ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Formula X570 Preview

Introduction and Technical Specifications

| Source: ASUS Price: Author: Tom Logan

Introduction

If you've been following along with our X570 previews then our intro will be familiar to you, so skip on to the technical specifications below to discover what is unique to this particular model. Otherwise, read on to find out what the X570 AM4 is bringing to the party.

When AMD released the first generation of Ryzen processors and the attendant chipset we spoke a lot here at OC3D about how pleased we were to find AMD back with a product range that was a genuine return to form. Instead of attempting to keep updating the ageing AM3 platform they made wholesale changes with the introduction of the AM4 socket and a much more modern chipset with all the features that you could demand.

We clearly weren't the only people impressed by this massive upgrade to the AMD range as the Ryzen CPUs and Zen architecture sold in droves. Such was the rampant popularity of it that we quickly saw the release of the updated Ryzen processors, the 2nd generation, along with the X470 motherboards that introduced yet more features that hadn't quite been squeezed onto the X370 release schedule.

The hardware world never stands still for long though, and since the launch of the Ryzen 2nd Generation there have been a few new technologies given the green light to hit the market, and with the release of the 3rd Generation of Ryzen processors comes a new chipset, the X570, which is so up-to date that it comes with a lot of elements yet to find their way onto Intel platforms.

As you would expect all the major manufacturers are gearing up with their X570 product launches, and whilst we can't go into too much detail before the full launch in early July, we knew that we just had to bring you a glimpse at what you could expect.

Technical Specification

The Corsshair VIII Formula sports a wide selection of high end elements befitting of a Republic of Gamers branded product. We have the pre-mounted IO shield that has saved all our fingertips from cuts, the SupremeFX audio which utilises the ubiquitous ESS ES9023P DAC dripping honey into your ears, as well as the PCI Express 4.0 slots that are such a headline feature of the X570 Chipset. Anything which can save us having to decide between graphical splendour and fast M.2 drives has to be applauded and the addition of the monster bandwidth from the PCI Express 4.0 format definitely does that. With the right Ryzen 3 CPU installed there are x16 PCI Express 4.0 slots for all your needs. Even with an older CPU the chipset can support 1 running at x4. We also have 12 USB 3.2 ports split between eight Gen2 and four Gen1, with one of them being the easy Type-C and the others being the "it goes in the third way round" Type-A.

The ASUS LiveDash OLED display was a huge success on their preceding ROG models so it is no surprise to see it included on this premium X570 motherboard. They really have pulled out all the stops here. Additionally there is plenty of built in RGB lighting so even those of you who haven't yet indulged in a RGB LED strip can enjoy picking your own preference of hue. Having speed without protection is pointless and so to this end the Crosshair VIII Formula has ESD guards on the back connectors, bracing on the PCI Express slots and even, as we'll see on the next page, extra bracing around the 12V CPU power input.





We'll look at the factory installed EK CrossChill III in more detail on the next page, but even before that it's clear that it helps harmonise the aesthetics of the Crosshair. Next up is the all important AM4 socket ready for the Ryzen 3 CPUs that will be launched - and reviewed here at OC3D - on the same day as the X570 itself. There are lots of Front Panel USB options too if you want to festoon your chassis with ALL the USB ports, whilst for those of us who can't afford M.2 drives there are eight 6 Gb/s SATA ports. If you are fortunate enough to have a M.2 drive you'll be pleased that there are 2 slots on the Crosshair VIII Formula.





Lastly before we look at the Crosshair VIII Formula in the flesh we find six PWM/DC fan headers, a 12V water pump header and flow monitor and of course the AIO pump header too. If you have a hybrid GPU there is a well placed header just above the first PCI Express slot too. In short, if you want your system to have good airflow the Crosshair has enough to keep you happy.





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