Asus X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Hero evaluation: Top price motherboard, sensible ticket

Mark When Reviewed

$399

Top Costs On the present time

Over a complete lot of iterations, the Asus Hero lineup of motherboards has garnered a stable following among PC builders. It’s chock-paunchy of aspects with a ravishing and top class develop. Being the entry potential into the “ROG” (Republic of Avid gamers) tier, it also is priced better for your gaming buck than the more “terrifying” choices.  

Does the X570 Hero restful pack a punch this day must you’re serious about a top class motherboard? How about the more fresh “Darkish Hero” variant? We’ll discuss the specs, aspects, develop, and cost. 

The specs

The Asus X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Hero targets to be the ideal “Goldilocks”-level resolution with its ticket and on hand feature residing. Coming in at $399, it packs sufficient top class specs to compose you wonder if it’s even fundamental to grunt more. PCI-E Gen 4? Bought it. Connectivity for a form of USB and networking wishes? Bought it right here, too.  

You’ll accept make stronger for each and each Ryzen 3000 and Ryzen 5000, with DDR4 RAM. DDR5 is easiest on hand on the Intel Z690 motherboards, and no longer fundamental ravishing now ensuing from minor efficiency increases for the worth. (Are trying our evaluation of the Z690 ROG Asus Maximus Shocking.) 

Whenever you choose an older-stock X570 Hero, enact take be aware of it would possibly maybe maybe maybe desire a BIOS update prior to working with Ryzen 5000. (The early ones did, nevertheless otherwise will work with Ryzen 3000 ravishing out of the sector.)  

In declare for you Wi-Fi, make certain to search out the Wi-Fi roar version, or else you’ll easiest enjoy accept admission to to the 2.5G and Gigabit LAN. No 10G LAN right here—you’ll have to step up to a increased-discontinuance choice for that. 

Lots of the diversified specs duvet all that you simply’ll the truth is prefer in a high-discontinuance originate: a form of fan headers, Asus-optimized tool, and RGB headers to hold away darkness from the arena. USB connectivity is right here aplenty, even with USB form C. In declare for you Thunderbolt, you’ll need both a more costly motherboard on the AMD aspect (easiest about a enjoy it) or to swing over to the Intel aspect, where it’s more overall.  

As for the X570 “Darkish Hero” version of this motherboard, it easiest adds about a modifications within the specs: more sturdy energy phases and dynamic overclocking, plus inserting off the chipset fan for less noise.  

Here are some most indispensable specs to be responsive to for the X570 Hero: 

• ATX 12×9.6 inches (or 20.4×24.4cm) 
• AMD Ryzen 3000 and 5000 CPU make stronger  
• DDR4 RAM, up to four dimns and 128GB  
• PCI-E Gen 4 
• Two M.2 Slots 

• USB-C Gen 2  
• Wi-Fi 6 AX200 Version on hand (Terminate expose there could be a non Wi-Fi one as smartly) 
• Realtek 2.5GB LAN and Intel Gigabit Lan 
• ROG SupremeFX S1220Audio 
• 3 and 4 pin RGB Headers 

• Determined CMOS and BIOS flashback buttons  
• A couple of fan and water-cooling headers  
• 8 SATA 6GB/s ports  
• Chipset fan (the Darkish Hero removes the fan)  

Invent

Carrying a super searching, smartly-liked develop, the X570 Hero is the ideal blend of aesthetics and RGB goodness. In declare for you a more understated gape, the Darkish Hero version is even more subdued.  

The Hero lineup is where you’ll accept develop DNA shared with Asus’s top class ROG line of motherboards. This would possibly very smartly be most evident within the covers and plating for the M.2 slots that lie below, with very ravishing cues and tasteful RGB.  

You’ll gape the long-established Hero does enjoy a chipset fan, which will be manually controlled. (It goes to accept loud if it’s residing to max, then again.) The Darkish Hero removes this chipset fan fully, with passive cooling. 

Atypical aspects

You’re paying a top class over more ordinary motherboard choices, comparable to Asus’s Strix lineup with same capabilities. Here are some areas that can account for the worth top class versus more cost effective choices:  

1. Higher Networking choices, comparable to 2.5GB LAN and Wi-FI 6. Most diversified choices will be 1GB LAN and would possibly maybe maybe restful no longer comprise Wi-Fi.  

2. Masses of USB and USB C ports for each and each gamers and order creators. 

3. M.2 make stronger is right here, nevertheless nothing to write down dwelling about—most motherboards enjoy after all two slots, and a few as high as five with more fresh chipsets.  

4. You’ll accept necessary energy phases and VRM cooling with the Hero, providing you with a itsy-bitsy edge with Ryzen efficiency.  

5. You’ll accept a more top class ROG field and integrated instruments, which compose the abilities more fulfilling.  

Performance and BIOS

The X570 Hero can tackle the leisure thrown at it, even the mighty Ryzen 9 5950x. With an effortless-to-grunt and capable BIOS, you’ll enjoy some tweaking choices, too. Since, in ordinary, you’ll enjoy diminishing returns with manually overclocking smartly-liked CPUs like Ryzen 5000, you’ll after all squeeze out a puny bit better efficiency. Higher but, same efficiency nevertheless decrease voltages or thermals are even more nice looking.  

Whenever you’re efficiency minded, you’ll desire to accept the Darkish Hero version. It has upgraded energy offer with 90A in desire to 60A, which is willing to compose your wearisome-evening excited-scientist escapades even better. It also removes the chipset fan, which helps with noise whereas keeping thermals in test. Moreover, you’ll accept a dynamic overclocking choice on the Darkish Hero, providing you with more choices that glide beyond the customary Hero.  

Bottom line

With motherboard costs growing, the X570 Hero and Darkish Hero restful picture honest correct values within the fresh market. Z690 has already brought a lot increased pricing with the more fresh feature items of basically the most smartly-liked generations, and also you are going to be in a build to interrogate comparable to occur with the following AMD Ryzen update.  

With AMD no longer too long ago announcing the 3D Cache version of the 5800X CPU, there’s restful a form of fresh CPU horsepower to hold revenue of with these motherboards, especially the Darkish Hero.  

With Ryzen 5000 CPU costs at about a of the bottom aspects ever, it would possibly maybe maybe maybe now not be a corrupt concept to step into the X570 Hero as a substantial top class cost choice.