ROG Crosshair X670E Gene :
The architecture :
This ROG Crosshair X670E Gene 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 the X670E chipset, we will also see X670, B650E and B650 motherboards coming out, and by the end of October, all four 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 for a Ryzen 7000 configuration.
The bundle:
A quick look at the bundle of this ROG Crosshair X670 Gene to see if it benefits from special items. Overall, it’s a pretty standard bundle with the traditional SATA cables, Wi-Fi antenna, stickers, motherboard manual, etc.
But a few goodies stand out with the presence of a ROG keychain, a GPU holder and the ROG True Voltician. This is an oscilloscope in USB format and is a continuation of the V-Latch that is always integrated on the motherboard PCB. The mini-USB port allows the software to be run on a separate PC.
This is a module that we already found in the Z690 APEX and Extreme bundle. It seems that this module is now present on the high-end motherboard versions of Asus.
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 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 the AM4 socket, so you can still use your cooling system.
But AMD goes one step further and adds 4 more holes. These will be used to hold the AM5 socket in place and also to hold the backplate in place. The back plate should not be removed 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 has been placed in the correct position, all you have to do is 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 accidents 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 244 mm x 244 mm, which corresponds to the micro-ATX format. The dominant colors on the PCB are black and grey. The design is still special but on this version the PCB is still rectangular. Aesthetically, it looks quite similar to the Asus Z690 motherboards, especially the Z690 Extreme version.
Let’s start 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 very very light RGB backlight. We are dealing here with a completely passive system.
Finally, the third one covers the chipset and has a fairly large surface area but is low in height to allow for easy placement of the graphics cards. The ROG logo can be seen on this.
Just below this is a large section of the overclocking tools on the PCB, which we will come back to on the next page.
DDR5 support :
This new X670E chipset also brings DDR5 support. Our Crosshair X670E Gene only has two memory slots due to its size. There is no question here as to which slots to use. 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, 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 a single click in combination with the Ryzen 7000.
Three M.2 SSD slots and PCIe 5.0:
A black aluminium plate with a cut-out that matches the chipset perfectly covers an M.2 SSD slot of type 2242/2260/2280 PCIe 5.0 x4.
But that’s not all, as Asus has used a second generation GEN-Z slot to save space, just like the previous generation. This is the first time we have seen this new generation on a ROG motherboard.
This bracket can accommodate two different M2 2242/2260/2280/22110 SSDs. 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 a PCIe 5.0 16x slot as well as a PCI Express x16 PCIe 4.0 slot running at x1. 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 heat sink was too close to the first PCIe slot.
A little RGB :
Yes, there is a very slight RGB backlighting effect on the cover that covers the external connectors. The management of these is set via the in-house AURA software but it is possible to disable them, quite easily, via the BIOS if you wish.
