An AMD Threadripper X399 Motherboard Overview: A Quick Look at Seven Products
by Ian Cutress & Joe Shields on September 15, 2017 9:00 AM ESTASUS ROG Strix X399-E Gaming
With the advent of eSports and the ability to stream and even broadcast your own gaming sessions, PC gaming has gained a significant amount of momentum the past few years. So much so, many (if not all) of the motherboard partners have latched on to the nomenclature and started entire lines for 'gaming' motherboards. ASUS is no different with gaming based motherboards, out for generations now under the ROG name, and continues to do so on the X399 Threadripper platform in the ROG Strix X399-E Gaming. Strix as a brand has migrated from a 'zero-noise' implementation to the more budget oriented gaming products from ASUS.
The ROG Strix falls between the Zenith Extreme and the Prime with a mix of features. For example, the Strix includes WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, like the flagship Zenith Extreme, or that the Prime and Strix each have a single Intel I211-AT Gigabit LAN while the Zenith has three network ports including a 10 GbE. The Strix X399-E Gaming has eight DRAM slots, supports multiple GPUs (SLI and Crossfire), uses the latest audio codec (Supreme FX S1220A for the Strix), a capable VRM, multiple storage options, and RGB lighting among other features.
Looking over the board in detail, we'll start at the top. First, the VRM configuration is an eight-phase design. It is cooled by dual heat sinks running along the top of the socket with the second sitting between the memory slots and rear I/O. Extra cooling on the VRMs is provided by an included 40mm fan sitting under the I/O shroud (similar to the Zenith). Both EPS connectors, an 8-pin and 4-pin, as well as the 24-pin ATX connector, are in the top right-hand corner of the board. Below that is the second M.2 slot. An M.2 drive in this slot, like in the Prime, sticks out from the board instead of laying flat. ASUS does include an M.2 bracket for the slot to assist with supporting the standing device.
Continuing to move down the motherboard, below the vertical M.2 slot is the USB3.1 (10 Gbps) header fed from the chipset. For cases that have front panel USB 3.1 ports, this is typically the header used for that connectivity. Below that is the single U.2 port and six SATA ports.
The chipset heatsink on the ROG Strix houses RGB LEDs that can be adjusted with the AURA Sync software. The only other LEDs on the board are located on the I/O cover. The chipset heatsink extends on the bottom between the last two full-length PCIe slots and covers the first M.2 slot providing additional cooling for those devices.
The Strix offers four full-length PCIe slots, three use a reinforcing guard and is where users will slot their graphics cards for optimal performance. The PCIe arrangement allows for up to a triple slot video card between slot 1 and slot 3, and a dual slot card will fit between between slot 3 and slot 4. Slot breakdowns are x16 for single, x16/x16 for dual GPUs, and x16/x16/x8 when using three GPUs. Additionally there is one PCIe x1 slot, a PCIe x4 slot, and full-length PCIe slot (x4). These slots distinguish themselves by not having the reinforcement.
Across the bottom of the board are more onboard headers. These include external addressable RGB LED headers, fan headers, and USB3.0 headers. It also has a debug display as well as a small power button for testing outside of the case. On the left side of the board is where the audio parts are housed. Mostly concealed under the shroud is an EMI protected ALC1220A codec using upgraded filter caps, and PCB separation of the audio components from the rest of the board.
The rear I/O panel is fairly busy with a BIOS reset button, wireless connectivity, eight USB 3.0 ports, and the Gigabit Ethernet port taking up most of the real estate. USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports from the ASMedia controller are also present, with the audio jacks, including SPDIF output, rounding out the rear panel.
| ASUS ROG Strix X399-E Gaming | |
| Warranty Period | 3 Years |
| Product Page | Link |
| Price | N/A |
| Size | ATX |
| CPU Interface | TR4 |
| Chipset | AMD X399 |
| Memory Slots (DDR4) | Eight DDR4 Supporting 128GB Quad Channel Up to 4133 MHz (OC) |
| Network Connectivity | 1 x Intel I211-AT GbE |
| Wireless Network | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
| Onboard Audio | SupremeFX S1220A |
| PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) | 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Supports SLI/CF |
| PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) | 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 (max) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x1 |
| Onboard SATA | 6x Supporting RAID 0/1/10 |
| Onboard SATA Express | None |
| Onboard M.2 | 2 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - PCIe or SATA |
| Onboard U.2 | 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 |
| USB 3.1 | 1 x Header 1 x Rear Panel Type-A 1 x Rear Panel Type-C |
| USB 3.0 | 8 x Rear-Panel 2 x Header |
| USB 2.0 | 2 x Header |
| Power Connectors | 1 x 24-pin EATX 1 x 8-pin ATX 12V 1 x 4-pin ATX 12V |
| Fan Headers | 1 x M.2 1 x CPU 1 x CPU OPT 3 x Chassis 1 x AIO_PUMP 1 X w_PUMP+ 1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN |
| IO Panel | 1 x Intel NIC 1 x USB 3.1 Type-A 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C 8 x USB 3.0 1 x Optical S/PDIF out 5 x Audio jacks 1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button 1 x 2x2 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac |
ASUS mentioned pricing for the Strix X399-E Gaming to be at a more affordable price than their flaghsip ROG Zenith Extreme. It is currently available through smaller distributors, perhaps as a pre-order, but not found on Newegg or Amazon at the time of writing (9/11).
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LordanSS - Saturday, September 16, 2017 - link
My money is on the latter.... =/vgray35@hotmail.com - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
With CPU power approaching 150 Amps, all these MBs are brain dead right out the gate, for using 50y old 8+ phase Buck converter topology, where VRMs with multiple phases still have poor response settling times (not one cycle settling but 20 cycles), lowish efficiencies way below 98% needing substantial heat sinks; while being saddled with the vagaries of inductive energy storage which takes up a lot of space and cost much more. Instead they should be using hybrid-PWM switching eliminating hard switch of high currents, where fractional cycle resonance ensures zero current switching and almost no switching losses. Resonance frequency scaling of the inductor/capacitor eliminates the need for ferrite cores altogether, reducing both size and core losses.http://www.powerelectronics.com/power-management/s...
Rehashing the same old power technologies with only stepwise minuscule improvements at each iteration, is not going to bode well at all. These engineers need to join the rest of us in the 21st century, and stop rehashing inductive energy storage solutions in power supplies. These new power topologies have been available for 5y to 8y now. And further this will also reduce EMI noise.
vgray35@hotmail.com - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
I might add eliminating the multi-phase Buck converters for a solution based on PWM-resonance switching (hybrid switching), fractional cycle resonance (one cycle settling responses), and resonance scaling of resonance components, will likely permit a X399 mITX board to be made; with all that PSU space recovered for other purposes. Who will take up the challenge? AMD, ASROCK? Or will Intel beat AMD in the rush to high current capability at 99% efficiency? Or one of the other competitors out there! A clarion call to action this is to once and for all retire the Buck converter!ddriver - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
I doubt they will even make a micro atx board, much less itx...It will be a waste, gigantic socket will take up most of the space, there won't be enough room for all 4 memory channels, the CPUs generous amount of PCIE lanes will be utterly wasted.
vgray35@hotmail.com - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
Yes, and yet ASROCK put the X99 on a mITX board. However cutting heat from the VRM's by 60% to 70% or more should be done anyway, not to mention the graphics cards that draw even more power. Why settle for 95/96% efficiency (or worse in some cases) when one could get 98.5% to 99% efficiency. But then again you might be right concerning Thread Ripper, although I would still buy it with M2 slots on the back. The power delivery could be moved entirely to the back of the board without heat sinks with a total height of only 1.5mm (possibly at the center of socket itself on the back). The challenge of course is just as applicable to the graphics cards.ddriver - Saturday, September 16, 2017 - link
Hm, it seems that they launched some lga2066 boards recently, an asrock itx and an msi matx. TR4 however is still atx and up only...DanNeely - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
I agree about how little sense it would make; but there have been a few LGA2011 mITX boards for people who only needed the higher core count. One of the two currently listed on Newegg uses SoDIMMs and riser boards around the CPU socket to make everything fit. Doing it for Threadripper would definitely be harder on account of the bigger socket; but I won't say never.Xajel - Saturday, September 16, 2017 - link
mITX is very hard even with riser boards & only 4x SO-DIMMsbut mATX on the other hand is very plausible... lets hope for a mATX version of the ASRock Pro Gaming with it's 10GbE ( and at least one of it's Intel's 1GbE ), at least 2 of it's M.2's and 6+ SATA ports... and please ASRock, add a front USB 3.1g2 header...
ddriver - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
Amps, or amperes, is a unit of current, not a unit of power. Power is measured in watts."Rehashing the same old power technologies with only stepwise minuscule improvements at each iteration, is not going to bode well at all." - this is unfortunately a fact, and the de-fact motto of the industry.
ddriver - Friday, September 15, 2017 - link
I mean it is kinda naive to assume several years old switching circuits will find their way into the mainstream just because they are a few percent better.We've had gas turbine engines for decades, but they are still only used in tanks, helicopters or naval ships, while mainstream vehicles are still stuck with the internal combustion engine, which is easier to break, harder to maintain and a whooping 60% less efficient.