Asus rog zenith ii extreme review in Spanish (full analysis)

The rain of motherboards from AMD's new TRX40 platform continues to arrive, and in a prominent place for everything it offers is this Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme. The most powerful Asus creation wants to be placed on the podium with incredible gaming design, full of lighting and that is practically traced to the ROG Rampage VI Extreme Encore model manufacturing for the X299X chipset and the new 10th generation Intel X and XE.

But let's focus on today's, a board with a 16-phase VRM with MOSFETS Infineon and active cooling that should give maximum performance to the huge AMD CPUs. Its 8 DIMMs pair with the ROG DIMM.2 to expand PCIe 4.0 storage up to 5 drives. Not to be missed is Wi- Fi 6, 10 GbE, high-quality audio ROG SupremeFX or a useful 20 Gbps USB-C. All this and more is what we will see during this review, because it is the most complete a priori model of Asus for the Threadripper 3000.

And before continuing, we thank Asus for handing over their product to us before their departure and so we can make our review.

Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme technical characteristics

Unboxing

Like all recently manufactured ROG products, the Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme features a presentation consisting of a stiff, solid cardboard box with a case-type opening. In it, we see a printed vinyl-type decoration with all the hallmarks on the main face and a fairly detailed description of the novelties that this plate brings us with representative photos.

We open the box and see how the plate is arranged in a cardboard mold with a semi-rigid plastic protector on top to isolate it from dirt and knocks. We do not have any type of antistatic bag for extra protection. Just below it, we will find sections in sections for all the accessories that are included.

In this way, the bundle is made up of the following elements:

• Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme Board User Manual Support CD (quite tuning) Asus ROG DIMM.2 PCB with heat sink Clips and adhesives 4x SATA 6Gbps cables 5x M.2 installation screws Screwdriver Temperature thermistor Q-Connector cable 2x Extender cables for RGB and A-RGB respectively Wi-Fi antenna Expansion card for fans Fan Extension Card II Screws, and cables for installation

The bundle the truth is that they have a lot of accessories included. The most important and useful without a doubt are the ROG DIMM.2 for M.2 units and that microcontroller card to expand the cooling options and be able to control the fans.

Design and Features

The Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme is presented to us in an E-ATX format although it could rather be an XL-ATX due to its measurements of 310 mm high and 277 mm wide, surpassing itself the 264 of other "traditional" models. When we see the review of the ROG Rampage VI Extreme Encore we can see that the design is practically a tracing, denoting that we are facing the top range of the AMD TRX40 chipset and the Intel X299X.

Let's start with the most obvious, which are the proposed heatsinks and cooling system. We first found an aluminum plate and chrome plate in the chipset area and M.2 slots in the lower-middle part of the plate. This has RGB AURA Sync lighting in the chipset area as it could not be otherwise. Each of the M.2 slots has its own silicone thermal pad, while the chipset features a turbine-type fan. The only thing we did not like is that the entire system is a single piece, which forces us to disassemble it entirely if we want to install an M.2 SSD

We move towards the top of the Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme, where we have a huge heatsink with double axial fan to cool the VRM that is completely hidden under it. In addition, it is extended by means of a copper heatpipe towards the EMI protector, also provided with lighting and an OLED screen that monitors the state of our hardware and BIOS codes.

In the corresponding section on internal connectors we will see everything that this board offers us, but if anything stands out it is the incredible and complete management that we can do of the set through the Arus Sync programs for lighting, Gamefirst V for network, Ramcache III for RAM memory, Sonic Studio III for sound and Armory Crate for all compatible peripherals.

Moving to the back area we will find a large aluminum backplate that covers much of the motherboard except the socket and the bottom area. In it we can see the third M.2 slot that teams with the two front slots. Due to the lack of space, Asus has placed it in the purest ITX style. We see that it does not have a dissipation system, so we should consider it as a last resort to use.

VRM and power phases

We start to delve into this Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme always by the power configuration it uses. And in this case we have a pretty forceful system with no less than 16 power phases for the V_Core along with 4 support for the SoC, which we can see on each side of the DDR4 DIMM slots.

Asus in this case has used a real phase system, although in sets of two MOSFETS for the PWM controller to send 8 real signals instead of 16. The system does not have doublers, so we will not have that delay that they put in the transient response of each power stage. Let's say they are semi-real phases because they are managed 2 to 2.

The MOSFETS that have been used for the 16 main phases are Infineon TDA21472 PoweStage that will individually provide us with 70A in the output current thanks to an input voltage of up to 25V. This implies that the power supply capacity should be above 1300A, as well as a power of approximately 600W, thus solvently covering the needs of these processors with more than 20 cores. Alongside them, we find 16 70A metal chokes and 10K solid capacitors of high quality and durability.

We are not done, because we still have to see the connectors that this Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme uses for the power supply. In this case we have a triple connector, consisting of two typical 8-pin CPUs and a third 6-pin PCIe whose objective is to improve the power of the PCIe slots and storage. We can distinguish the two main ones well because they are reinforced with a steel encapsulation around them. It is not strictly necessary to power the 6-pin PCI, although unless we have a very powerful GPU or multiGPU it would be convenient.

This main VRM has a fairly robust a priori cooling system that includes a dual axial fan on top. However, it seems that these split signal MOSFETS generate slightly more heat than for example the AORUS configuration, which uses exactly the same for the MASTER and EXTREME, resulting in a hotter VRM. Perhaps it is also due to Asus' energy management.

Socket, chipset and RAM memory

Obviously you will already know this section if you have seen a review of the other boards analyzed by us. However, it is worth mentioning the keys to this new platform whose flagship in Asus is the Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme.

The motherboard socket is upgraded for this new generation of AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3000 processors, consisting for now of the 24C / 48T 3960X and the 3270 / 64T 3970X. And the used socket receives the name of sTRX40, which in visual scheme is exactly the same as sTRX4. But despite being the same , it is not compatible with Threadripper 1000 and 2000, so be careful with what we install on it. The reason for this update is justified by AMD with the update to the PCIe 4.0 bus and the 72 PCIe lanes that will reach it, adding the link with the chipset and the expansion slots. To this we must add the 8 DIMM lanes in Quad Channel and 4 USB 3.2 Gen2.

We will see if this socket is capable of lasting when DDR5 and USB 4.0 enter, meanwhile, it will be time to buy a board if we want one of these processors. In any case we also have a new chipset called AMD TRX40, and not X499 as you might think. This chipset continues with a capacity of 24 lanes, this time PCIe 4.0 although with a link to the CPU of no less than 8 lanes instead of 4. The 16 that are free can be divided between 8 USB 3.2 Gen2 and 4 2.0 ports together to 4 SATA 6 Gbps ports, 8 PCIe 4.0 lanes for general purpose and a double Pick One to expand up to 4 SATA ports or one or two PCIe 1 × 4 or 2 × 2 lines.

This, like all new generation boards seen, has assured capacity for 32 GB DDR4 modules. So its maximum capacity is 256 GB in Quad Channel at a maximum speed in this Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme of 4600 MHz thanks to being compatible with XMP OC profiles.

Storage and PCIe slots

One of the main differential aspects that the manufacturer proposes with this Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme is its high capacity for expansion and storage. Although it will be just as important to properly explain the limitations we have, since the PCIe lanes are not infinite.

We will start this time by citing the capacity in terms of slots, of which we find a total of 4 PCIe 4.0 in x16 format. All of them have steel reinforcement as they are intended for use in multiGPU configurations. In fact, we have support for AMD CrossFireX 2 and 3 way and also Nvidia Quad-GPU SLI 2 and 3 way. We may be struck by the fact that it does not have support for quadruple configuration (4-way) since the competition does offer this in its top range, including ASRock in its Creator.

Now we will see why this 3-way configuration is due to seeing the operation:

• 2 PCIe slots (PCIe x16_1 and PCIe x16_3) will work at x16 and will be connected to the CPU (they will be the first and third slot) The second PCIe slot (PCIe x16_2) will work at x8 and will be connected to the CPU The fourth PCIe slot (PCIe x16_4) will work at x8 and is connected to the CPU. But this one shares a bus with the M.2_2 slot and will work at x4 if we have an SSD connected to it.

We see that Asus has opted for a somewhat different configuration than its rivals, since it has been necessary to modify the distribution a bit due to the 5 M.2 available and the USB-C Gen2x2. For this reason, it has chosen to leave out the latest PCIe slot as far as parallel GPU is concerned.

We now continue with the storage, of which we have already anticipated that one of the 5 available M.2 PCIe 4.0 / 3.0 x4 slots shares a bus with a PCIe x16. But we also have 8 6 Gbps SATA III ports that will also need your PCIe lanes. This large capacity is due to integrating three independent slots and another two integrated in the DIMM.2 slot located next to the first memory bank of the board.

Here it will be quite important to know how and where each M.2 and SATA is connected:

• The 1st M.2 slot (M2_1) supports sizes 2242, 2260 and 2280 and is connected to the CPU with 4 lanes independently. The 2nd M.2 slot (M_2) we have seen connects to the CPU and shares a bus with a PCIe. The 3rd rear M.2 slot (M_3) supports sizes 2242, 2260 and 2280 and is connected to the chipset. It shares a bus with SATA 1, 2, 3 and 4 so it will work at x2 if HDDs are connected. The DIMM.2 slot consisting of two M.2 supports sizes 2242, 2260, 2280 and 22110. These two connect directly to the chipset with 8 lanes. SATA ports 1, 2, 3 and 4 are managed by an ASMedia SATA controller, and in turn connected to the M_3 . SATA ports 5, 6, 7 and 8 do not share a bus and will be connected to the chipset.

Well, in this way we already have 12 PCIe lanes of the chipset and 52 lanes of the CPU. With so much connectivity, it has been necessary to implement enough shared buses that we must take into account if we have a lot of storage on the PC. Both M.2 and SATA slots support RAID 0, 1, and 10 configurations natively.

10G and Wi-Fi 6 network connectivity

This was pretty much evidence even before I knew the specs for the top-of-the-range Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme model. We thus have triple network connectivity that we will now identify.

On the rear panel we will find two RJ-45 ports. One of them is connected to an Aquantia AQC107 controller with 10 Gbps bandwidth. The second port will offer us 10/100/1000 Mbps bandwidth thanks to the traditional Intel I211-AT chip. And finally for wireless connectivity, the Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 chip has been installed, with a bandwidth of 2.4 Gbps at 5 GHz and 733 Mbps at 2.4 GHz and Bluetooth 5.0. In this way we will be consuming the remaining 4 lanes that were free in the chipset, which make a total of 16.

As for the sound card, an Asus SupremeFX S1220 codec derived from the Realtek and customized by the manufacturer has been used. This provides us with a maximum sensitivity at the input of 108 dB SNR and up to 120 dB SNR at the output, with a capacity of 8 channels of high definition audio. Next to it, we have a dedicated ESS SABER 9018Q2C DAC for connecting professional level headphones up to 600Ω impedance. The system is compatible with Sonic Studio III and the DTS Sound Bound sound system to generate enhanced 3D sound ideal for gaming.

I / O ports and internal connections

We continue with the connectivity of this Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme, which also comes with many new features in terms of cooling and user interaction.

Starting with the I / O panel we have:

• Button for BIOS Flashback Button Clear CMOS2x antenna outputs Wi-Fi1xUSB Type-C 3.2 Gen2x24x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A (red) 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen24x USB 3.2 Gen1 (blue) 2x RJ-455x 3.5mm Jack for LED-lit audio Optical S / PDIF port

Without a doubt, a fairly complete connectivity in which we have up to 5 Gen2 ports and running at 10 Gbps and a USB-C connected to an ASMedia controller that can go up to 20 Gbps.

In fact, this 2 × 2 USB-C is connected to the remaining 4 lanes that were free on the CPU. In addition, the 4 rear Type-A ports are also connected to the CPU, thus completing the maximum capacity of the CPU. The rest of the ports will be connected to the chipset, like the ones that now follow.

So as internal connectors we have:

• 4x LED headers (2 Addressable RGB and 2 RGB) Front Audio 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A2x USB 3.2 Gen1 (up to 4 USB ports) 2x USB 2.0 (up to 3 USB ports) TPM7x fan headers Noise sensor header 1x temperature sensor header 7x Temperature measurement points Fan controller connector 1x Asus Node connector

We have quite a few headers for expansion ports and of the three generations available, so it will be ideal for advanced chassis. Likewise, we have a dedicated connector to the included card to control the fans, which will basically be an interface similar to the USB to manage these from the system.

This card is FanXpert 4 compatible, and has 6 extra 4-pin connectors for fans and PWM control. The lighting capacity is also not lacking, with 3 included 4-pin headers (those in white) In addition, it includes three temperature sensors that are attached to the 4 arranged on the board. The board can easily be installed in any chassis with 2.5-inch SSD space. Includes an Asus Node connector for PSU or other compatible items.

Finally we have a set of typical controls to turn on and reset the board directly from the PC and to update the BIOS from USB ports. A very complete PCB in terms of user management. Without further ado, let's go to see the evidence.

testing bench

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	AMD Threadripper 3960X
Base plate:	Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme
Memory:	32 GB G-Skill Royal X @ 3200 MHz
Heatsink	Noctua NH-U14S TR4-SP3
HDD	Kingston SKC400
Graphic card	Nvidia RTX 2060 FE
Power supply	Corsair RM1000

As we can see we opted for a state-of-the-art test equipment. We would have liked to mount our traditional Corsair H100i V2, but since we did not have the official support of the AMD microprocessor (we have achieved it in other ways), so we have chosen to mount an excellent NH-U14S Tr4 from the prestigious manufacturer Noctua, which is at the height of any AIO liquid.

The chosen graphics card is the RTX 2060 in its reference version. We believe it is a good option since it is affordable for many mortals and is the one we use for all our tests. For 2020 we will choose to mount a higher graphic, to see if we get an RTX 2080 SUPER.

BIOS

We have always said that ASUS has the best BIOS on the market and we can certify it again. It is the most complete by far, since it is ideal for those of us who love overclocking and want to take our processor down to the last MHz, although personally, age does not forgive me and I hardly have time to play with this wonder. Great job guys!

VRM temperature test and overclocking

We think the cooling system is very good, but we were surprised to see somewhat elevated temperatures this time around the PWM controller of the power phases. Those 77.2 ºC are not serious temperatures, but they do seem somewhat high. It seems to us the only negative point of this motherboard.

Regarding overclocking, we have managed to raise the processor to 4, 400 MHz again with a voltage of 1.5v. As we have already explained in the analysis of the processor, there have been very short tests to test the limit of this processor . We recommend leaving it in stock or uploading it up to 4.3 GHz.

Final words and conclusion about Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme

The ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme offers everything we can ask of a high-end motherboard. It has 16 supply phases, an excellent cooling system, first-rate components and a large overclocking capacity.

The board supports up to 256GB of Quad Channel RAM at 4600MHz, supports AMD CrossfireX and Nvidia SLI, we have 8 SATA connectors, 5 M.2 PCI Express 4.0 connections and an upgraded sound card.

We recommend reading the best motherboards on the market

In our tests we have used an AMD Threadripper 3960X with 24 physical cores. Obviously it is one of the best CPUs on the market and it demands the most from this new generation of motherboards. We have managed to raise it to 4.4 GHz and go past performance.

Regarding connectivity, it has an Aquantia AQC107 10 Gigabit card and an Intel 1 Gigabit card. Also a Wifi 6 AX200 connection signed by Intel and Bluetooth 5. We are facing one of the two best motherboards on the TRX40 platform. That last!

What you will least like is its price of 949 euros. Yes, it is a very high price, but this is a platform for users who need to take advantage of many cores and have a lot of RAM. This motherboard is one of the best and its price is worth it. What do you think of this new ASUS ROG Zenith II Extreme ? We want to know your opinion!

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE	- TEMPERATURE TEST COULD BE BETTER
+ STABLE BIOS	- HIGH PRICE
+ OVERCLOCK CAPACITY
+ RED 10 GIGABIT AND WIFI 6
+ M.2 COOLING

The Professional Review team awards him the platinum medal:

Asus ROG Zenith II Extreme

COMPONENTS - 100%

REFRIGERATION - 80%

BIOS - 95%

EXTRAS - 95%

PRICE - 82%

90%