ASUS Launches Two Mini AMD X570 ROG Enthusiasts Motherboards For Ryzen 3000 CPUs
It is pretty remarkable what kind of PC you can build around a small form factor (SFF) setup these days. To drive the point home, ASUS is launching a pair of miniature motherboards based on AMD's X570 chipset, either of which would enable a user to build a high-end PC with a Ryzen 3000 series serving as the system's heartbeat.
First up is the ROG Strix X570-I Gaming, as shown above. This one is a mini-ITX motherboard—it measures 6.7 x 6.7 inches (17 x 17 cm), which is smaller than a micro-ATX motherboard. Though it's built to fit inside an ultra-compact case, there are some premium features to play with, such as Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) connectivity and automated system-wide tuning.
Here are some of the highlights...
- Socket AM4 (ready for 3rd gen Ryzen)
- 2 x DIMM slots supporting upt 64GB of DDR4-4800 RAM (OC)
- 2 x M.2 sockets
- 4 x SATA 6Gbps
- 1 x PCI Express 4.0 x16
- Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0
- Back I/O: DisplayPort, HDMI, 3 x illuminated LED audio jacks, 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, GbE LAN
- Supreme FX 8-channel audio
- Mini ITX
ASUS also touts things like the use of high-end components, an 8+2 power phase design, and a "comprehensive cooling design" with VRM and chipset heatsinks. In short, ASUS built this motherboard for users are interested in overclocking an SFF rig.
The other SFF motherboard ASUS launched is the ROG Crosshair VIII Impact. This one is a mini-DTX motherboard measuring 8 x 6.7 inches (20.3 x 17 cm), so it is a bit longer than the ROG Strix X570-I Gaming. The mini-DTX form factor allows for a second expansion slot, though in this case, ASUS is sticking with a single PCIe 4.0 x16 slot.
"Impact's unusual mini-DTX form factor is a deliberate choice. Many mini-ITX cases ship with enough space for a dual-slot graphics card, meaning there's typically unused space below the bottom PCIe slot—space that could be utilized to mount more components or enable additional features. Being marginally taller than mini-ITX allows Impact to exploit this unused space, allowing ROG engineers to squeeze in features while still fitting a large proportion of mini-ITX PC cases," ASUS says.
One of those features is a bundled expansion card (as shown in the image above), which allows for two M.2 drives to be connected via a SO-DIMM interface.
Key features include...
- Socket AM4 (ready for 3rd gen Ryzen)
- 2 x DIMM slots supporting upt 64GB of DDR4-4800 RAM (OC)
- 2 x M.2 sockets
- 4 x SATA 6Gbps
- 1 x PCI Express 4.0 x16
- Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.0
- Back I/O: Optical S/PDIF, Clear CMOS button, USB BIOS Flashback button, Q-Code LED, Reset button, 3 x LED illuminated audio jacks, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 6 x USB 3.2 Gen 2, GbE LAN
- SupremeFX 8-channel audio + ESS ES9023P
- Mini DTX
So, they're similar overall. As ASUS notes, the ROG Crosshair VIII Impact should be able to fit into some mini-ITX cases, but you will want to measure carefully first to make sure.
ASUS said both motherboards will be available soon, priced at £289.99 for the ROG Strix X570-I Gaming and £383.99 for the ROG Crosshair VIII Impact. US pricing has not yet been announced.
