Introduction

The wait is finally over. After CES, Computex, and finally E3, it seemed as though the hype for the new AMD Ryzen lineup had overwhelmed the whole industry. Now, it is finally time to see what lies beneath that hype. Was Ryzen 3000 worth the wait and is the new X570 chipset worth the cost?

Unlike Intel, AMD has made a commitment to supporting the AM4 socket over multiple CPU generations. So far, the team in red has held to that promise, and the new Zen 2 processors are widely supported on older-generation motherboards. While this is great for consumers, it also creates more complexity as more choice inevitably must. Do you need a new X570 motherboard? Due to the cost of the new chipset, the new generation of boards are more expensive feature for feature than the last two generations. This is largely due to PCIe 4.0, a costly and complex feature to implement.

In the graphics department, no card on the market has saturated even PCIe 3.0 yet, at least in the x16 configuration. The largest immediate benefit is with high-speed storage. NVMe drives in RAID configurations can and will take advantage of the extra bandwidth to push never before seen sequential read and write speeds. With your average game, even the switch from SATA to NVMe can be hard to notice, let alone to an even faster and more expensive RAID array. This is more relevant for content creation and media production, where high-speed storage can save significant time and therefore money, which is further bolstered by the near-HEDT core counts on the high-end Ryzen 3000 CPUs. Of course, graphics cards will eventually catch up as well, so for the discerning gamer who only upgrades every three to five years, the new standard could prove a good investment.

With the ASUS Prime X570-Pro, ASUS is looking to strike a middle ground of performance and price. While it is no budget board, the ASUS Prime X570-Pro lacks luxuries like WiFi, multiple LAN options, or over the top aesthetics. Instead, the ASUS Prime X570-Pro focuses on what matters most by featuring a 14-phase digital VRM, integrated rear I/O shield, and HDMI 2.0b support. So, has ASUS found a balance between price, performance, and features?

Specifications

Our exhaustive coverage of AMD's 7/7 Launch Day includes the following content:
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 12-core processor | AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8-core processor | AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT graphics card | AMD Radeon RX 5700 graphics card | AMD Zen 2 Memory Performance Scaling | Ryzen 3900X and 3700 on X470 vs X570 platforms | Radeon RX 5700 XT Navi PCI-Express 4.0 Performance Scaling | ASRock X570 Taichi motherboard | ASUS Prime X570-Pro motherboard

Packaging and Contents

The front of the ASUS Prime X570-Pro box features a black background with a shot of the ASUS Prime X570-Pro dominating the left side with a blue pattern flaring out from behind. On the right, "PRIME X570-Pro" takes up the middle, while "ASUS In Search Of Incredible" is in the right corner, with the AURA SYNC logo is just below. The bottom edge of the box has the rest of the brand badging.

The back of the box at least has variations of what I look for: a shot of the board that includes a good view of the rear I/O, a list of standout features, and a specifications list. Overall, the box design is simple and well executed.


Opening the box, the board sits in a cardboard tray, encased in an anti-static bag. The accessories are stored below the tray.


The accessories are pretty standard, minimal even, with just two SATA 6 Gb/s cables. Notably absent is any kind of rear I/O shield because the shield is integrated into the board. I am very happy with how often I have been seeing this feature lately, and props to ASUS for incorporating it into the ASUS Prime X570-Pro.

The full list of accessories includes:

• Manual and support DVD
• 20% off coupon for CableMod cables
• 2x SATA 6 Gb/s cables
• 1x Addressable LED extension cable
• 2x M.2 mounting screws
• Q-Connector

Board Layout

The ASUS Prime X570-Pro features a gloss black PCB with white lines diagonally printed over it. The rear I/O cover is a pristine white, as is the cover over the chipset. The exposed heatsinks for the VRM and the M.2 slot are a nicely finished brushed aluminium. The back of the ASUS Prime X570-Pro is a uniform gloss black.


The CPU socket is open enough to accommodate most coolers, and the VRM heatsink looks quite capable.


There are just two M.2 slots on the ASUS Prime X570-Pro. The first sits just under the CPU socket and is run off CPU PCIe lanes, while the second is between the second and third PCIe 4.0 x16 slots and run off PCH lanes.


The lower M.2 slot has a nicely brushed aluminium heatsink that is cleverly placed to catch direct airflow from the blower-style chipset fan.


The ASUS Prime X570-Pro offers three PCI Express 4.0 x16 slots, the first two of which are encased in metal reinforcement, as well as three PCI Express 4.0 x1 slots. The board has a total of six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and all are angled 90 degrees from the board.


The ASUS Prime X570-Pro has a good rear I/O offering that includes both DisplayPort and HDMI 2.0b ports, as well as an optical S/PDIF out port. The full list includes:

• 1x HDMI 2.0b port
• 1x DisplayPort
• 1x PS/2 keyboard and mouse combo connector
• 4x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A ports
• 3x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A ports
• 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C port
• 1x RJ-45 LAN port
• 1x Optical SPDIF out port
• 5x 3.5 mm audio jacks

Networking on the ASUS Prime X570-Pro is handled by an Intel I211AT.