Building a PC has come a long way since ROG launched its first motherboard in 2006 — let alone when the first ASUS motherboard debuted in 1989. Every time we launch a new series of motherboards, we take advantage of the opportunity to refine the experience so that it’s easier than ever to build a PC. At this point, the process is much more like assembling IKEA furniture or putting together a LEGO set than rocket science. And that’s especially true when you start with one of the latest ASUS AM5 motherboards. Built for AMD’s latest Ryzen 9000 Series processors, these boards feature our latest refinements that streamline your build process.
Designs vary by motherboard model, but here’s an overview of the PCDIY-friendly features debuting with the new AM5 boards.
Easier installation and cable management for AIO CPU liquid coolers with the AIO Q-Connector
For anyone who loves the satisfaction of tidy cable management, traditional AIO CPU liquid cooler designs can pose a bit of a challenge. At the very least, this design requires you to connect a wire to a pump/fan header, and if your AIO cooler has a screen or customizable lighting effects, it’ll require another cable as well.
While it’s certainly not impossible to have a clean build even with those exposed wires, we think there’s an easier way. To eliminate the need for wires hanging off the side of your AIO cooler’s pump housing, we’re debuting our new AIO Q-Connector design. On the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial, ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero, ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi 7 Neo, and ROG Strix X870E-A Gaming WiFi7 Neo, you’ll see a cableless connection point next to the CPU socket. When you install a compatible AIO CPU liquid cooler, it’ll make contact with these pins and get the control signals and power that it needs, all without a wire. (Please note that these motherboards also offer all the headers you need to install standard AIO CPU liquid coolers. The choice is up to you.)
The new AIO Q-Connector design does require a new generation of AIO CPU liquid coolers. Our all-new ROG Strix LC IV lineup have the new AIO Q-Connector — and a streamlined installation process and show-stopping style, too. Click here to learn more.
A refined BIOS UI with expanded ROM capacity
The first time that you load up the UEFI BIOS to optimize a PC can be a little intimidating. To give the next generation of hardware enthusiasts a more frictionless experience with optimizing their PC, we’re deploying a new BIOS UI with our latest ASUS AM5 motherboards.
The new EZ Mode interface adopts familiar, modern design language that’s well-aligned with familiar Windows apps, like GPU Tweak III. It puts easy-to-read monitoring information and commonly used functions front-and-center. EZ Mode is now a one-stop interface for the UEFI functions used by the majority of our users. For easy first-time setup, we’ve also included Essential Mode. On this page, users will be able to view key system information and access the most commonly used overclocking functions, all without digging through menus that often require more expertise. The Advanced Mode remains for when you need more granular control over your system.
Here’s another upgrade that will be appreciated by newcomers and veterans alike: we’re doubling the ROM capacity of the latest ASUS AM5 motherboards from 32MB to 64MB. The extra storage space not only gives us the ability to provide out-of-the-box support for the latest AMD CPUs, but it also allows us to include pre-installed WiFi drivers for a more streamlined experience as you install your operating system. Future BIOS updates might require us to allocate more of this space for CPU support, limiting our ability to store the WiFi driver on-board. But we’ll include the driver as long as space permits.
Easy installation and removal of your graphics card with PCIe Q-Release
Old-school PCIe expansion slots used a little plastic latch to release add-in cards from the slot. These older-style latches worked fine back in their day, but as the heatsinks and backplates of graphics cards have gotten larger and thicker, it’s gotten harder to reach these little latches.
To make it easier to uninstall your graphics card, the latest ASUS AM5 motherboards offer a variety of PCIe Q-Release mechanisms. You’ll find a small variety of mechanisms in the series. The top-shelf ROG X870E Glacial has a large physical switch on the right side of the board that releases the top expansion slot latch when you flip it up and the bottom expansion slot latch when you flip it down. In its middle position, both slots are locked.
The other ASUS AM5 motherboards (the ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero, the Neo series boards from ROG Strix and TUF Gaming, and the ProArt B850-Creator WiFi Neo) all offer conveniently placed mechanical buttons or levers that release the latch for the primary expansion slot. You’ll get a clear, tactile signal that your add-in card is free for removal from the slot.
Beefed-up cooling and convenience for M.2 drives
PCIe 5.0 SSDs offer game-changing performance, but it’s no secret that they require excellent cooling for uncompromised performance and long-term reliability. Since owners of our enthusiast-grade ROG Crosshair X870E motherboards are quite likely to install a premium SSD, we equip these boards for exceptional M.2 cooling with a 3D VC M.2 Heatsink for the primary slot.
The 3D vapor chamber provides a larger heat dissipation area by going vertical. The heatsink is connected to extended heat pipes through a temperature equalization plate to form a vacuum chamber, significantly improving cooling performance. Despite the more complex design, the 3D VC M.2 Heatsink is just as easy to install as our other designs. Just tap the release to quickly remove it, and when you’re ready to reinstall, it’ll pop into place with a strong locking mechanism — no screwdriver necessary.
Easy-to-install cooling for DDR5 modules
For a certain type of power user, one of the most attractive features of our latest AM5 motherboards is their upgraded DDR5 memory performance and compatibility. If you’re looking for a motherboard that goes above and beyond to tame the temperatures of your high-end DDR5 memory kit, look no further than the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial.
To keep the heat produced by high-performance DDR5 memory in check, the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial includes an ROG Memory Q-Fan. This fan snaps into place magnetically, no tiny screws required, and it’s positioned to direct a steady stream of cooling air between your memory modules.
Upgraded add-in card modules for increasing available storage slots with the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial
Inside the box of the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial, you’ll see two expansion cards included among the other niceties and necessities. The ROG Q-DIMM.2 card and ROG Hyper M.2 card give you convenient ways for installing M.2 drives after you’ve populated the onboard slots. The ROG Hyper M.2 Card, which installs into a PCIe x16 slot, includes two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots. The ROG Q-DIMM.2 card installs into a special slot near the DDR5 slots, and it offers two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots.
All these slots get great cooling thanks to dedicated thermal modules that align with the motherboard’s eye-catching aesthetic. New for this generation is an entirely screwless design. You won’t need to fuss with tiny screws to make use of these add-in cards.
An easier setup and monitoring experience with MLO
Multi-Link Operation (MLO) is one of the major draws of WiFi 7, as it allows devices and routers to connect simultaneously via multiple bands for exceptional performance or reliability. To help you get the most out of this feature, we’re rolling out MLO Wizard. This new feature in Armoury Crate identifies whether your system supports MLO, diagnoses any limitations that might prevent you from using MLO, and displays the current connection speed on any active bands.
Easy installation for M.2 drives and heatsinks
On all of our latest AM5 motherboards, you’ll find a thick M.2 heatsink atop the primary M.2 slot. For convenience, we offer tool-free installation for both your drive and its heatsink in this slot — no tiny screws necessary.
The other M.2 slots on these motherboards are getting some love, too. For this series, we’re expanding the number of slots that feature M.2 Q-Latch tool-free drive installation and M.2 Q-Slide. Together, these features make it easy to install drives of varying lengths without the need for a screwdriver.
More options with USB Fast-Charge
Lots of people use the USB ports on their PC to recharge other devices. Standard USB ports do just fine for topping off the battery of your wireless headset, keyboard, and mouse, but they don’t offer enough wattage to quickly charge up your smartphone.
To make sure that your PC is a convenient charging station for your smartphone, you’ll find many options in the latest ASUS AM5 motherboard lineup that give you access to USB Type-C port fast-charging support. The ROG Glacial X870E Glacial and ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero lead the pack with the ability to provide 60W Quick Charge 4+ through a front-panel USB Type-C port. The ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi7 Neo and ROG Strix X870E-A Gaming WiFi7 Neo have a USB Type-C port on the rear panel with support for 30W USB Power Delivery 3.0. The TUF Gaming X870-Pro WiFi W Neo and ProArt B850-Creator WiFi Neo allow you to set up such a port on the front panel of your chassis.
Learn more about ASUS AM5 motherboards
An easy PC building experience is just one of the many upgrades that we’re offering through the latest ASUS AM5 motherboards. We’re debuting a new cable-free technology for hooking up an AIO CPU liquid cooler, big changes to the UEFI BIOS, bold new visual designs, better compatibility with high-performance DDR5 memory kits, and much more. Click here to learn more about the entire series.