ASUS X870/X870E Motherboard Roundup & VRM Analysis

Prime

The Prime series is the more cost-effective segment for ASUS, so it trims a few features to keep costs down, such as only having two M.2 heatsinks, despite having four M.2 mounts. The VRM configuration is not as extreme either, and it has fewer Gen5 mounts, using more affordable PCIe 4.0 and 3.0 technology for some features. The VRM is often split into two or three sections, X+Y+Z, with X (the largest number) going to the VCORE for the CPU, Y for the SOC, dealing with PCIe, Storage, and memory, and Z for additional miscellaneous hardware.

The colour scheme normally consists of a black PCB and silver accents through way of the chipset heatsink, VRM cooling which merges into the I/O and M.2 shielding. It’s also aimed at those who are maybe first time builders, and with a big push from ASUS on easier build customisation, there’s some features that have been added to this more budget-friendly range including the built-in I/O cover, BIOS FlashBack functionality, and the various latching technologies, including Q-Latch for your M.2 drives, Q-Antenna for quick attachment and detachment of the WiFi 7 antennas and Q-Release for your top PCI-Express slot, which I’ll be honest is a godsend for reviewers who are constantly swapping out GPUs.

Though the range is classed as affordable, thanks to the chipset, and the little tweaks that ASUS have implemented, you really do get much more for your money now compared to boards of yesteryear, and the Prime range really does tick a lot of boxes for first time builders or system integrators.