ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII APEX

Performance on the Apex was right around most other boards, particularly those with a bit more freedom from the Intel specification. Gaming performance was on par or better than most boards, and the other data sets showed similar results. As far as overclocking, we had zero issues pushing our Intel Core i9-10900K CPU to 5.2 GHz. RAM overclocking was painless, easily handling our DDR4 4000 kit. However, the board set the System Agent (VccSA) and IO (VccIO) voltage higher than most.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware

Zen 3 B450 Support Arrives for BIOSTAR, ASRock and ASUS

AMD has officially stated that Ryzen 5000 support for the 400 series chipset will be coming in 2021, but that doesn’t appear to be the case anymore. Three companies have shared (so far) that they will support AMD’s new Ryzen 5000 series CPUs before 2021, BIOSTAR, ASRock, and ASUS. With Asrock already having beta BIOS’s ready for the shiny new CPUs.

To ensure compatibility, you’ll need a BIOS for your specific B450 motherboard that supports AGESA 1.0.8.1 at the very minimum. This AGESA code enables Ryzen 5000 Renoir compatibility. In order to get the full performance out of your Ryzen 5000 CPU you’ll need to make sure your B450 motherboard has a BIOS supporting AGESA 1.1.0.0 or greater.

Read more @ Tom’s Hardware

ASUS ROG STRIX Z490-I GAMING

A rare review of something compact does not begin with words about the difficulties of pushing top straps and equipment into a compact format and the use of non-standard engineering solutions for this. This is doubly relevant when we are talking not about a slightly truncated mini-ATX motherboard, where, in general, even without liters of sweats from engineers, everything climbs so well, but about choosing a real hardcore player!

Read more @ OC Club (Russian)

ASUS ROG STRIX B550-I GAMING

Starting at the top, the B550i Gaming currently supports Ryzen 3000 series, but ASUS does have plans to support Zen 3 with an upcoming BIOS update. As noted above, this motherboard is on the B550 chipset platform and, as such, supports DDR4 memory – 2133 JEDEC as a minimum with 5100+ speeds capable with overclocking.

Read more @ TweakTown

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII EXTREME

The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS XII EXTREME is the latest iteration of the Maximus line which began about 10 years ago as one of the earliest entries into the ROG family. This one utilizes Intel’s Z490 Express chipset and supports it’s LGA 1200 socket processors and Intel’s 10th Gen Comet Lake CPUs. This is not what you would call a value solution. The Maximus XII Extreme costs of $742.99 on Amazon at the time of this writing.

Read more @ The FPS Review

ASUS ROG CROSSHAIR VIII DARK HERO

The ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero is an update to last year’s award winning ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Hero. The ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero has been equipped with the same accouterments as last year’s Hero, with a few upgrades. The M.2 heatsinks on both slots, a premium lighting solution, integrated rear I/O shield, and great ASUS BIOS have not changed. But the VRM Power Stages have been upgraded to 90 A from 60 A, and most importantly, ASUS has done away with the chipset fan. 

Read more @ TechPowerUp

ASUS TUF GAMING Z490-PLUS (WI-FI)

The TUF Gaming Z490-PLUS model (WI-FI) is a motherboard in ATX format that allows thanks to its 12 + 2 phase Dr. MOS power circuit to guarantee stability and overclocking capability to Intel K series processors such as the our i7-10700K without any problem. The card has a full TUF style design and has all the main features on board to be able to assemble a system for Gaming, Overclocking or connectivity thanks to the AX201 Wi-Fi 6 module.

Read more @ Xtreme Hardware (Italian)

NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Review Roundup

With the launch yesterday of NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 3070 Founder’s Edition, today opens the flood gates on reviews of RTX 3070 graphics cards from all of the major manufactures. Priced at $499, the RTX 3070 rockets ahead of far more expensive RTX 2xxx offerings. Here is a collection of RTX 3070 partner card reviews for today:

Zotac GeForce RTX 3070 Twin Edge OC @ TechPowerUp

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming OC @ TechPowerUp

ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 TUF Gaming OC @ TechPowerUp
ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 TUF Gaming OC @ PC Gamer
ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 TUF Gaming OC @ Guru3D

EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 FTW3 Ultra @ TechPowerUp

MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X TRIO @ IGN
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X TRIO @ Guru3D
MSI GeForce RTX 3070 Gaming X TRIO @ TechPowerUp