It was the beginning of 2017, Intel thought the year would go really smooth for them in regards to their mainstream and high end desktop launches. Intel launched their 7th generation core family, offering consumers the same architecture, slightly enhanced process and slightly higher CPU clock speeds, calling it a day. What they didn't know was that their rival, AMD, was going to make a epic return just a few months after and when they did, Intel's worst fears had come to life.
While Ryzen was anticipated to arrive on the mainstream consumer platform, offering IPC on par with Intel's latest generation processors, it was Threadripper that no one, even the press had not expected. A full fledged lineup of high end desktop processors designed to tackle Intel's Core X line up. AMD's Ryzen Threadripper and the accompanying X399 platform is designed for enthusiasts, it offers features that are not available on the Intel HEDT platform and here's where things get more interesting.
Not only is Ryzen Threadripper feature rich, it also comes at a lower build price when compared to a similar Intel X299 platform setup. An example for instance is the 16 core CPU price difference. Intel's 16 core chips costs north of $1500 US, AMD's 16 core chip costs $999 US and at the time of writing this post, it's selling for even less than that. So here we are, a few months after the launch of Ryzen Threadripper, testing out this utterly high-end, enthusiast platform on two beefy boards.
This time, I have the ASRock's latest X399M Taichi which is the only micro-atx product based on the X399 chipset and something I am really excited to test and also the ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E that is the first ROG STRIX variant based on the X399 chipset. Both of these motherboards launched close to 2018 and made some updates to the board designs for better support on Threadripper CPUs.
AMD X399 HEDT Chipset - The First Enthusiast Grade Platform From AMD
X399 is the next generation and the first AMD high-end desktop platform designed for enthusiasts and power craving users. It is an entirely fresh platform which brings with itself a load of new tech and features that we haven't seen on high-end platforms for a while now. To start off with details, the X399 platform is very similar to AMD's server end EPYC platform. It features the same chips in which AMD is using the top 5% dies for HEDT consumers, the same monolithic SP3 socket, known as the TR4 and the many PCIe lanes that we should expect on server level platforms.
The platform is made in a way that it can carter not only to HEDT consumers but also to the work station community. In terms of features, the X399 socket at the moment supports up to 16 cores and 32 threads and there's no doubt that we will get more cores and threads on the same socket and platform in the future. It can support chips with up to 180W TDP and can deliver full 64 PCIe lanes to users. This means for the first time, we have a platform that can drive four graphics cards with full native x16 link speeds.
This marks a major revolution and a win win for AMD. In addition to that, we get 8 PCH PCIe lanes, support for NVMe and NVMe RAID, quad channel memory, up to 12 SATA 3 ports and 14 USB interfaces. The only rival on the market for X399 is X299 and honestly speaking, the X399 takes the lead in terms of raw specifications and features.
AMD X399 PCH Features
| WCCFTECH | Whitehaven (Ryzen Threadripper) | Intel Core X (Skylake-X) | Pinnacle Ridge (Ryzen) | Summit Ridge (Ryzen) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Target Platform | HEDT | HEDT | Mainstream | Mainstream |
| Socket | TR4 | LGA 2066 | AM4 (PGA) | AM4 (PGA) |
| Socket Pins | 4094 Pins (LGA) | 2066 Pins (LGA) | 1331 Pins (PGA) | 1331 Pins (PGA) |
| Max Cores | Up to 32 | Up to 18 | Up to 8 | Up to 8 |
| Max Threads | Up to 64 | Up to 36 | Up to 16 | Up to 16 |
| Max L3 Cache | 64 MB | 24.75 MB | 16 MB | 16 MB |
| TDP | Up To 250W | Up To 165W | Up To 105W | Up To 95W |
| CPU PCI-E Lanes | 64 | 44 | 24 | 24 |
| PCH PCI-E Lanes | 8 | 24 | 8 | 8 |
| PCI-E NVME Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| NVME RAID Support | Yes (Firmware Update from AMD webpage) | Yes (Locked, Key Required) | No | No |
| DDR4 Channels | 4 Channel | 4 Channel | 2 Channel | 2 Channel |
| SATA 6 Gbps | 8+4 | 8 | 6+2 | 6+2 |
| USB 3.1 Ports | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| USB 3.0 Ports | 6 | 10 | 6 | 6 |
| USB 2.0 Ports | 6 | 14 | 6 | 6 |
| Launch | Q3 2017 | Q2 2017 | Q1 2018 | Q1 2017 |
AMD TR4 (LGA 4094) Socket - Supports All Ryzen Threadripper Processors
The AMD TR4 socket is the same as their server end SP3 socket which has been repurposed for the HEDT market. It is a monolithic design that feature 4094 pins in the LGA (Land Grid Array) design and looks absolutely beast.
Cooler Compatibility With The AMD TR4 Socket
It's worth noting that all previously released coolers are incompatible with Ryzen Threadripper. A new range of CPU coolers are required to dissipate heat from the massive heatspreader on AMD Threadripper CPUs. There are a total of nine manufacturers in the cooling industry who are right now offering their latest coolers for Ryzen Threadripper processors.
They include (More details on the cooling solutions here):
- Noctua
- Arctic
- Cooler Master
- Corsair
- Cryorig
- EVGA
- Fractal Design
- NZXT
- Thermaltake
It took AMD several years to perfect their core design to rival Intel. The resultant Zen core delivered exceptionally great performance when it finally launched after five long years of development. THe Ryzen mainstream processors were widely acclaimed and featured some of the most impressive performance, efficiency and pricing figures we have seen to date. But AMD didn't stop there, they went one step ahead and pitted their Zen core in a field where Intel had been dominant for years.
On the server side, we saw EPYC which is rivaling Intel's Xeon parts. On the HEDT side, we will be looking at Ryzen Threadripper. AMD managed to bring their IPC on par with Intel's modern cores and used that advantage to deliver a processor with multiple cores. 16 in fact on the flagship CPU and that's just the start of things we expect to see from AMD. Following is the entire "confirmed" CPU family under the Ryzen Threadripper brand.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 16 Core $999 US Processor
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X is the flagship chip of the Threadripper X399 family. The chip features 16 cores, 32 threads. Clocks are maintained at 3.4 GHz base, 4.0 GHz boost and the XFR technology should help it gain more performance. The chip will carry 32 MB of L3 cache and 8 MB of L2 cache which totals 40 MB. There will be a total of 64 PCIe lanes available on the processor of which 60 can be used by discrete graphics cards and PCIe NVMe storage devices. The chip will cost $999 US when launched.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X 12 Core $799 US Processor
The second chip in the lineup is the Ryzen Threadripper 1920X which features 12 cores and 24 threads for a price of just $799 US. Intel’s 12 core chip in comparison costs $1200 US. The chip features clock speeds of 3.5 GHz base and 4.0 GHz boost. Keeping things in line and if the chip comes with the same die configuration as the 1950X, we will be looking at 32 MB of L3 cache and 6 MB of L2 cache which totals 38 MB total cache size. The chip will feature the same amount of PCIe lanes as the 1950X.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and 1920X processors go on sale today alongside the X399 boards and CPU coolers.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X 8 Core For $549 US - Fastest AMD 8 Core Chip
The latest chip in the lineup is the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X which features 8 cores and 16 threads for a price of just $549 US. This is $50 US cheaper than Intel's Core i7-7820X which is also their octa core model. The chip features clock speeds of 3.8 GHz base and 4.0 GHz boost. Not only are speeds of this chip higher than the Ryzen 7 1800X but it also grants access to more features such as higher PCIe lanes, quad channel DDR4 memory lanes and more I/O support.
The Ryzen Threadripper 1900X will feature 64 PCIe lanes and the TDP will probably remain set at 180W. The total cache will be 20 MB (16 L3 + 4 L2) which is 5% higher than the comparable 7820X processor. The Ryzen Threadripper 1900X octa core chip will hit market shelves on 31st August.
AMD Threadripper and Ryzen Processor Family (2017):
| Wccftech | Cores/Threads | Base Clock | Turbo Clock | L2 / L3 Cache | TDP | MSRP | SEP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryzen Threadripper 1950X | 16/32 | 3.4 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 8 MB / 32 MB | 180 Watts | 999 USD | 799 USD |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1920X | 12/24 | 3.5 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 8 MB / 32 MB | 180 Watts | 799 USD | 399 USD |
| Ryzen Threadripper 1900X | 8/16 | 3.8 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 4 MB / 16 MB | 180 Watts | 549 USD | 299 USD |
| Ryzen 7 1800X | 8.16 | 3.6 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 4 MB / 16 MB | 95 Watts | 499 USD | 239 USD |
| Ryzen 7 1700X | 8.16 | 3.4 GHz | 3.8 GHz | 4 MB / 16 MB | 95 Watts | 399 USD | 229 USD |
| Ryzen 7 1700 | 8.16 | 3.0 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 4 MB / 16 MB | 65 Watts | 329 USD | 219 USD |
| Ryzen 5 1600X | 6/12 | 3.6 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 3 MB / 16 MB | 95 Watts | 249 USD | 199 USD |
| Ryzen 5 1600 | 6/12 | 3.2 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3 MB / 16 MB | 65 Watts | 219 USD | 159 USD |
| Ryzen 5 1500X | 4.8 | 3.5 GHz | 3.7 GHz | 2 MB / 16 MB | 65 Watts | 189 USD | 149 USD |
| Ryzen 5 1400 | 4.8 | 3.2 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 2 MB / 8 MB | 65 Watts | 169 USD | 129 USD |
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Official Gaming Performance - Game Mode and Creator Mode Explained
AMD has also released the official gaming performance data of their Ryzen Threadripper CPUs against Intel's Core X parts. The data shows that the Intel Core i9-7900X still goes ahead of the Ryzen Threadripper 1950X 16 core and Ryzen Threadripper 1920X 12 core while featuring ten cores. AMD Threadripper trails the Intel Core X CPU but on the other hand, we are still looking towards decent performance figures in gaming at 1080p and the gap is lower when gaming on higher resolutions.
On the other hand, we have a new feature on Ryzen Threadripper processors that lets you set your preference of profile. There are two profiles that include Game Mode and Creator Mode. Both can be set through the Ryzen Master configuration utility which has now been updated to support AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors. The utility also provides other nifty features and configuration tool which can be used by overclockers to fine tune their chips.
So what the Threadripper profiles do is that they optimize the chip for the specified workloads. For instance, the gaming mode will enable Local memory access mode and turn the compatibility mode to legacy. This will help reduce memory and core-to-core latency and overcome the thread count limitation in some of the legacy games which can endure bugs and issues with modern multi core CPUs.
The creator mode on the other hand turns the memory access to distributed mode and disables the legacy mode. This maximizes threads and total memory bandwidth for unrestrained amount of CPU performance and will be the default profile for Threadripper processors.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Gaming Mode Performance Results:
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Packaging:
Each Ryzen Threadripper processor will come in a large and sexy container with curved edges. It seems to be made of a strong alloy material and has either a plastic or glass cover on the front which is engraved with the Ryzen Threadripper label and logo. The chip can be seen through the mirror and just like the mainstream processors, each Ryzen TR CPU will have the naming printed in clear black on the IHS which looks amazing.
The AMD Ryzen Threadripper looks really amazing when looking from the eye of an enthusiast. It's the most powerful platform for HEDT users that we have seen to date and a worthy competitor to Intel's HEDT Core-X lineup.
AMD Ryzen Threadripper Launch Presentation:
The ASRock X399M Taichi is the latest entrant the the ASRock X399 family. If you have seen our previous X399 Taichi review, you will notice that in terms of design, the motherboard features a similar taste with aggressive metallic finish on the heatsinks and a matte black covers. But the biggest stand out feature of this motherboard is that it comes in the M-ATX form factor and not the ATX form factor that all other X399 motherboards adopt. This would make the motherboard an ideal choice for PC enthusiasts who want to do a smaller form factor build compared to the ATX X399 offerings which demand a ton of space.
The X399M Taichi features the TR4 socket and a 11 phase power delivery system with Dr.MOS and IR Digital PWM. Power is provided by a 8 and 4 pin connector configuration and there are a total of four DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 64 GB capacity in total. The motherboard is rated to support memory speeds of up to 3600 MHz (OC+).
The motherboard packs three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots and triple M.2 slots. Storage includes 8 SATA III ports, a single U.2 port, dual USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 ports.
The rear panel IO includes 8 USB 3.1 (Gen1), 2 USB 3.1 ports (Gen2), dual RJ45 LAN ports, a 7.1 channel audio jack, BIOS flashback switch, a single optical S/PDIF port and a Wi-Fi wireless adapter. The board at the moment costs $339 US and is available in retail stores around the globe.
ASRock X399M Taichi Professional Gaming Motherboard Features:
- Supports AMD TR4 Socket Ryzen Threadripper Series CPUs
- IR Digital PWM, 11 Power Phase & Dr. MOS
- Supports DDR4 3600+(OC)
- 3 PCIe 3.0 x16
- NVIDIA Quad SLI, AMD Quad CrossFireX
- 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec), Supports DTS Connect
- 8 SATA3, 2 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4), 1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3)
- 2 USB 3.1 Gen2 (1 Type-A + 1 Type-C), 12 USB 3.1 Gen1 (4 Front, 8 Rear)
- 1 U.2 Connector
- Intel 802.11ac WiFi, Dual Intel Gigabit LAN
- ASRock RGB LED
- BIOS Flashback
ASRock X399 Professional Gaming Motherboard Product Gallery:
AMD X399 Motherboard Roundup:
| Motherboard Name | ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme | ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E | ASUS PRIME X399-A | ASRock FATAL1TY X399 Professional | ASRock X399 Taichi | ASRock X399M Taichi | AORUS X399 Gaming 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) |
| Form Factor | E-ATX | E-ATX | E-ATX | ATX | ATX | MATX | ATX |
| Socket Type | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) |
| Power Phases | 8+2 | 8+2 | 8+2 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8+2 |
| CPU Power Connectors | 8+8 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin |
| DDR4 DIMM Slots | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Four (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) |
| Memory Clocks | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3200 MHz OC | Up To 3200 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC |
| SATA III 6 GB/s Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| U.2 Ports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | N/A |
| PCI-e 3.0 x16 Expansion Slots | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| PCI-e 3.0 x1 Expansion Slots | 1 x1 1 x4 | 1 x1 1 x4 | 1 x1 1 x4 | 1 x1 | 1 x1 | N/A | N/A |
| M.2 PCI-e Expansion Slots | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| USB 3.1 Ports (Internal/External) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 |
| USB 3.0 Ports (Internal / External) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 12 | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| USB 2.0 Ports (Internal / External) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Networking | 1 x Aquantia 10/5/2.5Gbe card 1 x Intel Gbe 802.11ad WiGig 802.11ac WiFi 2x2 MU-MIMO | 1 x Intel Gbe 802.11ac WiFi 2x2 MU-MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 | 1 x Intel Gbe | 1 x 10 Gigabit LAN 100/1000/2500/5000/10000 Mb/s (AQUANTIA AQC107) 2 x GigaLAN Intel I211AT | 2 x GigaLAN Intel I211AT | 2 x GigaLAN Intel I211AT | Rivet Networks Killer E2500 LAN chip |
| Audio | SupremeFX Realtek S1220 Codec ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec | Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec | Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec Support for Sound BlasterX 720 |
| Price | $550 US | $400 US | $350 US | $440 | $340 | $340 | $390 |
The ASRock X399M Taichi comes in a standard box shaped package. The front of it has the large X399M Taichi labeling on the front along with the Taichi logo surrounding it. Labels include Ryzen Threadripper, AMD Crossfire, NVIDIA SLI and RGB LED. There's also mention of AMD Socket TR4 and X399 chipset on the front.
The back of the package lists down several major features of motherboard which includes a 11 Phase power supply, Intel WiFi 802.11 ac capabilities, Purity Sound 4, XXL heatsink design and the entire specs sheet of board. There's a lot to go through which I will detail in the closer look section.
The package can be opened to reveal another black colored box which houses the motherboard and the accessories that come with it.
Out of the box, the X399M Taichi looks surprisingly small which is due to its M-ATX form factor. It is the only M-ATX X399 motherboard available in the market.
Within the package are two compartments, one houses the motherboard with foam packaging around it which protects the motherboard during carriage. The second compartment houses the accessories.
Accessories for the motherboard include the following:
- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- 4 x SATA Data Cables
- 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_1S Card
- 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card
- 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas
- 3 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
Outside of the package, the ASRock X399M Taichi looks like it has a lot of surprises within itself that I am willing to find out. The motherboard is a unique X399 motherboard and there are a lot of users who have been waiting for a m-ATX X399 motherboard to come along, now it is finally here.
What amazes me about this motherboard is that it has all the bells and whistles of the full ATX Taichi in a smaller area. Looking at the motherboard sitting next to the X399 Taichi, we can see that it follows the same design as its full ATX counterpart but manages things really well for a MATX design.
The motherboard comes with a simplistic design language that follows ASRock's Taichi design as seen on previous motherboards. ASRock has chosen the grey and black color scheme with slight silver accents that give a good touch on this motherboard and it looks great.
The large TR4 socket can be seen at the top of the motherboard. This is the same SP4 design from the server EPYC motherboard, re-engineered for the HEDT masses. The socket has a plastic cover that slides in and out with ease. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors also slide in the socket with ease after removal of the protective cover. All X399 motherboards are shipped with this cover since we are talking about 4094 pins and one damaged pin can cause permanent damage to the board.
Talking about the socket, it is also the largest ever designed for a consumer grade motherboard and the number of pins inside the socket are mind blowing. You can fit in almost four consumer Intel CPUs in the socket (although they won't work).
Around the socket are two DDR4 DIMM slots which can support quad channel memory with clock speeds up to 3600 MHz (OC+). The system is designed to operate both non-ECC and ECC (UDIMM) memory and up to 64 GB in capacity. The lesser DIMM slots were used to accommodate other set of features but you don't use much and 64 GB of fast 3600 MHz memory is still more than enough for many use cases, even in the high-end professional environment.
Scattered around the CPU socket are 11 power phases that use the IR Digital PWM unit for voltage and power regulation. The motherboard is based on the ASRock Super Alloy technology that has a range of features including 60A Dr.MOS power chokes. 12K black capacitors, a high density glass fabric PCB and premium alloy chokes for the memory too.
The motherboard is supplied power through a 24 pin ATX connector while the CPU socket is ran by a 8 and 4 pin power configuration. This is enough to feed juice to the high-end Ryzen Threadripper CPUs. Overclocking would be a breeze on high-end motherboards of this design.
The motherboard uses premium aluminum metal heatsinks that make direct contact with the VRM and also include copper heatpipe design to channel heat. This effectively leads to better cooling on the motherboard.
The heatpipe actually extends from the I/O heatsink which houses a proper aluminum chassis and redirects it to the top and side heatsink for better heat transfers.
The AMD X399 chipset is hidden beneath a metallic heatsink which is etched with the ASRock label. The PCH heatsink follows the Taichi gear design which we have come to see over the past few gen. This is a decent sized heatsink which embeds ASRock's RGB LED feature that can be tuned via their bundled software.
In terms of storage, we are looking at 8 SATA 3 6Gbps ports which support RAID, 3 Ultra M.2 ports which run on PCIe x4 (32 GB/s) speeds.
There's also a single U.2 port if you are running an Intel SSD with U.2 design although that doesn't seem much of a case nowadays with M.2 in the lead. If a U.2 is connected, that will lead to one M.2 slot being disabled.
The motherboard has three PCIe 3.0 x16 slots which operate at (PCIE1/PCIE2/PCIE3: single at x16 (PCIE1); dual at x16 (PCIE1) / x16 (PCIE2); triple at x16 (PCIE1) / x16.
ASRock is using the latest metallic shielded standard on the PCIexpress slots which adds more strength to the slots when using heavy graphics cards.
The motherboard can house two way SLI and Crossfire GPUs and that is more than enough when considering that multi-gpu support for games isn't at its best these days.
Within the motherboard, there are a large variety of connectors which include the following:
- 1 x TPM Header
- 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- 1 x RGB LED Header* Supports in total up to 12V/3A, 36W LED Strip
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x CPU Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 2 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x Chassis Optional/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 1 x 24 pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 1 x 8 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 1 x 4 pin 12V Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
- 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector (15μ Gold Audio Connector)
- 1 x Right Angle Front Panel Audio Connector
- 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 2 x USB 3.1 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.1 Gen1 ports) (Supports ESD Protection)
- 1 x Clear CMOS Button
- 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
- 1 x Power Button
- 1 x Reset Button
- 1 x CPU Xtreme OC Switch
The Purity Sound 4 system on board the motherboard also comes with a plastic shield and powers a 7.1 channel HD audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec). The isolated PCB uses TI NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier for Front Panel Audio Connector and supports DTS Connect.
The I/O port comes with a shielded cover which reads Ryzen Threadripper on the top. Similarly, the heatsink next to the I/O cover reads X399 and they look great.
I/O on the ASRock X399 Taichi includes 2 Antenna ports, a PS/2 port, a single Optical SPDIF out port, 2 USB 3.1 (Type-A + Type-C) ports, 8 USB 3.1 ports, 2 RJ-45 LAN ports, a single BIOS flash back switch and a high quality HD audio jack.
The ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming is ASUS giving the ROG treatment to the X399 platform and making it more affordable than the much more enthusiast aimed ROG Zenith while retaining the feature set that makes ASUS's ROG, ROG. The ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming features the TR4 socket and a 8+2 phase Dual Intelligent 5-Way power delivery system. Power is provided by a 8 + 4 pin connector configuration and there are a total of eight DDR4 DIMM slots that can support up to 128 GB capacity in total. The motherboards can support memory speeds of up to 3600 MHz (OC+).
ASUS ROG STRIX products are made to appeal to the masses and this board is no exception. While ROG Zenith Extreme and Prime Deluxe boards have their own may of looking amazing, the ROG STRIX motherboards have a laser etched PCB with white stripes running from top to bottom and a metallic aluminum heatsink design which are embedded with RGB LEDs to make them shine like a diamond out of your rig.
The motherboard packs four PCIe 3.0 x16 slots, a single PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, a single PCIe 3.0 x1 and dual M.2 slots. Storage includes 6 SATA III ports, a single U.2 port, dual USB 3.0, dual USB 2.0 ports and a single USB 3.1 port internal header on the PCB itself.
The rear panel IO includes 8 USB 3.1 (Gen1), 2 USB 3.1(Gen 2) ports, a single RJ45 LAN port, a 7.1 channel audio jack, USB BIOS flashback button, a single optical S/PDIF port and a Wi-Fi wireless adapter. The board will costs $399 US which is a hefty price but considering this is a X399 HEDT motherboard, it may look nice if the performance turns out great.
ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming Motherboard Features
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper processor series: Ready for the latest Socket TR4 CPUs
- Synchronize RGB lighting with a vast portfolio of Aura Sync capable PC gear – now with support for addressable light strips.
- Onboard M.2 Heatsink: Cools your M.2 drive, delivering consistent storage performance and enhanced reliability.
- Gaming connectivity: Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard, 2x2 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Dual M.2, USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-C connectors.
- Gaming audio: SupremeFX S1220A teamed with Sonic Studio III, cast an aural landscape that draws you deeper into the action.
- 5-Way Optimization: Automated system-wide tuning, providing overclocking and cooling profiles that are tailor made for your rig.
- Gaming durability: ASUS SafeSlot and premium components for maximum durability
ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming Motherboard Product Gallery
AMD X399 Motherboard Roundup:
| Motherboard Name | ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme | ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E | ASUS PRIME X399-A | ASRock FATAL1TY X399 Professional | ASRock X399 Taichi | ASRock X399M Taichi | AORUS X399 Gaming 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) | AMD Ryzen Threadripper (Up To 16 Cores) |
| Form Factor | E-ATX | E-ATX | E-ATX | ATX | ATX | MATX | ATX |
| Socket Type | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) | Socket TR4 (4094 Pin) |
| Power Phases | 8+2 | 8+2 | 8+2 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 8+2 |
| CPU Power Connectors | 8+8 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin |
| DDR4 DIMM Slots | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) | Four (Quad Channel) | Eight (Quad Channel) |
| Memory Clocks | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3200 MHz OC | Up To 3200 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC | Up To 3600 MHz OC |
| SATA III 6 GB/s Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| U.2 Ports | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | N/A |
| PCI-e 3.0 x16 Expansion Slots | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| PCI-e 3.0 x1 Expansion Slots | 1 x1 1 x4 | 1 x1 1 x4 | 1 x1 1 x4 | 1 x1 | 1 x1 | N/A | N/A |
| M.2 PCI-e Expansion Slots | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| USB 3.1 Ports (Internal/External) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 13 |
| USB 3.0 Ports (Internal / External) | N/A | N/A | N/A | 12 | 12 | N/A | N/A |
| USB 2.0 Ports (Internal / External) | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 4 |
| Networking | 1 x Aquantia 10/5/2.5Gbe card 1 x Intel Gbe 802.11ad WiGig 802.11ac WiFi 2x2 MU-MIMO | 1 x Intel Gbe 802.11ac WiFi 2x2 MU-MIMO Bluetooth 4.2 | 1 x Intel Gbe | 1 x 10 Gigabit LAN 100/1000/2500/5000/10000 Mb/s (AQUANTIA AQC107) 2 x GigaLAN Intel I211AT | 2 x GigaLAN Intel I211AT | 2 x GigaLAN Intel I211AT | Rivet Networks Killer E2500 LAN chip |
| Audio | SupremeFX Realtek S1220 Codec ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC | SupremeFX S1220A | SupremeFX S1220A | Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec | Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec | Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec | Realtek ALC1220 codec Support for Sound BlasterX 720 |
| Price | $550 US | $400 US | $350 US | $440 | $340 | $340 | $390 |
The ASUS X399-E Gaming comes in a very large package with a front cover that exposes the board it self. I can note that the ROG STRIX series are known for their vibrant color schemes on boxes and this board is no exception in that department with the fully lit ROG eye logo on the front. Labels include Ryzen Threadripper, AMD Crossfire, NVIDIA SLI, ASUS RGB AURA and 3D Printing Friendly design. There's also mention of AMD Socket TR4 and X399 chipset on the front.
The back of the package lists down several major features of motherboard along with the special features that include AURA Sync, M.2 Heatsink, Addressable header and USB 3.1 Gen2 front panel connector. These along with the entire specifications of the board are listed on the back for easier viewing by the user. There's a lot to go through which I will detail in the closer look section.
The package can be slid open to reveal the motherboard itself which is contained nicely within an electrostatic packaging. The motherboard accessories are housed beneath the board itself.
Within the package are two compartments, one houses the motherboard while the second compartment houses the accessories.
Accessories for the motherboard include the following:
- User's manual
- ASUS Q-Shield
- 1 x Vertical M.2 bracket set
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
- 1 x M.2 Screw Package
- 1 x pack of cable tie
- 1 x Supporting DVD
- 1 x SLI HB BRIDGE(2-WAY-M)
- 1 x Q-Connector
- 1 x 10-in-1 ROG cable label
- 1 x Thermal sensor cable pack(s)
- ROG Fan Label
- 1 x ROG Door Hanger(s)
- 1 x Extension cable for Addressable LED
Outside of the package, the ASUS ROG X399 Gaming is a fully loaded motherboard with a design that screams premium. The motherboard is really well designed and I am really surprised by the STRIX design on a X399 motherboard. Definitely a thumbs up from me in the design department.
The ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E is an extended ATX form factor motherboard and is fitted with a range of high quality components. Just out of the box, the motherboard feels like a gargantua due to its sheer size and an astonishing amount of features that are packed within it.
The ASUS ROG STRIX design is unique on every board. The solid and aggressive looking heatsinks come in dark grey coating while the motherboard PCB which is colored in black comes with white textured lines that extend from top to bottom.
On the back of the motherboard, we see three unique features. These include the large SP3 back plate which is included on all Ryzen Threadripper motherboards, a large metallic plate underneath the CPU VRMs and the similar motherboard PCB texturing we see on the front.
The large TR4 socket can be seen at the top of the motherboard. This is the same SP4 design from the server EPYC motherboard, re-engineered for the HEDT masses. The socket has a plastic cover that slides in and out with ease. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors also slide in the socket with ease after removal of the protective cover. All X399 motherboards are shipped with this cover since we are talking about 4094 pins and one damaged pin can cause permanent damage to the board.
Talking about the socket, it is also the largest ever designed for a consumer grade motherboard and the number of pins inside the socket are mind blowing. You can fit in almost four consumer Intel CPUs in the socket (although they won't work).
Around the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support quad channel memory with clock speeds up to 3600 MHz (OC+). The system is designed to operate both non-ECC and ECC (UDIMM) memory and up to 128 GB in capacity.
Scattered around the CPU socket is a 8+2 phase DIGI+ VRM system that uses ASUS's best in class components such as high-end chokes, MOSFETs and Digital IR chips for best stability and overclock performance.
The motherboard is supplied power through a 24 pin ATX connector while the CPU socket is ran by a 8 and 4 pin power configuration. This is enough to feed juice to the high-end Ryzen Threadripper CPUs. Overclocking would be a breeze on high-end motherboards of this design. All power inputs are located near each other which would make cable routing slightly congested.
The motherboard uses premium aluminum metal heatsinks that make direct contact with the VRM and also include copper heatpipe design to channel heat. This effectively leads to better cooling on the motherboard.
On closer inspection, I can spot that the heatpipe from the VRMs lead towards a large aluminum heatsink that is found under the I/O panel cover. The cover actually houses a small wing blade fan that offers active cooling, making the temperatures fall in normal range.
Here, we can see a better shot of the aluminum heatsink and the fan which rests right below the I/O cover and over the USB 3.1 ports. It's a unique feature and I have heard that this fan operates on the basis of temperature so it will stay idle if the temperature doesn't exceed a certain limit that will help noise levels down.
The AMD X399 chipset is hidden beneath a large aggressively styled heatsink that comes with brushed metallic and triangular metal surface which reflects light. The ROG eye logo in the middle features ASUS AURA Sync technology and can lit up and be customized according to users own preference.
The top of the heatsink has a very glossy surface which looks really cool even when the RGB is not operating.
Another thing about this heatsink is that it serves two purposes, one is that it can embed a M.2 fan holder on itself when the top frame is removed.
The second purpose it serves is that it can be used as a M.2 heatsink which lies under the top frame. You can mount your M.2 SSD by removing the PCH frame and use the enlonged aluminum frame to cool the storage device.
In terms of storage, we are looking at 6 SATA 3 6Gbps ports which support RAID, 2 M.2 ports which run on PCIe x4 (32 GB/s) speeds.
There's also a single U.2 port if you are running an Intel SSD with U.2 design although that doesn't seem much of a case nowadays with M.2 in the lead. If a U.2 is connected, that will lead to one M.2 slot being disabled.
The motherboard has four PCIe 3.0 x16 slots which operate at (PCIE1/PCIE3/PCIE4/PCIE6: single at x16 (PCIE1); dual at x16 (PCIE1) / x16 (PCIE4); triple at x16 (PCIE1) / x8 (PCIE2) / x16 (PCIE4); quad at x16 (PCIE1) / x8 (PCIE2) / x16 (PCIE4) / x8 (PCIE5)). There's also a single PCIe 3.0 x4 and a single PCIe 3.0 x1 slot.
The motherboard can house four way SLI and Crossfire GPUs. It also uses the latest metal shielded PCIe slots for extra durability and anti-bend support.
The second M.2 slot is a vertical one which can support full height devices. A USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel header can also be spotted beneath the M.2 port.
Within the motherboard, there are a large variety of connectors which include the following:
1 x Q_Code
1 x Aura Addressable Strip Header(s)
1 x U.2 port
2 x RGB Header(s)
2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s)
2 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 4 USB 2.0 port(s)
1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (SATA & PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)
1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (SATA & PCIE 3.0 x 4 mode)
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
1 x M.2_FAN connector
1 x CPU Fan connector(s)
1 x CPU OPT Fan connector(s)
3 x Chassis Fan connector(s)
1 x AIO_PUMP connector
1 x W_PUMP+ connector
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V Power connector(s)
1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP)
1 x System panel(s)
1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connector
1 x Thermal sensor connector(s)
1 x Power-on button(s)
1 x Clear CMOS jumper(s)
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel connector
Audio on the ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming is provided by the SupremeFX S1220A Codec which has its own dedicated PCB area and provides dual headphone amplifiers, impedance sense for front and rear, premium nichicon audio capacitors and audio line shielding.
The I/O cover, as mentioned before goes with the theme of this motherboard really well. There's also the cut out for the fan that's located beneath it and it doesn't take away the elegance of the motherboard at all.
I/O on the ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming include an ASUS 2x2 WiFI 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and BT 4.2 module which comes with dual antennas, a single Optical SPDIF out port, 2 USB 3.1 (Type-A + Type-C) ports, 8 USB 3.1 ports, 1 RJ-45 LAN port, a single BIOS flash back switch and a 7.1 channel high quality HD audio jack.
For this review, I had access to the Ryzen Threadripper 1920X and the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X processors. AMD did not provide us with any equipment or processors for this review.
The motherboards were sent by ASRock and ASUS while one of the AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU was bought of my own expense. Our review is entirely based purely on facts and precision. The full test setup configuration can be seen in the provided list below:
AMD Ryzen Threadripper 2018 Test Bench:
| Processors | AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1920X AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1900X |
|---|---|
| Motherboards | ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming ASRock X399M Taichi ASRock X399 Professional Gaming ASRock X399 Taichi |
| Memory | G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz |
| Video Cards | ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 Ti STRIX OC |
| Power Supply | Corsair RM 750X Gold Plus |
| Cooling Solutions | Noctua NH-U14S TR4 SP3 |
| Solid State Drive | Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB) |
| Hard Disk | Seagate Barracuda 1 TB 7200.12 |
| Case | Corsair Graphite Series 780T Full Tower |
| BIOS Used | ASRock X399M Taichi v1.00 ASUS X399-E V0503 |
| OS | Windows 10 64-bit |
I would like to thank G.Skill for providing the Trident Z RGB memory, ASUS for providing the GTX 1080 TI STRIX OC and Noctua for providing their high-end NH-U14S (TR4 SP3 Socket).
For overclocking, the maximum clock speeds I was able to achieve on the ASRock X399M Taichi was 4.15 GHz across all cores while the ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming gave an extra 100 MHz boost to 4.2 GHz across all 12 cores. Similarly, the X399M Taichi and ROG STRIX were able to achieve 4.25 GHz on the Ryzen Threadripper 1900X which was achieved with 1.43V, just barely below the AMD's own recommended limit of 1.45V. The results are provided in the next section.
3DMark Time Spy CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
3DMark Firestrike CPU Performance
3DMark Firestrike is the widely popular video card benchmark test for Windows that is designed to measure your PC’s gaming performance. While the overall benchmark is great, the utility also provides a good indication of the CPU performance.
Blender
Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, even video editing and game creation.
Cinebench R15
CINEBENCH is a real-world cross platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s performance capabilities. CINEBENCH is based on MAXON’s award-winning animation software CINEMA 4D, which is used extensively by studios and production houses worldwide for 3D content creation. MAXON software has been used in blockbuster movies such as Iron Man 3, Oblivion, Life of Pi or Prometheus and many more.
HandBrake
HandBrake is a tool for converting video from nearly any format to a selection of modern, widely supported codecs.
PCMark 10
PCMark 10 is a complete PC benchmarking solution for Windows 10. It includes several tests that combine individual workloads covering storage, computation, image and video manipulation, web browsing and gaming. Specifically designed for the full range of PC hardware from netbooks and tablets to notebooks and desktops, PCMark 10 offers complete Windows PC performance testing for home and business use.
POV-Ray
The POV-Ray package includes detailed instructions on using the ray-tracer and creating scenes. Many stunning scenes are included with POV-Ray so you can start creating images immediately when you get the package.
SuperPI
Super PI is used by many overclockers to test the performance and stability of their computers. In the overclocking community, the standard program provides a benchmark for enthusiasts to compare “world record” pi calculation times and demonstrate their overclocking abilities. The program can also be used to test the stability of a certain overclock speed.
WinRar
WinRAR is a powerful archive manager. It can backup your data and reduce the size of email attachments, decompress RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from Internet and create new archives in RAR and ZIP file format.
X264 HD Encode Benchmark
This benchmark measures the encoding performance of the processor. It offers a standardized benchmark as the clip as well as the encoder used is uniform.
Ashes of The Singularity
Stardock's Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historic genre. The game incorporates several things that many pc gamers have been curious about and anxious to try for themselves such as Explicit Multi-Adapter Support and full Asynchronous Compute under DirectX 12 API. We tested the game at 1440P with 4x MSAA on Crazy Settings under DirectX 12.
Battlefield 1
Battlefield 1 is the kind of game that doesn’t need any real introduction. The latest installment of the Battlefield series is as beautiful as anyone would expect and comes right out of the gate with full DX11 and DX12. EA and DICE did a fantastic job with their AAA WW1 shooter this time by implementing some key gaming technologies. We tested the game at 1440P using Ultra settings and DirectX 11 API.
DOOM
In 2016, Id finally released Doom. My testing wouldn’t be complete without including this title. It's a hell fest featuring fast paced FPS action and tons of demons to kill. The latest title is based on both Vulkan and OpenGL APIs that take advantage of the latest multi-core and multi-GPU upgrades.
GTA V
GTA V is one handsomely optimized title for the PC audience. It's scalable across various PC configurations and delivers an impressive frame rate. Rockstar did an amazing job with the PC build of GTA V and it comes with a large array of settings that can be configured by PC gamers. We tested the title at 1440P with everything set to Ultra and 4x MSAA.
Mass Effect Andromeda
Being a huge fan of the Mass Effect series, I was highly anticipating the arrival of Andromeda to store shelves. Now that it’s here, I put the fastest gaming card to the test. Using Frostbite, the latest Mass Effect title looks incredibly gorgeous and the open world settings on the different planets immerses you a lot.
Rise of the Tomb Raider
The latest Rise of the Tomb Raider title gets lots of graphical enhancements added by Crystal Dynamics and Nixxes, including hardware tessellation, increased anisotropic filtering, additional dynamic foliage, increased LOD, additional PureHair strands, sun soft shadows, and improved bokeh DOF. We tested the game at 1440P under DirectX 12 API.
Sid Meir's Civilization VI
Civilization VI is the pinnacle of the series. It's featured huge, sweeping changes, and nothing was left out. Everything has found a purpose, they all work together in tandem but also have a reason to stand alone. It uses a more fleshed out engine that now supports DirectX 12 capabilities. We tested the game with every setting maxed out (4x MSAA, 4096x4096 shadow textures) at 1440P in DirectX 12.
Watch Dogs 2
Watch Dogs 2 once again takes us on a hacking tour, but this time in the city of San Francisco. Using a very evolved version of the OPUS engine the developers should have a better grasp on things this go around than they did with Watch Dogs. The new engine incorporates several NVIDIA Gameworks technologies and is seen as one of the most graphics intensive titles to launch this year. We tested the game on a mix of Ultra and high settings at 1440P (Temporal Filtering Disabled).
When it comes to power consumption, there are a few things we should take note of. First of all, Intel has focused over efficiency for several years but as we have seen, they are starting to loose rapidly at this front. The Intel Core-X processors are based on the new 14nm processors and we know this that Intel generally has a better fabrication process compared to their rivals. AMD is also using a 14nm process from Global Foundries on their Ryzen, Ryzen Threadripper and EPYC chips.
The Ryzen Threadripper chips are based on four dies rather than a single monolithic die. We have seen how that affects the temperatures but it is also crucial to see how power management is now handled on four separate dies. All four dies are connected through the infinity fabric interconnect and hence, it is used to thermally manage the load on different dies. The AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors feature a reference TDP of 180W and we pushed the voltage higher than stock when running the chips in overclock mode. The resultant temperatures at both stock and overclocked frequencies can be seen below:
For cooling, we used the Noctua NH-U14S TR4/SP3 cooler which is fully compatible with the Ryzen Threadripper processors and TR4 socket. This version comes with a larger surface area that makes full contact with the huge IHS on the Threadripper chips. This huge contact allows for better heat transfer to help cool the processor effectively.
In general, the Ryzen Threadripper processors are based on the 14nm process from Glofo which offers slightly better temperatures and power efficiency numbers compared to Intel's 14nm based offerings. While Intel went with a solder less design, the Ryzen Threadripper chips come with liquid metal thermal paste on each of the four dies that are featured on the chip interposer.
This refined thermal interface offers much better heat transfer than Intel's TIM and the Indium based solder design means that all air gaps are removed and the chip itself is tightly packaged so that the IHS can fully unload the heat from the dies and pass it straight to the cooler itself. Furthermore, the dies feature gold plating on the back to ensure proper thermal cycling which adds to the thermal qualities of this impressive chip. You can check out the full delidding of Ryzen Threadripper processors by renowned overclocker Der8auer over here. Following are the results of my Ryzen Threadripper CPU in thermal benchmarking:
ASRock X399M Taichi Motherboard - A First of its Kind M-ATX X399 Motherboard With a Feature Heavy Design
The ASRock X399M Taichi is an impressive motherboard to say the least. Much smaller than the full X399 Taichi due to its m-ATX form factor but also packing just about the same feature set as its ATX brother. The X399M Taichi has everything you'd expect from a high-end motherboards, supports all Ryzen Threadripper chips, overclocks like a breeze and in my opinion, packs a slightly better power delivery system which keeps the power consumption not as aggressive as the X399 Taichi and VRM temperature stays cool enough.
The board packs a 11 Phase power delivery system which sustained good overclocks on our Ryzen Threadripper 1920X and 1900X processors. It's just the OC wall on the Ryzen chips that doesn't let us go past a certain limit while the boards themselves are a very capable bunch.
In terms of features, the board has dual LAN ports, dual USB 3.1 ports, support for dual multi-gpus in either crossfire or SLI configuration and onboard wireless capabilities. In terms of ram support, the board does come with four less DDR4 DIMM slots which support up to 64 GB capacity and not the intended 128 GB but take that as good thing. When the CPU is feeding lesser memory lanes, it will be suitable to gain even better stability and higher overclocks. This also allows one to get ever faster memory clocks which is a plus point for the motherboard.
Overall, the ASRock X399M Taichi is a smaller but killer X399 package. It's one of the most interesting X399 motherboards as no one else is doing m-ATX X399 and ASRock should be given credit for supporting AMD's HEDT platform in this market. At $339 US, the X399M Taichi is also one of the cheapest X399 offering for AMD's HEDT platform which lacks nothing over the Taichi except for a few PCIe slots which were gonna go anyways considering the size of this motherboard but for Small Form Factor builders waiting for a smaller sized X399 HEDT board, now you have it.
ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming Motherboard - A Top-Notch and Extreme Performance Aimed X399 Product For Gamers
The other board I had for testing today was the ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming and oh boy, was I glad to get this motherboard. To be honest, I have started to like the ROG STRIX design language over their PRIME, TUF and ROG (Only) products. There's something in there that appeals all kinds of users, whether they be gamers or overclockers.
The ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming is a full fledged E-ATX monster which takes note of several things from its bigger ROG brother, the ROG Zenith Extreme and tones down to a slightly affordable yet still premium price range. We are talking $400 US for this motherboard but this is nowhere in the premium range of X399 motherboards. They cost near the $500 US range so while the price isn't satisfactory, the features and brilliant overclocking make up for it.
Talking about features, the ASUS ROG STRIX has a load of them but I'd give extra credits to the X399M Taichi which incorporated dual LAN ports and even tripe M.2 slots on a smaller surface. ASUS's ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming has a whole lot of other features and while it doesn't has any relation to performance gains or losses, an extra LAN port would have been great for gamers.
Moving on, the design and overclocking capabilities of this board are heaven for Ryzen Threadripper PC builders. Not only would the motherboard look good within your PC, it will also allow you to fine tune your Threadripper chip to the limits. The extra cooling, the extravagant RGB and lots of PCIe expansion space makes the ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming a very powerful offering for PC gamers out there without a doubt.
Buy ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E Gaming Here
Contents
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
