AORUS X670E Master :
The architecture :
This AORUS X670E Master is built around the new X670E chipset. At the moment we know that AMD has several « new » chipsets planned for release in the coming weeks. In addition to the X670E chipset, we will also see X670, B650E and B650 motherboards being released, and by the end of October all four chipsets should be available to the general public. Here is a table highlighting the differences between these four chipsets. The B650E chipset could also be very interesting for a Ryzen 7000 configuration.
The AORUS X670E Master bundle :
A quick look at the bundle of this AORUS X670E Master to see if it benefits from “special items”. Overall, we find a fairly standard bundle with the traditional SATA cables, Wi-Fi antenna, stickers, motherboard manual, etc.
We don’t notice anything special about this bundle and in the end, if it saves us money on the price of the motherboard, we’re fine with it.
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 (Pin Grid Array) socket in which you used to put your processor, and to welcome the LGA (Land Grid Array) socket. This socket will look like the ones that have been present on Intel motherboards for years. Why this change? Simply because of the larger number of pins on the Ryzen 7000 (1718).
AMD has decided, with the AM5 socket, to keep a backplate 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 socket AM4, so you can still use your cooling system as long as it uses the original backplate on your motherboard !
But AMD goes one step 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. The back plate should not be removed as it was on the previous generation. Finally, the locking mechanism changes. We find the reinforcement frame, the force frame and the latch. Once your Ryzen 7000 has been placed in the correct alignment, you just need to close the latch to keep it in place.
A small remark following my tests, where I removed and put back these new Ryzen 7000 several times, you should know that the grip is far from being obvious with the particular shape of the IHS. There is a risk of wreckage if you are not careful with the processor which could slip out of your hand and damage the socket pins. So be careful !
The different heatsinks :
The dimensions of the board are 305 mm x 269 mm, which corresponds to the E-ATX format. The dominant color on the PCB is black and grey with grey lettering. The design is easily identifiable as an AORUS product as this model has a similar design to the previous generation.
Also noticeable is the large backplate on the back of the PCB which also acts as a heatsink. Pads are placed where the heat is most important, such as at the back of the power supply stages.
There are two of them in this area. Let’s start the tour with the heat sinks, of which there are three. First of all, the two radiators located on the top of the motherboard and covering the power supply stage. These two radiators are connected together by an 8 mm heat pipe. The purpose of these heat sinks is to dissipate the heat from the power supply stages.
The heat sinks are covered with a « nanocarbon » coating that AORUS claims improves heat dissipation by up to 10%. The fins also benefit from the company’s ” Fins-Array III ” technology, which results in irregular fins to increase the heat dissipation area. The plastic cover, which covers part of the radiator and the external connectors, has a very, very light RGB backlight. We are dealing here with a completely passive system.
Finally, the third one covers the two chipsets and has a fairly large surface area but low height to allow for easy placement of the graphics cards. The cut-out fits perfectly and makes a block with the cover that covers part of the SSD slots.
DDR5 support :
This new X670E chipset also brings DDR5 support. Our AORUS X670E Master has four memory slots. Keep in mind that there are two priority slots as indicated on the PCB (A2 and B2). Although the current specifications on the website indicate support for DDR5 up to 5200 MT/s, we have no problems with our GSKill 6000 MT/s CL30 kit.
AMD, in collaboration with the memory module manufacturers, is now offering 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 one click in combination with the Ryzen 7000.
Four M.2 SSD slots and PCIe 5.0 :
A grey aluminum plate with a cut-out that matches the one on the chipset covers three M.2 SSD slots. The one closest to the CPU is a 25110/2280 PCIe 5.0 slot, while the other two are PCIe 4.0.
But there’s more to come on the PCB front. The more attentive have noticed a “Thermal Guard III” heatsink that is located just below the socket. This actually covers the first SSD slot, making a total of four. This slot is also 25110/2280 PCIe 5.0. Each slot has a thermal pad on both sides of the SSD to optimize heat dissipation.
The motherboard features a 16x PCIe 5.0 slot as well as a PCI Express x16 PCIe 4.0 slot running in x4 and a third PCI Express x16 PCIe 3.0 slot running in x2. Like the Asus Z690 motherboards, this AORUS is now equipped with a button called “PCIe EZ-Latch Plus”. When a card is plugged into the first PCIe slot, pressing this button opens the retention system and releases your graphics card.
RGB or not RGB?
As with much of the AORUS range, it has a backlight in the heatsink covering the connectors and that’s it. Personally, I don’t need anything more.
The management of this one is set via the in-house software but it is also possible to disable it. The MultiKey button can also benefit from this function which consists in disabling the RGB.
