ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Motherboard Review

Manufacturer: ASUS ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Motherboard Review

As part of ASUS’ AMD X570 product line, the ROG Strix X570-E Gaming offers support for the latest AMD Ryzen 3000 series processor line as well as Dual Channel DDR4 memory running at up to 3200MHz speeds in stock configuration. The board features full RGB support integrated into it’s armored surface with active cooling provided for the X570 chipset integrated into the chipset overlay. Further, ASUS integrated PCIe 4.0 slot support into the board’s dual PCIe x16 slots for support of the latest in graphics technologies as well as a 2.5 Gigabit-capable RJ-45 port into its rear panel.

Key Features

Courtesy of ASUS

  • AM4 socket: Ready for 2nd and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processors to maximize connectivity and speed with up to two M.2 Drives, USB 3.2 Gen2 and AMD StoreMI
  • Aura Sync RGB: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including RGB headers and addressable Gen 2 headers
  • Comprehensive cooling: Active PCH heatsink, MOS heatsink with 8mm heatpipe, dual on-board M.2 heatsinks and a water pump + header
  • Gaming connectivity: Supports PCIe 4.0, HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 and features dual M.2 and USB 3.2 Type-A and Type-C connectors
  • Gaming networking: 2.5Gbps LAN and Intel Gigabit Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with MU-MIMO, and gateway teaming via GameFirst V
  • 5-Way Optimization: Automated system-wide tuning, providing overclocking and cooling profiles that are tailor made for your rig
  • Gaming audio: High fidelity audio with SupremeFX S1220A, DTS® Sound Unbound and Sonic Studio III to draw you deeper into the action
  • Easy DIY: ROG-patented pre-mounted I/O shield, ASUS SafeSlot, ASUS Node connector and BIOS Flashback™ for a friendlier building experience
Technical Specifications

Taken from the ASUS website

CPU AMD AM4 Socket 3rd and 2nd AMD Ryzen™/2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors

* Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list

Chipset AMD X570
Memory 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors
4 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 4400(O.C) / 4266(O.C.) / 4133(O.C.) / 4000(O.C.) / 3866(O.C.) / 3600(O.C.) / 3400(O.C.) / 3200(O.C.) / 3000(O.C.) / 2800(O.C.) / 2666 / 2400 / 2133 MHz Un-buffered Memory *
2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors
4 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 3600(O.C.) / 3400(O.C.) / 3200(O.C.) / 3000(O.C.) / 2800(O.C.) / 2666 / 2400 / 2133 MHz Un-buffered Memory *
2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors
4 x DIMM, Max. 128GB, DDR4 3200(O.C.) / 3000(O.C.) / 2800(O.C.) / 2666 / 2400 / 2133 MHz Un-buffered Memory
Dual Channel Memory Architecture

* Refer to www.asus.com for the Memory QVL (Qualified Vendors Lists).

Graphic Integrated Graphics in the 2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors
Multi-VGA output support : HDMI/DisplayPort ports
– Supports HDMI 2.0b with maximum resolution of 4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
– Supports DisplayPort 1.2 with max. resolution 4096 x 2160 @ 60 Hz
Multi-GPU Support 3rd and 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors
Supports NVIDIA® 2-Way SLI® Technology
Supports AMD 3-Way CrossFireX™ Technology

2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors
Supports AMD 2-Way CrossFireX™ Technology

Expansion Slots 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors
2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)

2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 or dual x8)

2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors
1 x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x8 mode)

AMD X570 chipset
1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (max at x4 mode) *1
2 x PCIe 4.0 x1
*1 PCIeX16_3 slot shares bandwidth with PCIeX1_2.

Storage 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ Processors :
1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, Type 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110(PCIE 4.0 x4 and SATA modes) storage devices support

2nd Gen AMD Ryzen™/2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors :
1 x M.2 Socket 3, with M Key, Type 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110(PCIE 3.0 x4 and SATA modes) storage devices support

AMD X570 chipset :
1 x M.2 x4 Socket 3, with M Key, Type 2242 / 2260 / 2280 / 22110(PCIE 3.0 x4 and SATA modes) storage devices support 8 x SATA 6Gb/s port(s), Support Raid 0, 1, 10

LAN Intel® I211-AT, 1 x Gigabit LAN Controller(s)
Realtek® RTL8125-CG 2.5G LAN
Anti-surge LANGuard
ROG GameFirst Technology
Wireless Data Network 2 x 2 Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) with MU-MIMO supports dual frequency band 2.4/5GHz
Bluetooth Bluetooth® 5.0
Audio SupremeFX 8-Channel High Definition Audio CODEC S1220A
– Dual OP Amplifiers
– Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs
– Supports : Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking
– High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input
– SupremeFX Shielding Technology
– Supports up to 32-Bit/192kHz playback *2

*2 Due to limitations in HDA bandwidth, 32-Bit/192kHz is not supported for 8-Channel audio.

Audio Feature :
– Optical S/PDIF out port(s) at back panel
– Sonic Radar III
– Sonic Studio III + Sonic Studio Link

USB Ports 3rd Gen AMD RyzenTM Processors :
4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (4 at back panel)
2nd Gen AMD RyzenTM/2nd and 1st Gen AMD Ryzen™ with Radeon™ Vega Graphics Processors :
4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port(s)

AMD X570 chipset :
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 front panel connector port(s)

AMD X570 chipset :
4 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (4 at back panel, 3 x Type-A+1 x Type-C)

AMD X570 chipset :
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port(s) (2 at mid-board)

AMD X570 chipset :
4 x USB 2.0 port(s) (4 at mid-board)

ROG Exclusive Features ROG Exclusive Software
– RAMCache III
– CPU-Z
– GameFirst V
– Sonic Studio III + Sonic Studio Link
– Sonic Radar III
– Overwolf
Special Features 5-Way Optimization by Dual Intelligent Processors 5
– Whole system optimization with a single click! 5-Way Optimization tuning key perfectly consolidates TPU, EPU, DIGI+ VRM, Fan Xpert 4, and Turbo App together, providing better CPU performance, efficient power saving, precise digital power control, whole system cooling and even tailor your own app usages.
TPU
– Auto Tuning, TurboV, GPU Boost
Gamer’s Guardian:
– DRAM Overcurrent Protection
– Stainless Steel Back I/O
– Highly Durable Components
– DIGI+ VRM
– SafeSlot
– ESD Guards on LAN, Audio,and USB ports
ASUS EPU :
– EPU
AURA :
– Aura Lighting Control
– Addressable Gen 2 Header
ASUS Exclusive Features :
– USB BIOS Flashback®
– AI Suite 3
– Ai Charger
– ASUS NODE : hardware control interface
– BIOS Flashback® Button
ASUS EZ DIY :
– ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3
– ASUS EZ Flash 3
ASUS Q-Design :
– ASUS Q-Code
– ASUS Q-LED (CPU, DRAM, VGA, Boot Device LED)
– ASUS Q-Slot
– ASUS Q-DIMM
Gaming Aesthetics :
– AURA-RGB Lighting
Back I/O Ports 1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI
5 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
8 x USB 2.0
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio jack(s)
1 x Anti-surge 2.5G LAN (RJ45) port
1 x USB BIOS Flashback® Button(s)
1 x ASUS Wi-Fi Module
7 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps) ports (Type-A)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps) ports (Type-C)
Anti-surge LAN (RJ45) port
Internal I/O Ports 1 x PCH_FAN
1 x AAFP connector
2 x Aura RGB Strip Header(s)
2 x Addressable Gen 2 header(s)
2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s)
2 x M.2 Socket 3 with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support
1 x SPI TPM header
8 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
1 x CPU Fan connector(s)
1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s)
2 x Chassis Fan connector(s)
1 x AIO_PUMP connector
1 x W_PUMP+ connector
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP)
1 x Thermal sensor connector(s)
1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)
1 x Node Connector(s)
1 x System panel connector
1 x T_Sensor Connector
1 x M.2 Fan Header
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps) connector
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5Gbps) connector support additional 2 USB ports
Accessories User’s manual
4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
1 x M.2 Screw Package
1 x Supporting DVD
1 x Strix door hanger
1 x ROG Strix stickers
1 x Cable ties pack(s)
1 x Wi-Fi Antenna(s)
1 x Extension Cable for RGB strips (80 cm)
1 x Extension cable for Addressable LED
1 x Thermistor cable(s)
1 x ROG Thank you card
BIOS 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS, PnP, WfM2.0, SM BIOS 3.2, ACPI 6.2.
Manageability WOL, PXE
Support Disc Overwolf
Anti-virus software (OEM version)
WinRAR
Operating System Windows® 10 64-bit
Form Factor ATX Form Factor
12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )
Pricing

$299.99 USD list

Manufacturer Description

“The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard delivers the quintessential ROG experience with a compelling mix of features and undeniable style that provide the ideal foundation for building a powerful ATX gaming system. Next-generation wireless networking delivers the smoothest online gameplay and a comprehensive cooling options ensure stable performance. Topped off with futuristic styling with onboard illumination, ROG Strix X570-E Gaming equips you with all you need to build a formidable weapon to rise above the rest.”

Motherboard Layout
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The ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard features a matte black PCB with the redesigned ROG overlay scheme featuring a raindrop word pattern across the chipset cover. The board’s ATX form factor provides more than enough surface area to house the integrated components, as well as giving the board compatibility with most available gamer-friendly enclosures.

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The board’s back is entirely free of sensitive components with some small chips peppering the back surface. With the exception of the area directly behind the CPU socket, the mounting area behind the socket is completely component free.

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ASUS built the Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard with a 16-phase digital power system, capable of providing more than enough power to the CPU for whatever you choose to throw at it. The VRMs are cooled by dual large dark chrome aluminum heat sinks. To the upper left of the CPU socket is a 4-pin system fan header and a trusted module port header.

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The board’s 8-pin and 4-pin ATX12V power connectors are located to the upper right of the CPU socket, in between the VRM heatsinks and the rear panel cover along the board’s right edge.

ASUS designed the board with two M.2 slots, along the outer edges of the primary and secondary PCIe x16 slots. The two outer M.2 slots are covered by a full length covers with thermal tape along the inside that integrated into the chipset cover. In previous reviews, such plates where found to reduce M.2 card heat by over 10C when used in a strict passive configuration with optimal cooling obtained when used in conjunction with active air-flow over the port plate.

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The board has a total of four DIMM slots with Dual Channel memory mode active with modules in slots 1 / 3 or 2 / 4. The board supports up to 128GB of memory running at a maximum speed of 4400MHz. Note that memory speeds above 3200MHz are considered overclocked speeds and are outside of the official AMD Ryzen 3 series stock memory speed specifications. Directly below the memory port block are a USB 3.1 front panel header, the 24-pin ATX power connector, and a 5V addressable RGB LED header. To the upper right of the DIMM slots are the primary and secondary 4-pin CPU fan headers, a 4-pin liquid cooling pump header, and a 12V RGB LED header.

The AMD X570 chipset is actively cooled by a low profile aluminum heat sink with a three part cover plate that acts as a heat sink for the outer M.2 slots above and to the left of the chipset. The fan plugs into a power header just above the chipset. In addition to the two PCIe x4 M.2 slots, the board features eight SATA III ports in the port block directly below the chipset. All SATA ports are usable in conjunction with a drive seated in either M.2 port.

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The board contains a total of five PCIe slots – three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots and two PCIe 4.0 x1 slots. The PCIe x16 slots can be used in x8 / x8 / x4 mode, depending on the CPU in use. Notice that ASUS designed the primary PCIe x16 slot to hold up to a triple slotted video card without impeding the secondary PCIe x16 slot. Also, the primary and secondary slots have been steel-reinforced to prevent damage to the slot when using video cards with larger coolers in a vertical mount orientation. The bandwidth for PCIe x16 slot 3 is automatically configured based on the CPU seated in the board.

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The board’s integrated audio components are located just above the PCIe ports. The audio subsystem lives on an isolated PCB to minimize line-noise and distortion caused by other integrated components. To ensure balanced audio performance using headphones or external speakers, ASUS designed the audio system around the SupremeFX S1220A CODEC, dual op-amps for use with headphones, and premium Nichicon Audio capacitors.

ASUS integrated support for connecting RGB LED strips directly into the board using the RGB LED headers located in the lower left quadrant and lower right quadrant (by the DIMM slots) of the board. Both 4-pin 12V RGB and 3-pin 5V addressable RGB LED headers are integrated into the board. Connecting an RGB LED strip to the header synchronizes the LED strip color and activity with that of the motherboard’s integrated LEDs. The board is shown with an external RGB strip connected to one the headers in the board’s lower right quadrant.

In addition to the two RGB LED headers, UEFI reset jumper, front panel, and multiple 4-pin system fan headers are located on the lower left edge of the board.

Along the upper and mid left side of the board are the front panel audio header, a 2-digit debug display, the Node header, a temperature sensor header, and USB 2.0 and 3.0 headers.

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The rear panel assembly comes as a sealed assembly from the factory with a metal RGB LED embedded enclosure and an integrated shield plate for added protection. The following integrated ports into the motherboard’s rear panel assembly: seven USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A 10Gbps port (red), a USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C 10Gbps port, an Intel I211-AT GigE RJ-45 port, a Realtek 2.5G RJ-45 port, dual WiFi antennae ports, HDMI and DisplayPort video ports, an S/PDIF digital audio output port, five analogue audio output ports, and the BIOS Flashback button. All USB ports are controlled by the AMD X570 chipset.

The USB BIOS Flashback button can be used to re-flash the BIOS without having to boot the system into the UEFI BIOS interface or a command-line mode interface. Simply plug in a USB drive containing the proper BIOS file in the root of the drive into the lowest USB 3.1 port (marked as BIOS on the rear panel shield). As the BIOS is updated, the LED flashing frequency increases. Once the LED goes out, the flash operation is completed and the board can be booted. Note that if the BIOS Flashback LED flashes for 5 seconds and then glows solid, it means that something went wrong with the flashback operation. Check the USB drive for the the BIOS file in the root and make sure that the BIOS file is named correctly. BIOS Flashback looks for a specific filename and file format when attempting to replace the on-board BIOS. According to the user manual, the BIOS file in the root of the flash drive must be named SX570EG.CAP for the BIOS Flashback applet to successfully re-flash the board’s BIOS.

CPU Cooler Fit

To test the amount of space surrounding the CPU socket, we mounted the Noctua NH-D15 cooler to the CPU socket. This behemoth CPU air cooler sports a dual fan construction and two huge vertical cooling towers.

When oriented in its default configuration with air blown towards the rear panel of the case, the Noctua cooler fits into the CPU socket area of the ROG Strix X570-E Gaming without issue. Further, the spacing between the CPU socket area and the primary PCIe x16 slot are more than sufficient to seat a video card with the cooler mounted.

The Noctua hold down mechanism is large enough to qualify the socket space for use with the majority of mount methods included with a CPU cooler. The Noctua mount fits the CPU socket without issue.

Included Accessories

The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard comes with all the components necessary to get the board up and running, as well as some other nice to have components giving the board added value.

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The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming package included the motherboard manual, driver DVD, ROG-branded case stickers and cable labels, a ROG branded door hanger, and a coupon for 20% off of the purchase of CableMod power cables. The included manual gave an in-depth description of the board components and setup as we’ve come to expect from ASUS.

ASUS bundled in six black plastic-sleeved 6Gb/s rated SATA cables for use with the integrated ports. The cables have integrated port locks and a mix of straight and 90 degree connectors. ASUS also bundled in an ROG-branded 2×2 802.11AC antenna, both 3-pin and 4-pin RGB LED extension cables, and a temperature diodes for use with the integrated headers.

Application Overview

Included Applications
  • ASUS AI Suite 3
  • ASUS Dual Intelligent Processors 5 with 5-Way Optimization
  • TPU
  • DIGI+ Power Control
  • EPU
  • Turbo EVO
  • Fan Xpert 4
  • PC Cleaner
  • EZ Update
  • AURA RGB Lighting Control
  • ROG GameFirst V
  • ROG RAMCache III
AI Suite 3
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The AI Suite 3 application is a bundling mechanism for all the included ASUS designed utilities, providing a centralized panel from which to access and run the applets. All applets can be accessed by clicking on the expansion button on the middle left side of the page. The applet list then slides out to the right in a frame along the inside left of the page.
Dual Intelligent Processors 5
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The main app opens to the Dual Intelligent Processors 5 page, organized into separate sections for each of the five 5-Way Optimization features. The overclocking settings are housed in the TPU section. The EPU section houses power saving related settings. The DIGI+ VRM section houses settings specific to the board power circuitry, and the Fan Xpert 4 section contains fan controls. The Turbo App section houses application specific performance, network priority, and audio settings. Along the top of the app windows are the entry point for the AI Optimization wizard and the entry point for the 5-Way Optimization wizard. Along the bottom of the app window are real-time monitoring display settings.

ASUS AURA Syc
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The ASUS AURA applet controls the active state of the RGB LEDs embedded in to the board as well as LED strips connected to the board’s RGB LED 12V header. The controlled LEDs can be configured for any desired color using the color picker control and to operate in a variety of modes including static, breathing, strobing, color cycle, rainbow, starry night, music, smart, and dark.

GameFirst V
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GameFirst V is the latest revision of ASUS’ application for optimizing network traffic through the on-board network controllers for gaming use. It offers the same functionality as offered with the Killer NIC series of network adapters. The application offers EZ mode with pre-configured profiles as well as Advanced mode for more granular network traffic configuration.

ROG RAMCache III
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The ROG RAMCache III application can be used to setup an external high-speed cache partition for any attached hard drives or SSDs using an allocated portion of system memory. The upper limit of the cache is determined by the amount of memory in the system.

UEFI Features

ASUS bundled the ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard with the latest revision of their ASUS UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface) implementation, a customized version of the AMI baseline UEFI BIOS replacement. The UEFI offers full keyboard and mouse support while using the BIOS pages. ASUS changed the way mouse right-click functions in their UEFI implementation with right-click having no impact on the screen. By default, the user sees the EZ mode screen when entering the UEFI. The Advanced mode screens accessible via the Exit/Advanced Mode button at the upper right corner of the screen or by hitting the F7 function key. Advanced mode screens can be set for the default user interface via the UEFI Boot menu as well.

As we’ve stated in previous reviews, the ASUS UEFI implementation remains among the best out there. The UEFI is very responsive to both keyboard and mouse input with almost no lag or questionable click-space evident anywhere. The UEFI is designed in an intuitive manner so that both novice and advance BIOS users can quickly find what they are looking for. The EZ Mode screen lays out everything in a highly readable format, while the Advanced Mode tabbed layout displays as you would expect from a traditional BIOS. ASUS also gives you the ability to taken screen captures from within the BIOS by pressing the F12 key with those screen-caps saved in a 1024×768 bitmap format to an attached USB device. From the Tools menu, ASUS houses their collection of of BIOS-related tools and applets, ranging from an UEFI-based updater (EZ Flash3) to their full UEFI profile load and save utility.

UEFI Notable Features

In addition to the normal features you would find in an enthusiast-friendly UEFI, ASUS exposed many advanced features specific to the AMD Ryzen 3000 series processor line, mostly concentrated in the AMD-specific links under the Advanced Page. One of the nicer features of the UEFI was the breadcrumb title that appeared on every page, making it much easier to navigate through the deeply nested sub-menus. Updated and notable features include the EZ Mode page, the Advanced mode My Favorites tab, Shortcut screen, a graphical fan tuning interface, a graphical EZ Tuning Wizard interface, an Overclocking wizard within the EZ Tuning Wizard interface, and a keyword setting search feature.

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The EZ Mode page presents information organized into sections in an easy-to-read manner for those users who do not want to be bothered with the labyrinth of the Advanced Mode settings. ASUS enhanced this interface with an animated background, making for an interested effect.

The My Favorites tab houses user selected settings for access to these from a centralized location. To access, select the My Favorites tab from within the Advanced Mode interface. Note that if a menu or sub-menu is added to this page, all fields on that page will be added. The real strength in this My Favorites tab implementation comes with the ability to mix and match commonly used options in a central location, rather than having to hunt them down through multiple sub-levels of menus.

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The Search page, accessed from a link at the top of the Advanced mode page or by pressing the F9 function key, displays all settings that match the entered search terms. This can save the user a huge amount of time, especially when trying to find that one key setting buried under numerous sub-menus within the UEFI.

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The Q-Fan Tuning page allows for graphical configuration of fan operation based on predefined threshold levels. The interface is similar in nature to the Windows-based Fan Xpert 4 fan configuration interface and is a nice touch in-lei of the text-based configuration approach. The Q-Fan Tuning page is accessed by clicking on the Manual Fan Tuning button within the EZ Mode page or clicking the F6 function key from within the Advanced Mode interface.

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The EZ Tuning Wizard can be accessed by clicking the EZ Tuning Wizard link in the page header from within the EZ Mode page or the Advanced Mode interface. This wizard describes in detail how to use and configure the AI Overlocking feature implemented in the UEFI. Manual overclocking settings are configured from within the AI Tweaker page.

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ASUS allows for storing up to eight UEFI profiles through the ASUS User Profiles page within the Tools tab in the Advanced mode interface. The saved profiles contain all user configured settings from the UEFI, and can be saved to or restored from any attached storage device.

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The ASUS EZ Flash 3 utility was updated, allowing for BIOS update via an attached drive or through a network connection. When selecting the network update method, the utility launches a network connection wizard for getting the most up to date BIOS file from the ASUS servers.

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The download and enable setting within the ASUS Armoury Crate page controls the automated download of the Armoury Crate applet from within Windows 10. Armoury Crate can be used to configure attached RGB LED strips from the ASUS Aura app and automatically installs all board drivers and utilities without the need for a driver disk.

The AI Tweaker tab houses the settings controlling all board overclocking settings.

UEFI Walkthrough highlights – Advanced mode interface
Main tab

The System Information tab displays board model and BIOS version information, as well as housing the language selection and system time and date settings. Additionally, an FAQ page can be accessed via a scannable barcode.

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Ai Tweaker tab

The Ai Tweaker tab houses various sub-tabs and settings for controlling motherboard performance settings. The other settings are logically divided up between the linked pages – Precision Boost Overdrive, DRAM Timing Control, and DIGI+ VRM.

Advanced tab

The Advanced tab houses settings within linked sub-tabs for controlling the various subsystems and devices integrated into the motherboard, like the PCIe M.2 slots, SATA ports, USB slots, etc. Advanced AMD processor-specific performance and overclocking settings are housed within the AMD labeled sub-menus.

AMD CBS settings

The AMD CBS submenu, accessed from the AMD CBS link in the Advanced tab, houses AMD Ryzen-specific advanced settings for configuring the processor internal settings.

AMD Overclocking settings

The AMD Overclocking submenu, accessed from the AMD Overclocking link in the Advanced tab, houses AMD Ryzen-specific advanced settings for configuring voltage and frequency settings outside of the Ai Tweaker tab.

Monitor tab

The Monitor tab contains settings related to BIOS monitored temperature, voltage, and fan speed settings. Additionally, fan header operation can be configured via settings at the page bottom (in addition to using the graphical based Qfan Control functionality).

 Boot tab

The Boot tab contains settings related to system initialization and boot, including the boot override settings. CSM (Compatibility Support Module) and Secure Boot settings can also be configured via the links at the bottom of the tab.

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 Tool tab

The Tool tab houses all ASUS-specific customizations to the UEFI, logically grouped in the linked sub-pages. ASUS customizations include a BIOS flash utility, SSD secure erase functionality, a UEFI profile load and save app, memory-based SPD information display, the ability to enable/disable the ASUS Armoury Crate functionality, and graphical PCIe-based card information.

Testing and System Benchmark Configuration

Testing Configuration
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To verify that the motherboard works as advertised, the board was run through our standard benchmark suite. In most cases, the results are presented for the motherboard under review as well as a different similar-class motherboards for performance comparison purposes. The benchmark tests used should give you a good understanding of the board’s capabilities for both office and gaming use so that you, the reader, can make a more informed purchasing decision.

Test System Setup
Motherboards AMD X570-based systems
ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming
ASRock X570 Steel Legend
CPU AMD X570-based system
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
(3.7GHz CPU, 37 x 100MHz FSB)
Memory AMD X570-based system
Micron Ballistix Sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 modules
(3200MHz, 16-18-18-36-1T, 1.35V)
Hard Drive Intel 730 240GB SSD
Toshiba 1TB SATA III HD
Sound Card On-board sound
Video Card NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB
CPU Cooling Processor Block
XSPC Raystorm Pro water blockCooling Loop Components
XSPC Photon 170 Tube Reservoir with D5 pump
XSPC RX480 V3 Radiator
Video Drivers NVIDIA 431.60
Power Supply Corsair HX750
Operating System Windows 10 Pro x64, May 2019 Update (v1903)

 

Test Setup Explanation

The 64-bit Windows 10 based test bench used for the AMD X370 AM4 board testing includes an AMD Ryzen 5 3600X processor, 16GB of DDR4-3200 memory, an NVIDIA GTX 780 3GB video card, and an Intel 730 240GB SSD drive were used in the test system. Using the selected components gives us the ability to demonstrate the motherboard’s capabilities rather than that of the components themselves.

Benchmark Tests used for evaluation
  • SiSoft Sandra 2020 (v2020.1.30.14)
  • Handbrake video transcoder v1.2.2
  • Maxon Cinebench R20
  • PCMark 10 v2.0.2115
  • ATTO Disk Benchmark v4.01.0f1

System and Application Benchmark Testing

System Benchmark Testing
ATTO Disk Benchmark

To validate that the board’s device ports were functioning correctly, we connected an Samsung 850 EVO 250GB SATA III SSD to the system and ran the ATTO Disk Benchmark against the drive. The SSD was directly connected to the native SATA III ports. NGFF port testing was performed using an M.2 based Samsung 950 Pro PCIe M.2 2280 256GB SSD. The M.2 device was tested using the board’s integrated M.2 slot. USB port testing performed using the M.2 drive MyDigitalSSD M2X USB 3.1 Gen 2 compatible enclosure. ATTO was configured to test against transfer sizes from 0.5 to 8192 KB with Total Length set to 512 MB and Queue Depth set to 256. The M.2 SSD selected for testing has a maximum read throughput of 2200 MB/s and a write throughput of 900 MB/s over a PCI-Express 3.0 x4 bus. The selected SSD has a maximum read throughput of 540 MB/s and a write throughput of 520 MB/s on a SATA III controller. The drive tests were repeated three times with the highest repeatable read and write speeds recorded.

ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Motherboard Review - Motherboards 202

Across the board, drives connected to the native chipset controlled SATA and M.2 ports performed within specs with a few surprises encountered. The most surprising results were with drive performance when attached to the SATA III ports. The SATA III drives managed just about 500 MB/s for read performance while dipping into the 460 MB/s range for writes. Typically, both of those values should be well above 500 MB/s. With the M.2 device attached to the USB 3.0 port, performance fell slightly behind that of the SATA ports, hovering around the 400 MB/s spot. Performance of the M.2 device attached to the USB 3.1 Type A and C ports was considerably faster, coming in at above 900 MB/s for both write and read tests.

SiSoft Sandra 2020

SiSoftware’s Sandra benchmark is an industry-standard suite for measuring various aspects of a systems performance. We use the CPU and memory-subsystem tests to validate how well those subsystems perform related to similar classed boards. This test was repeated three times with the highest repeatable scores recorded from each benchmark.

The Sandra benchmarks remain a fast and easy way to determine system quality from a CPU and memory subsystem perspective. The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard performed as expected with it’s performance matching that of other similarly classed AMD X570-based systems. This CPU and memory performance parity indicates proper CPU and memory subsystem operation.

Multimedia and Application Benchmark Testing
Handbrake v1.2.2

Handbrake was used to convert an uncompressed version of the Iron Man Blu-ray movie in MKV format to a compressed 1080P30 MP4 format. The Iron Man MKV file was ripped from the Blu-ray disc in the past with the file size for the uncompressed media coming in at 26 GB. Handbrake was run with the Fast 1080p30 preset settings enforced with the exception of Anamorphic set to Loose. This test was repeated three times with the lowest repeatable conversion time recorded.

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Video encoding is one of the more system intensive operations, making it a good test to measure system performance quirks under elevated usage scenarios. The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard performed on par with the other AMD X570-based test systems.

Maxon Cinebench R20

Maxon’s Cinebench R20 benchmark can be used determine a system’s ability to render 3D content based on their Cinema 4D animation software. The CPU benchmark test was run three times, with the highest reproducible Cinebench points score recorded.

ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Motherboard Review - Motherboards 206

The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard again performed well in comparison with the other AMD X570-based systems, illustrating its optimal functioning.

UL PCMark 10

UL’s PCMark 10 can be used to reliably ascertain a system’s performance in a Windows 10-based use environment. The tests chosen for benchmarking included the Extended Suite and the Applications Suite. The Extended Suite of tests is comprised of the Essentials test, the Productivity test, the Digital Content Creation test, and the Gaming test. The Applications Suite of tests is comprised of the MS Word test, the MS Excel test, the MS Powerpoint test, and the MS Edge browser test. For the Applications Suite, MS Office 365 was used in conjuction with PCMark 10. All test suites within the PCMark 10 benchmark suites were run three times, with the highest reproducible PCMark scores recorded.

The ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard performed well in comparison to the other test systems in this real-world application benchmark. The small performance differences could be attributed to quirks with the benchmark itself and how different manufacturers manage CPU ratios and voltages at stock settings.

Overclocking Performance

To give a feel for the overclocking performance potential of the ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard, we attempted to push it to known CPU-supported performance parameters with minimal tweaking. At the stock base clock speed of 100Mhz, we pushed the CPU to 4.3GHz across all cores with a 1800MHz Infinity Fabric frequency and a 3600MHz memory speed. This was done at a 1.450V CPU voltage, a 1.20V SOC/Uncore OC Voltage, and a 1.375V memory voltage with all other values left at default settings. All overclocking sessions remained stable for over 4hrs. System stability was tested running the AIDA64 stability test in conjunction with EVGA’s OC Scanner X graphical benchmark running at 1280×1024 resolution and 8x MSAA in stress test mode. Note that 8GB (2 x 4GB) of Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR4-4000 memory modules were used for the overclocking tests. 100MHz Base Clock Stats with 4.3GHZ CPU speed (all cores), 1800MHz Infinity Fabric frequency, and 3600MHz memory speed

Conclusion

ASUS has another winning design with the ROG Strix X570-E Gaming motherboard. Its layout and design keep to ASUS’ typical high standards with no hard to reach or crowded components. The board features the updates aesthetics for the ROG Strix branding, featuring black chromed VRM heat sinks as well as an intricately detailed PCIe armor plate that protects the M.2 ports and chipset as well. Its base black PCB acts as a good accent to the design with it easily fitting in to most gamer-centric builds. All of the normal nice to haves are integrated into the board, included multiple 12v and 5v RGB headers, a front panel USB 3.1 port, multiple LAN ports integrated into the rear panel, and some RGB LEDs sprinkled throughout the board’s surface. Performance-wise, it doesn’t disappoint with excellent performance across the board at both stock and overclocked speeds. Surprisingly, there is really little not to like about this board. While it price is on the higher end for an AMD Ryzen-based solution, the inclusion of full speed M.2 PCIe x4 slots and a 2.5Gbps capable LAN port help to offset the additional cost. ASUS once again proves that you get what you pay for.

Strengths

  • Stock and Overclocking performance
  • Gamer-friendly board aesthetics, layout, and design
  • UEFI BIOS design and usability
  • Chipset active cooling
  • Storage offerings – dual M.2 PCIe 4.0 ports and SATA ports
  • Network offerings – Intel I211-AT GigE, Realtek 2.5GigE LAN ports, and 2×2 802.11ax Wi-Fi ports
  • Configurable board-integrated RGB LEDs using the Windows app
  • Multiple 12V RGB and 5V addressable RGB LED headers
  • M.2 port placement and cooling
  • Removable port covers / coolers for both M.2 ports
  • CMOS battery placement

Weaknesses

  • Price
  • Lack of usable PCIe x1 port with all PCIe x16 ports populated
pcper gold award

Review Disclosures

This disclosure statement covers the way the product being reviewed was obtained and the relationship between the product's manufacturer and PC Perspective.

How Product Was Obtained

The motherboard is on loan from ASUS for the purpose of this review.

What Happens To Product After Review

The motherboard remains the property of ASUS but will be on extended loan to PC Perspective for the purpose of future testing and product comparisons.

Company Involvement

ASUS provided the product sample and technical brief to PC Perspective but had no control over the content of the review and was not consulted prior to publication.

PC Perspective Compensation

Neither PC Perspective nor any of its staff were paid or compensated in any way by ASUS for this review.

Advertising Disclosure

ASUS has purchased advertising at PC Perspective during the past twelve months.

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This article contains affiliate links to online retailers. PC Perspective may receive compensation for purchases made through those links.

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About The Author

Morry Teitelman

Hardware Editor at PC Perspective. Main focus is on motherboard reviews, but does branch out to other areas of interest from time to time (read that as water cooling). Morry has been building his own systems since the mid-90's and has a passion for PC modding and watercooling. If you've been to Quakecon, there's a chance you've seen one of his builds.

11 Comments

  1. willmore

    Great review, Morry, great to see you back doing reviews!

    Can I pick a nit with the M.2 slots? They’re 64Gb/s not 64 GB/s. Maybe we’ll see 64GB/s in a 4x slot with PCI-E 7.0. 🙂

    Reply
    • Sebastian Peak

      It’s one small b for man, one giant B for mankind.

      Reply
      • willmore

        Thanks for updating the article.

        Reply
  2. Subsailor

    Excellent work Morry!

    Reply
  3. BigTed

    Can I ask how intrusive the chipset fan is? Is it permanently running?

    Reply
    • Morry Teitelman

      The fan is virtually inaudible, so it shouldn’t be anything to be concerned over. It looks like most of the x570 boards have integrated fans on the chipset though. One nice side effect is that the fan does help cool any seated M.2 drives…

      Reply
      • BigTed

        That’s good to hear. Or not as the case may be… Thanks for the review.

        Reply
  4. HelloWorld

    Hey Morry, you should revisit the HSF fitment part. You claim that the larger heatsink fits – which is indeed true, however you missed an important detail in that a video card placed in the top PCI-e slot with that large HSF will be touching it. Try it for yourself, esp with one of the larger cards with metal backplates.

    Reply
    • HelloWorld

      Further amendment: Noctua actually does not recommend their NH-D15, NH-U14S, or NH-D14 coolers for this motherboard for the reason I mentioned. They suggest moving the video card down, but that’s kind of a non-starter given how these function, and the idea that you’d basically not be able to use half the board.

      Reply
  5. Eduardo

    Hello! Great review!
    I really want to know if I can put 3 m2 NVME ssds on this board without affecting VGA x16 bandwith (without dropping it to x8). I think about populate the two M2 sockets and the third pci express (x4) with an adapter, and my 2080Ti will be installed at the first pci express x16. Is it possible? Thank you!

    Reply

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