and Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory Dual channel memory architecture, AMD EXPO, NitroPath DRAM, ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP) |
| Graphics | 1 x HDMI port (4K@60Hz), 2 x USB4 ports (40Gbps, USB Type-C, supports up to 4K@60Hz) |
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots with Q-Release Slim (supports x16 or x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4 modes) Depending on Ryzen processor type, PCIe bifurcation modes may vary. |
| Storage | 5 x M.2 slots (PCIe 5.0 and PCIe 4.0 support), 1 x SlimSAS connector, 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports AMD RAIDXpert2 Technology: RAID 0/1/5/10 (varies by processor series) |
| Ethernet | 1 x Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet, 1 x Realtek 5Gb Ethernet |
| Wireless & Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4 |
| USB | Rear: 2 x USB4 (40Gbps, USB Type-C), 8 x USB 10Gbps Front: 1 x USB 20Gbps (USB Type-C with up to 60W PD/QC4+), 4 x USB 5Gbps, 4 x USB 2.0 |
| Audio | ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound, ALC4082 Codec, ESS ES9219 QUAD DAC, Gold-plated audio jacks, Optical S/PDIF |
| Cooling & Power | 1 x 24-pin Main Power, 2 x 8-pin CPU Power, 6 x M.2 slots, 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports, 6 x 4-pin Fan headers (CPU, AIO, chassis), 1 x 8-pin PCIe Power connector |
| Special Features | ASUS Q-Design (M.2 Q-Latch, Q-Release, Q-Slot), FlexKey button, ReTry button, BIOS FlashBack button, ROG Exclusive Software: Armoury Crate, Dolby Atmos, Aura Sync |
| Form Factor | ATX (12 in x 9.6 in / 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm) |
Official product page – ROG CROSSHAIR X870 HERO
X870E/X870 Block Diagram
AMD AM5 Chipset Comparison Table
| Feature/Spec | AMD X870E | AMD X870 | AMD X670E | AMD X670 | AMD B650 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chipset Link | x8 PCIe Gen4 | x4 PCIe Gen4 | x8 PCIe Gen4 | x4 PCIe Gen4 | x4 PCIe Gen4 |
| PCIe Lanes | 8 x PCIe Gen4, 8 x PCIe Gen3 | 8 x PCIe Gen4, 4 x PCIe Gen3 | 8 x PCIe Gen4, 8 x PCIe Gen3 | 8 x PCIe Gen4, 4 x PCIe Gen3 | 4 x PCIe Gen4, 4 x PCIe Gen3 |
| M.2 Slots | Supports multiple Gen5 and Gen4 M.2 | Supports Gen5 and Gen4 M.2 | Supports multiple Gen5 and Gen4 M.2 | Supports Gen5 and Gen4 M.2 | Primarily Gen4 M.2, limited Gen5 |
| USB Ports | USB4 (40Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen2 (20Gbps) | USB 3.2 Gen2 (20Gbps) | USB4 (40Gbps), USB 3.2 Gen2 (20Gbps) | USB 3.2 Gen2 (20Gbps) | USB 3.2 Gen2 (20Gbps), limited Gen2x2 |
| Networking | 2.5GbE + 5GbE support | 2.5GbE | 2.5GbE + 5GbE support | 2.5GbE | 2.5GbE |
| SATA Ports | Up to 4 SATA 6Gbps | Up to 4 SATA 6Gbps | Up to 4 SATA 6Gbps | Up to 4 SATA 6Gbps | Up to 4 SATA 6Gbps |
The AMD X870E chipset, AMDโs current flagship, features a x8 PCIe Gen4 chipset link, 8 PCIe Gen4 lanes, and 8 PCIe Gen3 lanes, supporting multiple PCIe Gen5 M.2 SSDs and advanced USB4 (40Gbps) connectivity. It also includes dual Ethernet (2.5GbE + 5GbE) and Wi-Fi 7, ensuring top-tier networking. USB options are extensive, with USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20Gbps) ports and multiple USB 3.2 Gen2 ports for high-speed external devices.
The X870, with its x4 PCIe Gen4 chipset link, scales back bandwidth but retains 8 PCIe Gen4 lanes and 4 PCIe Gen3 lanes. It omits USB4 but still supports USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (20Gbps) and single Ethernet (2.5GbE) with Wi-Fi 6E or 7. Its reduced lane allocation makes it more suitable for high-performance builds that donโt require extreme I/O flexibility.
Compared to the X670E which offers similar lane configurations to the X870E but lacks USB4 and advanced networking. Meanwhile ,the B650 focuses on PCIe Gen4 M.2 storage and budget-friendly USB 3.2 Gen2 options, making it ideal for mainstream systems. Both chipsets are still functional for the Ryzen 9000 processors and should not warrant an upgrade if you’re already on one.
On the CPU side, AM5 processors provide x16 PCIe Gen5 lanes for GPUs, x4 PCIe Gen5 lanes for NVMe storage, and direct access to DDR5 dual-channel memory.
Packaging & Content
ROG’s packaging design has been quite fixed since the last 3 years sticking with the all black front and back with red sides, the front classic ROG slash design can is still visible on the front but with bolder cybertexts (that’s those ROG words and things that literally smatter the front.) The front of the box features the model name with the X870E in the model name printed right on top the mandatory gigantic X870E badge. Its bad design practice to have this redundant branding boldly placed in the front but nobody really makes a big deal about these things so I guess it’s fine but come on.
Anyway, at the back we get less branding fluff and have some details on the features and quick specs. I wanted to include the opened flap because we get a few instruction printed on the flap that includes some of the quality-of-life features of this motherboard.
The packaged accessories with the motherboard include:
- 1 x ARGB RGB extension cable
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cables
- 1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
- 1 x Q-connector
- 2 x M.2 Q-Latch package
- 3 x M.2 Q-Slide package
- 5 x M.2 rubber package
- 1 x ROG stickers
- 1 x ROG thank you card
- 1 x ROG Bottle Opener
- 1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers
- 1 x Quick start guide
There is a leaflet slid in the box that clarifies and corrects the frequency ranges and maximum output power (EIRP) for its Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features. This update outlines adjustments to previously listed specifications, ensuring users have accurate information on supported frequency bands across 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz ranges for Wi-Fi, as well as the 2.4 GHz range for Bluetooth. The leaflet lists reduced power output in specific bands, such as the 5.725โ5.875 GHz Wi-Fi band, and updated frequency limits for Bluetooth.
Board Layout
This year’s HERO class motherboards from ASUS ROG are literally the same thing with the Intel option EXTREME-ly leaning on EXTREME, while the board we have where is a bit more conservative. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a packed motherboard but with ASUS choosing to elevate their MAXIMUS Z890 HERO to an ROG EXTREME-class loadout, it does make the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO a bit less premium. The ROG Crosshair X870E does come in negligibly less so those coming off Intel and don’t know any better, may feel underwhelmed.
Regardless, both boards are (surprisingly) standard ATX-size motherboards. Focusing back on the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO we see ROG’s Polymo Lighting present on the IO shroud covering the extremely chunky heatsinks that cool the 18+2+2 teamed power stages.
The heatsinks have machined ridges and fins and are all solid metal. Curiously, the heatsink under the IO shroud is actual 2 pieces, the larger one covers the left MOSFETs while another underneath the actual IO plate cools the IO modules serving the rear IO ports.
By now, ASUS has standardized their motherboard layout on most HERO boards and besides the varying heatsink design, most of the layout will be similar across each board. The ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO specifically is the first NitroPath-equipped motherboard from ASUS. This slot design is currently exclusive to ASUS and is intended to push DDR5 speeds further. After a one-year exclusivity deal with the slot maker, this will most likely be standard come next-generation.
The front IO of the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E features a USB3.2 Gen2x2 front panel connector supporting 65W Power Delivery. A dedicated 8-pin PCIe power connector is present to bolster power delivery to this feature. That silver thing between the SATA ports and the USB3 header is a SlimSAS port and a very osbcure part deserves an obscure connector WHICH ASUS DID NOT INCLUDE IN THIS BOARD. This port can be used to connect enterprise-grade hardware like direct connection to hot-swap drive cages with a backplane, U.2 storage or a SATA breakout cable. being a consumer-grade motherboard, a U.2
Moving over the bottom half of the CROSSHAIR X870E HERO, let’s start off with this gigantic piece of metal that is the M.2 Gen5 slot heatsink. As a passive solution, the size is mandatory on the fastest M.2 Gen5 SSDs but is largely overkill for anything else. Should’ve included a swappable slimmer version because…
… its giant size introduces problems like the one above wherein the Arctic Liquid Freezer III’s pumpblock tubing pushes down on the heatsink causing fitting issues for either part. While ASUS can argue that Arctic is non-standard, THIS IS THE MOST POPULAR AIO IN AMAZON AND THEREFORE THE WORLD!!! TRULY A SAD DAY INDEED. Kidding aside, this is not the only compatibility issue I ran into as some active backplate waterblocks most notoriously EK’s will not work on this board unless you remove that heatsink.
On a positive note, it is one solid block of aluminum and kept our test SSD cool but required the block to be mounted in reverse to be usable on the first slot. The slot has a quick-release tab to pop it open and the SSD itself is held down via a plastic locking notch which can be pushed out of the way to release the SSD to complete its tool-less design.
The lower SSD slots take up much of the bottom half of the board as ASUS has opted to go with a dual PCIe slot design, allocating the remaining slots for M.2 devices. The slots are covered by a metal shroud which is screwed in place and the Gen5 slot pair on the center are the first we see up top with rear backing plates for heat dissipation while the bottom pair are Gen4 slots.
The bottom area is laid with front IO ports and connector headers.ย Just underneath the second PCIe slot release tab is the PCIe speed hard selector for this board. On the lower left is the dedicated audio area which has its own heatsink cover. ASUS hooks up the ALC4082 chip with an ESS ES9219 Quad DAC on this board.
On the rear we have a surprisingly slim array of IO ports. That’s because all of these are high-bandwidth 10Gbps USB-A and USB-C ports with the 40G labelled ones being USB4 40Gbps ports.ย A quick list just in case:
- 2 x USB4 (40Gbps, USB Type-C)
- 8 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps, 6 x Type-A + 2 x Type-C)
This motherboard has USB2.0 ports but are relegated to internal headers for devices such as AIOs and other similar modules. All the USB-C ports on this board are rated for 5v/3amps with the front PD USB-C port being the exemption as that’s rated for 60W PD (5v/3A).
Other than that we have some DIY buttons with the BIOS Flashback and CLR_CMOS buttons conveniently at the back. An HDMI output port is also present then jumping to the other end are the Q-antenna with the quick release plugs and then closing out with the audio ports consisting of a optical port and a pair of 3.5mm jack for input and output.
Load Behavior and VRM Thermals
Test Setup
Processor: Ryzen 9 7950X
Motherboard: ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO
Memory: Corsair Dominator Titanium DDR5-7200
Storage: Corsair MP700 Gen5 SSD
PSU: FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W
Cooling: Arctic Freezer LC III 360
Monitor: ROG Strix XG32UQ 4K
VGA:ย ASUS Phoenix GTX 1050 Ti
As evident in the opening statement, I’m holding on to my 7950X for my AMD test bench just so I can retain that unrestricted power load that the Ryzen 9000 series now have as a “feature.” That said, we still have to do some tuning so we can exceed AMD’s power limits. In this case, PBO is enabled on the motherboard (set to Enabled not Auto or Enhanced, just Enabled) and Curve Optimizer is set to (-15). The CPU can do 300W+ but under OCCT Enterprise Extreme AVX2 CPU test, we’re pushing around 280W on this setup. To log VRM temperatures, I physically put flat probes at the middle-most MOSFET and are logged directly via an external temperature logger or Benchlab.
The low marks on the opening and ending of test are 5-minute rest periods with the center plot the loaded times which span 30 minutes of AVX2 Extreme CPU testing in OCCT Enterprise. We can see the CPU pushing 280W but slowly pulling back but clock speeds are largely unaffected. VRM temperatures are very low but this can be attributed to the extremely dense heatsink on top of a teamed VRM array coupled with the high VRM count, that’s easily the definition of overbuilt. But yes, it can get more extreme than that and for those using the new Ryzen 9000 CPUs, you’d probably see these kinds of numbers most of the time.
User Experience & Conclusion
The ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO launched in the Philippines for PHP43,980 and the US for ~$700. The ROG CROSSHAIR X670E HERO launched for PHP41,420 which factoring in the difference in exchange rate, is roughly the same price. So are we looking at the same motherboard and is it worth it? Well, I can say that if there’s one thing that will compel you to upgrade, it better be darn worth that asking price.
But other than that, the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO is best recommended for new builders. There’s little reason to see yourself jumping from the X670E HERO to this and not the WIFI7, nor the USB4 or 5G LAN surely justifies that. While we have a lot of DIY amenities on this board, if you already had your board installed up to this point, you most likely don’t fiddle around with it enough to justify this move.
And this leaves the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E in a weird predicament as it is the flagship of ASUS’ current AM5 lineup, contending with the fact that an X670E EXTREME exists alongside EXTREME-class products from both GIGABYTE and MSI as well. And I won’t fault ASUS engineers in trying to to reinvent the wheel. They already did what they could to max out this platform on the X670E and felt that pushing the same direction with the X870E which is literally the same board is merely an exercise in futility other than to remake what’s been done. The same goes for the other motherboards from other companies which really shifts the blame back to AMD by not offering more from their newer chipset.
Focusing on new builds though, for anyone who wants a top-end build and is focusing any of the brands but don’t care much about the difference between a HERO or an EXTREME, a MASTER or a XTREME AI TOP, or a GODLIKE, but just want something that’s loaded with the latest and greatest, then the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO is a right fit.
Its massive cooling solution for its dense VRM gives it high points in that aspect and connectivity options are rich with the latest buzzwords like WIFI7 and Gen5 SSDs alongside USB4. All of which are great if you can utilize them but for most cases, these things won’t mainstream until a few more cycles. By itself, its a solid motherboard and right up there with many top-end mainstream boards for this generation. Its pricey but come on, you didn’t check out this board if you’re after value. Those who can afford it won’t be disappointed except for a few nitpicks.
Some of those nitpicks are very niche like the large M.2 heatsink cover and possible incompatibilities as well as the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO being a USB4 motherboard which means it has no Thunderbolt certification. While I’ve tested Thunderbolt 3 devices, an Apple Thunderbolt 3 cable wasn’t recognized and despite using a certified USB4 cable, a Thunderbolt 4 M.2 dock was dropping out whereas the same devices and cables worked flawlessly on any Intel Thunderbolt port (Z790, Z890, Lunar Lake laptop all worked). The inclusion of a SlimSAS connector suggest ASUS enginers probably thought of a workstation functionality but probably dropped it midway when they saw this board has no 10GbE nor Thunderbolt compatibility.
Besides those shortcomings, the ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO is aesthetically pleasing and built to last and being ASUS’ top ROG X870E board, its a polarizing option. On one hand, you get a top-end motherboard that’s ready to push your Ryzen 7000 or Ryzen 9000 to the limits of performance. On the other hand though, its steep asking price doesn’t come with anything else aside from the motherboard itself.
I am compelled to drive you away from this board but functionally, especially as a gaming motherboard, it works. And it works great. If you’re not taking the budget for this board from other parts then by all means, its a great board but if you’re planning to upgrade your GPU and CPU down the line and focusing on this motherboard, I highly suggest opting for a B650 and get it done with.
Ultimately, there’s never going to be a value argument for this board. ASUS could’ve priced this board $100 or PHP6,000 less and while that would drive the ROG tax down, it’s still going to be a brand-taxed product. The only reason why I’m not outright denying a recommendation is the amount of people I’ve seen that have this board on their new builds thankfully most are new system builds primarily from folks who are annual upgraders who just make it a habit to change their system once a new one comes in and despite being late to the party, AMD managed to get some goodwill back from gamers thanks to the 9800X3D.
The ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR X870E HERO is backed by a 3-year warranty and is available now. ASUS Philippines is offering a 1-year warranty extension on top of 3-years after registration bringing the warranty to 4 years total once registered.
