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ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi

Translate from : ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi

Specifications

• CPU: AMD Socket AM5 for AMD Ryzen™ 7000 Series Desktop Processors
• Chipset: AMD X670
• Memory : 2 x DIMM, Max. 64GB, DDR5 6400+(OC)
• Supports AMD EXTended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO™)
• OptiMem II
• Graphics: 1 x HDMI® port - 2 x USB4 ports support USB Type-C display outputs
• Expansion Slots: 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot(s)
• Storage :
• Total supports 2 x M.2 slots and 2 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
• AMD Ryzen™ 7000 Series Desktop Processors: M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)
• AMD X670 Chipset: M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
• 2 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
• Ethernet: 1 x Intel® 2.5Gb Ethernet
• Wireless & Bluetooth:
• Wi-Fi 6E
• 2x2 Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax)
• Bluetooth v5.2
• USB
• Rear USB (Total 10 ports)
• 2 x USB4 port(s) with Intel® JHL8540 USB4 controller (2 x USB Type-C)
• 5 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (5 x Type-A)
• 3 x USB 2.0 port(s) (3 x Type-A)
• Front USB (Total 3 ports)
• 1 xUSB 3.2 Gen 2 connector (supports USB Type-C)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 header(s) supports additional 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
• ROG STRIX HIVE (Total 2 ports)
• 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port(s) (1 x USB Type-C)
• 1 x USB 2.0 port(s) (1 x Type-A)
• ROG FPS-II C (Total 3 ports)
• 2 x USB 2.0 header(s) additional 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Audio: ROG High Definition Audio CODEC ALC4050

I have trimmed down a bit on the very long list of specifications from the ASUS website here. There is pretty much everything that can crawl and go off features on the map here. A lot more than you normally see on an ITX motherboard. It's also a task that ASUS has been creative in achieving, which we'll look at in a bit.

A tour around the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi

The mITX form factor is the smallest we have on the consumer side in relation to motherboards. The small size usually gives a very natural limit to what you can squeeze onto a motherboard.

However, that challenge has not held ASUS back. The first thing you get an experience of when standing with the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi is that it is a very compact motherboard. The weight is relatively high for an ITX board, and it actually weighs more than some ATX motherboards.

Colors and design are kept in the by now established ASUS ROG style, with black and certain silver gray elements. There is a bit of graphics decoration, but it is quite subdued and not quite as over the top as on some other ASUS ROG cards.

There is no RGB lighting on the card itself, but as expected on an ASUS ROG card, external RGB can of course be connected via either a three-pin ARGB connector or a four-pin RGB connector.

ASUS has worked to create a little more space around the CPU socket. This means that there is better space for coolers than there has been on previous ITX cards from ASUS.

The card is made with a 10+2 power design, and a single eight-pin EPS connector is required for the CPU. There is good cooling for the VRM part of the card, which is equipped with a fairly solid heatsink. Among other things, it is the one that helps to push the weight on the card into the air.

The VRM heatsink goes over the rear connections to maximize surface area and also partially covers the back of the board, with a small backplate on the back of the VRM section. It is also actively cooled with a small fan located in the middle.

It is a trend that also repeats itself on the combined M.2 and chipset cooling, which is located just below the AM5 socket. In order to make room for two M.2 slots on the card, ASUS has chosen to stack them so that they are placed on top of each other.

It is a solution that requires a little work in connection with the installation. However, this means that you don't have to have the one M.2 slot located on the back of the motherboard, which you typically see on ITX motherboards.

There is an M.2 slot that supports PCIe 5.0 and a PCIe 4.0. There are heatsinks for cooling both, and the same cooling solution also covers the chipset, which sits at the bottom of the stack. The whole thing is actively cooled by another small fan that provides circulation for the entire setup.

If you want to supplement the M.2 storage options with SATA, there is an option for a total of two SATA connectors. They are somewhat unconventionally placed on a small riser card, which ASUS calls FPS-II. It connects to the motherboard with two USB C connectors, and allows you to squeeze even more into the limited ITX space.

In addition to the two SATA connectors, the FPS-II card also has two USB 2.0 connectors, a front panel connector, a Clear CMOS jumper, a CPU over Voltage Jumper and an Alteration Mode switch. The last one is practical if you experience problems with older PCIe equipment connected to PCIe 5.0 slots. Via the switch, you can set the motherboard to, by default, use an older PCIe standard.

The addition of the FPS-II card is a smart little detail that shows that ASUS has not wanted to compromise on functionality and features, despite the limited space on an ITX motherboard.

If we look at the connections, which after all, there is room for on the motherboard itself, we get three four-pin PWM connectors for cooling, which are all located at the top of the board.

We get a USB 3.2 Gen 2 type C connector and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 connector. The latter supports two separate USB 3.2 Gen 1 front panel connectors.

If we look at the connections on the back of the card, we get a total of 10 USB ports divided into five USB 3.2 Gen 2, three USB 2.0 and finally two USB4 (type C), which are operated by an Intel JHL8540 USB4 controller. The USB options are supplemented by an HDMI connector for Display out, 2.5G LAN and the connectors for WiFi 6E.

What is very clearly missing on the back is the audio output, of which there is no shadow. This is done because ASUS, again to save space on the motherboard, has chosen not to have any integrated sound card on the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi.

We find the option for sound instead on the external ROG Strix Hive accessory. It is an external control unit that connects to the motherboard with a USB cable. It contains a Realtek ALC4050 audio codec along with an ESS Saber 9260Q DAC. Sound outputs can be found on the side with a 3.5mm combi connector and another 3.5mm connector that can also be used as a digital SPDIF output.

On the top of the ROG Hive unit there is a volume wheel for quick control or mute of the sound. It is supplemented by a flex button, which by default functions as a reset button for the system, but can be set to other functions. There is also a BIOS flashback button that can be used in conjunction with the one of the USB ports that are also on the device. The last button on the top is a button that can control AMD's Precision Boost Overdrive with a single press.

The USB connectors are a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C together with a USB 2.0 Type A, which can be used together with the BIOS Flashback function.

To round things off, there are three status LED lights on the front that can be used as status indicators in relation to any problems with CPU, RAM or other. Just as we see it on many motherboards.

The ROG Strix Hive unit has good rubber feet and stands firmly on the table, but is also magnetic, so you can put it on the side of your case or another magnetic surface if you prefer.

Price

I can currently find the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi with an online price just under DKK 4300. This places it among the most expensive cards on the market on the AM5 platform.

Conclusion

The motherboard is one of the most important areas when assembling a new PC, but it is also, together with the graphics card, one of the areas where you can quickly spend more money than you need.

This is certainly also the case with a motherboard such as the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi, which to that extent is on the expensive end. Having said that, it is also in many ways a rather unique card.

If you are a power user who wants to do a lot with your system and have all the features, then you are typically quickly limited if it is to be a smaller m-ITX system. The limited space on the motherboard typically means that you have to do without some features because there is simply no room for them.

However, ASUS has partly solved that with their rather unique approach, with their stacked M.2 slots, FPS-II Riser and the ASUS ROG Strix Hive unit.

However, it is also the kind of additions that drive the price up. As I see it, it may be worth the price if you are in the small field of high-end enthusiasts who both want a high-end system, but also want it in a small package.

With a motherboard like the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi, it is possible to get the best of both camps. As long as you have the money to pay for it.

We end up with a final score of 9 and an Enthusiast Only award for a super nice little ITX card that, with creative and well-executed solutions, gives us lots of features and options in a small, compact package.

I would have liked to have seen things like 10G LAN included as well, but despite that, the ASUS ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi is one of the most feature-packed ITX motherboards for the Ryzen 7000 series, even if it costs.

Pros:

• USB 4.0
• Unique initiatives such as FPS-II and ROG Strix Hive
• Nice materials and solid build quality

Cons:

• No 10G LAN
• The price