ASUS today announced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Crosshair VIII Dark Hero, TUF Gaming X570 Pro (WiFi) and ROG Strix B550-XE Gaming WiFi — three gaming motherboards designed for gaming builds featuring the latest-generation AMD Ryzen Zen 3 architecture processors. In addition to the latest X570 and B550 motherboards, all ASUS 500 series motherboards (X570, B550 and A520) are ready for AMD Ryzen Zen 3 architecture processors.
The AMD X570 platform features extensive PCI Express 4.0 connectivity ripe for the latest graphics cards and SSDs. The chipset’s copious bandwidth necessitates a robust cooling solution to deliver sustained performance, and that challenge is typically tackled by neatly pairing a heatsink with an embedded fan that spins up on demand. ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero is the first ASUS X570 board to implement a completely passive cooling design, featuring a sizeable heatsink that extends from the chipset zone to the space between the PCIe slots. The additional surface area helps keep thermals under control even when the motherboard is loaded with a full complement of hardware, laying a compelling foundation for enthusiast PC builds.
Onboard power delivery has also been enhanced to efficiently fuel next-gen AMD CPUs for Socket AM4. The CPU VRM features 16 TI (90 amp) power stages arranged in a teamed topology that is especially adept at responding to the load transients generated by multi-core CPUs transitioning between load states.
As its name suggests, Crosshair VIII Dark Hero has a subtle aesthetic makeover compared to first generation ROG X570 boards. Its stealthy black finish provides a striking contrast to the Aura RGB LED lighting behind the ROG logo on the chipset heatsink and I/O shroud, while a Dark Hero nameplate placed at mid-board makes a bold statement.
The two primary PCIe 4.0 x16 slots are reinforced with the SafeSlot design to support heavyweight graphics cards. Sitting alongside, two PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots are ready for the fastest NVMe SSDs available.
The back panel is just as ready for a full load-out. A spread of USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (seven Type-A, one USB Type-C) are available for high-speed peripherals, while the Intel WiFi 6 AX200 adapter, 2.5G and gigabit Ethernet jacks ensure the fastest connectivity for gaming. Audio duties are taken care of by the SupremeFX S1220 codec, paired with an ESS ES9023 DAC for the front-panel outputs, providing crisp and clear output in both stereo and surround sound for music and games. There’s also a front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 header to accommodate the latest chassis.
Crosshair VIII Dark Hero boasts a range of enthusiast-friendly features for overclockers looking to push chips to the limit. Dedicated buttons to clear CMOS settings and activate BIOS FlashBack can be found on the preinstalled I/O shield to give users full control of their system.
The enhanced power solution employed by TUF Gaming X570-Pro (WiFi) boasts 12 + 2 DrMOS power stages, a six-layer PCB, ProCool sockets, military-grade TUF components and the Digi+ VRM to ensure maximum durability. It offers comprehensive cooling features including dedicated heatsinks for the chipset, VRM and M.2 slot, along with hybrid fan headers and Fan Xpert 4 software.
Extensive connectivity comes by way of the dual PCI Express 4.0 M.2 slots and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (1 x rear, 1 x front) and Type-A ports. Designed to make the most out of gaming, this motherboard also includes onboard Intel 2.5G Ethernet, Intel WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.1, plus TUF LANGuard and TurboLAN technology for an added boost.
A Realtek S1200A codec offers pristine audio with an unprecedented 108 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for stereo line-out and 103 dB SNR for line-in. In addition, the embedded AI Noise-Canceling Microphone provides crystal-clear in-game voice communication. Exclusive DTS Custom provides auditory positional cues via stereo headphones to give gamers an added advantage during gaming.
The new flagship of the B550 motherboard range, ROG Strix B550-XE Gaming ensures uprated power with its 16 integrated TI 90 amp power stages (identical to ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero) to drive present-day and next generation AMD Zen 3 architecture processors.
Strix B550-XE Gaming features comprehensive cooling including actively cooled VRM heatsinks with a connecting heat pipe and an integrated aluminum I/O cover, plus a high-quality thermal pad for better heat transfer. There are dedicated heatsinks for the dual M.2 slots, as well as a bundled Hyper M.2 x16 Gen 4 card with a full-cover heatsink and embedded fan
In addition, Strix B550-XE Gaming includes 2.5G Intel Ethernet, Intel WiFi 6 AX200, six M.2 slots (four on the Hyper M.2 x16 card), and BIOS FlashBack.
All ASUS 500 series motherboards (X570, B550 and A520) are optimized and ready for AMD Ryzen Zen 3 processors. ASUS is committed to providing the best BIOS support, and will continue to optimize the BIOS to offer the best performance and user experience. For a full list, please refer to the table below.
ASUS 500 series motherboard BIOS supporting Zen 3 processors
| Chipset | Model name | BIOS version or later / Estimated release date |
|---|---|---|
| X570 | ROG CROSSHAIR VIII FORMULA | 2206 |
| ROG CROSSHAIR VIII HERO (WIFI) | 2206 | |
| ROG CROSSHAIR VIII DARK HERO | Oct/E, 2020 | |
| ROG CROSSHAIR VIII HERO | 2206 | |
| ROG CROSSHAIR VIII IMPACT | 2206 | |
| ROG STRIX X570-E GAMING | 2606 | |
| ROG STRIX X570-F GAMING | 2606 | |
| ROG STRIX X570-I GAMING | 2606 | |
| TUF GAMING X570 PRO (WIFI) | Oct/E, 2020 | |
| TUF GAMING X570-PLUS (WIFI) | 2607 | |
| TUF GAMING X570-PLUS | 2607 | |
| Pro WS X570-ACE | 2206 | |
| PRIME X570-PRO | 2606 | |
| PRIME X570-P | 2606 | |
| PRIME X570-PRO/CSM | 2606 | |
| PRIME X570-P/CSM | 2606 | |
| B550 | ROG STRIX B550-XE GAMING WIFI | Oct/E, 2020 |
| ROG STRIX B550-E GAMING | 1004 | |
| ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING (WIFI) | 1004 | |
| ROG STRIX B550-F GAMING | 1004 | |
| ROG STRIX B550-A GAMING | 1004 | |
| ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING | 1004 | |
| TUF GAMING B550-PLUS (WIFI) | 1004 | |
| TUF GAMING B550-PLUS | 1004 | |
| TUF GAMING B550M-PLUS (WIFI) | 1004 | |
| TUF GAMING B550M-PLUS | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550-PLUS | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-A (WIFI) | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-A | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-K | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-A AC | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-A (WIFI) / CSM | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-A/CSM | 1004 | |
| PRIME B550M-K/CSM | 1004 | |
| A520 | TUF GAMING A520M-PLUS | 1004 |
| PRIME A520M-A | 1004 | |
| PRIME A520M-A/CSM | 1004 | |
| PRIME A520M-E | 1004 | |
| PRIME A520M-E/CSM | 1004 | |
| PRIME A520M-K | 1004 | |
| PRIME A520M-K/CSM | 1004 | |
| Pro A520M-C/CSM | 1004 |