3 Best PCIe 4.0 Motherboard for AMD CPUs (2020)

PCIe 4.0 is a new, more efficient version of the PCIe bus standard designed to support increased bandwidth for future generations of hardware. Our aim with this article is to identify three compatible motherboards from reputable manufacturers that offer best performance and compatibility at their respective price points on AMD Ryzen CPUs for use in 2020.

The “amd motherboard compatibility chart” is a website that provides information on which motherboards are compatible with AMD CPUs. It also includes the list of the best 3 motherboards for 2020.

For Intel and AMD CPUs, the best PCIe 4.0 Motherboard

Now we know: AMD made a public statement at Computex, stating that Ryzen 3000 CPUs may be used with PCIe 4.0 on mainboards without the X570 chipset.

However, Asus has already released a list of numerous X470 and B450 mainboards that are said to support PCIe 4.0, at least in part.

Older mainboards may also utilise PCIe 4.0, although not via the chipset, but through the inbuilt I/O chip of the Ryzen 3000 CPUs (test). After all, the CPUs include 16 PCIe 4.0 lanes for graphics cards and four more for M.2 NVMe SSDs.

However, only the X570 has more PCIe 4.0; the X470 and B450 still utilize PCIe 2.0.

However, PCIe 4.0 technology will become more important in the future.

A motherboard with PCIe 4.0 compatibility is required if you want to build a system that will endure a long time while providing great performance and being somewhat future-proof.

We put three leading motherboards with PCIe 4.0 support to the test to see which ones provide the greatest results for consumers.

Best PCIe 4.0 Motherboard for Intel & AMD CPUs (Test Results)

ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme TRX40 comes in first.

With a decent CPU power supply, the performance is excellent.
Eight SATA 6 Gbit/s connections, eight USB 3.1 Gen1 ports, and nine USB 3.1 Gen2 connectors are among the extensive equipment.
Bluetooth 5.0 and WLAN-ax
The PCH fan may be manually regulated.

PCIe 4.0 Motherboard with the best performance

AMD has redesigned the old socket TR4 and now offers it as socket sTRX4 for the third Ryzen Threadripper generation based on Zen 2.

As a consequence, new boards based on the TRX40 chipset are now required for operation with Ryzen Threadripper 3960X and 3970X processors.

We’ll start with the ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme, which comes with a lot of features.

With the introduction of AMD’s X399 platform two years ago, ASUS needed to come up with a new moniker for a top-tier ROG machine.

It eventually evolved into the ROG Zenith Extreme, which we also included into our compensator.

As a refresh, ASUS released the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha at the start of this year.

The moniker “ROG Zenith II Extreme” is a natural fit for the new TRX40 chipset and the third Ryzen-Threadripper-Generation.

The ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme is listed at 781 dollars, a cash that must be invested judiciously.

However, the E-ATX Monster comes with an equally large set of accessories that will almost certainly leave little to be desired. In this evaluation, we’ll discover out how comprehensive the equipment is.

In many ways, the new ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme is comparable to the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha, particularly in terms of the VRM cooler and expansion slot distribution.

According to this, ASUS previously had a base that changed the socket and chipset in a similar manner. There are a few variations in the details.

ASUS, in addition to the huge ROG Zenith II Extreme, also provides certain accessories.

A 2T2R WLAN antenna, the Q-connector, and five M.2 threads and screws are provided, in addition to the motherboard instructions, a USB stick, and eight SATA cables.

Those who have previously found the DIMM.2 slot will be happy to learn that ASUS also sells a DIMM.2 module that can hold two M.2 SSDs.

However, ASUS also supplies two 32-inch RGB extension cords, one of which is controllable.

A 3-in-1 thermistor cable, a cross screwdriver with extension bit, a ROG drink coaster, and a ROG thank you note are all included in the package.

ASUS has included the FAN Extension Card as a bonus feature, allowing the user to attach not just six extra fans, but also three additional RGB strips and three additional temperature sensors.

AMD is also transitioning to PCIe 4.0 in the HEDT category with the release of the Ryzen Threadripper 3000 processors (Castle Peak) based on Zen 2.

The platform includes a total of 88 PCIe 4.0 lanes, with the CPU providing 64 lanes and the TRX40 chipset providing 24 lanes.

However, the downlink and uplink for communication between the CPU and the chipset are already designated for a total of 16 lanes (eight lanes each from the processor and the TRX40 chipset).

The overall connection, on the other hand, is PCIe 4.0 x8, which is twice as fast as the X570 mainboards.

The bandwidth of PCIe 3.0 x4 has tripled as compared to the X399 platform for the first and second Ryzen threadripper generations.

As a result, AMD claims to have 72 functional PCIe 4.0 lanes, resulting in 56 lanes from the sTRX4 CPU and 16 lanes from the TRX40 chipset.

On the CPU side, eight lanes are utilized for storage (2x NVMe PCIe 4.0 x4 or 4x SATA 6GBit/s) and on the chipset side, eight lanes are used for connection to narrow PCIe slots/M.2 slots or SATA ports (2x PCIe x4 or 4x SATA 6GBit/s).

This leaves 56 PCIe 4.0 lanes that may be freely apportioned by the motherboard manufacturer: 48 from the CPU and eight from the PCH.

There are also several USB interfaces available. The AMD TRX40 chipsets provide four USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 GBit/s) ports, eight USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, and four USB 2.0 ports.

In average, four SATA 6GBit/s sockets are included, with a total of up to 12 SATA ports available.

On the backside of the ROG Zenith II Extreme, ASUS has included a large backplate that covers over 75% of the PCB.

The backplate is responsible for cooling several capacitors in the VRM region as well as assisting cooling of the TRX40 chipset, in addition to optics.

A RGB LED strip may be seen on the right side.

The ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme’s VRM cooler is fairly massive, but this is a must since the whole VRM region (particularly under load) is highly demanding and creates a lot of waste heat with up to 32 cores and 64 threads (Ryzen Threadripper 3970X).

ASUS essentially took two heat sinks, linked them with a heatpipe, and immediately enlarged the cooling area by covering the I/O panel.

The heat pads are largely of a fair size, and they entirely cover everything save the two outermost coils. Also cooled is the 10 Gbps controller.

The 1.77 inch OLED LiveDash display is visible when the VRM cooler is turned over.

This should ideally act as a debug LED, displaying the startup codes at each boot-up.

An indicator shows which component is presently being started at the same moment.

Finally, the temperature of the CPU while operation is shown on the display.

If the user is upgrading the BIOS through USB BIOS flashback, the corresponding information, including progress, is also shown.

A mirror optics with RGB LED lighting and Zenith II branding provides a sharp contrast above the display.

The TRX40 chipset is actively cooled, with ASUS using the same 40 mm radial fan as the X570 models.

You could have guessed that the VRM cooler comes with many fans in its baggage, and you’d be correct.

The two axial fans, each having a diameter of 25 mm, should keep the voltage converters cool under hot conditions.

However, the idea of a distracting background noise comes to mind instantly. We’ll look at it later.

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X or 3970X is powered by a massive 16 coils on the ASUS ROG Zenith II Exteme.

Each coil is fed by a power stage MOSFET from Infineon, model TDA21472, rated at 70A.

The ASP1405I, a rebranded IR35201 PWM controller, was mounted on the back of the PCB and can regulate up to eight coils, therefore ASUS chose to set up two teams.

This signifies that there are eight genuine coils instead of 16 coils.

Two 8-pin EPS12V and one 6-pin PCIe power connections can be seen on the left of the photo, which power everything.

Between the eight DDR4 DIMM memory banks, the new sTRX4 socket was installed.

Although the sTRX4 socket contains 4,096 pins, AMD has utilized a new layout for the third Threadripper generation. As a consequence, physically, but not electrically, both sockets are compatible.

According to ASUS, up to 256 GB RAM may be loaded with an effective clock frequency of up to 4.733 MHz.

Only UDIMMs may be utilized in general, although the ECC option is provided. The DIMM.2 slot is located between the 24-pin power connection and the four DDR4 DIMM slots.

The supplied DIMM.2 module, which can hold two more M.2 SSDs, is put there.

Some capacitors may be seen on the rear side, at the height of the VRM region, which should not be left uncooled.

The region covered by the backplate’s thermal pad is clearly visible.

The WB Sensor header is used to prepare for the usage of a monoblock water cooler, which may provide both temperature and water flow rate data.

The PCIe slot arrangement from the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha 1:1 has been carried over to the ROG Zenith II Extreme from ASUS.

As a result, the customer obtains four mechanical PCIe 4.0 x16 slots, which may be used in a 2-way or 3-way multi-GPU configuration.

The slots were electrically linked from top to bottom using x16/x8/x16/x8. The CPU provides the 48 lanes necessary for this.

In the event of a multi-GPU system, the 4-pin Molex power connection should also be connected to the power supply. The electrical stability is improved as a result of this.

Two M.2-M key interfaces (M.2 1 and M.2 2) have consistently filled the two gaps in between. While the higher M.2 connector (M.2 1) was not attached in any way, the lower M.2 connector (M.2 2) was connected to the lower PCIe slot.

When a PCIe SSD is set to M.2 2, the PCIe slot can only be used in x4 mode.

In the bottom area of the rear of the PCB, ASUS has left a third M.2-M key connector (M.2 3) that shares the connection with the two extra SATA ports.

However, the downside of this configuration is that upgrading the SSD in most instances (depending on the case) necessitates removing the motherboard.

From left to right and top to bottom, these are the characteristics of the I/O panel:

USB BIOS flashback button, CMOS clear button
Two antenna threads WLAN-ax and Bluetooth 5.0 module (Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200)
2x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A, ASMedia ASM1074), 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A, ASMedia ASM1074) (Type-A, CPU)
2x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A/C, CPU), Gigabit LAN (Intel I211-AT)
2x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A, ASMedia ASM1074), 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type-A, ASMedia ASM1074) (Type-A, AMD TRX40)
1x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type A, AMD TRX40), 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (Aquantia AQtion AQC107), 10 Gbps LAN (Aquantia AQtion AQC107), 1x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 (Aquantia AQtion AQC107) (Type C, ASMedia ASM3242)
TOSLink, 5x 3.5 mm jack

With the exception of Thunderbolt 3.0, the ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme has an opulent I/O panel.

A total of 12 USB ports are available in the type C model, including seven USB 3.2 ports of the second generation (10 GBit/s), four USB 3.2 sockets of the first generation (5 GBit/s), and a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface (20 GBit/s).

A Gigabit LAN (Intel I211-AT), a 10 GBit/s LAN port (Aquantia AQtion AQC107), and Intel’s Wi-Fi 6 AX200 module are all available for network access.

The USB BIOS flashback and CMOS clear buttons added to the convenience, while the remaining features include five 3.5mm ports and an optical digital output.

The 3.5 mm jacks are similarly color-illuminated.

The isolated audio portion is dubbed “ROG SupremeFX” and includes the ESS-Sabre-9018Q2C-DAC, ten audio capacitors, and a separate headphone amplifier, in addition to the rebranded Realtek ALC1220 codec.

Nuvoton’s SuperI/O controller with the identifier NCT6798D-R may be seen farther to the left.

Conclusion: The best-performing PCIe 4.0 Motherboard.

In order to transition to PCI-Express 4.0 in the HEDT market, AMD uses the “sTRX4” socket, which has 4,096 pins but a different pinout and is only compatible with the third Ryzen threadripper generation.

The heavily crowded ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme, as direct successor to the ROG Zenith Extreme Alpha (AMD X399), ASUS’ refresh version of the original ROG Zenith Extreme, is our first tested and compatible motherboard with the TRX40 chipset.

Apart from the Prime TRX40-Pro and the ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming, the ROG Zenith II Extreme, of course, has the most features and should appeal to overclocking enthusiasts.

Because of the 16 CPU and four RAM coils, ASUS uses a strong VRM and has taken into account the slow and LN2 modes.

This, of course, also applies to the six voltage measurement sites that may be used to calculate crucial voltages directly.

Many USB devices may be linked thanks to the 21 USB ports. Nine of them support the fast USB 3.2 Gen2 standard, eight support 5 GBit/s (USB 3.2 Gen1), and three support USB 2.0 data speeds.

The I/O panel also has a USB 3.2 Gen2x2 type C connection, which is powered by ASMedia’s ASM3242 controller and can transfer data at up to 20 Gbps.

If the DIMM.2 module is installed, not only are eight SATA 6GBit/s ports available for storage, but also a total of five M.2 M key interfaces, where the back M.2 connection is difficult to reach in regular usage.

A 10Gbps LAN controller and several onboard conveniences are also features, including the 1.77-inch Live Dash OLED display, which replaces the traditional debug LED and shows debug codes at each system boot.

ASUS deserves credit for the PCH fan. It has now been relocated far lower and is also much quieter.

In addition, the BIOS now allows manual control of the fan.

Nothing prevents a semi-passive mode from being used. Above a certain speed, the VRM cooler’s two 25 mm fans become too noisy.

They can, however, be controlled and did not begin with default BIOS defaults.

The ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme is presently priced at roughly $783 USD, which, of course, necessitates a well-stocked wallet. That isn’t even the end of the system. Overall, the finest performing motherboard with support for PCIe 4.0.

MSI Prestige X570 Creation is ranked second.

With or without modest RGB lighting, the motherboard looks excellent.
VRM and FCH temperatures are kept low via extended heatsinks.
Overclocking performance is excellent.
There are four NVMe 4.0 ports available.

Motherboard with PCIe 4.0 capability at the best price-performance ratio

At Computex, MSI announced six motherboards for AMD’s Ryzen 3000 CPUs.

The top model, known as the Prestige X570 Creation, is designed to take use of the platform’s extended ATX connection possibilities.

The I/O panel has 12 USB 3.1 ports, as well as 10 Gigabit/s Ethernet and a huge cooling system.

MSI has launched the Creation motherboard brand in conjunction with AMD’s TR4 platform.

The manufacturer no longer mixes the name with a MEG but with the Prestige series in the case of the AM4 socket around the I/O hub X570, commonly dubbed chipset.

As a result, MSI makes it clear that the Prestige X570 Creation is designed for professionals who want to take advantage of the range of connections available.

The board is MSI’s top model due to the luxury equipment. The MEG X570 Godlike is also available in the “gaming” sector as a (probably cheaper) flagship that focuses on overclocking.

With an aluminum I/O cover, there’s plenty of room for cooling.

Even in MEG variants, the manufacturer uses a lengthy heatpipe to link the X570 chip’s cooler to the voltage converters’ coolers and the aluminum bridge above the audio area.

The aluminium plate on the bottom part of the Prestige X570 Creation is bigger.

A single huge aluminium block also serves as the lid over the I/O space.

Even with an Aquantia AQC107 add-on controller that enables 10 Gigabit/s Ethernet, MSI is certain that the cooling will function silently.

An Intel chip is used to create Wifi 6. When the I/O hub temperature reaches 60 degrees Celsius, the fan becomes semi-active. The fan curvature may be customized by the user as needed.

MSI takes full use of the capabilities of the Ryzen 3000 CPUs and the X570 I/O hub on the connection side, as seen by the back panel.

Both give 12 USB 3.1 ports when used together. No other motherboard has ever had so many USB 3.1 ports – the manufacturer gives the same amount through 11 type A and one type C connector.

For peripherals, MSI has two extra USB 2.1 type A ports. For cases, a USB 3.1 front header is offered. MSI will need at least one more controller to reach the target.

PCI Express 4.0 expansion card for a total of 5 M.2 slots.

The Prestige X570 Creation has 6 SATA 6 Gbps and 3 M.2 with PCI-Express 4.0 x4 ports for mass storage.

Two more NVMe SSDs may be added using the provided PCI Express 4.0 x16 card (electrically intended as x8) – but only in one of the two higher slots, providing the graphics card eight instead of 16 PCI Express 4.0 lanes.

After that, the bandwidth equates to PCI-E 3.0 x16.

The Prestige X570 Creation comes in a black box with colorful elements, meant to appeal to the creativity in you.

The new PCIe Gen 4.0 standard, StoreMI Technology, and the fact that the X570 is AMD Ryzen 3000 Ready are all mentioned on the top of the box.

I won’t go into depth about StoreMI Technology; instead, I’d like to point you to our Edisoft review (review of the MSI X470 Gaming M7 AC), which covers the subject thoroughly.

An overview of the many links

The connectors on the back panel are shown in this diagram. The board is aimed for creators and content creators, as you can see.

Once per picture, and just below the X570 Creation user manual’s summary. There are already 13 USB ports on the I/O panel, or 14 with type C.

The NVMe SSD is installed, and the fan is briefly described.

My 970 Evo installation was completed swiftly.

The screws at the four designated locations must be removed. After that, you may remove the cover and have full access to the slots.

What I loved most was that four spacers with screws were already inserted. These may be deleted depending on your needs.

One of the spacers was removed in order to attach my 970.

Remove the foil, allowing the WL pad to make touch with the 970 EVO.

I couldn’t discern the difference between SSDs with and without passive cooling as a long-time user of a GT75VR 7RF.

since I’ve never managed to overheat one of my NVMe SSDs while gaming.

Of course, in the area of picture editing, where there are several processes, this may be different; in this case, I just lack the necessary practical expertise.

Fan

The Prestige’s fan only begins to revolve at roughly 65°-70°.

What I can tell for certain is that it is not audible and only turns extremely seldom.

Network

The MSI Prestige X570 Creator comes with two LAN ports and a WLAN adapter that can all be connected together.

The Intel Gigabit Lan Adapter has shown to be really dependable, and I’ve had no issues throughout any of my gaming sessions.

The WLAN adaptor has also shown to be quite reliable. It works with the 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax standards and the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands.

My Fritz Box 7590 can only handle 1.7Gb/s. So I can only claim that it works up to this speed, but with the right router and distance, 2.4Gb/s is probably possible.

I also put the 10Gigabit adaptor to the test, and everything worked well up to 1 Gigabit. Because of my network, I was unable to test further.

The application software

Both Creation Center and Dragon Center software are supported by the Prestige X570 Creation. What you want to accomplish will determine which one you use.

The DC caters to gamers, while the Creation Center caters to creators and content providers.

Light of the Mystic 3 is not available as a stand-alone installation.

Home

The “Home Screen” provides a useful summary of the center’s many choices.

There are many options, including Creator Mode, User Case Study, Monitor Authentic Colors, LAN Administrator, and Mystic Light.

In Creator Mode, you may use the Auto feature to set up your system to acquire the best possible settings for various compatible apps.

User Scenario

There are four alternatives accessible here.

High Performance is simply designed to get the most out of your system without requiring you to make many changes.

However, this implies that there will be more heat to disperse.

Balanced performance and energy consumption are maximized, resulting in quieter fans.

Silent allows you to operate your system quietly while maintaining high performance. Customize is for those of you who want to do things on your own and try them out.

Monitor the Creation Center

This feature allows you to keep an eye on the system.

True Color

Provides a number of configuration options for customizing the monitor to your requirements.

EyeRest is a product that removes blue tones from the environment to protect the eyes. I remember this setting from the GT75VR 7RF, and it was my favorite.

Then there are the Game and Movie profiles. Again, there is a customize section where you may create your own settings and tailor the system to your own requirements. The basic settings are referred to as default.

LAN Manager

You may adjust a variety of parameters here, from network traffic optimization to load monitoring to the ability to block certain IP addresses.

Mystic Light

Provides a number of options for addressing the LEDs on the board or their corresponding LED connections. I merely let a few photographs function in this case.

Updates in real time

This feature should allow you to quickly locate updates for drivers or software.

Tools

You may be able to add applications later using these. So far, the place is still deserted.

Conclusion: The best value for money Motherboard with PCIe 4.0 compatibility.

The board has a lot of elements that will appeal to the makers among you, as well as those who are more gamers and want to let the creative out on the side.

Whether it’s the plethora (yes, plethora) of USB ports, the Creator Center software, or the expansion card’s ability to add two more NVMe SSDs, the board should make your work and gaming more enjoyable.

If supported by the Center, the Creator Center software allows you to construct a library of some kind for your applications.

The data transmission should not be an issue thanks to the excellent equipment, which includes 1 Gigabit, 10 Gigabit Lan, and Wi-Fi 6. (provided your network is designed accordingly).

Another advantage is that the Dragon Center may be installed, allowing gamers to reclaim their software.

Unfortunately, this is a tragedy, and my sole criticism is that the Mystic Light program is not currently accessible as a separate download.

The MSI Prestige X570 Creation is a high-end board with PCIe 4.0 compatibility that may be utilized in a variety of applications at a reasonable price.

Asus Prime X570-Pro is ranked third.

With an adequate CPU power supply, very excellent performance is possible.
There’s plenty hardware, including six SATA 6 Gbit/s connections and five USB 3.1 Gen2 ports.
Overall high performance, stability, and energy efficiency
There are two M.2 M key interfaces (PCIe 4.0 x4)

The graphics card shields the chipset fan.

Motherboard with PCIe 4.0 support that performs well.

In the case of the X570 mainboards, only two boards are represented for the Prime product line, although the gaming series is nearly saturated with several variations. ASUS provides the Prime X570-P for 180 dollars as a general introduction.

The Prime X570-Pro is also available with a better base setup for 56 dollars extra.

This includes a better-looking CPU power supply, a USB 3.2 Gen2 connector, and more FAN headers.

Furthermore, the Realtek LAN controller has been replaced with an Intel controller, a power button has been added to the board, and an M.2 cooler has been provided.

Apart from that, there are the normal expansion slots as well as four DDR4 DIMM memory banks.

In comparison to the X370 and X470-FCH, AMD has made a significant leap ahead with the X570-FCH, since it is the first chipset to implement PCI Express 4.0 in the desktop category.

At the same time, the number of lanes grows from 8 to 16, with the motherboard makers being able to allocate 12 of them flexibly.

The connection between the CPU and the chipset is made through a PCIe 4.0 x4 down- and uplink (Ryzen 3000).

When using a Ryzen 2000 CPU (Zen+, Pinnacle Ridge), the chipset downlink is done in PCIe-3.0-x4 mode, which is 32 GBit/s instead of 64 GBit/s.

Depending on the motherboard manufacturer’s expectations for the number of M.2 interfaces, the X570 chipset offers eight USB 3.2 Gen2 connectors and up to 12 SATA 6Gbps ports.

2x NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x4) + 4x SATA 6GBit/s, 1x NVMe + 8x SATA 6GBit/s, or 3x NVMe are the configurations available.

Another 24 PCIe 4.0 lanes are supplied, starting with a Matisse CPU (Zen2, Ryzen 3000). For the graphics card, 16 of them migrate to up to two mechanical PCIe-4.0-x16 slots (s).

Either x16/x0 or x8/x8 is used in the distribution. However, there are eight more PCIe 4.0 lanes: four are used for chipset downlink, and the other four may be configured as 1x NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x4), 2x SATA and 1x NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x2), or 2x NVMe (PCIe 4.0 x2) (PCIe 4.0 x2).

There are additionally four USB 3.2 Gen2 connections available.

As a result, the X570 mainstream platform will get 40 PCIe 4.0 lanes in total.

Of However, if the user chooses to utilize a Pinnacle Ridge CPU (Ryzen 2000), there are limits, since this processor only has 24 PCIe 3.0 lanes and “only” four USB 3.1 Gen1 connections.

Both VRM coolers take care of not just the voltage converters, but also the coils.

The heat conduction pad on the left cooler, in particular, hasn’t been set out properly and consequently doesn’t entirely cover the voltage converters.

The PCH cooler, on the other hand, is the standard ASUS size and includes a 40 mm fan.

On the comparably affordable ASUS Prime X570-Pro, there are a total of 14 CPU coils.

The favorable look is deceiving, since the 14 coils do not operate natively, nor do they work in two-coil teams or through phase doubler, but rather in three-coil teams.

In this situation, 12 coils are in charge of the Vcore and two are in charge of the CPU-SoC voltage.

However, in actuality, this is a 4+2 arrangement. The little ASP1106 PWM controller, which can only support 4+2, is the cause for this.

The power input is provided by one 8-pin and one 4-pin power connection.

The four DDR4 DIMM memory banks may each hold up to 128 GB of RAM.

ASUS claims effective clock speeds of up to 4,400 MHz when using Matisse (Ryzen 3000), and up to 3,600 MHz when using Pinnacle Ridge (Ryzen 2000).

ECC functionality is also included, allowing ECC UDIMMs to be utilised.

The 24-pin power connection, as well as a USB 3.2 Gen2 header, a power button, and four status LEDs, were all located underneath the memory banks.

A 4-pin RGB header (ASUS Aura) and three FAN headers are located on the right edge.

Three mechanical PCIe-4.0-x16 and PCIe-4.0-x1 slots are available on the ASUS Prime X570-Pro.

The AM4 CPU is attached to the two top metal-reinforced x16 slots in x16/x0 or x8/x8 mode, while the remainder is handled by the X570 chipset.

The lane connection is summarized in the table below.

Two M.2-M key connectors are also available, each of which may accept a module with a length of 2.5 to 4.4 inches.

The PCIe and SATA modes are both supported. The CPU is attached to the top port, while the PCH is connected to the bottom port.

Six SATA 6GBit/s connectors, naturally coupled to the X570 chipset, are also included in the storage connections. ASUS tilted them at a 90-degree angle.

The following connections are available on the I/O panel (from left to right and top to bottom):

2x USB 3.2 Gen1 and PS/2 (CPU)
HDMI 2.0b, DisplayPort 1.2
AMD X570, 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 (Type A/C)
2 USB 3.2 Gen2 ports (AMD X570)
2x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Intel I211-AT), Gigabit LAN (Intel I211-AT) (CPU)
1x TOSLink, 5x 3.5 mm jack

Because the I/O panel is already pre-mounted on the ASUS Prime X570-Pro, it cannot be overlooked during construction.

On the I/O panel, there are eight USB ports, four of which support USB 3.2 Gen1 and four that support USB 3.2 Gen2.

The HDMI 2.0b and DisplayPort 1.2 graphics outputs may also be utilised if an APU is installed in the CPU socket. Then there’s PS/2, Gigabit LAN, and the standard audio ports.

The Intel I211 AT LAN controller is on the left, Nuvoton’s NCT6798D-R SuperI/O controller is in the center, and ASUS’ Crystal Sound is on the right, comprised of the Realtek ALC1220 and seven audio capacitors.

The ASUS Prime X570-Pro’s fundamental layout, in our view, has a mixed design.

The PCIe-4.0-x1 slot underneath the topmost PCIe-4.0-x16 slot might have been removed, ensuring that no additional interfaces are rendered unusable with a dual-slot graphics card.

Furthermore, when a huge graphics card cuts off the air supply, the location of the PCH fan is inefficient.

Aside from the high-priced X570 mainboards, mainboard producers frequently consider certain “cheaper” representations to make the financial entrance easier.

Nonetheless, many potential purchasers may regard the now-reviewed ASUS Prime X570-Pro’s pricing of at least 233 dollars to be excessive.

Despite the CPU power supply with 14 coils, which is only striking at first glance, the board itself presents itself in a good basic configuration without too many frills in the well-known black and white style and may demonstrate decent overclocking performance.

Overclocking RAM to higher than DDR4-3466 was not achievable.

In comparison to the Prime X570-P, which costs roughly 55 dollars less, ASUS has added an Intel LAN controller, a USB 3.2 Gen2 connector, a power button, status LEDs, and an M.2 heat sink to the Prime X570-Pro.

A discrete RGB LED illumination is also incorporated, which may be extended using the existing RGB headers upon request.

The system may be supplemented using the normal expansion slots in general. Up to 128 GB RAM may be installed using the four DDR4 DIMM memory banks. Support for ECC is also available.

Conclusion: A fantastic motherboard with PCIe 4.0 support.

The ASUS Prime X570-Pro is not to be overlooked when it comes to energy efficiency, and it performs well in this regard.

The PCH fan is built in the same way as the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (Wi-Fi) and ROG Strix X570-E Gaming fans, and is only sometimes audible, although it cannot be regulated manually and runs indefinitely.

Unfortunately, the fan’s location is likewise same, which means that with a twin or triple slot graphic card, there is very little fresh air accessible.

So the question of the ASUS Prime X570-Pro’s price/performance ratio remains unanswered.

The price of at least 233 Dollars is, in our view, extremely reasonable. Technically, it’s in a good spot and supports PCIe 4.0 nicely.

What exactly is PCIe 4.0?

PCI Express (PCIe) is a high-speed internal interface for computer expansion cards.

PCIe, which was introduced in 2004, superseded AGP as a graphics card interface and PCI as an internal computer bus architecture.

PCI Express Advanced Switching is a variation of PCI Express that is utilized as a backplane in modular servers in addition to being used in desktop PCs.

PCI Express is mostly used to link a computer system or telecommunications server to several servers and modules.

This technology is ideal for applications that need quick response times, such as picture and sound reproduction. There are other functions for reserving minimal bandwidths.

Copper lines and optical connections are supported by PCI Express.

The PCI Express standard outlines the software protocol, as well as the electrical and mechanical characteristics of ports and expansion cards.

Some are familiar from serial connection methods like USB and FireWire. For example, to boost the transfer rate, plugging and unplugging during operation (hot plug) and bundling many lines.

In the future, PCI Express will become even more significant.

PCI Express semiconductor circuits are also modified and utilized in DisplayPort, SATA, and SAS.

In the future, SATA will be replaced with SATA Express, an SSD interface that is considerably different from PCI Express.

Slot (plural)

PCIe is divided into separate slots or slots on the motherboard.

The lengthy x16 slots for graphics cards and the small x1 slots for other expansion cards are common. X4 and x8 slots are also available on certain motherboards.

The number of PCIe lanes cascaded in the slot is indicated by the designations x1, x4, x8, and x16.

Short cards may theoretically be used in lengthy slots.

However, keep in mind that the mechanical length has nothing to do with the number of lanes in a slot.

A x16 slot might contain four (x4) or eight (x8) lanes. On certain boards, the lanes are shared by numerous spaces.

Unlike PCI, which employs a bus topology that requires all connected components to share the available bandwidth, PCI Express uses serial connections to a chipset switch.

With full bandwidth and speed, the switch links a PCIe board directly to memory or other boards. On a logical level, PCIe is backwards compatible with PCI.

The operating system is completely unaffected. PCIe is hardly apparent even in the Windows device manager.

As a result, serial point-to-point communications are employed instead of parallel bus systems. The previous bus architecture was replaced with a star topology even with Ethernet.

Two devices are connected directly through a central switch.

The large number of address and signal lines is one of the reasons for the switch from the tried-and-true bus layout to serial point-to-point connectivity.

The growing number of communication lines on the motherboard necessitates a lot of space, as well as a lot of electricity.

Furthermore, since parallel lines impact each other, the transmission speed cannot be increased at whim (crosstalk).

Technology for transmission

PCI Express transmission system is based on two differential pairs of wires, each with four wires, referred to as a link or lane.

Data is sent over one pair of wires, while data is received over the other.

A gadget may employ many lanes to boost speed. Up to 32 lanes may be grouped in total.

In reality, though, basic expansion cards seem to just have one lane.

Graphics card slots, often known as PEG slots, are an exception (PCI Express for Graphics). There are 16 lanes to choose from.

However, data parallelization is done at a higher protocol level rather than on the electrical level. Differences in runtime, line disruptions, and failures are all adjusted here.

Speed of transmission

The PCIe transfer rate “orients” itself based on the version and the number of connections or lanes.

The bandwidth and transfer speed increase as the version and the number of lanes increase.

The bandwidth specifies how much data transport capacity is theoretically or maximally possible.

The real data rate, however, is lower.

PCIe	Per-lane Bandwidth	PCIe x1	PCIe x4	PCIe x8	PCIe x16	The process of coding (Load in percent )
1.0	2,5 gigabits per second	250 megabytes per second	1 GByte/s	2 GByte/s	4 GByte/s	20 percent / 8b10b
2.0	5 GBit/s	500 megabytes per second	2 GByte/s	4 GByte/s	8 GByte/s	20 percent / 8b10b
3.0	8 GBit/s	around 1 GByte/s	around 4 GByte/s	Approximately 8 GByte/s	about 16 GByte/s	2 percent/128b/130b
4.0	16 GBit/s	around 2 GByte/s	Approximately 8 GByte/s	about 16 GByte/s	32 GByte/s (about)	2 percent/128b/130b
5.0		3,9 GByte/s	15,8 GBytes per second	a rate of 31,5 GByte/s	63 gigabytes per second	2 percent/128b/130b

If the capacity for PCIe 2.0 is assumed to be 5 GBit/s per lane, the bandwidth is lowered to 4 GBit/s owing to the 8B/10B coding (10 bits per byte).

This equates to a per-direction net bandwidth of 500 MByte/s. As a result, the real data rate is significantly lower.

Because a transmission protocol with instructions, addresses, and confirmations is active in addition to pure data transfer, the real data rate is even lower than the net bandwidth.

Compatibility with PCI Express graphics cards

PCIe is completely compatible both above and below.

As a result, old cards may be used with modern motherboards and vice versa. In both cases, an x1 card will operate in an x16 slot. If it fits mechanically, that is.

When initializing expansion cards, the PCIe host controller negotiates the number of lanes and their transfer rate to verify compatibility.

Card/Slot	PCIe x1	PCIe x4	PCIe x8	PCIe x16
x1 PCI Express	Ok	Ok	Ok	Ok
x4 PCI Express	–	Ok	?	?
x8 PCI Express	–	–	Ok	?
x16 PCI Express	–	–	–	Ok

Ok = compatible / – = incompatible /? = optional but possible

Note: The PCIe standard essentially ensures backward compatibility. This does not, however, imply that all items are compliant.

PCI Express Versions 1.0/1.1 (PCIe 1.0)

Between PCIe-1.0 to PCIe-1.1, there isn’t much of a change. The per-lane speed is set at 2.5 GBit/s, corresponding to a net bandwidth of 250 MByte/s.

2.0/2.1 PCI Express (PCIe 2.0)

The per-lane speed has been raised to 5 GBit/s. A net transfer rate of 500 MByte/s is obtained in the best case scenario.

PCIe 2.0 and PCIe 1.0/1.1 are backwards compatible. However, PCIe 1.1 cards should not be used in PCIe 2.0 slots. If difficulties arise, a BIOS upgrade may be beneficial.

The PCIe 2.0 standard has a unique function. PCIe 2.0 cards must also function in PCIe 1.1 slots, according to the specification. There is no structural difference between the two.

The greatest potential transfer rate is the key difference between PCIe 2.0 and the earlier version. PCIe 1.1 has a lane bandwidth of 2.5 GBit/s.

3.0/3.1 PCI Express (PCIe 3.0)

The transmission rate has been doubled in comparison to PCIe 2.0, thanks to a decrease in overhead during data transfer and a more efficient line code.

This implies that each PCIe lane has an 8 GBit/s bandwidth and can transport 1 GByte per second.

PCIe 3.0 is used by a small number of applications.

PCIe 3.0 is only helpful for a few expansion cards, apart from graphics cards. For server mass storage, 40 Gigabit Ethernet cards or host adapters are most likely still needed.

Graphics cards that support PCIe 3.0 can connect with the chipset or CPU across 16 lanes at up to 16 GByte/s.

However, if PCIe is used as the principal bus system between the CPU and the chipset, the speed of PCIe 2.0 may be limited.

PCIe 3.0 is only possible for external graphics cards that are connected directly to the main processor if the connection between the CPU and chipset only supports 2 GByte/s in both directions (PCIe-2.0-x4).

The PCIe root complex terminates or starts in the CPU of Intel and AMD’s highly integrated processors.

PCIe 3.0 is the only way to go in the future. PCIe will also take the role of SATA as a mass storage interface.

SATA is plainly inferior to the PCIe lane idea. The PCIe lanes may be readily scaled.

PCI Express 4.0 is the latest version of PCI Express (PCIe 4.0)

In 2017, the PCI Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG) finalised the PCIe 4.0 definition.

The data transfer rate doubles to 16 GBit/s, allowing a maximum net data throughput of roughly 2 GByte/s per lane as compared to PCIe 3.0.

After that, PCIe-4.0-x16 can handle around 32 GByte/s.

The storage and networking industries, not the CPU and GPU makers, define the requirement for faster PCIe connectivity.

For network cards above the 100 GBit class, PCIe 3.0 with 16 parallel PCIe lanes reaches its maximum.

The m.2 or u.2 interfaces on NVMe SSDs in the business sector restrict them to four parallel PCIe lanes.

Increasing the transfer rate per lane is the only way to get more bandwidth.

The maximum line length is reduced from 20 to 8 to 12 inches to accommodate this transfer rate (20 to 30 cm).

To ensure signal quality at this speed, new materials for rails and connections are also necessary.

PCIe 4.0 also reaches its maximum data throughput when just one connector is present in the cable route (point-to-point connection).

PCIe 4.0 should continue to be backward compatible with earlier PCIe cards, as predicted.

PCIe 4.0 cards will seldom be seen by ordinary PC users, since the increased speed is more appealing to professionals.

PCI Express 5.0 is the latest version of PCI Express (PCIe 5.0)

The PCI-SIG for PCIe 5.0 guarantees a doubling of bandwidth to roughly 32 GBit/s, or around 4 GByte/s per PCIe lane, since the need for higher speed will continue to grow in the future.

However, this is most likely only possible if all of the chips are soldered on the same board.

The “amd pcie 4.0 motherboard” is a motherboard that has been released recently. It is the best option for those who are looking for a new motherboard to use with AMD CPUs.