ASRock X870 Livemixer WIFI Motherboard Review – Mixing All The Necessary Features With Good Pricing

ASRock X870 Livemixer WIFI - Unboxing & Close Up Inspection

The ASRock X870 LiveMixer WIFI motherboard comes in a standard cardboard package. The front features a large picture of the motherboard along with a purple and black color scheme. The box also lists a few features, such as WIFI7, HDMI, and Polychrome Sync RGB.

The backside of the package lists the specifications and special features of the motherboard, such as the 16+2+1 SPS power system, Ultra USB Power & Lightning Gaming ports, Dual Blazing M.2 ports (Gen5), Dual USB4 Type-C, WIFI7, 5G LAN & Toolless Multi-Layer M.2 heatsink.

Inside the package is another box that contains the accessories and is located right below the box holder for the board itself. You get:

• 2 x SATA Data Cables
• 2 x ASRock WiFi 2.4/5/6 GHz Antenna
• 1 x Thermistor Cables

With all the accessories done, it's time to put that box aside and take the motherboard out of its package.

The ASRock X870 LiveMixer WIFI motherboard is an ATX offering that measures 244 x 305 mm. The motherboard carries a black color scheme with silver colored heatsinks and face plates that adopt a reflective touch.

ASRock's X870 LiveMixer WIFI is part of the relatively new LiveMixer lineup. Previous iterations have featured a very colorful PCB and board layout, but this time, ASRock has gone with more natural colors. We saw the same design on the Z890 variation of the Livemixer, too.

The board uses the LGA 1718 socket to support AMD Ryzen "AM5" processors. The socket works with Ryzen 7000, Ryzen 8000G, and Ryzen 9000 CPUs and will also support future generations of AM5 Ryzen chips that are supported by the platform.

Next to the socket are four DDR5 DIMM slots that can support up to 256 GB of dual-channel (24/48/64 GB modules) memory.

These slots are rated to support EXPO/XMP profiles up to 8000 MT/s (OC Plus). Each slot is labeled, making it easier to install DIMMs in the proper orientation. DDR5 memory comes with a different latch position, so forcing a DDR4 module into a DDR5 slot will cause permanent damage. Each slot is also combined with a reinforced design to make sure signal integrity remains good while keeping the slots durable for long-term usage. The full QVL list can be found here.

The ASRock X870 Livemixer WIFI motherboard features a 16+2+1 (VCore/ VccGT/VccAUX)  phase SPS VRM power delivery that utilizes the MPS2434 "MP2857" PWM controller, and MPS2425 "MP8765" 80A stages for the VCore. All capacitors are labeled with 20K "270C E31" ratings.

The VRMs and power delivery solution are scattered around the AM5 socket. The board uses an 8-layer server-grade PCB with 2oz thickened copper in a low-loss design, retaining signal integrity for stable CPU and memory operations.

The VRMs receive ample cooling from a large aluminum heatsink solution, which covers the VRMs.

The CPU is supplied power through an 8+8-pin power connector configuration. This will feed the CPU with up to 600 Watts of power. The AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs are very power-hungry, with the maximum target power going above 220W for the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X CPU.

Coming to the cooling solution, we first have the Aluminum VRM heatsink, which makes use of two aluminum blocks with a series of fins that are stacked together.

Underneath the VRM heatsink are 7W/mK Thermal pads, which transfer heat from the VRMs to the heatsink.

Expansion slots include two PCI Express x16 (1 x Gen 5.0 x16 & 1 x Gen 4.0 x4) and five M.2 slots.

CPU:

• 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot (PCIE1), supports x16 mode

Chipset:

• 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 Slots (PCIE2 and PCIE3), support x4 mode
• 1 x M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 WiFi/BT PCIe WiFi module
• 15μ Gold Contact in VGA PCIe Slot (PCIE1)

The motherboard utilizes a full metallic slot for the first Gen5 x16 connector.

The motherboard also has a vast array of M.2 slots, three of which are featured under dedicated M.2 XXL M.2 heatsinks. The primary M.2 slot features Gen5 connectivity with dual-sided thermal pads and an EZ release mechanism.

The other slots are situated under two separate heatsinks, which also act as a cover plate for the board. They feature a silver finish and extend from the PCH heatsink.

The rest of the M.2 SSD slots are featured under two larger cover plates, which feature a screw design. All five M.2 slots have thermal pads underneath them, while the first Blazing Gen5 slot has dual-sided heat pads.

Following is the full list of M.2 ports and their details on the ASRock X870 Livemixer WIFI motherboard:

CPU:

• 1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_1, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Blazing M.2 Socket (M2_2, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen5x4 (128 Gb/s) mode\

Chipset:

• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_3, Key M), supports type 2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 1 x Hyper M.2 Socket (M2_4, Key M), supports type 2230/2242/2260/2280 PCIe Gen4x4 (64 Gb/s) mode
• 2 x SATA3 6.0 Gb/s Connectors

The X870 PCH is housed beneath a large heatsink with a stylish Livemixer accent plate that features a reflective surface. The cover plates have audio synth waves etched on them as a theme.

The motherboard features just one RGB accent zone, which is below the larger M.2 Armor heatsinks with several LEDs scattered in a horizontal position. These can be turned off or customized using ASRock's Polychrome Sync software.

These can be turned off or customized using ASRock's Polychrome Sync software.

Storage options include two SATA III ports rated to operate at 6 GB/s. These can support 2 different storage devices at once. There are also 5 USB 3.2 front panel connectors (4x Gen1 Type-A & 1x Gen2x2 Type-C). 2 USB 2.0 (four ports) front panel connectors are also included.

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ASRock uses a 7.1 CH HD audio design with the latest Realtek ALC4082 CODEC, providing up to 130 dB SNR.

• 1 x SPI TPM Header
• 1 x Thermistor Cable Header
• 1 x Power LED and Speaker Header
• 1 x RGB LED Header
• 3 x Addressable LED Headers
• 2 x CPU Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 3 x Chassis Fan Connectors (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 1 x AIO Pump Fan Connector (4-pin) (Smart Fan Speed Control)
• 1 x 24-pin ATX Power Connector (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 2 x 8-pin 12V Power Connectors (Hi-Density Power Connector)
• 1 x Front Panel Audio Connector
• 2 x USB 2.0 Headers (Support 4 USB 2.0 ports)
• 2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Headers (Support 4 USB 3.2 Gen1 ports)
• 1 x Front Panel Type C USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Header (20 Gb/s)

ASRock is using the latest WIFI 7 Module (802.11be 2x2) to power wireless connectivity with a 160 MHz channel bandwidth and Bluetooth 5.4. In terms of Ethernet, there is a single 5GbE LAN port powered by the "RTL8126" controller.

The motherboard comes with the following I/O connectors:

• 2 x Antenna Ports
• 1 x HDMI Port
• 1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
• 2 x USB4 Type-C Ports (40 Gb/s)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-C Port
• 7 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A Ports (USB32_34 are Lightning Gaming Ports. USB32_56 support Ultra USB Power)
• 6 x USB 2.0 Ports
• 1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
• 1 x BIOS Flashback Button
• 1 x Line Out Jack (Gold Audio Jack)
• 1 x Microphone Input Jack (Gold Audio Jack)

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