ASUS ROG Strix X570-I Gaming motherboard review. System Encapsulation

The compact devices from ASUS for the previous two generations of AMD Ryzen processors were exemplary in performance. The new X570 hub has significantly raised the bar for the required heat dissipation system. The appetites of multi-core processors have also grown – if strengthening the power subsystem for larger boards is not a very serious problem, then with a radically limited free space, this is a real challenge. It will be extremely interesting to check how the team of engineers coped with it. The common basis of ports, implemented by the CPU and X570, is supplemented by a pair of adapters for wired and wireless networks, the sound card is also made as a separate module, where one of the M.2 drives can be placed, for the second there is a place on the back of the product.

There are also two video outputs, thanks to which you can count on the assembly of the system with the participation of the APU. It should be recalled here: products based on the Zen 2 architecture, codenamed Renoir, are just getting ready for publication, but you can already start looking for a motherboard for them. The set of device capabilities for convenience is collected in the table:

The general idea of ​​building products based on the X570 was considered in the course of acquaintance with the ASUS Prime X570-Pro.

Packaging and equipment

A small box contains the upper tray with the board, and the lower compartment is occupied by complete accessories.

The description of the individual parts located at the back is related to the hardware component. There is a photo of the product, a list of its main characteristics.

Inside the box are:

• user manual, which illustrates and describes the UEFI sub-items in detail (in English);
• an additional booklet with information on the need to comply with a number of safety measures when assembling and operating the system;
• short multilingual user manual for PC assembly;
• a set of stickers with various images of the ROG Strix series, including those for cables;
• ROG device owner welcome brochure;
• disk with drivers and proprietary software;
• coupon with a discount for the procedure of braiding wires (rounding);
• extension plate with screw for mounting M.2 type 2242 devices;
• mounting screw and M.2 device stand — two sets;
• four SATA 6Gb / s cables, two of which have an L-shaped connector on one of the ends;
• plug for the body, complete with a black sticker with the symbolic designation of all sockets. The reverse part is pasted over with noise-absorbing material;
• extension cord for connecting a controlled LED strip;
• an adapter for convenient connection of ASUS Q-Connector case connectors;
• extension adapter for case audio cable;
• seven nylon ties;
• remote antenna with the possibility of fixing only one position.

Appearance

Keeping in mind that the device belongs to the ROG Strix gaming series, there is no reason to grieve over the missing buttons and status switches. Instead of the POST code indicator, there is a simplified diagnostic set of Q-LEDs. Practically all cable pads are reasonably placed along the sides of the board.

Reinforcing plate for CPU cooling systems iron. Here, under the processor, I will mark the hole for the thermocouple. We provided an additional heat dissipator in the VRM sector. The screw type of fastening of elements is widely used.

It is difficult to remember such a cunning and complex concept as part of motherboards. The overall weight of the model is impressive, and the height of the structure around the socket perimeter is even a little intimidating. We will gradually understand all this genius of design thought.

The whole idea is due to the presence of a hub from AMD – X570. It is located between the socket and the only PCI-E x16 slot. Next to it are: a ROM chip with a contact terminal reserved for programming, a multicontroller, a specialized TPU chip, which is characteristic of all high-level devices from ASUS. The cooler is mounted using three clamping points. It is based on a heat pipe, which, through a thermal pad, is in direct contact with the crystal.

A fan with an impeller radius of 30 mm is mounted on the radiator. Four wires are used to connect it. Through a pair of pins, it is fixed on an iron plate with suitable dimensions.

Then, with the assistance of a pair of screws and the remaining two holes, it is mounted on a radiator. All this was intended to organize two points of support for the upper element – the hinged board.

It is very similar to those used in previous versions of Mini-ITX devices, but not without improvements. An adapter is intended for the body cable, since the contact pad came out reduced – to simplify the process of assembling the system, but even so, access to it will be difficult behind the entire line of cooling systems. We also added a signal repeater (ReDriver) PI3EQX16000ZHE, probably for the correct implementation of PCI-E 4.0 lines on the M.2 slot. SSD will have a length limit – up to 80 mm inclusive.

After installation, the fan has some space on top to capture air. Then it moves through the fins, heading towards the rear panel and in the opposite direction – along the abundant number of plates that make up the radiator.

Finally, the cooler for the SSD completes the whole picture. Now it is already easy to remove it – just a couple of screws. For contact with the device, a thermal pad of a decent area is prepared.

The pad at the very end of the board is designed to implement the logo illumination built into the cooler.

In addition to the logo, the right side of the board is illuminated, and three gold-plated audio jacks will also glow.

Twelve side-facing LEDs are evenly spaced along the right edge.

At the bottom side, at the back, there is a second drive slot with the same eight-centimeter length limit for the device.

Four SATA ports are implemented with transverse sockets, there are two platforms for USB case cables – 2.0 and 3.2 Gen1. There was no place for a cable for a balanced output (type 3.2 Gen2). A pair of contact pairs are also soldered here: one is for resetting the CMOS, the second is needed to connect the Thermal sensor.

The four multi-colored LEDs form the Q-LED set, they are on the top right.

To power the processor, a reinforced socket was unsoldered: the conductors are monolithic, there is a reinforcing base, although it looks more like a screen.

A stylized overlay on the radiator in the power stabilizer sector acts as a dust filter. The section in the middle allows mechanical “shrinkage”, and the whole point is the location just opposite the socket, there is a possibility of a conflict with the heat pipes of the cooler, such concern of engineers is respected.

Behind the plastic overlay there is a more serious one, it unites the upper (left) and lower sections of the cooling complex into a single solid array. Screw fastening, as elsewhere.

The fan here is attached to the radiator with three screws, obviously, the air intake for it is much simpler, in particular, than for the first one we reviewed. Air flows in the same way – in two different directions. At the back, it will be brought out of the case, thanks to the holes provided in the “plug”, and a part will ooze into the case, somehow reaching the base of the radiator. And speaking of her. The lower part is very close to the socket, while it is located above the chokes (and noticeably), which means that there may well be a conflict with the processor cooler mounting systems.

The radiator does not include a heat pipe, in fact, it is a monolithic heat concentrator, which should help to remove the mounted fan. Not for the first time there were comments on the idea of ​​removing heat from power elements: the platform has a smaller width than transistor assemblies. Therefore, there simply cannot be a special reproach to the thermal pad here. Some of the heat will be transferred to the bottom cooler of impressive size.

We see the “8 + 2 channels” stabilization scheme for CPU Voltage and SOC voltages. All ten assemblies are TDA21472 from Infineon Technologies. The PWM controller is quite popular – ASP1405I and it is definitely not ten-phase, then, most likely, doubling the elements takes place, at least in the power circuits for the processor voltage. It will be interesting to get an answer to this question in the test section, when the quality of stabilization will appear in all its glory, as a result, we will consider the construction of VRM completed with the participation of 4 + 2 “phases”. No external auxiliary elements like doublers are visible, the structure is supplemented by a large group of tantalum capacitors.

The high fashion status of the device is accompanied by an all-encompassing set of ports on the rear panel. Their type and number are quite consistent with the expectations of a modern product, allowing you to lose sight of the limitations that are directly related to its compact size.