ASUS ROG X470 Crosshair VII Hero Preview

Introduction

The AMD Ryzen range brought AMD smack bang up to date with a huge amount of performance on a modern platform, namely the X370 chipset. The success of that has enabled AMD to go all in on the Ryzen platform and they have revised both their Ryzen CPUs and the chipset to bring us a new set of Ryzen 2 CPUs and a new selection of motherboards based around the X470 chipset.

We’ll be bringing you our full reviews of these in the coming days, but for now we’re limited to giving you an overview of the various motherboards that will form part of the first wave. We’d love to hint at the performance you might expect, or the ways in which the Ryzen CPUs have been revised, but until launch day we can’t. Still, it’s always nice to get a glimpse of what will be available to buy by the end of next week and if, like us, you’re interested in seeing how much further AMD have managed to push their Ryzen processors then this might whet your appetite.

First up is the latest model in the famous ASUS ROG Crosshair range, the Crosshair VII Hero (Wi-Fi). Very much a model amongst the top of the new X470 range of motherboards, let’s see how the latest ASUS motherboard stacks up.

Up Close

As is often the case with a preview of something the full literature isn’t always available to the press, so if you’re interested in the nitty gritty of the Crosshair VII Hero then peer intently at the back of the box. You’ll discover that the Crosshair VII Hero supports the upcoming Ryzen 2 with Vega, as well as the original Ryzen as AMD motherboards have a tendency to do. Additionally the X470 has full support for the latest high bandwidth options such as USB 3.1, Bluetooth 4.2, M.2 storage and 5 GHz AC WiFi.

  
  

Opening any premium product should always come with a bit of theatre to it and the ROG range is no exception. Lately they’ve taken to including an piece of cardboard with the logo that is attached to the top of the box, so it’s more like opening a briefcase than just lifting a lid off. It’s a small thing, but it helps to give a premium feel.

  

As with all Republic Of Gamers motherboards you get a huge selection of accessories in the box, including a revised sticker pack. You might be used to the simple “do not disturb” that has been a feature of ROG boards for a while, but the more recent options have taken on a new aesthetic with something bordering on propaganda. Join The Republic indeed.

  
  

If the idea of stickers doesn’t appeal to you and you’d prefer something a little more subtle then you’ll be pleased to note that all the cables in the Crosshair VII Hero box are a stealthy black. As well as the more common cables there is also a useful front panel pin block that makes connecting the lights and buttons on your case to the motherboard a lot simpler than it might otherwise be. Anyone who has ever built their own system will know how fiddly the front panel connectors are.