ASUS Launches AMD X470 Series Motherboards

ROG, ROG Strix, Prime and TUF Gaming
series feature innovative tuning, cooling and personalization options to
extract the best performance from AMD Ryzen processors

Singapore, April 19, 2018 — Since its
release last year, AMD’s Ryzen™ platform has reinvigorated the desktop with
multithreaded horsepower plus accessible overclocking and gaming prowess. That
first wave was a market revelation that touched everything from value-packed
PCs to high-end gaming and content-creation rigs. And now ASUS is ready for the
second wave with a fresh family of
motherboards based on the new AMD X470 chipset. The X470 chipset is designed to
enhance the performance of the next generation AMD Ryzen 2000 series of
processors, codenamed Pinnacle Ridge, and yet retains backward compatibility
with current Ryzen processors.

The new X470
Series spans six motherboards, each with a unique spirit. The ROG Crosshair
VII Hero and its Wi-Fi-equipped twin lead the lineup with a stealthy design for
serious overclockers, savvy enthusiasts and gamers. Its Strix X470-F Gaming
sibling makes ROG enhancements like easy tuning and next-level customization
more affordable, while the Strix X470-I Gaming shrinks everything down to
mini-ITX proportions for powerhouse small-form-factor systems.

The TUF
X470-PLUS Gaming features military-grade components and an alliance of industry
partners with a focus on functional integration that goes beyond cosmetic
matching. Outside the increasingly dominant gaming sphere, the Prime X470-PRO
provides a mature alternative for the content-creation and everyday-productivity
audiences with a new level of user refinement and a design inspired by
futuristic architecture.

Despite
differences within the series, the ASUS X470 Series is bound
together by common features and capabilities honed over nearly 30 years of ASUS
motherboards. From tuning to cooling to personalization, it’s designed to help users
maximize their PC’s potential.

AMD’s Ryzen
revival promises faster performance than the previous generation, and the
abundance of models with unlocked multipliers gives users the freedom to push
beyond stock speeds. Even with the luxury of unlocked multipliers, CPU
overclocking is limited by cooling and the individual characteristics of each
chip. With a single click, the 5-Way Optimization utility accounts for both by
automatically tuning fans and testing the limits of the CPU. Its integrated
intelligence finds the maximum speed the system can sustain without sacrificing
stability, and configurable options allow experts to fine-tune the process to
suit their needs.

Auto-tuning
is backed by extensive manual tweaking options that, in experienced hands, can
wring every last drop of performance from a build. A new search shortcut to the
UEFI lets users quickly find and modify specific settings without flipping
through pages of menus. Once their setup is dialed in, they can export the
profile to share with others, and keep a copy to reload after firmware updates
wipe the slate clean. The integrated EZ Flash 3 tool simplifies firmware
flashing by automatically downloading and applying the latest update entirely
within the UEFI.

Capable
cooling is critical to both reaching and preserving peak performance,
especially with Ryzen’s increasingly aggressive XFR clock-scaling algorithm
opening the taps when thermal headroom allows. To minimize the accompanying
acoustic footprint, airflow should be applied judiciously, only where and when
it’s needed.

The X470
lineup lays the foundation with a collection of cooling headers for liquid and
air. At least one header on each board is configured for AIO water coolers, so users
can plug in and go without additional steps, and some models have additional
headers for high-amperage pumps and liquid sensors. Connecting fans is just as
easy; all the onboard headers automatically adjust for three-pin DC and
four-pin PWM hardware, and the built-in calibration routine runs through each
fan’s full RPM range to precisely map its behavior before users adjust the
response curve.

PRIME X470-Pro

 

The
extensive array of tweaking options on ASUS motherboards is born from a desire
to give users as much freedom as possible when tuning their PC, and that ethos
extends to cosmetic customization. The X470 Series sets a neutral tone with
mostly monochromatic motifs that give users control over colors and effects via
varying degrees of Aura Sync RGB lighting. More than just motherboard lighting,
Aura Sync coordinates illumination across a growing ecosystem of compatible
components covering every aspect of the system, from internal parts to external
peripherals.

The onboard
lighting on the new ROG and Prime models diffuses the harsh glare of naked LEDs
to generate a softer, more even glow. All X470 boards can power at least two
meters of standard RGB LED strips, which is sufficient to light up an entire
rig. ROG takes things to the next level with support for addressable lighting
devices that expose control over individual LEDs to enable advanced effects and
interactions.

Some people
prefer to keep a lower profile, so the X470 Series motherboards feature a UEFI
switch that instantly disables all the RGBs and connected strips. The ROG motherboards go even further with a separate stealth mode,
turning off smaller diagnostic LEDs, with the Crosshair VII Hero enforcing a
complete blackout across its entire PCB. 

ROG STRIX X470-F

 

Heavy
graphics cards are a hallmark of gaming rigs, so the PCIe® x16 slots
connected to the CPU have reinforced metal walls and more secure anchoring to
the board. This ASUS SafeSlot treatment strengthens the slot in all directions,
helping to protect the motherboard investment against physical damage from
rough handling and inadvertent bumps traveling to LAN parties.

Ryzen CPUs
reserve four PCI Express® 3.0 lanes for an NVMe™ SSD, and
the X470 chipset adds two more for an additional drive. Although the double-barreled
link has lower peak throughput than its quad-lane counterpart, maximum
bandwidth is still over 3X higher than a 6Gbps SATA interface. The X470 Series motherboards
all have dual M.2 slots, so users can equip a primary drive for the OS and
frequently used games and applications, plus a secondary one to serve as a
scratch disk or extra storage for a Steam library. When it’s time to start
over, the integrated secure erase tool can wipe both SATA and NVMe drives from
right in the UEFI.

USB 3.1 Gen
2 connectivity built into the chipset pushes peak theoretical throughput to
10Gbps for external storage and next-gen devices. The X470 Series motherboards
tap into that controller for least two ports at the rear, and most of the ATX
models also include an internal header for chassis with turbocharged USB ports
up front.

Intel®
Gigabit Ethernet in the ROG and Prime series supplies reliable wired networking
for serious gaming and fast file transfers. Onboard wireless is available on
the Crosshair VII Hero (Wi-Fi) and Strix X470-I Gaming, adding convenience
without giving up too much speed.

Audio
enhancements like shielded codecs and premium capacitors are present across the
lineup, and ROG adds dedicated amps to boost output for a range of headphones.
Since input quality is increasingly important for streaming commentary to
followers, coordinating strategy with squadmates, and calling into remote
meetings, ASUS engineers upgraded the microphone input on the ROG and Prime
boards.

For additional
information, product images and specifics on the ROG, ROG Strix, Prime and TUF
Gaming motherboards, please check out our buyer’s guide at ASUS EdgeUp. Additional
images and in-depth overview our latest ROG and ROG Strix motherboards is
located at ASUS ROG.