After having tested the little bomb that is the ROG Crosshair X670E Gene with its micro-ATX format, we change dimension to move to E-ATX with the ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme. This “Extreme” version combines for the X670E chipset, all that is best, whether in terms of connectivity, BIOS but also overclocking! If you are looking for the ultimate Asus board with the X670E chipset, this could be it. This new motherboard features the new AM5 socket, DDR5 support and depending on the chipset PCIe Gen5 and/or SSD Gen5.
Don’t forget that we posted yesterday this Monday dedicated to the performance of the Ryzen 9 7950X, Ryzen 9 7900X, Ryzen 7 7700X and Ryzen 5 7600X. A special thanks to Asus for giving us the opportunity to offer you this test of the ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme. [nextpage title=”ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme: “]
Architecture:
This ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme is built around the new X670E chipset. At the moment, we know that AMD is planning to launch several “new” chipsets in the coming weeks.
In addition to this X670E chipset, we will also see X670, B650E and B650 motherboards land, and by the end of October all four of these chipsets should be available to the general public. Here is a table that highlights the differences between these four chipsets. The B650E chipset could also be very interesting to build a configuration with a Ryzen 7000.
Bundle:
A little tour through the bundle of this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme to see if it benefits from “special accessories”. And the least we can say is that there is a lot to present you with a very complete bundle!
But some goodies stand out with the presence of a ROG keychain, a support for GPU and the “ROG True Voltician”. This is an oscilloscope in USB format and is in the suite of the V-Latch always integrated on the PCB of the motherboard. The mini-USB port that it has allows it to manage the software on a separate PC.
This is a module that we have already found in the bundle of Z690 APEX and Extreme. It seems that this module is now present on the versions of high-end motherboards from Asus. We then find a series of accessories always very useful as a ROG FAN controller, the new support SSD M.2 second generation and a ROG Clavis DAC. This is actually a USB-C to 3.5mm jack sound card. It provides the possibility to enjoy enhanced sound for a studio quality audio rendering. In addition, it features ASUS AI noise cancellation technology that enhances your headset microphone by eliminating background noise.
Asus also provides a PCIe card that has a slot for a hard drive in M.2 SSD format and PCIe 5.0 compatible. The interest is that when these drives are available, you can add one to your configuration via this card. Currently no SSDs are available in this standard but they should be available soon.
A new socket, hello socket AM5:
After the Z690 chipset and the LGA-1700 socket, it’s AMD’s turn to make its revolution. Goodbye socket AM4, hello socket AM5. It’s time to forget the PGA socket (Pin Grid Array) in which you used to put your processor in order to welcome the LGA socket (Land Grid Array). This socket will look like those already present for years on Intel motherboards. Why this change? Simply because of the larger number of pins on the Ryzen 7000 (1718).
AMD decided, with the AM5 socket, to keep a back plate already present for the AM4 socket. The 4 external holes that hold the retention system to fix your cooling system are still present. The distance between these 4 holes is identical to the AM4 socket, so you can still use your cooling system.
But AMD goes further and adds 4 more holes. These will be used to hold the AM5 socket in place but also to hold the backplate in place. This one should not be removed anymore like on the previous generation. Finally, the locking mechanism changes. We find the reinforcement frame, the force frame and the latch. Once your Ryzen 7000 is placed in the right position, you just have to close the latch to keep it in place.
Small remark following my tests, where I have several times removed and put back these new Ryzen 7000, know that the grip is far from being obvious with the particular shape of the IHS. There is a risk of accidents if you are not careful with the processor which could slip out of your hands and damage the socket pins. So be careful!
The different heat sinks :
The dimensions of the board are 305 mm x 277 mm, which corresponds to the E-ATX format. The dominant colors on the PCB are black and gray. This is a choice made by Asus to keep the color neutral in order to fit in any kind of installation. The design is partly based on the previous generation with a card that has an “armor”. And the least we can say is that it is heavy with its 3.080 kg! The PCB cooling should follow.
Let’s start the tour with the radiators, of which there are three! First of all, the two radiators located on the top of the motherboard and which cover the power supply stage. These two radiators are connected together by a heat pipe. The plastic cover, which covers part of the radiator and the external connectors, has a Matrix RGB backlighting which we will talk about below. We have here a completely passive system.
Finally, the third one that covers the chipset. It is not really a radiator since it is the location of part of the RGB backlight. The height is low in order to allow easy placement of the graphics cards. As I said, there is a part of the ROG logo that has been pixelated and provided with an RGB backlight.
Just below is a large part of the tools for overclocking inserted on the PCB and which we will return to on the next page.
DDR5 support:
This new X670E chipset also brings DDR5 support. Our Crosshair X670E Extreme has four memory slots. The specifications in the Asus manual state that it is compatible with up to 6400 MT/s (OC). We should have no problems with our GSKill Trident Z5 NEO 6000 MT/s CL30 kit.
AMD, in collaboration with the manufacturers of memory modules, now offers kits with “EXPO” technology. This is an alternative to the XMP profile (A-XMP at AMD). As a reminder, XMP allows, via the BIOS, to automatically activate the characteristics of your memory kit: the frequency, the timings as well as the voltage. The AMD EXPO technology will also allow you to overclock DDR5 in a single click in combination with the Ryzen 7000.
Four M.2 SSD slots and PCIe 5.0:
A black aluminum plate with a cutout that perfectly matches the one on the chipset covers two M.2 SSD slots, both 2242/2260/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4.
But that’s not all, because as on the previous generation, in order to save space, Asus has resorted to a second generation GEN-Z slot. This is the second time we meet this new generation on a ROG motherboard since the ROG Crosshair X670 Gene is also equipped with it.
This rack can accommodate two SSDs of type M2 2242/2260/2280/22110 but which are different. The GEN-Z.2_1 slot is wired for PCIe 5.0 x4 while the other GEN-Z.2_2 slot is wired for PCIe 4.0 x4. The heatsink that dissipates the heat from these storage drives is also changing and now uses a heat pipe with a heatsink on top to dissipate the heat.
The motherboard has two PCIe 5.0 16x (x8/x8) ports as well as a PCI Express PCIe 4.0 port running in x4. As on the high-end Asus Z690 motherboards, there is a button called Q-Release. When a card is plugged into the first PCIe slot, pressing this button opens the retention system and releases your graphics card. This was a concern we had with the previous generation when a heatsink was too close to the first PCIe slot.
An OLED display but also the AniMe Matrix display:
The most attentive among you will have noticed the presence of the OLED screen. It is located in the middle and just below the socket of the motherboard. It can be set via the Asus software but displays by default the motherboard boot sequence.
And that’s not all! On the top of the heatsink positioned on the top of the motherboard, there is an “Anime Matrix” screen that has no less than 222 LEDs. It can be configured to play custom animations, pictures, animations and audio visualization. It can also display the system time and date. [nextpage title=”The PCB and connectors: “]
The clocker tools:
Why this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme is certainly going to be an excellent card for overclocking? First of all, because it has many tools inserted directly on its PCB that will make your life much easier.
- The power button: allows the powering of the motherboard.
- FlexKey button : by default it allows to reboot the motherboard in case of failure, but you can give it another function via the BIOS.
- Safe Boot: allows to restart the board even if the parameters chosen in the bios do not allow the boot. This avoids having to do a CMOS Clear and thus losing your settings.
- ReTry Button : during cold tests, sometimes the OS freezes and a reset doesn’t allow to restart the motherboard : only solution 6, 7 seconds by keeping the START button pressed. With the ReTry button, it restarts immediately.
- CLR CMOS : allows to erase the BIOS parameters during a boot failure.
- The Q-Code LED: allows to identify the component responsible for the error during the boot, but also to display the temperature of the CPU and the voltages.
- Status LED : which according to their color allows you to identify a problem or to know at what level the voltage of the component is.
- ProbeIT: via the cables included in the bundle, you can easily read the different voltages with a multimeter
- Slow mode : allows you to boot with a 16x coefficient and once in the OS to put back the one chosen in the bios. In cold mode, if you want to reach 6GHz in 60x100MHz, by activating the Slow Mode, you boot in 16×100 and in the OS, hop back to 60×100. It’s mostly for max screens.
- RSVD: when activated in cold conditions (-120°C), it avoids cold boot bugs.
- LN2 Mode jumper : allows to activate LN2 profiles in the bios.
- Alteration Mode : allows to switch the PCIe signal from the CPU between Gen4 or Gen3 for the PCIe slot.
- V_Latch: in relation with the “ROG True Voltician” oscilloscope present in the bundle. Once activated, it will record the minimum and maximum voltage of the vcore.
- BCLK+ and BCLK-: to increase the frequency of the BCLK in steps of either 0.1 MHz or 1 MHz.
If you have the opportunity to acquire a multimeter, it is an essential tool to accurately measure the voltage of your processor. Personally, I can’t do without it anymore and it also allows me to see the impact of the ” LoadLine calibration ” which I will talk about during our overclocking tests. With this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme, it’s easy to take readings thanks to the voltage measurement points on the PCB.
The PCB of this ROG Crosshair X670 Extreme:
Our ROG Crosshair X670 Extreme is based on a 20 + 2 + 2 phase power supply. The part in charge of the CPU consists of 16 phases and on this model, no doubler, but beware the phases are placed in parallel: they are really 8. The controller is here a Digi+ ASP2205 chip.
The 20 mosfets are all 110A Vishay SIC850. The mosfets in the power stages generate the most heat because they are responsible for the voltage conversion and delivery to the CPU from the 12 volt EPS connector.
Ultra complete connectivity:
As far as the connectors of our Crosshair X670E Extreme are concerned, it is of course very complete. First of all, the Clear CMOS and the button to flash the bios from a USB key.
Then we find two USB4 Type-C ports, nine USB 3.2 Gen2 (8 Type-A and 1 Type-C), a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (Type-C), the tips for the Wi-Fi antennas, an Ethernet 2.5Gb port and a 10Gb, an optical S/PDIF Out and the various audio outputs. Now that we have taken a look at the AORUS X670E Master and its PCB, let’s go to the BIOS to see what settings are available and what’s new. [nextpage title=”The BIOS: “] As far as the BIOS is concerned, at first glance, we can recognize that we are at Asus. Those who are used to the brand will find it without any difficulty. As a reminder, the tab that will interest us the most is “Extreme Tweaker”. We are on a BIOS almost identical to that of the ROG Crosshair X670E Gene.
Before starting, we remind you that it is essential to regularly update your BIOS. The advantage of a ROG card is that the team of engineers and overclockers behind it is very active. To illustrate, during the week of testing this Gene, I received no less than five different BIOS. Optimizations and fixes are made very quickly. The bios were captured with the EXPO profile enabled on our GSKill Trident Z5 NEO 6000 MT/s CL30 kit.
The ” Loadline calibration ” is in auto mode for the comparative tests but we will come back to its function when overclocking the Ryzen 9 7950X on page 6. The other sections are present since the previous generations and allow you to flash your motherboard, control the fan speed and create test profiles.
Note the arrival of a very interesting option, eCLK mode, which allows to desynchronize the CPU frequency of the PCIe. It will now be possible to push the frequency of your processor via the BCLK.
Also new for an AMD motherboard, the BIOS now indicates a SP for your processor, but also for each core and for the CCDs. The SP is an indication that gives an idea of the overclocking potential of your processor. The higher the value, the better it should perform, for example by requiring less voltage to run. Our Ryzen 9 7950X is rated at SP 118.
We will see in the ” overclocking ” section, the essential voltages for the CPU as well as for boosting the DDR5 memory. Finally, saving profiles is highly recommended when performing tests. It saves time. You can also save them on a USB stick.
We find a LN2 mode, which must be activated via a jumper placed on the PCB. Be careful, this one is really dedicated to cold tests, so don’t activate it for air/water tests because some safety devices will be automatically disabled. Once this one is activated, there is a LN2 CPU profile.
Once we have finished our tour of the Z690 motherboards in the lab, we will be sure to test our CPUs under liquid nitrogen. Don’t hesitate to ask for advice on our forum and discord if you have any problems with your BIOS settings. [nextpage title=”The test configuration: “] Here is the configuration that will be used for the test of this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme. For the publication of these tests, I used the latest BIOS received although new versions will certainly be available in the coming days due to the reactivity of Asus. We will also propose in the coming weeks several overclocking guides for your processor but also for your memory kit.
- Motherboard: ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme (BIOS 0609)
- Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 7950X
- Memory : 32 GB GSKill Trident Z5 NEO 6000 MT/s CL30
- Graphics Card: MSI GT710
- Cooling system: Optimus waterblock + 480 mm EK radiator
- SSD : WD SN850 500GB PCIe 4.0
- Power supply : Super Flower Platinum 1600 watts
- Operating system : Windows 11 64 bits
A note that is important! We are going to talk about it because we had this problem on several X670E motherboards. Impossible for the first boot of the motherboard to arrive in the BIOS with 2 memory sticks. We had to boot the first time with only one stick otherwise impossible to access the BIOS. After this first boot, no more problem in dual channel.
A small visit on CPU-Z to make sure that everything is in order before starting our tests. The frequency and voltage are not fixed but evolve continuously. We will see in the following tests if they are well respected. 
Let’s go for the overclocking of this Ryzen 9 7950X and our GSKill Trident Z5 NEO 6000 MT/s CL30 memory kit (EXPO) on this ROG Crosshair X670E Gene.
Frequencies respected ?
An important point to check is that the frequencies are well respected with the processor we use. If this is not the case, it could mean a problematic BIOS, because the frequencies of your processor must be reached. It could also be due to your cooling system if it is not efficient enough. The processor reaching too high temperatures will be limited and therefore reduce its frequencies.
Let’s see what happens with our Ryzen 9 7950X under Cinebench R23 in single core and multi core. According to AMD, our 7950X should reach a frequency of 5.7 GHz on a single core.
Good news because during the Cinebench R23 benchmark on a single core, we can see our frequency reach 5825 MHz on core#1. Once all the cores are requested, the first 8 cores of CCD0 reach 5325 MHz and the other 8 cores of CCD1 reach 5100 MHz. Our processor is thus perfectly operational to attack our tests with a CCD0 more powerful than the CCD1. [nextpage title=”Memory overclocking: “] Once again, we will start our tests with the memory. The idea is to be able to use the best profile in combination with the processor overclocking.
Well, let’s start with a theoretical reminder since there are changes with the arrival of the ZEN 4 architecture as far as memory is concerned. While for the Ryzen 5000, the standard was to keep a 1:1:1 ratio between mclk:uclk:fclk, this will change with the Ryzen 7000. Indeed, they adopt the DDR5 memory. This one sees its frequency increasing, which implies changes in these ratios. AMD now recommends for AM5 motherboards in DDR5 a 1:1 ratio for the mclk:uclk and to finally leave the fclk in AUTO which will automatically set it to 2000 MHz. Theoretically, this is how it will behave:
- DDR5-4800 will give with the new ratios 2400:2400:2000 MHz (mclk:uclk:fclk)
- DDR5-5200 will give with the new ratios 2600:2600:2000 MHz (mclk:uclk:fclk)
- DDR5-6000 will give with the new ratios 3000:3000:2000 MHz (mclk:uclk:fclk)
Well, it may seem a bit complicated like that, but we’ll explain it all to you. First of all, don’t panic, if you activate your XMP or EXPO profile in the BIOS, everything will be set up automatically. The explanations we give you here are for those who want to overclock their memory kit.
fclk, mclk, uclk, a little reminder:
The fclk is the frequency of theInfiny Fabric which can be, since the previous generation, controlled independently via the BIOS parameters. By default, this value is set to AUTO mode and it is the motherboard that will manage its frequency to ensure the stability of the system. Its maximum frequency is around 2100/2200 MHz but it also depends on the quality of your processor, but that’s the lottery that will decide. The mclk also sometimes called “memclk” is the frequency of your memory kit and the uclk is the frequency of the memory controller.
You should also know that if you exceed the frequency of 6000 MT/s with your memory kit, automatically the frequency of the memory controller (uclk) will switch to a ratio of 1:2 always in order to ensure system stability. AMD indicates that the best performing frequency and ratios are 3000:3000:2000 (mclk:uclk:fclk).
Memory overclocking via BIOS profiles:
This ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme has several memory profiles within the BIOS depending on the type of chips in your memory kit. Here we know that on our GSKill kit, these are Hynix chips. These are the same profiles that were available in the BIOS of the Crosshair X670E Gene. The two BIOS are almost carbon copies.
So there are two profiles that we can test. The first one goes through very easily and the second one needs, with our memory kit, a little more voltage than what is expected. We had to increase the VDDQ voltage from 1.45 v to 1.5 v. Here are the benchmarks of these two profiles under Geekbench 3.4.4.
And finally, above, the table of the performance gain obtained with these two profiles available in the BIOS.
As you can see, in the end, the two profiles offer almost the same performance. As you know, it is the memory overclocking that is the most delicate and we will see in the next few weeks how to improve on this point. [nextpage title=”CPU overclocking: “] Now that we have our memory profile at 6400 MT/s CL30, let’s move on to the CPU overclocking. So, considering the temperatures obtained at the original frequency under Cinebench R23, 84°C, while we are under a custom watercooling, the overclocking margin may be quite limited. At the same time, this is good news since our Ryzen 9 7950X will offer excellent performance from the start. Currently, to overclock our processor, we must either do it directly via the BIOS or via the AMD Ryzen Master software. It is this last solution that we have chosen for these first tests. A small remark before starting, by default our ROG Crosshair X670E Gene offers less voltage to the 7950X (1.21v) which allows us to have lower temperatures, 84°C against 91°C on the X670E Master (1.36v) on a benchmark of Cinebench R23 in multi.
Protocol:
Before starting, it is necessary to have one or more reference scores with your processors at stock frequencies, that is to say, without having made any modification other than having activated the XMP/EXPO profile. It is also very important to have a sheet of paper at hand that will allow you to note down all the tests that you will perform as well as the results or failures. Personally, I have hundreds of sheets of my tests on which I sometimes return to know how the processor behaved on such motherboard or in such test conditions. My own little bible. For H24 overclocking, it will of course be necessary to take more time to fine-tune the voltage in order to provide it with the minimum necessary but also to adjust each core independently if you want to take advantage of the maximum performance.
Load-Line Calibration:
The idea of modifying the Load Line Calibration is that the voltage chosen should be as close as possible to the load voltage. Asus offers several levels of “calibration” and recommends a Level 5 for overclocking . Personally, we opted for a Level 7 in order to have as little VDroop as possible. Basically, I want the voltage chosen to be as close as possible to the load voltage. Here is an example of two different readings I took for testing.
The readings are made with a multimeter at the PCB level of the motherboard. It is very important to know the real voltage brought to the different components but especially to your processor.
Ryzen 9 7950X Operation:
Once again, it is via the OS that we will start our overclocking tests using AMD Ryzen Master. It is a tool that can be used very easily and is therefore very intuitive provided that you have a good understanding of the structure of your processor and here more particularly that of the Ryzen 9 7950X. 
The Ryzen 9 7950X has two CCDs. Each CCD has a single CCX which has 8 cores. In the case of our 7950X, none of the CCX cores are disabled so that there are 8 cores per CCD and therefore 16 in total. The idea is to see how the CCDs behave when all the cores are used. We saw on page 5 that the CCD0 was more efficient than the CCD1. It will therefore be possible via Ryzen Master to try to push this one higher than the other.
Finally, you can also decide to vary the frequency of each core. The one with a star is the one that performs best of the 8 and the second best is marked with a disk. To overclock, go to profile 1 and select manual overclocking. You can then control either each CCX or each core independently.
Overclocking in different stages:
We will first start the tests at 5000 MHz on the two CCX with a voltage in Ryzen Master of 1.15 volt which when Cinebench R23 multi is launched is fixed at 1.10 volt. The idea is then to test the stability on several runs of Cinebench R23 multithread. If it’s stable, I increase the frequency by 100 MHz while checking the stability again. If the benchmark crashes, I increase the voltage slightly in order to regain a stability allowing to run the benchmark.
The objective is to get a “quick” idea of the maximum benchmarkable frequency. First result with a frequency of 5400 MHz on the 16 cores for a voltage of 1.19 volt and a score of 40766. Things get more complicated after that because the CCD1 seems to be really less performing and therefore limiting. But thanks to AMD Ryzen Master, you can overclock the CCDs independently. So we will continue to push the CCD0. In the end, we were able to benchmark at 5600/5400 MHz (CCD0/CCD1) and reach a score of 41634 points in Cinebench R23. We also took the opportunity to quickly switch to Geekbench3 at 5550/5400 MHz.
We get an excellent score of 41499 points under CinebenchR23 with a temperature of 85°C while at stock we had a score of 39223 for 95°C. As for Geekbench 3, the single core score is lower since our cores are at 5.6 GHz against 5.85 GHz at stock but the multi core score goes from 112664 to 119688 points.
Finally, and this is excellent news, it is possible to deactivate the synchronization between the BCLK frequency and the PCIe frequency via the BIOS. It will therefore be possible to overclock via the BCLK frequency. We will be back very soon with more cold tests with this GENE. [nextpage title=”The last word: “] That’s it, we’ve done the tour of this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme combined with the new processor from AMD, the Ryzen 9 7950X. By the way, if you want to know the performance of this Ryzen 9 7950X against the competition, our article dedicated to the Ryzen 7000 range is here. Our impressions are very positive when it comes to this association with this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme version that has kept all its promises. As we have hinted, this “Extreme” model combines all the best that is currently available. The connectivity is ultra complete with support for PCI-e 5.0 for the SSD, two ultra complete BIOS ready for overclocking. And not to spoil anything, a superb design thanks in particular to the Anime Matrix screen.
As it was already the case for the BIOS of the Gene version, the team of engineers and overclockers of the brand have been on the war foot for several weeks in order to provide BIOS patches as quickly as possible. We have received no less than six BIOS in one week, each time with visible changes. Tools for overclockers are also already available like MemtweatIt for example. We are also expecting a new BIOS for the Crosshair series with an update of the Agesa. 
Let’s talk about the tricky point about the price of this ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme whose recommended price is announced by Asus at 1,099.90 euros. So yes, it’s expensive and even too expensive but Asus will is not to make it its flagship product. The brand knows very well that it will not be the most sold model on the X670E chipset. The idea is to offer with this “Extreme” version a showcase of its know-how and an ultra complete bundle. As a reminder, the new features that appear on these ultra high-end models often also appear on more accessible models one or two generations later.
ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme:
We liked:
- An ultra high-performance power stage
- The possibility to use high capacity memory and high frequency EXPO
- LN2 mode for testing under liquid nitrogen
- The presence of two BIOS
- The numerous DDR5 profiles within the bios to clock the memory
- The “tools” inserted on the PCB to facilitate extreme overclocking
- The pleasant surprise of an automatic intelligent overclocking (AI Overclocking)
- The reactivation of Asus to offer new bios to overclockers
- The Q-Release button to free your graphics card
- The ROG True Voltician USB oscilloscope
- The quality of the Matrix screen
- The crazy bundle
We would have liked:
- The price that stings hard, too hard…
This ROG Crosshair X670E Extreme is and will be the technological showcase of everything that Asus can offer on this chipset. Of course, many of us won’t need so much technology, but as we explained to you, Asus goal is not to make this model the best-selling card. On the other hand, some of the technology present on this version will certainly be found on more affordable models in the generations to come. A card to be reserved for those who have to have the very best!