ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII HERO (Wi-fi) review

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Introduction

ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII HERO (Wi-fi) motherboard
We all can be heroes.

ASUS rolling out some pretty nifty shizzle Ryzen 3000 series motherboards. We check out this Crosshair VIII HERO hardware in combination with a Ryzen 7 3700X processor, AMD prepped the 570 chipset, that offers a more fine-tuned experience for your Ryzen Generation 3 processor. The new Hero, however, is taking things to an entirely new level. Including PCIe Gen 4.0 and AX Wifi. The X570 motherboard is residing in the high-end motherboard spectrum for the 3rd generation AMD Ryzen processors. With this release, you will spot a breathtaking motherboard loaded with features, DDR4 A-XMP functions, and PCIe 4.0 PCI slots and multiple PCIe 4.0 connected M.2. slots, with a massive heatsink. 

AMD has been going strong over the past year, rattling all the cages with an Intel logo on them. From top to bottom they have been able to compete with Intel. With Zen2 (codename 'Matisse') AMD is introducing a new line of processors starting at hexacore processors in the entry-level to mainstream segment (yeah, you read that right), eight and twelve cores for the mainstream to high-end, and up to 16-core Ryzen processors for the enthusiast level. It is batpoop crazy when you think about what AMD has accomplished in, what has it been, two years time? Sure, the initial ZEN Ryzen processors had a bit of a rocky launch with the inter-core latency discussion, 1080p gaming performance as well as memory support. But the tide turned with each month that passed, and over time more and more people would actually consider an AMD processor-based PC for their next purchase. That shift in the paradigm is big when you think about Intel's monopolized position in the desktop processor market. When AMD launched the 12nm update of Zen, called Zen+, the memory compatibility issues were mostly all gone, of course, and with the launch of Ryzen 3000, the 3rd generation Ryzen products, AMD is about to rattle the cages once again with a massively strong and competitive processor lineup. A topic of discussion has been chipset compatibility. Basically, in short, if you have a Series 300 or 400 chipsets AMD motherboard, you should seek a BIOS/firmware update from your motherboard's manufacturer. Ryzen 3000 processors will (read: should) work fine, with one distinction, you have reverted back to PCIe Gen 3.0, and that also goes for the x4 PCIe based interlink between the CPU and chipset. When we reverse the situation (use a Ryzen Series 1000 or 2000 on X570) we see a similar condition, most of the older Ryzen processors will work fine on X570, just not with PCIe 4.0 and dandy features like optional AX Wi-fi 6


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The ASUS ROG C8H (Wi-fi)

So if you go with a proper processor, you'll like want a proper motherboard loaded with the latest and greatest. AND ASUS does just that with the Crosshair VIII HERO (Wi-fi). Today's tested motherboard, the ASUS Crosshair VIII Hero Wifi, is based on the X570 chipset and thus its feature set. This socket AM4 motherboard offers extensive DDR4 memory support (as well as all other modern usual suspects like USB 3.2 gen 2, NVMe protocol 1.3 based M.2 support over PCI-Express Gen 4.0 and of course generic PCI-Express Gen 4.0 mechanical slots. This ROG Crosshair ATX model in particular offer 16 IR3555 PowIR stages, split between the CPU and the SOC, each rated for 60 amps. The PCIe slots have reinforcements to withstand the weight of high-end cards. The audio features a Realtek 1220 codec that improves input quality for streamers with an industry-leading 113-dB SNR for the line-in paired with an ESS ES9023P HD Sabre DAC. ASUS has fitted with a Realtek 2.5G ethernet jack and also an I211AT Gigabit Ethernet controller. An Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200 adapter is used to give AX Wifi6 a home on this motherboard. The 802.11ax protocol and can broadcast fast signals up to a theoretical peak of 2400Mbps. The motherboard is a very feature-rich product that will look terrific in any DIY PC build. The dark styled PCB comes with shielding and very subtle light accents. Features wise you may expect triple x16 PCI-Express slots (16x/8x/4x), an 8-channel audio solution, the usual quality components and USB 3.1. Audio is based on Realtek 1220 but was enhanced with a software suite.

The board supports SLI and CrossFireX configs split between its main PCI Express x16 slots. The PCIe 4.0 and DDR4 slots have been reinforced to withstand the weight of high-end cards. Combine this motherboard with the Ryzen 3000 series six up-to sixteen-core processors and you'll be pleasantly surprised as to what it offers. Let’s start up the review, shall we?

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