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Is The Price Justified?
Review Summary
The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero is one of the most premium ($700) offerings for AMD’s most premium chipset. It offers a fresh, all-black design highlighted by the large Polymo Lighting II array, excellent VRMs, five M.2 slots, and 20 USB ports. Dual LAN ports are also on offer, but we would’ve preferred a singular 10G port.
Hours Tested: 11
Overall
-
Performance - 9/10
9/10
-
Design - 9/10
9/10
-
Features - 9/10
9/10
-
Value - 8/10
8/10
Pros
- Eye-catching design
- Capable VRMs (incl. 18x 110A teamed power stages for VCore)
- Great VRM cooling
- 5x M.2 slots
- 60W charging support
- WiFi 7/BT 5.4
- 20 USB ports
- Audio solution includes DAC
Cons
- Expensive
- No 10G LAN
Having recently reviewed a fair share of X870E boards (including the flagship MEG X870E GODLIKE), we’re looking at the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Crosshair. The ROG (Republic of Gamers) is ASUS’ flagship series, which includes the Crosshair motherboards for AMD and Maximus for Intel. These boards are designed for heavy overclocking and offer flagship I/O features but at a premium cost.
The ROG series also includes the ROG Strix Gaming boards, which are priced for the more affordable market. Earlier, these boards were named based on the chipset generation (like Maximus XIII for the Z590 chipset), but now they mention the chipset name. With the trivia out of the way, let’s dive in and see what this board holds!
Key Takeaways
- The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero is a high-end X870E motherboard offering an excellent design, solid performance, and plenty of M.2 storage room.
- You should buy the board if you want to overclock and/or have plenty of NVMe storage to install.
- Don’t get this motherboard if your budget is limited and/or you expect 10G LAN to be part of the package.
Here are the key specifications:
| Model | ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero |
|---|---|
| CPU Support | AMD Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000, Ryzen 9000 |
| Memory Support | DDR5, up to:
|
| PCIe Slots | 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| M.2 Slots | 3x PCIe 5.0 x4, 2x PCIe 4.0 x4 |
| SATA Ports | 4x 6 GB/s |
| Audio | Realtek ALC4082 Audio Codec + ESS ES9219 Quad DAC |
| Network & Connectivity | 1x Realtek 5G, 1x Intel 2.5G |
| USB Ports | 20 Ports, including 2x 40Gbps Type-C (Rear) |
| Size | 305 mm x 244 mm, ATX |
| MSRP | $699 |
In case you didn’t know, the only difference between the X870E and X670E chipsets is that USB4 is mandatory for X870E boards. Given that the X670E Crosshair is a flagship board, it also had USB4 ports (optional for X670E boards). That said, the only upgrade here is the inclusion of a 5G port (it’s hard to believe the X670E model only had 2.5G LAN, considering it’s a flagship!) and WiFi 7/BT 5.4.
The motherboard can be considered a downgrade in other areas: it has three fewer USB ports and two fewer SATA 6G Ports. At least there’s no bump in MSRP (the board costs $700, the same as its predecessor).
Design
The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero greets us with a shiny all-black design well-covered with heatsinks and covers. The Polymo Lighting II array grabs our attention first with its shiny display. This display lights up, and the RGB can be controlled through the ASUS Aura Sync software. Surprisingly, this is the only RGB zone on the board, but it more than suffices with the amount of illumination you’re getting.
The X870E chipset powers the Gen 4 M.2 ports, SATA ports, most of the USB ports, audio, LAN, and WiFi. Meanwhile, the Ryzen 9000 CPU is responsible for DDR5 memory, Gen 5 PCIe slots, NVMe provisions, and USB4. It also powers the board’s SIO controller.
CPU Socket and Power Delivery System
The motherboard uses the AM5 (LGA 1718) socket, the same as the X670E motherboards. It offers out-of-the-box support for Ryzen 7000, 8000, and 9000 series CPUs.
On the VRM end, the motherboard has a 22-phase, 18+2+2 (VCore + SoC + MISC) system, including 18x 110A stages for the CPU VCore in a teamed configuration, totaling 1980A. A teamed configuration means that every two stages receive the same signal from the PWM controller. The system is more efficient than doublers but not as efficient as pure power stages. The motherboard includes a dedicated BCLK generator, but there’s not much use for the X3D CPUs of this generation, which have an unlocked multiplier.
This is not the heftiest setup (we saw better VRMs on the GODLIKE and Taichi Lite boards), but it still offers plenty for overclocking any supporting Ryzen CPU. The VRMs use Vishay’s SiC850A power stages, and the controller is the DIGI+ ASP2205.
The CPU’s initial power is fed through two 8-pin EPS connectors, each capable of providing up to 150W. This is more than enough for any supporting Ryzen CPU, as even the most demanding 9950X3D is rated at 170W.
The cooling setup consists of an L-shaped heatsink joined by a heat pipe. Underneath are thermal pads for the MOSFETs and chokes.
DIMM Slots
The motherboard has four DIMM slots that support up to 256 GB of DDR5 memory. When paired with Ryzen 7000 or 9000 CPUs, the maximum memory speed supported is 8000 or 8200 MT/s (OC).
As always, it’s worth letting you know that AMD’s recommended speed for memory paired with the Ryzen 7000/9000 CPUs is 6000/6400 MT/s. Beyond this, the CPU’s memory controller can’t sync with the memory and operates at half the frequency. The latency this introduces can only be countered by pushing speeds well beyond 8000 MT/s.
– Ali
These slots are using ASUS’ latest technology: NitroDRAM. This technology optimizes the DIMM slots for improved signal retention by optimizing the layout of the pins inside the slots. ASUS claims that this leaves room for up to 400 MT/s faster speeds. It also promises that the new DIMM slots can better withstand the wear and tear of installing and removing memory sticks. The slot retention force has been improved by 57%.
The board also supports ASUS Enhanced Memory Profiles (AEMP), customized memory profiles that can be helpful if your memory kits do not support AMD EXPO.
PCIe Slots
The motherboard uses two reinforced PCIe 5.0 x16 slots. However, since the CPU only provides 16 Gen 5 lanes for PCIe slots, the two slots’ shared bandwidth will function at x8/x8 when both are occupied. This is still plenty of bandwidth, as no consumer gaming card needs more bandwidth than the 32 GB/s provided by a 16-lane PCIe 4.0 slot.
The M2_3 slot adds further complications: if you use this slot, then PCIe x16 will only run in x8 mode, and PCIe x16_2 will function at x4 speeds. If both M2_2 and M2_3 are occupied, PCIe x16_2 will be disabled completely.
Releasing your cards from these slots involves the Q-Release Slim mechanism. There are no buttons or mechanisms involved; all you need to do is pull your card from the end where the connectors are present. Ideally, you should hold on to the motherboard with your other hand. The mechanism might take some getting used to, but it works wonders. Just make sure you seat your GPU properly in place, and removal won’t be a problem.
Storage Options
The motherboard houses 4x SATA ports and 5x M.2 slots, including three Gen 5 ones. I’ve already mentioned the complications that arise from using dual GPUs/multiple M.2 slots, so keep those in mind. The remaining M.2 slots are PCIe Gen 4 coming from the CPU, and thankfully, there are no complexities here! NVMe drives support RAID 0/1/5/10 configurations when paired with Ryzen 9000 CPUs.
Here are the types of SSDs supported by each slot:
- M2_1, M2_2, M2_3, M2_4 = 2242/2260/2280
- M2_5 = 2280
Two heatsinks cool the five M.2 slots. The primary Gen 5 slot is cooled by a standalone heatsink, while the remaining four slots share a heatsink (although it looks more like these are two separate heatsinks). Removing the primary heatsink is a breeze with the M.2 Q-Release mechanism, requiring the push of a button. To install your drive(s) in any of the remaining slots, you’ll need a screwdriver to remove the heatsinks.
Now, the Q-release mechanism is reserved for the top-most M.2 slot for 2280 drives. You are limited to the default latch mechanism for the remaining slots, and the M.2 Q-Slide tool (three of which are included in the package) can be used to install 2242/2260 size NVMes. We have thermal pads on both the heatsinks and the base for the Gen 5 slots. This is not true for the Gen 4 slots, where only the heatsinks have attached thermal pads.
USB Connectivity
Here’s what the board offers in the USB department:
- 2x USB4 Type-C, Rear
- 8x USB 10Gbps, Rear (6x Type-A, 2x Type-C)
- 2x USB 20Gbps, Front (1x supports for 60W PD/QC4+, 1x supports Type-C)
- 4x USB 5Gbps Type-A, Front
- 4x USB 2.0 Type-A, Front
This is a good number of USB ports, which, of course, includes the USB4 from the CPU and maxes out the chipset’s two USB 20 Gbps support. The ASMedia ASM4242 controller powers USB4. One of the 20 Gbps ports supports 60W charging and Quick Charge 4+ applications through an additional 8-pin power connector on the board.
Network and Connectivity
The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero offers 5G and 2.5G LAN, with no room for 10G LAN. This is a disappointment for us, as we think they could’ve escaped some of the hassle and gone with a singular 10G port, but oh well. ASUS LANGuard protects both ports against power surges.
For wireless connectivity, we have WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. WiFi 7 enables the 6GHz frequency band, which features 320 MHz channels, enabling better transmission speeds than ever. 4K QAM and Multi-Link Operation add to the benefits of WiFi 7. Both WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 require Windows 11 24H2 or later.
The included WiFi Q-Antenna includes dual transceivers, which, according to ASUS, improve signal reception by 6% for the 6 GHz band and by 18% for the 5 GHz/2.4 GHz bands.
ASUS’ Armoury Crate software offers various network-related features. These include traffic monitoring and channel switching, “direction finder” for your WiFi antenna, and automatic bandwidth allocation for a better connection while gaming.
Audio Solution
Realtek’s ALC4082 audio controller and the ESS ES9219 Quad DAC power the board’s audio. The ALC4082 is similar to the ALC4080; they only differ in the interface: The ALC4080 uses a USB interface, while the ALC4082 uses an HD audio interface. This setup is part of ASUS’ SupremeFX audio solution branding.
It supports 32-bit/384 kHz playback from the front panel jacks and S/PDIF through the rear. ASUS claims a 110 dB signal-to-noise ratio through the line-in jack.
Internal Connectors and Components
Following is the list of controllers on the board:
- 1x 4-pin CPU Fan header
- 1x 4-pin CPU OPT Fan header
- 1x 4-pin AIO Pump header
- 4x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers
- 1x W_PUMP+ header
- 1x 24-pin Main Power connector
- 2x 8-pin +12V CPU Power connector
- 1x 8-pin PCIe Power connector
- 5x M.2 slots (Key M)
- 1x SlimSAS connector
- 4x SATA 6Gb/s ports
- 2x USB 20Gbps connectors (Type-C)
- 2x USB 5Gbps headers (4x USB 5Gbps ports)
- 2x USB 2.0 headers (4x USB 2.0 ports)
- 3x Addressable Gen2 headers
- 1x Alteration PCIe mode switch
- 1x FlexKey button
- 1x Front Panel Audio header
- 1x ReTry button
- 1x Start button
- 1x 10-1 pin System Panel header
- 1x Thermal Sensor header
- 1x LN2 Mode jumper
In case some of these connectors are confusing you:
- SlimSAS connector: An addition typically found in workstation motherboards, this PCIe Gen 4 x4 connector allows you to add additional NVMe storage through an adapter.
- Alteration PCIe mode switch: Allows you to toggle the signal on your PCIe slots between Gen 4 and Gen 3.
- FlexKey: Like MSI’s “Smart Button,” the FlexKey can be programmed to perform different functions. Its default function is Restart, but you can change it to activate Safe Boot or turn the RGB on your board on/off.
- ReTry button: Forces a hard reboot. Useful when overclocking fails.
- LN2 Mode jumper: For extreme overclocking (e.g., using Liquid Nitrogen), allows normal functioning and system booting at extremely low CPU temperatures.
All the fan headers, plus the AIO_Pump connectors, support a 12W (12W at 1A) output. The W_Pump connector supports a maximum 36W output (12V at 3A). The 8-pin PCIe connector enables 60W charging through the front Type-C port.
We also have the debug LEDs and the debug code LED panel located at the top-right corner of the board. These will help you identify issues with POSTing (Power On Self Testing). Additionally, the Start button lets you boot up your system if you haven’t connected it to your chassis yet.
Rear I/O Connectivity
The rear I/O panel has the following:
- 2x USB4 (40Gbps) ports
- 8x USB 10Gbps ports (6x Type-A, 2x USB Type-C)
- 1x HDMI port
- 1x Wi-Fi module
- 1x 2.5Gb Ethernet port
- 1x 5Gb Ethernet port
- 2x audio jacks
- 1x Optical S/PDIF out port
- 1x BIOS FlashBack button
- 1x Clear CMOS button
The I/O shield comes preinstalled on the board. We have Clear CMOS (reset BIOS settings) and BIOS flash buttons. The USB ports are labelled according to their speeds, which we saw in this generation’s MSI motherboards, and are happy to see here too.
Test Setup
Let’s put this board to the test. Here is our test configuration:
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 16C/32T
- ARCTIC Liquid Freezer II 420 Liquid CPU Cooler
- G. Skill Trident Z5 Royal NEO DDR5-8000 CL36 EXPO Kit (2×16 = 32GB)
- XPG Lancer RGB 32GB 7200MHz DDR5 RAM
- Nvidia GeForce Gigabyte RTX 4090 Gaming OC
- Western Digital SN850 Black 500GB NVMe SSD [For OS]
- Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 2TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD [For Software]
- Sabrent Rocket 4 Plus 4TB Gen4x4 NVMe SSD [For Games]
- Sabrent Rocket NANO V2 4TB Portable SSD
- Corsair HX1200i Platinum PSU
- Windows 11 Pro Build 23H2
- BIOS Version 1203
- AGESA 1.2.0.2 firmware
For comparison, we have the following other X870E motherboards:
- ASRock Phantom Gaming X870E Nova WiFi
- MSI MPG X870E Edge Ti WiFi
- MSI MAG X870E Tomahawk WiFi
- MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE
- ASRock X870 Steel Legend WiFi
- ASRock X870E Taichi Lite
- MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi
Synthetic Benchmarks
Here are the synthetic benchmarks to start.
In the Blender render test, the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero managed a 50-second completion time. It tied with three other boards and was only beaten by the MEG X870E GODLIKE.
The board’s performance is as expected in Cyberpunk 2077.
In the Corona 11 test, the board showed a 63.7-second render time. Three X870E competitors beat it.
Our CPU-Z multi-core and single-core tests recorded par scores for the motherboard.
In the Geekbench 6 multi-core test, the motherboard scored 21719 points.
Finally, the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scored 48907 points in the V-Ray benchmark with our test configuration.
All the benchmarks showed par performance with the motherboard.
Gaming Benchmarks
A look at Cyberpunk 2077 and Starfield results:
The motherboard did well, with 144 FPS on average and a minimum of 109, in Cyberpunk 2077.
In Starfield, the board’s performance is normal.
Power Consumption and VRM Temperatures
Let’s examine the CPU/motherboard power consumption numbers. For the “Load” test, we used the Cinebench 2024 multi-core benchmark, which was run for 30 minutes.
The motherboard’s power consumption is on the higher side, with 381 watts consumed under load. While gaming, we recorded an average of 119 watts with the board, while the idle consumption was 109 watts.
The VRM cooling does a fairly good job: we noted a maximum temperature of just 55°C across the VRMs while running the Cinebench 2024 multi-core test.
Finally, the board’s boot time is a normal 21 seconds, the same as the MEG X870E GODLIKE, X870E Taichi Lite, and MPG X870E Carbon WiFi boards.
Should You Buy It?
What’s the verdict?
Buy It If:
✅You want to overclock: The board’s excellent VRM setup and superb onboard cooling are perfect for CPU overclocking applications. It also offers plenty of software and miscellaneous (e.g., the LN2 mode jumper) for this purpose.
✅You’re looking for premium aesthetics: The board’s flashy aesthetics are highlighted by its large Polymo Lighting II array and the large ASUS ROG logo on one of the M.2 heatsinks.
✅You want to install plenty of M.2 storage: The board offers five M.2 slots, including three Gen 5 ones. With the SlimSAS connector, you can further that count!
✅You want 60W charging support: If 60W charging support is a particular requirement of yours, the board will fulfil that requirement.
Don’t Buy It If:
❌Budget is limited: The motherboard costs a whopping $700, and there are virtually endless cheaper X870E options out there.
❌You need 10G LAN: Despite its premium price tag, there’s no room for 10G LAN here.
My Thoughts
The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero is one of the costliest X870E motherboards you can buy. For that, it offers a high-end 18+2+2 VRM setup, including 18x 110A teamed power stages for the CPU VCore. These provide enough juice to overclock any Ryzen CPU to a fair extent! Our VRM cooling test saw the VRMs max out at 55°C, so it certainly won’t be a limiting factor in your overclocking ventures. Onboard and software features (including AI overclocking) help further.
The board has a refined all-black design with all the RGB concentrated in a single zone: the Polymo Lighting II array on the rear I/O panel. This can be controlled through the ASUS Aura Sync software to show different lighting effects.
Moving to memory support, the board supports up to 192 GB of DDR5 memory. The maximum memory speed supported for Ryzen 9000 is 8200 MT/s. The DIMM slots use the NitroPath DRAM technology, which improves signal strength for memory and reduces the wear and tear involved in installing/removing RAM.
For your graphics card(s), the board has two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots that operate in x8/x8 when both are occupied. They also share bandwidth with the second and third Gen 5 M.2 slots, so keep the configuration you intend to use (and whether or not the board supports it) in mind. Speaking of M.2 slots, there are five on this board, with the bottom two being Gen 4. Installing the drives is a breeze, no matter the slot; the primary slot has the easiest mechanism, though.
The board has room for up to 20 USB ports, including dual USB4 and 20Gbps ports. One of the 20Gbps ports also supports 60W power delivery. WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 highlight the wireless connectivity end. There’s no 10G LAN, which is a surprise at this price point. The board’s audio setup includes the ALC4082 audio codec and the ESS ES9219 Quad DAC.
Overall, the board offers impressive performance and plenty of features, but it costs a towering $700. ASUS offers a 3-year warranty.
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[Hardware Reviewer]
Hi! I’m Ali Tauseef, and I have been writing for Tech4Gamers since 2022. I love all things computer hardware but am particularly fond of CPUs and motherboards, and I like to stay up-to-date about the latest advancements in these worlds, and when possible, write about it. When I’m not doing that, I like to get into a little FPS action in CS2 or get lost in the vast world of RDR2.
Get In Touch: ali@tech4gamers.com
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