The AMD X570 Motherboard Overview: Over 35+ Motherboards Analyzed
by Gavin Bonshor on July 9, 2019 8:00 AM ESTMSI MEG X570 Unify
The MSI MEG X570 Unify combines sleek and uniformed all-black aesthetics without the swathes of RGB LEDs which some users find garish. With similar specifications to the MSI MEG X570 Ace which we reviewed at launch, the MEG X570 Unify takes a more direct approach with some very interesting features. Not only has MSI dropped all of the fancy plastic on the rear panel cover and removes the integrated RGB LEDs, but the power delivery heatsink is incorporated into the large aluminium rear panel cover to create a massive and robust cooling solution for power users; the X570 Unify is using a 14-phase power delivery design and two 8-pin 12 V ATX connectors for power. The Unify is more focused towards enthusiasts and represents MSI's higher-tier of X570 models.
Looking at the core feature set, the MSI MEG X570 Unify includes three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots which each come with individual heatsinks for improved cooling performance when used with NVMe based drives. Also included four SATA ports and for the networking, included is a Realtek RTL8125 2.5 G NIC with an Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax wireless interface. On the rear panel, there is a Realtek ALC1220 HD audio codec with three USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, one USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0 ports. Also present is a clear CMOS button, a Flash BIOS button, and a PS/2 combo port. There are three full-length PCIe 4.0 slots which operate at x16, x8/x8, and x8/x8/x4, as well as two PCIe 4.0 x1 slots. Supported memory speeds allow for DDR4-4600 and up to 128 GB to be installed.
Everything about this model screams enthusiast, but without all of the bells and whistles of the MEG X570 Ace. The MSI MEG X570 Unify even managed to push a Ryzen 9 3900X to 5857.01 MHz which is the current highest frequency for this processor on HWBot. That sends a very clear message that this model is suited for overclocking, but still provides users with the same premium desktop motherboard features as other competitive models in its product segment. At present, there is no pricing information available, but it's likely to cost around the same as the MSI MEG X570 Ace ($370).
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abufrejoval - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
It's amazing how quickly you run out of PCIe lanes, when you don't have switches to multiplex and translate between PCIe revisions and lanes (e.g. PCIe v4 x2 <-> PCIe v2 x8).I find myself using USB 3.x NBase-T NICs and NVMe adapters, simply because they *do* switch.
Bensam123 - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
Maybe a bit more depth on the power delivery page. I have absolutely no idea how to go about parsing what's there. More chokes is better? What denotes a power phase?A5 - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
+1. Some analysis of that information would be helpful.MrSpadge - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
+1bunkle - Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - link
The controller column includes the total number of phases supported split between CPU cores and SoC e.g. (6+1) = 6 CPU phase and 1 SoC phase. More is *usually* better but has diminishing returns regarding tighter and tighter voltage regulation. Some controllers are better than others (can operate at high frequency e.g. 500KHz v 1000KHz, include other features to improve performance) mitigating the need for more phases.Each phase is a buck converter comprised of a low/high side MOSFET (can be integrated in a single package) and choke. Some controllers can support doubling up the PWM signal to driver more MOSFETs. Doublers can also be added as discrete components if not built into the controller.
Current rating of the MOSFET (e.g. Sic639=40A IR3555=60A) indicates the total power deliverable. MOSFETs are not 100% efficient and vary in efficiency. The more current they provide the hotter they get and the less efficient they become, with better MOSFETs producing less heat for a given current. Thus using doubles can improve temperatures and efficiency without the benefits of the tighter voltage tolerance that *real* phases provide.
Hope that’s helpful!
bunkle - Wednesday, July 10, 2019 - link
A lot more detailed explanation: https://en.wikichip.org/wiki/voltage_regulator_mod...bug77 - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
The description for AsRock X570(M) Pro4 says "5 jack + 1 SPDIF". Unfortunately, those boards lack SPDIF and only come with 3 jacks ;)Smell This - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
I'm thinking the *ASRock Thunderbolt AIC* ...https://thunderbolttechnology.net/product/asrock-t...
would cover all your TBT peripheral needs, including optical.
DanNeely - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
Do X570 boards still need an extra chip per USB port to support USB-C reversibility?The additional expense and needed PCB space were cited as among the reasons why earlier generation boards (IIRC both Intel and AMD) almost never had more than 1 C port; but it was never clear to me if that was an inherent implementation penalty for the C port or an artifact of Intel's tech stack being stalled out and AMD outsourcing to ASMedia which built the chipsets on an ancient (55nm) platform.
DigitalFreak - Tuesday, July 9, 2019 - link
Gavin - X370 and X470 only supported PCIe 2.0. The connection between the CPU and chipset was 3.0, but all the ports on the chipset were 2.0.