As we’re on the cusp of AMD’s Zen 3 event, ASUS has dropped two new motherboards today, the ROG STRIX B550-XE GAMING and ROG CROSSHAIR VIII DARK HERO. These boards are based off of the X570 and B550 chipsets, obviously supporting the new Zen 3 chips launching today.
The ROG CROSSHAIR VII DARK HERO Features:
- AMD AM4 socket: Ready for 2nd, 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processors and 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processors with Radeon™ Graphics Processors and up to two M.2 drives, USB 3.2 Gen2, and AMD StoreMI to maximize connectivity and speed.
- Comprehensive thermal design: Passive chipset heatsink, M.2 aluminum heatsink and ROG Cooling Zone.
- Robust power delivery: Designed power solution 14+2 TI power stages rated for 90A, ProCool II power connectors, microfine alloy chokes and 10K Japanese-made black metallic capacitors
- High-performance networking: On-board Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with MU-MIMO support, 2.5 Gbps Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet, both with ASUS LANGuard protection, and support for GameFirst VI software.
- 5-Way Optimization: Automated system-wide tuning, providing overclocking and cooling profiles that are tailor made for your rig.
- DIY Friendly Design: Pre-mounted I/O shield, ASUS SafeSlot, BIOS FlashBack™ and premium components for maximum endurance.
- Unmatched personalization: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including RGB headers and addressable Gen 2 RGB headers
- Industry-leading ROG audio: ROG SupremeFX S1220 is combined with the venerable ESS® ES9023P to deliver high-fidelity audio to headsets and exotic cans.
The ROG STRIX B550-XE GAMING Features:
- AM4 socket: Ready for 3rd Gen AMD Ryzen™ processors
- Best gaming connectivity: PCIe® 4.0-ready, six M.2 slots (four on the bundled ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 Gen 4 Card), USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C® plus HDMI™ 2.1 and DisplayPort™ 1.2 output
- Robust power solution: 14+2 power stages with ProCool power connector, high-quality alloy chokes and durable capacitors
- Comprehensive cooling: Actively cooled VRM heatsinks with L-shaped heatpipe and integrated aluminum I/O cover, plus dedicated M.2 heatsinks
- Superfast networking: Onboard WiFi 6 (802.11ax) and Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
- Intuitive software: Easy-to-use UEFI BIOS and ASUS AI Networking make it easy to configure gaming builds
- DIY-friendly design: Includes pre-mounted I/O shield, BIOS FlashBack™, Q-Code and FlexKey
- Unmatched personalization: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including Aura RGB headers and addressable Gen 2 RGB headers
- Industry-leading Gaming Audio: Audio USB Type-C®, AI Noise-Canceling Microphone, SupremeFX S1220A codec, DTS® Sound Unbound™ and Sonic Studio III for immersive audio