Asus ws x570

Asus WS X570-ACE is for us one of the most interesting boards that Asus has released under this new X570 platform. It is a board that is mainly aimed at users professions and Workstation, something that is evident with its specification "WS". And it is not just for the design, since it offers us something different from the rest, such as a third PCIe 4.0 connected to the chipset on x8 bus instead of the typical x4. Likewise, it includes a double Gigabit Ethernet connection and a PCIe 3.0 x4 U.2 port to increase the possibilities substantially.

We will see this and much more in our analysis, but first we must thank Asus, a great trusted partner who has sent us practically all their X570 boards to do our analysis.

Asus WS X570-ACE technical characteristics

Unboxing

For Asus WS X570-ACE, a presentation has been chosen consisting of a thick cardboard box fully printed in black and blue colors along with a photo of the plate in the front area. If we turn it around, then we will find the most relevant information about the product as it happens in other models.

We always open the box in a box configuration, and we find the plate tucked inside the corresponding thick plastic bag and padding in the entire area around it so that it is not damaged. Just below we have the rest of the accessories of the bundle, which consists of the following:

• Asus WS X570-ACE motherboard User manual Support DVD 4x SATA 6 Gbps cables Screw for M.2 drive installation Rear I / O panel protector Graphics card holder

In this case we do not have relative RGB lighting accessories, due to the fact that it does not have this type of connectors or system. Being oriented for professional use, we do have 4 SATA cables, 2 more than normal models. And look, an Ethernet network cable would have been very useful, since we are talking about professional use.

A rather interesting element is the two-way GPU holder, it is a grid that is anchored to the expansion slots and can hold up to two graphics cards. In addition, compatibility with a 120mm fan is added to better cool two cards that are relatively close together. Supports GPUs up to 129mm long and 59mm thick.

Design and specifications

Asus WS X570-ACE is a motherboard oriented as we say for professional use, and we can already see this from the moment we analyze its exterior design. The set is characterized by having a black color in practically the entire board and its heatsinks, very discreet, although with enough quality.

In fact, another element that is optimized for servers is the design of its heatsinks. If you look, they are all quite short, with very flat designs and also remarkably finned blocks with horizontal grooves, especially in the VRM. The usefulness of doing so is to allow the incoming air from the possible flat racks to bathe the entire surface better. Additionally, the two phase heatsinks are connected with a copper heat pipe to maximize performance.

Heatsink has been included in one of the M.2 slots, specifically the x4 that is connected to the CPU. The X570 chipset continues to have heatsink and forced ventilation using a turbine-type fan that generates greater efficiency in air flow. Finishing off with the basic design, we see steel gussets on all PCIe x16 slots and also on DIMM slot brackets.

Asus has implemented centralized management software called Asus Control Center Express. It is designed at the server level and works in conjunction with the Realtek RTL 8117 network chip that functions as an IT management controller. It allows out-of-band management, or what is the same, advanced control of the system remotely, for example, installation and update of operating systems, update and configuration of the BIOS, and solution and monitoring of problems.

We leave you an image of the rear view of the motherboard. How it looks!

VRM and power phases

The VRM is one of the most interesting areas of this Asus WS X570-ACE board, since it presents quality levels typical of the Asus top of the range as we will now see. We are then faced with a VRM of 12 + 2 power phases that receive power through a single 8-pin ESP connector with ProCool II technology. In this case, we have solid pins, plus a metal reinforcement to dissipate heat and a warning LED diode with a BIOS POST message that tells us if the power connection is wrong. We only find it curious to have only an 8-pin connector, but we imagine that it will be as optimization for Workstation enclosures.

In the first power stage, we have top quality 12 + 2 DC-DC IR3555 PowlRstage MOSFETS built by Infineon. These stages have an integrated controller inside, a Schottky diode that supports MOSFET and synchronous MOSFET control. The input voltage range is 4.5V to 15V, while the output range is 0.25V to 5.5V. They have a maximum output capacity of 60A of intensity at an operating frequency of 1 MHz. Without a doubt, one of the best on the market for this generation of boards.

As a MOSFETS control system, the digital method to control the PWM voltage using a DIGI + EPU has been used as always . This is a programmable chip that intelligently manages voltage and frequency modulation with adjustments directly in the BIOS that allow more secure and stable overclocking.

In the stage of energy stabilization and throttling with alloy CHOKES and solid capacitors that are designed to withstand temperatures above 100 degrees with a performance commensurate with the quality this board deserves. As if that were not enough, Asus has made a plate of not 5, but 8 layers of copper with electrical pathways to improve the cooling of the substrate and the ability to transmit current

It seems to us a step back from ASUS that I only have an 8-pin EPS connection. It seems fair to us if we want to install an AMD Ryzen 9… hopefully they will rethink this detail with a new revision.

Chipset socket and ram memory

In this section we also have some interesting improvements when it comes to RAM. And it offers compatibility with typical ECC (Error Correction Code) memories on servers, where special stability and performance are required in the face of long stress processes. The high frequencies of the RAM memories cause more errors to be generated in the data.

In addition to this, the Asus OptiMem technology that you already know has been implemented, optimizing the communication between PCH Infinity Fabric and RAM. But we still have the basics, and again Asus WS X570-ACE supports a total of 128 GB DDR4 at a maximum frequency of 4400 MHz (OC) supporting JEDEC profiles with factory overclocking. As on other occasions, if we install 2nd Gen Ryzen, the frequency is limited to 3600 MHz, and in APU to 3200 MHz.

Regarding the socket and compatibility, we do not have any news, being the traditional PGA AM4 available from the first Ryzen, although with improvements. It supports 2nd and 3rd generation AMD Ryzen processors , and 1st and 2nd generation Ryzen APUs with integrated Radeon Vega graphics. On the Asus support page you will have a list of supported Memory and Processors.

And as you will see later, this AMD X570 chipset board offers some new features that we have not yet seen in any of the boards that we have analyzed, in terms of PCIe connectivity. In any case, the specifications of this one are the same as in other cases, a powerful chip with 20 LANES PCIE 4.0 at a maximum of 2000 MB / s bidirectional. They will join the 24 LANES of 3rd generation Ryzen processors to support more than 8 USB 3.1 Gen2 ports, and much more. This chipset has a quiet fan with L10 bearings with more than 60, 000 hours of life. In turn, the aluminum heat sink is finned configuration.

Storage and PCI slots

Now it's time to talk about all those news that we have anticipated in the storage and slots section, but there are a few. We were getting bored of always writing the same plate after plate.

Let's start with the storage section of Asus WS X570-ACE. The novelty is that a U.2 connector has been included under the PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe bus, eye we have said 3.0, so its theoretical speed is 32 Gbps. This internal port is connected to the X570 chipset, as well as the 4 6 Gbps SATA III ports and an M.2 slot (M2_2) that this time works at x2 under the PCIe 4.0 bus, this is the one found at the end lower.

The first M.2 slot (M2_1) works on the PCIe 4.0 x4 bus as normal and current since it is directly connected to the CPU. Supports both NVMe and SATA 6Gbps SSDs, and sizes 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110. This chipset offers RAID 1, 0, and 10 compatibility, as always.

After storage, let's see how the PCIe slots are distributed, all of them 4.0. We start as always by providing information from the two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots connected to the CPU, which will work as follows:

• With 3rd Gen Ryzen CPUs, the slots will work in 4.0 to x16 / x0 or x8 / x8 mode. With 2nd Gen Ryzen CPUs, the slots will work in 3.0 to x16 / x0 or x8 / x8 mode. With 1st and 2nd Gen Ryzen APUs.. and Radeon Vega graphics, will work in 3.0 to x8 / x0 mode. So second PCIe x16 slot will be disabled for APU

Then we will have a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot and another PCIe 4.0 x1 (PCIe_1) that will be connected to the chipset in this way:

• The PCIe x16 slot will work in 4.0 to x8 mode, so you will have 8 lanes available This PCIe x1 slot will work in 3.0 or 4.0 with only one lane available. But we must bear in mind that it shares a bus with the M2_2, so it will only work at x1 if we have something connected to PCIe_1.

Otherwise, we have no further limitations when it comes to bus. We see that Asus has squeezed the maximum chipset and CPU with a lot of connectivity, highlighting the possibility of working at x8 / x8 / x8. The board is compatible with AMD CrossFireX 3-way and Nvidia SLI 2-way.

Network connectivity and sound card

We continue commenting on the characteristics of the Asus WS X570-ACE, and now we come to the section on network connectivity and sound, where there are also interesting elements, as is normal on a motherboard superior to the PRIME-P and PRIME-Pro series.

Starting with the network ports, this time we have a double RJ-45, both operating at 10/100/1000 Mbps bandwidth. The first port is controlled by an Intel I211-AT chip, while the second port is controlled by a Realtek RTL8117. It is a clearly Workstation-oriented choice, we already commented at the beginning that the RTL8117 also implements an on-board IT control system to optimize network resources. Let's say it is the Asus LAN Guard oriented to the professional field.

For the sound configuration, Asus has placed a high-end codec such as the Realtek S1220A with Crystal Sound 3 technology under the hood. And is that this chip has an EMI protection system to avoid interference and electric shock. The system is completed with high quality solid Japanese capacitors for the 8 available audio channels. Supports 120 dB SNR on signal / noise output and 113 dB SNR on input line, in addition to 32-bit and 192 kHz playback. Nor could the LED lighting strip of the sound card be missing, since we even ignored it.

Unfortunately on this board we do not have support for 2230 CNVi Wi-Fi cards, which would have been a great detail in the case of a board oriented to the professional field. In any case, we have enough PCIe slots to fit a high-powered Wi-Fi card.

I / O ports and internal connections

Now let's see what ports are in the Asus WS X570-ACE I / O panel:

• 1x Display Port 1.2 (4096 × 2160 @ 60Hz) 1x HDMI 2.0b (4096 × 2160 @ 24Hz) 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 (blue) 4x USB 3.1 Gen2 (turquoise) 1x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C2x RJ-45S / PDIF for audio digital5x 3.5mm audio jack

If we look at the photo, we must take into account that the USB 3.1 Gen1 ports (blue) that are under the first RJ-45 will work at 10 Gbps only with Ryzen 3rd Gen processors, while, with the rest, they will do so at 3.1 Gen1. In general we can see that we lose some extra USB ports due to the fact that the PCIe lanes have been used for other connectors, but almost all offer 10 Gbps capacity, which is very good.

And the main internal ports will be the following:

• 2x USB 2.0 (with up to 4 ports) 2x USB 3.1 Gen1 (with up to 2 ports) Front audio connector 7x headers for ventilation (1 for pump and 6 for fans) TPM connector Asus NODE connector

The distribution of USB ports that Asus has made between chipset and CPU are as follows:

• X570 chipset: 4 USB 3.1 Gen2 (turquoise) and USB Type-C I / O panel, 4 internal USB 2.0. CPU: 2 rear panel USB 3.1 Gen1 (blue) and 1 internal USB 3.1 Gen1

As always, all the fan and pump headers have an overvoltage protection circuit. Asus has placed temperature sensors on all three PCIe x16s, on the socket and chipset, and in the lower right corner. The entire system will be manageable through Asus Fan Xpert 4.

testing bench

In this case the components that we have used in this Asus WS X570-ACE are the following:

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	AMD Ryzen 9 3900X
Base plate:	Asus WS X570-ACE
Memory:	16GB G.Skill Trident Z RGB Royal DDR4 3600MHz
Heatsink	Stock
HDD	Corsair MP500 + NVME PCI Express 4.0
Graphic card	Nvidia RTX 2060 Founders Edition
Power supply	Corsair AX860i.

BIOS

As expected ASUS offers us a very stable BIOS that works very well from day one. Although we already know the problems of high voltages in this first revision, we can always modify it manually and gain temperature.

We did not find anything new, it allows us to overclock (null in these Ryzen 3000), monitor both voltages and temperatures and configure almost any option on the motherboard. We look forward to those new bios that better tune these AMD Ryzen 3000 processors.

Overclocking and temperatures

As in other cases, we have not been able to upload the installed processor at a faster speed than what it offers in stock, it is something that we have already commented in the review of the processors and the rest of the boards. However, we have decided to do a 12-hour test with Prime95 to test the 12 + 2 phases of powering this board with the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X 6-core CPU with its stock heatsink.

Similarly, we have taken a thermal capture with our Flir One PRO to measure the temperature of the VRM externally. In the following table you will have the results that have been measured in the VRM during the stress process. Via software it has given us the following temperatures:

Temperature	Relaxed Stock	Full Stock
Asus WS X570-ACE	37 ºC	54 ºC

Final words and conclusion about Asus WS X570-ACE

The Asus WS X570-ACE leaves us with a very sweet and sour taste. We really liked 12 + 2 power phases for AMD Ryzen 9, its sober aesthetics, a correct cooling system for the hottest components and a capacity of up to 128 GB of DDR4 memory.

We believe Asus has sinned to include a single 8-pin EPS connection. The ideal would have been to opt for an 8 + 4 or 8 + 8 EPS. We do not know the reason for choosing this “justita” power supply for a computer destined for the workstation and destined to work for a long time at maximum performance.

We recommend reading the best motherboards on the market

In terms of temperatures, things have gone well, although in other models we have had better temperatures. But they seem quite correct considering that I had an AMD Ryzen 9 3900X installed.

We are missing more SATA III connections and a Wifi 802.11 AX connection. They are small details that can make the difference between choosing a Crosshair or Strix model before this Workstation. We also miss a Thunderbolt 3 connection…

Its price in online stores is 320 euros and we believe it is in a very competitive price range. I personally like the motherboard very much, but first I would buy a Strix and disable the RGB lights. What do you think about the Asus WS?

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ EXCELLENT VRM	- ONLY ONE EPS CONNECTION
+ PERFORMANCE	- LOW SATA III CONNECTIONS
+ DISSIPATION	- HIGH PRICE
+ PCI EXPRESS NVME 4.0.
+ IMPROVED SOUND AND DUAL LAN

The Professional Review team awards him the gold medal:

Asus WS X570-ACE

COMPONENTS - 84%

REFRIGERATION - 80%

BIOS - 81%

EXTRAS - 80%

PRICE - 80%

81%