Asus’ ROG brand name barely requires an introduction. Since 2006, Asus ROG motherboards have actually seldom disappointed, plus the brand name undoubtedly gets the many devoted perform purchasers. However with premium equipment comes premium prices, plus the Crosshair X670E Hero is definitely a costly board. At $699 / £649 / AU$1,189 it is costing amounts that have been laughable a few generations ago.
exactly why is it therefore costly? There are some reasons. The fallout from pandemic, international inflation, plus strong US buck are partly the culprit, but there is additionally the necessity for good quality PCBs. PCIe 5.0 signalling needs suggest the panels need to be developed to a higher standard. It appears as though the times of $300 flagship panels are over.
But that is sufficient cost talk – for the present time anyhow. Going back to the board it self, you would expect that it is loaded towards hilt with features, and it’s also typically. Its M.2 complement stands apart, having a total of five slots. Three of those are PCIe 5.0 appropriate, and another of these is with a perfectly built PCIe 5.0 add-in card.
Throw in six SATA ports and it is good selection for the file hoarders.
Crosshair X670E Hero specifications
Socket: AMD Socket AM5
CPU compatibility: AMD Ryzen 7000 desktop processors
Form element: ATX
Memory help: Up to DDR5-6400+ (OC), around 128GB
Storage: 5x M.2; 6x SATA
USB: around 2x USB 4, 2x USB 3.2 Gen2x2, 9x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 4x USB 3.1 Gen 1, 6x USB 2.0
Display: 1x HDMI 2.1
Networking: Wi-Fi 6E; Intel 2.5G LAN
Audio: Realtek ALC4082 7.1 Channel HD Audio
Price: $699 / £649 / AU$1,189
Itis a nice-looking board having a goodly dosage of RGB-lit ROG branding atop the VRM heatsink. Its mirror-like center area will undoubtedly be totally concealed with a big photos card, meaning it is predominantly black colored, and it surely will effortlessly merge with only about any system theme.
Asus ROG panels constantly function good VRM solutions, plus the X670E Hero does too. It couldnot have the outright stage count of some competing panels but do not let that concern you. 18+2 stage with 110A phases will not be stressed with a greatly overclocked Ryzen 9 7950X (starts in brand new tab), despite having fluid nitrogen cooling.
The air conditioning is a lot more than sufficient too, if you don’t quite since impressive as Gigabyte’s high-end panels which function bigger area areas because of finned heatsinks. They are extremely sturdily built plus 52°C load heat whenever looping Cinebench R23 just isn’t also from another location near its limitations. Even when future Ryzen 8000 or 9000 CPUs need 300W or maybe more, it is difficult to observe the X670E Hero would struggle.
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The backside I/O is indeed a energy for the board, with one exclusion, there is 2.5G LAN just regarding its ethernet connection. Only at that cost, at the least 5G ought to be standard, with 10G anticipated. That apart, the USB complement is mostly about just like it gets. Two USB 4 ports are accompanied with a Gen 3.2 Gen 2×2 slot and nine 3.2 Gen 2 ports. Whenever combined with interior headers, the board supports around 23 USB ports. That is sufficient to perform all your peripherals along with a plasma ball, Christmas time tree, and mind massager.
The remainder is certainly caused by standard material for high-end board. WiFi 6E has become a typical addition on premium panels, and there exists a HDMI slot to be used utilizing the newly introduced built-in photos of Ryzen CPUs.
The BIOS for the X670E Hero follows equivalent design that ROG panels experienced for quite some time. It’s rather a bit daunting for newcomers but it is chock packed with settings. If you prefer to relax and play around, the Hero most likely is not planning to lose out on much when compared with upcoming overclocking concentrated panels.
The X670E Hero undoubtedly gets the many mature BIOS for the five X670 panels i’ve tested currently. It is free from showstopper pests, it boots quickly, plus the ECO and PBO improved modes is useful. More on that below.
System Efficiency
Gaming Efficiency
The X670E Hero generally speaking performed on par utilizing the other panels i have tested thus far. In fact, it’s really a small surprising never to see more outlier outcomes provided the newest nature for the platform. There is undoubtedly space for many AGESA tweaks and optimization. Maybe we are going to see some performance gains since the BIOS groups learn how to draw out that final a fewpercent of performance.
You can not read a great deal into outcomes that fall within margin of mistake. A subtiming right here or here, Windows determining to accomplish among its million history procedures, or perhaps a little bit of throttling since the 7950X details its 95°C restriction can all impact outcomes with tiny margins like these.
Test rig
CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
Graphics: Zotac GeForce RTX 3080 Ti AMP Holo
RAM: 2x 16GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 C30
Storage: 2TB Seagate FireCuda 530
Cooling: Cooler Master PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
PSU: Corsair AX1000
Rather than spend some time on overclocking, and really wasting time about it because the 7950X is air conditioning restricted, i desired to experience Asus’ brand new PBO Enhancement mode inside 0705 BIOS. It may be based in the Extreme Tweaker menu, as shown inside image above.
You could be knowledgeable about AMD’s ECO mode allowing you to definitely set a TDP restriction. Asus’ mode sets a heat restriction that I think is really a better technique than utilizing TDP because it’s of use no real matter what cooler you employ. It is possible to select 90°C, 80°C or 70°C. We decided to go with 80°C. Only at that establishing the needs on my 360mm AIO cooler had been significantly reduced. The fans just did not have to spin up just as much compared to the standard 95°C restriction that the 7950X will and certainly will strike.
The email address details are astonishing. Utilizing Cinebench R23, you can view the 7950X ratings 37129 set alongside the 38384 at stock settings. That is a fall, yes, but it addittionally provides an electric preserving. At 80°C restriction the test system pulled no more than 305W under an all-core load. That comes even close to the 352W at automobile settings, which can be almost a 50W preserving.
If you’re employing a 7700X or 7600X, you may expect the PBO enhanced modes to provide performance nearer to the stock settings. Based on Asus, a 7600X at 70°C will discover alongside no performance loss.
The Asus improved PBO modes and AMD’s ECO modes are great features for me. If you do not mind compromising a mostly intangible couple of % of performance, you’ll be rewarded having a significant fall in conditions and energy usage. We heartily suggest checking it down and seeing whenever you can actually start to see the performance distinction.
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Asus frequently arrives the gates well whenever a brand new Central Processing Unit and platform is launched, and that is once again the situation right here. The BIOS seems mature, and even though we’ven’t possessed a possiblity to actually explore such things as memory overclocking and PBO, the boot some time memory compatibility appear to be good.
The Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero is really a solid providing, but that cost!?
The Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero is really a solid providing, but that cost!? Needless to say, wider financial issues and offer string dilemmas bear a few of the fault, but at $699 / £649 / AU$1,189, it is an costly providing nevertheless think of it. Particularly when the meat for the system performance metrics is virtually identical throughout the panels i have tested.
Though in the event that you don’t mind having less 5G or 10G Ethernet, you’ll be rewarded having a solid, dependable, and well-built board that may undoubtedly endure you through Zen 5 and 6 improvements. At the very least that is one good way to attempt to get the cash’s worth.
