Component Analysis

Being X870 rather than full-fat X870E sees a reduction in the number of PCIe lanes available and only one compromise-free PCIe Gen 5 M.2 port as a result, and this is partly due to there only being a single chipset on the board, rather than two as we saw with the Crosshair X870E Hero. This does at least mean a need for less aluminium for cooling, with just a small slab here dealing with the single chipset.


ASUS uses an ASMedia ASM4242 controller to power its two USB4 ports on the rear I/O panel and this has its own massive heatsink that nestles in amongst the VRM heatsink and ports. Also underneath this but not cooled buy it, is an ASM2074 USB 3.2 controller.


The MediaTek MT7925B22M Wi-Fi 7 module is very well-cooled with a thin metal shroud and is thermally attached on both sides by thermal pads. While it also has ASUS' Q-Antenna connectors, it would still be possible to remove the Wi-Fi module and use something else. If you do, the integrated I/O shield is held in place by latches at either end that allow you to move it out the way to get at the Wi-Fi module.


ASUS likes making a song and dance about its SupremeFX audio, but in reality it's based on Realtek codecs, in this case ALC4080, which is hidden underneath a soldered-down metal cap. The 4000-series Realtek options are essentially the same as older premium on-board audio from Realtek, except they use the USB interface as opposed to a direct bus connection to the chipset. Specifications are otherwise similar if not identical.