AMD Ryzen 7 2700 - Discrete GPU Performance Tests
A year ago, AMD launched Ryzen, a new processor family based on their latest CPU architecture, Zen. When AMD launched Ryzen along with the Zen cores, they made a commitment to gamers, enthusiasts and high-performance users that Ryzen will get better year after year. Fast forward a year and we are now looking at the second iteration of Ryzen, a better and faster processor in all ways possible, at least on the table, along with a refreshed platform.
Known as the AMD Ryzen 2000 series, the new generation of processors is similar to an Intel's Tick which involves the move to a smaller process node while improving the core architecture. There is not much in terms of core architecture evolution but refinements from the updated process node do help in efficiency and clock rate increase.
The latest processors are based on a 12nm process node and feature 8 and 6 core SKUs ranging all the way from $199 up to $329 US. The prices are strategically well placed against the Intel 8th Gen core offerings along with the faster overall clock speeds which would help improve parity with Intel based processors. That said, AMD also has a brand new platform in the form of 400-series which is said to go along well with the Ryzen 2000 series processor. And while the chips are compatible on 300-series motherboards, some new features which we will detail in this review are solely limited to AMD 400 series platform.
For our review, I will be testing the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 processor which is an 8 core, 16 thread chip clocked at 3.2 GHz base and 4.1 GHz boost clock and priced at $299 US. The CPU will be tested on the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate and ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO (Wi-Fi) motherboards. I would like to thank both ASRock and ASUS for providing these motherboards for our review.
- You can purchase the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 CPU Here.
- You can purchase the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate Here.
- You can purchase the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO (WIFI) Here.
AMD X470 Chipset For Enthusiast and High-End Motherboards - The New Flagship AM4 Platform PCH
The AMD X470 motherboards will be housing several key technologies that would offer the best experience on Ryzen 2000 processors. These features include advanced power deliveries for memory and processor, support for faster memory, support for Precision Boost overdrive and XFR2 along with a range of other features that expand overall I/O capabilities of the motherboards.
The X470 is AMD’s high-end chipset for overclockers and tweakers who need robust platforms. This chipset provides the ultimate low-level control to its users and delivers ultimate graphics card bandwidth. By bandwidth, AMD is referring to max PCI Express lanes as this is the only chip in the stack that supports multi-GPU functionality. The chipset supports both, CFX (CrossFire) and SLI. Features of X400 series chipsets include:
- Optimized memory routing for high-speed memory support
- Optimized VRM and power layout for CPU overclocking
- Lower idle power (<2W)
- Designed for 2019 CEC energy requirements
- USB per-port disable
- Improved maximum data transfer rate
- Bootable NVMe RAID support
- Enmotus FuzeDrive technology bundle
- AMD StoreMI Technology
AMD has mentioned two full x16 (Gen3) lanes for GPUs. AIBs can add additional lanes through a PLX chip but that would add to the cost. X470 features full overclocking support with a very sophisticated GUI that will allow the best overclock tools and experiences. Since all AM4 CPUs have an unlocked multiplier, record breakers will definitely put X470 boards to the test on liquid and LN2 setups. The motherboards are also compliant with the new AMD XFR 2.0 Enhanced and PBO (Precision Boost Overdrive) features which scale boost clocks in a more refined manner when compared with 1st gen chips.
AMD Chipset Features and Specifications:
| Wccftech | X870E | X870 | X670E/X670 | B650E/B650 | A620 | X570 | X399 Refresh | X399 | X470 | X370 | B450 | B350 | A320 | X300 | A300 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CrossfireX/SLI | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | 2-Way CFX | N/A | Triple CFX/2-Way SLI | Quad SLI/CFX (Max 6 GPU Support) | Quad SLI/CFX (Max 6 GPU Support) | Triple CFX/2-Way SLI | Triple CFX/2-Way SLI | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| CPU Lanes (Usable) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | 24 Gen 5 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) 24 Gen 4 for B650 | 24 Gen 4 (with Ryzen 7000 CPUs & above) | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| PCH Lanes (Usable) | 8 Gen4 12 Gen3 | 4 Gen4 8 Gen3 | 12 Gen4 8 Gen3 | 8 Gen4 4 Gen3 | 8 Gen 3 | 30 +16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) | 60 (With Threadripper CPU) 4 Lanes Reserved for PCH | 60 (With Threadripper CPU) 4 Lanes Reserved for PCH | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) | 16 (with Ryzen 7 CPU) 8 (with Bristol Ridge) |
| USB4 | Standard | Standard | Optional | Optional | Optional | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| USB 3.1/3.2 Gen2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| USB 3.1/3.2 Gen1 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 12 (PCH + CPU) | 13 (PCH+CPU) | 13 (PCH+CPU) | 10 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| USB 2.0 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | N/A | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| SATA 6Gb/s | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| DDR5 DIMMs | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| DDR4 DIMMs | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Overclocking Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| XFR2 Enhanced | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Precision Boost Overdrive | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | N/A | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| NVMe | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | Yes (Gen 5.0) | N/A | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Form Factor | ATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | ATX/mATX/ITX | mATX/ITX | ATX, MATX | ATX, MATX | ATX, MATX | ATX, MITX | ATX | ATX, M-ATX | ATX, M-ATX | M-ATX, Mini-ITX | Mini-ITX | M-ATX, Mini-ITX |
AMD AM4 Socket - Extending The Ryzen Compatibility Further
Just like the AMD 300 series motherboards, the 400 series motherboards will feature the AM4 socket. Nothing has changed with the design or pin layout which means that any old AM4 CPUs and APUs will be able to run on the 400 series boards just fine.
The AM4 socket has a total of 1331 contact points for interfacing with Ryzen processors. There was a need to develop a new socket for Ryzen processors since the latter comes with support for DDR4 memory and PCIe Gen 3.0 interface directly from the Ryzen chip. The AM4 socket is featured on the AMD 400 series boards and will extend support to all future AM4 compatible processors.
Cooler Compatibility With the AM4 Socket
Since we are looking at a slightly bigger socket that measures 90mm x 54mm, the previous cooler mounting brackets from AM3+ will be non-compatible with AM4. This would require new brackets. Manufacturers in the cooling industry are now offering proper mounting brackets for Ryzen CPUs. Desktop builders who currently have an older AM3+ cooler can also grab the mounting kit for free.
While cooler manufacturers are offering their side of the support, AMD has developed a family of new Wraith coolers that are available with the Ryzen processors. AMD has three new coolers that are optimized for a range of 95W and 65W Ryzen processors. These include the Wraith Prism (95W) , Wraith Max (95W), Wraith Spire (65W), Wraith Stealth (65W) coolers. All coolers operate with less noise while delivering good cooling potential. The fans also come with RGB lighting which looks gorgeous for a reference design cooler.
Starting off with the details, AMD will be introducing four new processors in their Ryzen 2000 CPU family. These include two Ryzen 7 parts and 2 Ryzen 5 parts and are listed below:
- AMD Ryzen 7 2700X
- AMD Ryzen 7 2700
- AMD Ryzen 5 2600X
- AMD Ryzen 5 2600
AMD Ryzen 2700X – Flagship 8 Core With 4.35 GHz Clock, 105W TDP and $329 US
First up, we have the AMD Ryzen 7 2000 series products which aim for the high-end sector. There are two processors listed at the moment which include the Ryzen 7 2700X and Ryzen 7 2700. Flagship seems to be the Ryzen 7 2700X right now which comes with 8 cores and 16 threads and supports the brand new 12nm process node. The TDP for this chip is maintained at 105W which might seem higher than the 95W on the previous parts but you also get higher clock speeds in return.
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700X clocks in at a base clock of 3.7 GHz and turbos up to 4.35 GHz. The chip supports 20 MB of cache, 16 PCIe lanes, 2933 MHz DDR4 memory and ships with the Wraith Prism cooler for a price of just $329 US. AMD is pitting this chip against the Core i7-8700K which costs the same.
AMD Ryzen 2700 – The 65W 8 Core With 4.1 GHz Boost and $299 US Price
On the other hand, we have the AMD Ryzen 2700 which is a lower TDP variant of the Ryzen 2700X. It retains almost all the specs but since it has a lower TDP, we also expect lower clock speeds of 3.2 GHz base and 4.1 GHz boost. The chip doesn’t support precision boost overdrive and will ship with the Wraith Spire (LED) cooler for a price of $199 US. AMD pits this chip against the Core i7-8700 that costs around the same.
AMD Ryzen 5 2600X – A 6 Core CPU With 4.25 GHz Boost, 19 MB Cache, and $249 US Price
On the Ryzen 5 family, the fastest chip will be the Ryzen 5 2600X which is a 6 core, 12 thread chip that comes with a 95W TDP. This chip is clocked at a base frequency of 3.6 GHz and turbos up to 4.25 GHz. There’s also 19 MB of cache, 16 PCIe lanes, and the chip itself ships with a Wraith Spire cooler. AMD is pricing the part at $229 US which puts it next to the Core i5-8600K in competition.
AMD Ryzen 5 2600 – A 6 Core, 65W CPU With 3.9 GHz Boost, 19 MB Cache and $199 US Price
The AMD Ryzen 5 2600 comes with the same technical aspects of the Ryzen 5 2600X but has lower TDP like the Ryzen 7 2700 and as such, it comes with lower clock speeds too. The 65W TDP allows for a 3.4 GHz base and 3.9 GHz boost clock while the packaging includes a Wraith Stealth cooler at a price of $199 US which makes it compete against the 8 USD expensive Core i5-8600 SKU.
Following are all of the Ryzen 2000 series processors that will be available for the AM4 platform:
AMD 2nd Generation Ryzen Specs:
| CPU Name | AMD Ryzen 3 2300X | AMD Ryzen 5 2500X | AMD Ryzen 5 2600 | AMD Ryzen 5 2600X | AMD Ryzen 7 2700 | AMD Ryzen 7 2700X |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Family | Ryzen 2 | Ryzen 2 | Ryzen 2 | Ryzen 2 | Ryzen 2 | Ryzen 2 |
| CPU uArch | 12nm Zen+ | 12nm Zen+ | 12nm Zen+ | 12nm Zen+ | 12nm Zen+ | 12nm Zen+ |
| CPU Cores | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| CPU Threads | 4 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 |
| Base Clock | 3.5 GHz | 3.6 GHz | 3.4 GHz | 3,6 GHz | 3.2 GHz | 3.7 GHz |
| Boost Clock | 4.0 GHz | 4.0 GHz | 3.9 GHz | 4.25 GHz | 4.1 GHz | 4.35 GHz |
| Total Cache | 10 MB (L2+L3) | 18 MB (L2+L3) | 19 MB (L2+L3) | 19 MB (L2+L3) | 20 MB (L2 + L3) | 20 MB (L2 + L3) |
| Memory Support | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 | DDR4-2933 |
| TDP | 65W | 65W | 65W | 95W | 65W | 105W |
| Cooler Bundle | Wraith Stealth | Wraith Stealth | Wraith Stealth | Wraith Spire | Wraith Spire LED | Wraith Prism |
| Price | $130-$140 US | $150-$160 US | $199 US | $229 US | $299 US | $329 US |
| Release Date | TBC | TBC | 19th April 2018 | 19th April 2018 | 19th April 2018 | 19th April 2018 |
ASRock sent me their top of the line and flagship of the X470 series, the X470 Taichi Ultimate motherboard. The motherboard is a very premium offering with a ton of features and updated design scheme that revolves around the Taichi branding. We are looking at a very solid power delivery system, wireless networking capabilities, dual LAN ports which include an AQUANTIAR 10 Gigabit LAN switch, Realtek ALC1220 codec for audio and dual M.2 slots, one of which comes with a full-length heatsink.
This premium motherboard is priced at $299.99 US which could be heavy on the wallet but if you want a fully loaded X470 motherboard, look no further.
ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard Features:
- Supports AMD AM4 Socket Ryzen Series CPUs (Summit Ridge, Raven Ridge, and Pinnacle Ridge)
- DIGI Power (IR Digital PWM) 17 Power Phase Design
- Premium 60A Power Chokes
- Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM)
- Supports DDR4 3466+ (OC)
- 2 PCIe 3.0 x16, 1 PCIe 2.0 x16, 2 PCIe 2.0 x1
- NVIDIA Quad SLI, AMD Quad CrossFireX
- 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC1220 Audio Codec)
- Supports Purity Sound 4 & DTS Connect
- 8 SATA3, 1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3 x4 & SATA3), 1 M.2 (PCIe Gen2 x4 & SATA3)
- Full Coverage M.2 Heatsink
- 3 USB 3.1 Gen2 (Rear Type A+C, Front Type-C), 10 USB 3.1 Gen1 (4 Front, 6 Rear)
- AQUANTIA 10 Gigabit LAN, Intel Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11ac + BT 4.2
- ASRock Polychrome RGB
ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard Gallery:
ASRock X470 Motherboards Comparison:
| Motherboard Name | ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate | ASRock X470 Taichi | ASRock X470 Gaming ITX/ac | ASRock FATAL1TY X470 Gaming K4 | ASRock X470 Master SLI/AC | ASRock X470 Master SLI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) |
| Form Factor | ATX | ATX | ITX | ATX | ATX | ATX |
| Socket Type | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 |
| Power Phases | 16 Phase IR Digital PWM / Supports 300W EX OC | 16 Phase IR Digital PWM / Supports 300W EX OC | 8 Phase Digi Power Design | 12 Phase Digi Power Design | 12 Phase Digi Power Design | 12 Phase Digi Power Design |
| CPU Power Connectors | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin |
| DDR4 DIMM Slots | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz+ | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz+ | 2 Slots (32 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz+ | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz+ | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz+ | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz+ |
| SATA III 6 GB/s Ports | 8 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| PCI-e 3.0 x16 Expansion Slots | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| PCI-e 3.0 x1 Expansion Slots | 2 | 2 | N/A | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| M.2 PCI-e Expansion Slots | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Max USB 3.1 Ports (Internal / External) | 13 | 13 | 6 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Max USB 3.0 Ports | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Max USB 2.0 Ports (Internal) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| LAN Ports | AQUANTIAR 10 Gigabit LAN, Intel Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11ac + BT 4.2 | Intel Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11ac + BT 4.2 | Intel Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11ac + BT 4.2 | Intel Gigabit LAN | Intel Gigabit LAN, Intel 802.11ac + BT 4.2 | Intel Gigabit LAN |
| Audio | Realtek ALC1220 | Realtek ALC1220 | Realtek ALC1220 | Realtek ALC1220 | Realtek ALC1220 | Realtek ALC892 |
| Display Connections | 1 x HDMI | 1 x DP 1.4 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI |
| Price | $299.99 US | $229.99 US | $179.99 US | $169.99 US | $149.99 US | $129.99 US |
The ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate comes in a large rectangular box with an easy carry handle on the top. The motherboard is a refreshing change from the previous Taichi packages with a slight bit more focus on the Taichi theme that is shown in the box this time around. The package is colored in silver and black and houses multiple labels which can be seen.
The front side of the package features the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate branding along with several brand logos that include AMD Socket AM4, X470, Ryzen, Polychrome RGB, NVIDIA SLI, AMD CFX, and HDMI. The front also comes with a flip cover that opens to reveal a few more interesting specs and features such as Polychrome RGB and Full coverage M.2 heatsink. A small plastic cut out gives us a first look at the motherboard.
The back of the box contains all the marketing details along with product specifications. The most interesting features that are highlighted by ASRock include Aquantia 10 Gb/s Ethernet, Purity Sound 4, Front USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, WiFi 802.11 ac wireless connectivity, Dual M.2 SSD support, SLI HB Bridge, PCI-e Steel slots and the Hyper BCLK Engine II which is part of the Super Alloy design scheme.
Within the package are two boxes, one house the motherboard and the other houses the board accessories. The accessories for the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate include:
- Quick Installation Guide, Support CD, I/O Shield
- 4 x SATA Data Cables
- 1 x ASRock SLI_HB_Bridge_2S Card
- 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5 GHz Antennas
- 2 x Screws for M.2 Sockets
Outside of the package, the motherboard can be seen well placed in two foam containers that hold the motherboard nicely in place. The motherboard gives off the premium feel that I was expecting and can't wait to test it out with Pinnacle Ridge series processors.
The ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate is styled in silver and black. The motherboard comes with the standard ATX form factor so compatibility won't be an issue on a wide range of PCs. The Taichi theme looks absolutely brilliant and eye-catching on the motherboard as well as the overall design layout which has been upped from the past Taichi variants.
The ASRock X370 Killer SLI AC is designed for the high-end and enthusiast user. The board packs a better overall design scheme that allows for faster connectivity, memory support and storage options compared to X370 motherboards. The PCB is of matte black color with a Taichi specific gear design printed all over the board. The PCB itself is made of a high-density glass fabric and uses 2oz Copper layout.
The board uses the AM4 socket to support AMD CPUs and APUs. The socket is compatible with both AMD Ryzen processors and APUs. There's no chance of error while installing a CPU since the socket is keyed, has a 1331 pin layout and won't support any other chips aside from the ones mentioned by AMD and AIB partners.
Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 64 GB (dual channel) memory. These slots are rated to support DDR4 DIMMs with frequencies all the way up to 3466 MHz (OC+).
The motherboard packs a 16 phase IR Digital PWM power supply which powers the socket. The PCB is outfitted with a long lifespan, durable black solid state capacitors that have an endurance rating of over 12,000 hours. The powerful VRM design allows overclockers to get the most from this motherboard. ASRock is listing this motherboard with the support of up to 300W EX OC and full water cooling support on Ryzen processors rated up to 105W. ASRock is also featuring 60A power chokes, Premium memory Alloy chokes, Dual-Stack MOSFET (DSM) and a solid PCB layout.
The VRMs are covered by two sets of heatsinks which are made of aluminum and part of the XXL Aluminum Alloy heatsink design. Both sets are colored in metallic silver and have cuts within them to add to the aesthetics.
On closer inspection, you can note that the XXL Aluminum alloy heatsink design incorporates full copper heat pipes which is a must on this high-end motherboard for stable operation on the VRM front.
The top I/O cover has an ASRock logo which is a nice touch to the AMD setup. The shield covers the entire I/O panel and looks great on this motherboard.
The ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate motherboard cover on the I/O panel looks decent. There’s no cooling mechanism involved with the cover as it’s just for visuals and mostly hollow from the inside, but it does add to the overall looks of the product and that’s its main purpose here.
The CPU is supplied with power through an 8 + 4 power connector. This will feed the CPU with up to 225W (300W EX OC) of power. Most AMD CPUs will be shipping with TDPs of up to 105W but that changes when users overclock since that changes the power limit based on applied voltages and clock speeds.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16 (x16/x8/x4 electrical), two PCI Express 3.0 x1 and two Ultra M.2 slots. The board can support 3-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD.
ASRock’s X470 Taichi Ultimate adopts two PCIe steel slots, which are built with more solder points on the PCB for better performance and preventing any signal interference with graphics cards. This allows your graphics cards to be fed with better quality signals and to be safely and securely installed in the PCIe slots.
There are two Ultra M.2 slots on the motherboard that operate through PCI Express 3.0 x4 link at speeds of 32 GB/s. Both slots are ideally placed. One of them is located at the top of the first PCIe 3.0 x16 slot while the other is situated under the second PCI-e 3.0 x16 slot with ample room for up to 110mm M.2 drive/memory support.
The topmost M.2 slot is covered by a full coverage M.2 heatsink which has grey and silver accents. The heatsink itself is useful as M.2 SSDs are now widely used within PCs and extra cooling can deliver better stability.
The X470 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with the Taichi Ultimate logo embedded on it. The PCH heatsink is designed to look like a Taichi emblem with several small and large metal gears. It additionally features the new Polychrome RGB LEDs which looks stunning.
Storage options include eight SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 Gb/s. These can support a total of 8 different storage devices at the same time.
ASRock is using the ALC 1220 audio codec audio system on this motherboard that has its own audio PCB isolated from the rest of the board. This is part of the Purity Sound 4 system which includes a combination of hardware and software audio solutions such as the use of Nichicon Fine Gold Series Audio Caps, 120dB SNR DAC with Differential Amplifier, NE5532 Premium Headset Amplifier for Front Panel Audio Connector (Supports up to 600 Ohm headsets), Impedance Sensing on Line Out port, Gold Audio Jacks and 15μ Gold Audio Connector.
The motherboard has two onboard USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports which can be used to connect the front panel. There's also a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel header which can allow for up to two USB 3.1 Gen two ports. A list of connectors available internally on the motherboard include:
- 1 x TPM Header
- 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
- 1 x AMD Fan LED Header
- 1 x RGB LED Header
- 1 x Addressable LED Header
- 1 x CPU Fan Connector (4-pin)
- 1 x CPU/Water Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
- 3 x Chassis/Water Pump Fan Connectors (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 AMD LED Fan USB Header
- 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 Front Panel Type C USB 3.1 Gen2 Header (ASMedia ASM3142)
- 1 x Clear CMOS Button
- 1 x Dr. Debug with LED
- 1 x Power Button with LED
- 1 x Reset Button with LED
The I/O on the motherboard includes a WiFi module with 2 antenna ports, 1 PS/2 port, 1 HDMI port, 1 optical SPDIF out port, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, 6 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 2 RJ 45 LAN ports (AQUANTIA 10Gb/s / Intel Gigabit LAN), 1 Clear CMOS button and a 7.1 channel audio jack.
ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate Motherboard Gallery:
ASUS is making a generational update to their ROG Crosshair for the X470 series. Their latest ROG Crosshair VII HERO Wi-Fi is better than ever with a solid design scheme and a feature-rich layout in an overall view. The motherboard rocks ASUS's DIGI+ VRM system for best stability and overclock support along with other features that include solid M.2 and SATA III expansion, lots of PCI-e slots, tons of USB 3.1 ports included on the rear and internally and a pre-mounted I/O shield that makes installation all the more easier for users.
The motherboard costs $279.99 US which is definitely on the high-side considering the non-WiFi variant costs a while $50 US less. But if you want wireless capabilities along with the high-end SKU design, this motherboard would be a very attractive offering for the enthusiast within you.
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO Wi-Fi Motherboard Features:
- Powered by AMD Ryzen 2 AM4 and 7th generation Athlon processors to maximize connectivity and speed with dual NVMe M.2, onboard 802.11ac Wi-Fi, front panel USB 3.1 Gen2 and gigabit LAN
- 5-Way Optimization featuring Auto-Tuning and FanXpert 4 provides automatic overclocking profiles for maximum OC performance with external clock generator
- Aura Sync RGB lighting with two addressable headers features a nearly endless spectrum of colors with the ability to synchronize effects across an ever-expanding ecosystem of Aura Sync enabled products
- Pre-mounted I/O shield ensures streamlined installation and represents ROG’s attention to detail and quality
- Industry-leading 8-channel HD audio with the ROG exclusive SupremeFX S1220 driven by Japanese capacitors
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO Wi-Fi Motherboard Gallery:
ASUS X470 Motherboards Comparison:
| Motherboard Name | ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero WIFI | ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero | ASUS ROG STRIX X470-F Gaming | ASUS ROG STRIX X470-I Mini-ITX | ASUS PRIME X470-PRO | ASUS TUF X470-Plus Gaming |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CPU Support | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) | AMD Ryzen CPUs & APUs (1st Gen / 2nd Gen) |
| Form Factor | ATX | ATX | ATX | ITX | ATX | ATX |
| Socket Type | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 | AM4 |
| Power Phases | 12 Phase DIGI+ | 12 Phase DIGI+ | 10 Phase DIGI+ | 6+2 Phase DIGI+ | 10 Phase DIGI+ | 6 Phase DIGI+ |
| CPU Power Connectors | 8+4 Pin | 8+4 Pin | 8 Pin | 8 Pin | 8 Pin | 8 Pin |
| DDR4 DIMM Slots | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz | 2 Slots (32 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3466 MHz | 4 Slots (64 GB Max) @ 3200 MHz |
| SATA III 6 GB/s Ports | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| PCI-e 3.0 x16 Expansion Slots | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
| PCI-e 3.0 x1 Expansion Slots | 2 | 2 | 3 | N/A | 3 | 3 |
| M.2 PCI-e Expansion Slots | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Max USB 3.1 Ports (Internal / External) | 13 | 13 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 9 |
| Max USB 2.0 Ports (Internal) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| LAN Ports | Intel Gigabit LAN 802.11AC Wi-FI-GO | Intel Gigabit LAN | Intel Gigabit LAN 802.11AC Wi-FI-GO | Intel Gigabit LAN | Intel Gigabit LAN | Intel Gigabit LAN |
| Audio | ASUS SupremeFX | ASUS SupremeFX | ASUS SupremeFX | ASUS SupremeFX | ASUS Crystal Sound | Realtek ALC887-VD2 |
| Display Connections | N/A | N/A | 1 x HDMI 1 x DP | 1 x HDMI | 1 x HDMI 1 x DP | 1 x HDMI 1 x DVI-D |
| Price | $279.99 US | $229.99 US | $214.99 US | $199.99 US | $184.99 US | $159.99 US |
The ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO Wi-Fi also comes in a large rectangular box. The ASUS ROG series are known for their red and black color scheme and the packaging is apparent of that. The package does weigh a lot considering its size so we expect to see a lot of accessories alongside the motherboard itself.
The front side of the package features the Republic of Gamers logo along with the ROG Crosshair VII HERO (Wi-Fi) Gaming motherboard naming scheme. Other logos include ASUS, AMD Socket AM4, X470, Ryzen, NVIDIA SLI, AMD Crossfire Technology, ASUS AURA Sync and VR Ready support. Upon opening the package, we can see that the motherboard is featured below a plastic case that covers the front.
The back of the box contains all the marketing details along with product specifications. The most interesting features that are highlighted by ASUS such as Extreme Engine DIGI+, Pre-mounted I/O shield, Addressable RGB headers, and M.2 heatsink.
All of the accessories are housed in the top motherboard container. The accessories are part of three sections, the middle section includes the Manual, Driver disk and all readable material and a large sticker case. The two sections on the side contain all the connection based accessories that are listed below:
- User's manual
- 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cable(s)
- 2 x M.2 Screw Package
- 1 x Supporting DVD
- 1 x ASUS 2T2R dual-band Wi-Fi moving antennas (Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac compliant)
- 1 x SLI HB BRIDGE(2-WAY-M)
- 1 x ROG big sticker
- 1 x Q-Connector
- 1 x Extension Cable for RGB strips (80 cm)
- 1 x Extension cable for Addressable LED
- 1 x ROG coaster(s)
ASUS ROG motherboards have always caught my attention with their bold design and feature-rich layout. The ROG Crosshair VII HERO WIFI is no exception and let's see what else this $279.99 board has to offer.
The ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO WiFi is styled in black and silver. If you are wondering where all the red color scheme that came with previous ROG boards went, well the RGB LEDs are there to handle that as they are set to red by default. The motherboard comes with the standard ATX form factor so compatibility won't be an issue on a wide range of PCs. Overall, it's a nicely designed and very interesting motherboard aiming the high-end spectrum.
The ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO Wi-Fi is designed for the high-end and enthusiast user. The board packs a better overall design scheme that allows for faster connectivity, memory support and storage options compared to X370 motherboards. The PCB is of matte black color and is built with the highest quality components.
The board uses the AM4 socket to support AMD CPUs and APUs. The socket is compatible with both AMD Ryzen processors and APUs. There's no chance of error while installing a CPU since the socket is keyed, has a 1331 pin layout and won't support any other chips aside from the ones mentioned by AMD and AIB partners.
Next to the socket are four DDR4 DIMM slots which can support up to 64 GB (dual channel) memory. These slots are rated to support DDR4 DIMMs with frequencies all the way up to 3466 MHz (OC+).
The motherboard packs a 12 phase Extreme Engine DIGI+ power supply which powers the socket. The PCB is outfitted with a longer lifespan, durable black solid state capacitors that have an endurance rating of over 10,000 hours. The powerful VRM design allows overclockers to get the most from this motherboard. ASUS is also using MicroFine Alloy Chokes and NexFET Power Block MOSFETs in addition to various ROG-exclusive features that are useful to overclockers which include:
- Clear CMOS button
- ROG RAMCache II
- ROG CPU-Z
- MemOK! Button
- Slow Mode
- Overwolf
- ReTry Button
- Safe Boot Button
- Start Button
- Reset Button
- LN2 Mode
- GameFirst IV
- Extreme Engine Digi+ :
- MicroFine Alloy Chokes
- NexFET™ Power Block MOSFET
- 10K Black Metallic Capacitors - Mem TweakIt
- UEFI BIOS features :
- Tweakers' Paradise
- ROG SSD Secure Erase
- Graphic Card Information Preview - ROG RAMDisk
- Extreme Tweaker
- USB BIOS Flashback
The VRMs are covered by two sets of heatsinks which are made of aluminum and are good enough for extended periods of overclocking stress.
Being a premium motherboard, it can be noted that the heatsink design incorporates full copper heat pipes which is a must on this high-end motherboard for stable operation on the VRM front.
The top I/O cover has the Crosshair VII logo which is a nice touch to the AMD setup. The shield covers the entire I/O panel and looks great on this motherboard. There's also an addition of ASUS AURA Sync RGB on the I/O panel which emits strong lights during operation.
The ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO cover on the I/O panel looks very futuristic. There’s no cooling mechanism involved with the cover as it’s just for visuals and mostly hollow from the inside, but it does add to the overall looks of the product and that’s its main purpose here.
The CPU is supplied with power through an 8 + 4 power connector. This will feed the CPU with up to 225W of power. Most AMD CPUs will be shipping with TDPs of up to 105W but that changes when users overclock since that changes the power limit based on applied voltages and clock speeds.
Expansion slots include three PCI Express 3.0 x16 (x16/x16/x4 electrical), two PCI Express 3.0 x1 and two Ultra M.2 slots. The board can support 3-way multi-GPU (CrossFireX / SLI). The M.2 slots are rated to support NVMe PCIe Gen3 x4 SSD.
ASUS's ROG Crosshair VII HERO WIFI adopts the latest 2 X Safeslot design which provides stronger PCIe device retention and greater shearing resistance. The slots are built with more solder points on the PCB for better performance and preventing any signal interference with graphics cards. This allows your graphics cards to be fed with better quality signals and to be safely and securely installed in the PCIe slots.
There are two Ultra M.2 slots on the motherboard that operate through PCI Express 3.0 x4 link at speeds of 32 GB/s. Both slots are ideally placed. One of them is located at the top of the first PCIe 3.0 x16 slot while the other is situated under the second PCH with ample room for up to 110mm M.2 drive/memory support.
The topmost M.2 slot is covered by a full coverage M.2 heatsink which has grey and silver accents. The heatsink itself is useful as M.2 SSDs are now widely used within PCs and extra cooling can deliver better stability. The Republic of Gamers logo can be seen printed on top of it.
The X470 PCH is housed beneath a bulky heatsink with the ASUS ROG eye logo embedded on it. Just like the design of the motherboard, the PCH heatsink is designed to look futuristic and uses ASUS AURA Sync RGB LEDs to make it look even better.
Storage options include six SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 Gb/s. These can support a total of 8 different storage devices at the same time and support RAID 0, 1, 10.
ASUS is using the ALC 1220 audio codec audio system on this motherboard that has its own audio PCB isolated from the rest of the board. This is part of the SupremeFX 8-channel system which includes a combination of hardware and software audio solutions such as the use of ESS ES9023P, SupremeFX Shielding Technology, High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input, Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs and supports Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking.
The motherboard has an onboard USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports which can be used to connect the front panel. There's also a single USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel header which can allow for up to two USB 3.1 Gen two ports. A list of connectors available internally on the motherboard include:
2 x Aura Addressable Strip Header(s)
2 x RGB Header(s)
1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M key, type 2242/2260/2280/22110 storage devices support (SATA & PCI-E 3.0 x 4 mode)
1 x M.2 Socket 3 with M key, type 2242/2260/2280 storage devices support (PCI-E 3.0 x 4 mode)
6 x SATA 6Gb/s connector(s)
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 H_AMP fan connector
1 x W_PUMP+ connector
1 x 8-pin EATX 12 V Power connector
1 x 4-pin EATX 12 V_1 Power connector(s)
1 x 24-pin EATX Power connector(s)
1 x Front panel audio connector(s) (AAFP)
1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN(Extension Fan) connector
1 x Slow Mode switch(es)
1 x Thermal sensor connector(s)
1 x Reset button(s)
1 x LN2 Mode switch(es)
1 x ROG extension (ROG_EXT) header(s)
1 x Safe Boot button
1 x ReTry button
1 x Slow Mode jumper(s)
1 x System panel connector
1 x W_IN header
1 x W_OUT header
1 x W_FLOW header
1 x Start button
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 front panel connector
1 x Speaker connector
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port(s)
1 x USB 2.0 connector(s) support(s) additional 2 USB 2.0 port(s)
The I/O on the motherboard includes a PS/2 combo port, 1 LAN (RJ-45) port, 2 USB 2.0 ports, 1 optical SPDIF out port, 1 Clear CMOS button, 1 USB BIOS Flashback button, 1 ASUS Wi-Fi GO! module (Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and Bluetooth v4.1), a 8 channel HD audio jack, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A port, 1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port and 8 USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports which Truevolt USB feature that supplies a steady 5V to all USB ports, minimizing power fluctuations. The motherboard also comes with a pre-installed I/O shield which looks great and very useful to PC builders.
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO WIFI Motherboard Gallery:
For testing, I used the AMD Ryzen 7 2700 processor along with two X470 motherboards that were sent by ASRock and ASUS. These include the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate and the ASUS ROG CVII HERO WiFI.
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 while being similar to its predecessor in terms of core specs comes with a refined design and optimized 12nm process node to deliver higher clock speeds and faster DDR4 support. The added benefits from X470 such as Precision Boost Overdrive and XFR 3.0 come with increased performance benefits which would be visualized in this review.
AMD 'Pinnacle Ridge' Ryzen 2000 Test Setup:
| Processors: | AMD Ryzen 7 2700 AMD Ryzen TR 1900X AMD Ryzen 7 1800X AMD Ryzen 7 1700X AMD Ryzen 5 1600X Intel Core i7-8700K Intel Core i5-8600K Intel Core i7-7820X Intel Core i7-7700K |
|---|---|
| Motherboards: | ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO AORUS Z370 Gaming 7 AORUS Z270X Gaming 8 ASUS PRIME X299 DELUXE ASUS ROG STRIX X399-E |
| Power Supply: | Corsair RM 750X Gold Plus |
| Solid State Drive: | Samsung SSD 960 EVO M.2 (512 GB) |
| Hard Disk: | Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 7200.12 |
| Memory: | G.SKILL Sniper X 16 GB (2 x 8 GB) CL16 3400 MHz G.SKILL Trident Z RGB Series 32 GB (4 x 8GB) CL16 3600 MHz |
| Case: | Corsair Graphite Series 780T Full Tower |
| Video Cards: | MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X |
| Cooling Solutions: | Cryorig R1 Ultimate |
| OS: | Windows 10 64-bit |
Our test rig includes the Samsung 960 EVO 500 GB SSD that boots up our main OS while a 2 TB Seagate HDD is used for demonstration purposes for the Intel Optane memory. In addition to these, we are running an MSI GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning X graphics card, a Corsair RM 750X Gold Plus power supply and 16 GB of G.Skill provided Sniper X series memory which runs with a clock speed of DDR4-3400 MHz. For cooling, we used the Cryorig R1 Ultimate (dual fan) air cooler.
ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate Test Setup:
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero Test Setup:
AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Overclocking Details on ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate and ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO WIFI
AMD's first generation Ryzen chips were generally not great for overclocking purposes as the chips maxed out with just a 200-300 MHz increase on the default clocks. Same can be said for the Ryzen 2000 series processors however, I did manage to get the Ryzen 7 2700 up to 4.2 GHz across all the cores with the Taichi Ultimate. The ROG Crosshair VII HERO WIFI was stable on 4.1 GHz across all cores but while 4.2 GHz was stable, there were some inconsistent results.
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, decompresses RAR, ZIP and other files downloaded from the 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) – Ashes of The Singularity
Stardock’s Ashes of the Singularity RTS title is a new take on the historical 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) – 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) - 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) - 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) - 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) - 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) - 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.
Gaming Performance Test (AMD Ryzen 7 2700) - 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).
The AMD Ryzen 2000 series processors come with an enhanced 12nm process node that allows AMD to deliver faster clock speeds while retaining the same power limits. The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 CPU is a 65W processor which comes with Precision Boost overdrive support up to 4.1 GHz so it would be interesting to see the power results.
With the frequency bump, the new chips do end up with higher power consumption both in idle and load states. Following are the results on the different motherboards at stock clocks:
Based on the latest 12nm process and using an enhanced process, AMD Ryzen 2000 processors offer an evolution over the 1st generation Ryzen processors. In both power consumption and temperature tests, we see the Ryzen chip putting Intel's 14nm processors to shame. This is seen against both mainstream and HEDT lineups from Intel.
As for temperatures, we used our Cryorig R1 Ultimate with the AM4 retention kit during the overall tests. The results gathered during full load and under idle cases was pretty good. The chip remains cooler than Intel's HEDT parts and even the new Coffee Lake mainstream CPUs which is impressive since they are using a 14nm++ process.
AMD Ryzen 7 2700 Processor - The Perfect 8 Core Processor Is Almost Here
The AMD Ryzen 7 2700 quite surprised me with its performance levels. This is a 65W chip so clocks were expected to be constrained from the start but that isn't the case. You can expect the chip to clock up to 4.1 GHz in single core tasks which especially helps in gaming. Plus, since this is a full 8 core chip with 16 threads, the multi-tasking performance is just as great.
Based on the 12nm process node, AMD managed to increase clock speeds and while it does have a 65W TDP, overclocking can lead to slightly higher power consumption than its predecessor, the R7 1700. However, overclocking up to 4.2 GHz on this processor delivered some very nice results. The gaming performance on the new Ryzen chips is a surprise as it manages to further close the gap with Intel while the better memory controller not only allows for lower latencies but also improves performance in a wide range of general purpose applications. The gains from memory IMC update can be witnessed within the Winrar and AIDA64 benchmarks which showcase a huge improvement compared to the first generation of Ryzen processor.
That said, overclocking is still limited on the 65W chip and requires a constant stream of high voltage to keep up the clock speeds. In short, you would need boards with a solid power delivery to overclock a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 (Non-X) CPU.
When it comes to price to performance, I think AMD is in an even better position than the 1st gen Ryzen processors. At $299 US, this chip is placed directly against the $299 US Core i7-8700 that is also a 65W part. The Ryzen chip features 8 cores and 16 threads while Intel's chip features 6 cores and 12 threads. The Intel chip does feature a higher single core clock rate of 4.6 GHz (+500 MHz) over the Ryzen processor but it cannot overclock and has lower cores, lower cache. In terms of an overall performance preview, the Ryzen 7 2700 takes the crown but if your sole purpose is gaming, then Intel's Core processors are still the best bet but AMD is closing in real fast on that front too.
ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate - The Best Overclocking and Feature Ready AM4 Motherboard
Coming to the motherboards, I am honestly surprised by the revised AM4 motherboard based on the AMD X470 chipset. Especially the ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate which shows that AMD is getting proper treatment for their latest Ryzen processors on the platform end. The ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate is a flagship motherboard and it's damn expensive at $299 US. It's $70 more than the normal X470 Taichi variant and the only addition that you would find over that is a slightly better design and AQUANTIA 10 Gigabit LAN. All other features and specifications are the same on both motherboards aside from the two I just mentioned.
But since I tested this motherboard, I also got an insight on what the X470 Taichi (non-Ultimate) holds for users. It's 16 Phase power delivery is the most stable system and remains consistent in overall stability and overclocking tests. The ASRock X470 Taichi series is built for high-tier memory support and DDR4-3466 is just a fraction of what's possible. Our kit was standard 3400 MHz but I did manage to clock it up to 3600 MHz (CL19) with ease.
The whole feature set for this motherboard such as Realtek ALC1220 audio codec, a ton of USB 3.1 (Gen 1 / Gen 2) ports, dual M.2 ports and one with an M.2 heatsink is all a user would ever want. In terms of storage, you'd find 8 SATA III ports which are good enough for enthusiasts in addition to the PCIe based storage connectivity. The wireless dongle on the motherboard provides good WiFi coverage over a large distance while the AQUANTIA 10G LAN on the Taichi Ultimate makes for a killer combination on this high-end motherboard.
The ASRock X470 Taichi Ultimate is the king of ASRock's X470 chipset lineup and as a king, it does cost a bit more but provides the full feature set that would make any Ryzen chip run stable and OC even better than the other X470 offerings.
ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO (WI-FI) - A $280 Republic of Gamers Flagship For AMD's 2nd Gen Ryzens
ASUS is offering their ROG Crosshair VII HERO (Wi-Fi) as the flagship X470 chipset motherboard at the moment. Just like last years ROG Crosshair VI HERO (Wi-Fi), little has changed to the design and the board feels more like a refresh than a complete overhaul. That said, there is still much to be excited for since the AMD X470 motherboards do support enhanced clocking methodologies that will make Ryzen 2000 series run as intended.
The ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO is a good overclocker, it achieved 4.1 GHz across all cores on the Ryzen 7 2700 (Non-X) with under 1.4V. The performance was consistent and the memory support is a tad bit better than the X470 Taichi Ultimate. In terms of features, the ROG Crosshair VII Hero is just as good with 12 phases of power supply, support for up to 64 GB (DDR4-3466+) memory, 6 SATA III ports, up to 13 USB 3.1 (Gen 1 / Gen 2) ports, dual M.2 slots and triple PCI-e 3.0 x16 expansion slot.
The Audio is delivered by the ASUS SupremeFX and while the LAN is the standard 5G variant, this specific model adds the ASUS WiFI GO! module which includes both WIFI and Bluetooth v4.2 capabilities. You are also paying $50 US more for the added wireless capabilities compared to the non-WiFi model so there's that too.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Crosshair VII HERO (WiFi) keeps the tradition of offering a solid ROG board with a feature rich design for AMD's latest generation of Ryzen processors.
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.
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