Yes, PCI-e 4.0 is finally here!
Haha, the world's very first PCI-e 4.0 chipset makes it to the consumer desktop, well beating once mighty Intel to the punch. Complacency and bullying tactics can only get you that far... many kudos to AMD again!
PCIe 4.0: Everything you need to know...
Asus X570 motherboard guide
Asus Official Webpage
https://www.asus.com/us/Motherboards/ROG-Crosshair-VIII-Hero/
Packaging
Sturdy large box in ROG colours.The accessories bundle is adequate but could have been more forward looking by including a drivers USB flashdrive instead of a DVD.
Motherboard
Generous heatsinks for the VRM (with heatpipe) and Southbridge with integrated active cooling, cleverly catering for the M.2 SSDs too. Protective Asus mobo armour and just as generous blessing of 14+2 onboard power phases (IR3555) too.
Motherboard Layout
Busy layout with lots of features and connectors, reinforced RAM and PCI-e slot.
Back I/O & Beyond
This is the WIFI enabled model with the gold plated DIN connectors. Dual LAN ports - Intel GLAN and Realtek 2.5GLAN plus a forward looking USB-C port.
8+4 ATX12V connectors for the crazy overclockers, note the broad silvery heatpipe peeking out between the heatsinks.
All the clockers' dream bits and pieces are seen here - onboard debug display, plentiful PWM fan headers, power/reset buttons. Also shown are the voltage measuring points in front of the main ATX power connector.
Plentiful SATA ports, flat lying USB3 headers - yay!
Even more PWM fan and RGB headers in this corner, the M2 heatsink is also seen.
Isolated S1220 audio subsystem, more RGB headers and clockers' buttons.
Long gone are the AM3 mounting holes of earlier models, by now you had better be well prepared cos AM4 has been around for more than 2 years already.
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
https://www.amd.com/en/products/cpu/amd-ryzen-9-3900x
Monster juggernaut of a desktop processor comprising 12 cores and 24 threads modern 7nm process yet at a price similar to the 8 cores 16 threads ancient 14nm process Core i7-9900K. And it is yet bundled with a quality heatpipe Wraith Prism with RGB fan heatsink.
Comparing the 2 CPUs side by side based on similar pricing but is this anywhere going to be a level ground competition in the first place? Already on paper, AMD with its modern design and process seems to hold all the aces in its hands.
Test Setup
Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Hero WIFI | AMD Ryzen 9 3900X | Corsair DDR4-3466XMP@3600 16GB Kit | WD Black nvme 500GB SSD | Scythe Kabuto3 | Win 10 x64 1903
12 cores and 24 threads of Ryzen2 goodness, take that all you current Intel mainstream 4 core wimps!
CPU-Z Bench
Stomped all over the similarly priced Core i7-9900K in multithread (39.4% faster) and slightly edged out in the single thread bench (7.5% slower).
7-Zip Bench
Nice big numbers!
Cinebench R20
Killing even its own big brother, its dual channel 12C24T is faster than the quad channel 16C32T Threadripper 1950X, plenty of ouch!
Geekbench4
https://browser.geekbench.com/v4/cpu/13869108
hwinfo64 Monitoring
As expected, its 12C24T run on the hotter side of things but it still runs stable in our local ambient air.
Running cool and fuss free in the background is the Asus Crosshair VIII Hero motherboard, it has been rock solid and dependable so far. Its industry leading UEFI BIOS is easy to configure, feature filled and consistent.
Initial Impressions
This is one of the rare OMG moment in consumer desktop computing - AMD has thrown down the gauntlet and solidly empowered the rest of us with incredible yet affordable processing beyond the wildest imagination of everybody especially the complacent sleeping giant called Intel.Things are not quite perfect yet with the early BIOS and driver issues but... please wake up to reality, was anyone ever perfect especially Intel with its countless CPU bugfixes steadily eating into its so called performance lead which has by now almost vaporised into thin air?
Run or better fly, just don't walk or dawdle... quickly grab this amazing Ryzen2 bundle cos they are flying off the shelves as we (and Intel) sleep. One also can't help but wonder how the incoming 16C/32T R9 3950 may upset the equilibrium again in short time.
Overall score - a solid 9.9/10 (cos nobody's perfect) and let's encourage both Asus and AMD to keep on creating great stuff for the rest of us.
Bonus Screenshot
For those of you who read all the way to the end... yes, it is indeed possible to do so.
