The ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming Motherboard Review
by Gavin Bonshor on January 25, 2021 11:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Motherboards
- AMD
- Asus
- ROG
- AM4
- Ryzen 3000
- X570
- Strix X570-E
- Ryzen 5000
- X570-E Gaming
Conclusion
Looking beyond AMD's AM4 socket, the future is currently unknown. There has been plenty of speculation (some of which I may or may not agree with) that Ryzen 5000 won't be the last processors to be grace the platform, but should AMD launch another generation of hardware on AM4, these won't be expected until at least late 2021. Until such time as AMD pulls the trigger on new desktop CPUs, it'll likely focus on another generation of Threadripper first at any rate. This means that boards such as the ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming have some good longevity for the future.
The X570 Strix sits just below the ROG Crosshair series of models, and the ASUS ROG Strix X570-E Gaming is the premier board of its Strix series. This is shown with its feature set that includes two PCIe 4.0 x4/SATA M.2 slots, with eight SATA ports with no bandwidth shared between any of them. This allows users to install the highest level of consumer-level NVMe SSDs, as well as high-capacity SSD/HDD arrays for mass data storage. For expansion cards, ASUS includes three-full length PCIe 4.0 slots that operate at x16, and x8/x8/+x4, with two additional PCIe 4.0 x1 slots.
The board also includes a solid array of networking, with a Realtek RTL8125-CG 2.5 GbE and Intel I211-AT Gigabit controller pairing, including an Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 interface for wireless and BT 5.0 connectivity. Perhaps the most impressive feature on the ASUS board is its level of out of the box USB support. It includes seven USB 3.2 G2 Type-A and one USB 3.2 G2 Type-C port on the rear panel, which is impressive for a mid-range model. There is also one USB 3.2 G2 Type-C header (one port), one USB 3.2 G1 Type-A header (two ports), and two USB 2.0 headers (four ports) offering extra USB connectivity if users require additional ports.
Other important features include the SupremeFX S1220A HD audio codec which includes EMI shielding, with two OP Amps designed to boost the overall output, which allows for compatibility with up to 7.1 surround sound via five 3.5 mm audio jacks and its single S/PDIF optical output. ASUS includes the Sonic Studio III software which works well with the audio solution. Many vendors rely on the basic Realtek Control Panel, so it's nice to see ASUS has put some effort into this as auditory experience can be just as important as visuals to users.
Turning to the performance, the ASUS delivers in our system tests, with solid power consumption figures, very fast POST times, and extraordinary DPC latency performance out of the box. It is also competitive in our CPU and gaming tests. When we put it to the test in our overclock testing, the large 12+4 power delivery operating at 6+2 with teamed power stages works effectively and efficiently. We noted solid VDroop control with the default LLC profile, as well as highly competitive performance when it comes to VRM thermals. This shows the power delivery is efficient, with a good heatsink capable of handling large overclocks.
Final Words
ASUS isn't without stern competition at the sub $300-350 price point with GIGABYTE, and ASRock both competing with models that similar feature sets. This includes models with three PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots, but none of them include as much USB 3.2 G2 on the rear panel, and this is where the ASUS shines. ASUS does include a solid software package that makes subtle, but effective enhancements in users' experience, it only bolsters the overall package. It performs well in our testing, looks good while doing it, and offers users plenty of overhead for users looking to push the performance of Ryzen 5000 and Ryzen 3000.
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pradeepsekar - Tuesday, January 26, 2021 - link
Correct.Just sharing my experience -
I got a 5950X and Corsair 3600 C18 RAM from the QVL. Loaded up the latest BIOS 2802 and them boom - error and the board would not boot. Had to take it to the ASUS service center, and wait for over an hour. The engineer assigned was super helpful though. He had me wait for some time, and tested the board with a lower processor. He downgraded the BIOS to the next lower stable version, and it worked well when I got it home. Now I am on 3001 and everything continues to work fine. It occasionally greets me with multiple beeps, but ends up booting into Windows anyways... Need to investigate that more but it is not replicable... Anyways, I will stay away from the beta BIOS versions :-)
I agree about the placement of the chipset and the graphics card - they are right next to each other. I am on a NVIDIA Founders edition card. It blows all the warm air out of the chassis and not into it. So for the moment I have not seen high temperatures (yet). The chipset fan looks like a tiny fragile thing one would see on a laptop - with a lot of potential to make a noise when it gets running at a high speed...
Coming from a much older version the menus took some getting used to. All options are present and laid out neatly, as I realized later - with several options that I do not understand fully, and hence do not intend touching till I know better! Just got the RAM running with the XMP (DOCP) profile. I do not intend to overclock the processor - a crazy thought perhaps, but my rig is already screaming fast at everything I throw at it...
Spunjji - Tuesday, January 26, 2021 - link
Beaver M. could learn a lot about what a persuasive, measured post looks like from this one. Cheers for sharing your experience.Knightworld - Wednesday, January 27, 2021 - link
Try running 3200 MHz for the RAM XMP profile. That's what the highest the CPU can handle while being stable without OC. That's the recommended by AMDKnightworld - Wednesday, January 27, 2021 - link
Well of coarse there will be BIOS updates. This is quite an old board in terms of computer standards. Lots of chipset optimisations to accommodate Zen 3 ryzen.Knightworld - Wednesday, January 27, 2021 - link
Also the chipset placement is pretty standard in all boards. Be it ASUS and MSI or Gigabyte or any other MoBo manufacturer. The chipset doesn't ramp up in boost or anything so it usually remains at a constant temp. And using the second slot for main GPU cause more strain on the chipset, since the second slot connects to the chipset and not the CPU. Also with the new GPU from Nvidia, the 3000 series your chipset shouldn't have any issues with the cooling since the special GPU coolers help with that. Tho that is only if you upgrade the GPU.Oxford Guy - Monday, January 25, 2021 - link
'Both the CPU and SoC are Teamed together, which allows the power delivery to run cooler and it improves transient response with quicker bursts of power without the drawbacks of phase doublers.'What drawbacks?
Oxford Guy - Monday, January 25, 2021 - link
'This is also typically run at JEDEC subtimings where possible. It is noted that some users are not keen on this policy, stating that sometimes the maximum supported frequency is quite low, or faster memory is available at a similar price, or that the JEDEC speeds can be prohibitive for performance. While these comments make sense, ultimately very few users apply memory profiles (either XMP or other) as they require interaction with the BIOS. Most users will fall back on JEDEC supported speeds'1. Reviews expensive enthusiast board, where we literally are told about what specific VRM components are present.
2. Makes claims above.
3. Facepalm.
nils_ - Monday, January 25, 2021 - link
I saw this in another benchmark article as well. Know your audience Anandtech, of course we care about this. Most people don't build their own computers, so why even benchmark individual components?Spunjji - Tuesday, January 26, 2021 - link
I'd go as far as to say this is the first instance where I've seen this particular criticism being levelled and haven't been inclined to immediately dismiss it. That text doesn't really belong in this article.Oxford Guy - Monday, January 25, 2021 - link
1. Most users aren't going to use POV-Ray so don't include it in the article.2. Most users aren't going to worry about what VRM components are on the board so don't include it in the article.
3. Most users aren't going to use a RAID array so don't include information about RAID in the article.
4. Most users aren't going to use ethernet that's any faster than gigabit so don't including info about that in the article.
How long should this post be? It's the exact non-credible argument used to test at JEDEC. Now that AMD is rating, officially, for 3200 (which means even the lowest-quality AM4 board will support it), the problem isn't as severe as it was but it's still stupid since everyone has known that 3600 was the sweet spot for the previous round of Zen, not 3200.