ASUS Showcases Silo Of AMD Ryzen Motherboards Ready For Battle
In the case of Ryzen, AMD has five AM4 chipsets that will be available to consumers and system builders: A300, A320, B350, X300 and X370. ASUS, always a top choice among enthusiasts, has four motherboards on hand to support Ryzen that use either the top-shelf X370 chipset or the mid-range B350.
The range-topping motherboard is of course the ROG Crosshair VI Hero, which we detailed at great length over the weekend (including an unboxing video). It supports CrossFireX and SLI multi-GPU solutions, DDR4 memory up to 3200MHz via four slots, uses the ASUS SupremeFX S1220 audio subsystem, Aura Sync RGB LED (with two Aura strip headers), Intel GbE, and USB 3.1 Type-C connectivity. Given that this is a high-end board aimed those seeking the ultimate in gaming performance, you won’t find an onboard video solutions — after all, these gamers will likely be adding a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti or one of AMD’s upcoming Vega-based graphics cards.
Stepping slightly down on the totem pole is the Prime X370-Pro, which is still based on the X370 chipset. It features the same multi-GPU options as its big brother and the Intel GbE, but pares memory support back to DDR4-2666 and loses the SupremeFX audio. The Prime X370-Pro also lacks a USB 3.1 Type-C port, and gets a cut-down version of the Aura lighting system. On the other hand, the motherboard does support onboard video.
Moving on down the line, we have the Prime B350M-Plus and the Prime B350M-A, both of which use the B350 chipset. The Prime B350M-Plus adopts CrossFireX, but loses SLI support. It also tosses the Intel GbE out the window in favor of a cheaper Realtek-based solution. The number of SATA-III ports also dwindles from 8 down to 6, and you’ll lose all support for Aura. The Prime B350M-A largely mirrors the specs of the Prime B350M-Plus, but its Micro-ATA form-factor means that no multi-GPU solutions are supported. Both B350-based motherboards come with onboard video.
You can see how each of the motherboards stack up against each other in the chart below:
| ROG Crosshair VI Hero | Prime X370-Pro | Prime B350-Plus | Prime B350M-A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | ATX | ATX | ATX | microATX |
| Chipset | X370 | X370 | B350 | B350 |
| Memory | 4 x DDR4 up to 3200 (OC) | 4 x DDR4-2666 | 4 x DDR4-2666 | 4 x DDR4-2666 |
| Multi-GPU | CrossFireX 2 x SLI |
CrossFireX 2 x SLI |
CrossFireX | NA |
| PCIe | 2 x16 3.0 1 x16 2.0 3 x1 2.0 |
2 x16 3.0 1 x16 2.0 3 x1 2.0 |
1 x16 3.0 1 x16 2.0 2 x1 2.0 |
1 x16 3.0 2 x1 2.0 |
| M.2 | 1 x4/SATA | 1 x4/SATA | 1 x4/SATA | 1 x4/SATA |
| SATA | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Ethernet | Intel | Intel | Realtek | Realtek |
| Audio | SupremeFX S1220 |
S1220A | 887-VD2 | 887-VD2 |
| USB 3.1 | 1 x front 1x Type-C 1 x Type-A |
1 x front 2 x Type-A |
2 x Type-A | 2 x Type-A |
| Display | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Aura | Chipset, 2 x strip | 1 x strip | NA | NA |
All four of the motherboards are set to be released on March 2nd, but you can preorder the ROG Crosshair VI Hero, Prime X370-Pro, Prime B350M-Plus and Prime B350M-A right now from Amazon.
