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ASUS · AM5 · X870E

ROG CROSSHAIR X870E APEX

ATX · DDR5 · 2 DIMMs · 18-phase VRM · Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)

Quality
101
VRM
103
Value
27
Amazon
$719
$719
Available Updated 3 days, 16 hours ago Prime FBA
Overall100.6
VRM103.0
Chipset97.0
Expansion / storage107.0
Connectivity105.0
Audio91.0
Quality / price26.6
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Written analysis

ROG CROSSHAIR X870E APEX at a glance

The ROG CROSSHAIR X870E APEX uses the ATX form factor, AM5 socket, and AMD X870E chipset. This is a high-end platform with the feature headroom expected in an enthusiast gaming or productivity build.

Memory support is DDR5 across 2 DIMM slots, with up to 128 GB and rated overclocked speeds up to 9600 MT/s. ECC modules are accepted, subject to CPU support.

Best fit: a premium gaming or creator build that will use the stronger VRM, storage, and I/O rather than simply needing a compatible socket.

Power delivery

The calculated VRM score is 103.0, placing the power delivery in the ultra high-end class. The board lists 18 CPU power phases, 110 A power stages in a 18 + 2 + 2 layout. CPU power input is listed as 2. That is appropriate for sustained high-power CPUs and aggressive tuning when case airflow and VRM cooling are also adequate.

Expansion and storage

The expansion and storage score is 107.0: exceptionally well equipped . The platform supports PCIe 5.0 (when used with AMD Ryzen 9000 & 7000 series CPUs). Physical expansion includes 2 ×16 slots, 1 ×4, and 1 ×1.

On-board storage consists of 5 M.2 slots supporting PCIe 5.0 x4 and PCIe 4.0 x4 (depends on slot and CPU/chipset) and 4 SATA ports. Supported M.2 lengths are listed as 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242, 2230. That is enough NVMe capacity for a multi-drive gaming or creator setup without immediately relying on an add-in card.

Connectivity and rear I/O

The connectivity score is 105.0, rated premium . Wireless networking is Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) ; wired networking is 1 x Realtek 5Gb EthernetASUS LANGuard at up to 5000 Mbps. Bluetooth 5.4 is included. The recorded USB provision is 10 rear connections and 2 front-panel connections. USB4 Type-C is available at the rear. The specification sheet below separates every USB speed and connector type.

Display connectivity includes USB-C DisplayPort. These motherboard outputs require a processor with integrated graphics.

Audio

The audio score is 91.0. This is an ultra-premium onboard implementation based on ALC4080, aimed at users who want strong analogue output without immediately adding a USB DAC. The rear panel has 2 analogue jacks, with gold-plated contacts. Optical S/PDIF is present for digital audio equipment.

Buying verdict

Overall quality is 100.60, placing this board in the specialist flagship class. Its appeal is breadth—power delivery, expansion, I/O, and onboard features—not merely socket compatibility.

At the recorded Amazon price, the quality-to-price score is 26.6. This is a feature-first premium purchase; compare nearby boards if several flagship extras would go unused.

Board data

Full specifications

Platform, expansion, storage, rear I/O, internal headers, networking, audio, and board controls in one sheet.

General

Manufacturer
ASUS
Motherboard
ROG CROSSHAIR X870E APEX
Chipset / socket
AMD X870E / AM5
Form factor
ATX
Launch price
Amazon price
$719
Availability
In stock
Price updated
3 days, 16 hours ago

VRM

CPU phases
18 (110 A)
Power design
18 + 2 + 2
EPS connector
2

Memory

Type / slots
DDR5 / 2 DIMMs
Max capacity / OC
128 GB / 9600 MT/s
Per DIMM
64 GB
XMP / EXPO
Not recorded
ECC
Modules supported

PCIe

Supported version
PCIe 5.0 (when used with AMD Ryzen 9000 & 7000 series CPUs)
x16 physical
2
x16 Gen 5
2
x4 physical
1
x4 Gen 4
1
x1 physical
1
x1 Gen 3
1

Storage

M.2 slots
5
M.2 lengths
22110, 2280, 2260, 2242, 2230
M.2 modes
PCIe 5.0 x4 and PCIe 4.0 x4 (depends on slot and CPU/chipset)
SATA ports
4

Display outputs

HDMI
No
DisplayPort
No
USB-C DisplayPort
Yes · 1.4a · 4K@60Hz

USB

Rear USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
2
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
5
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C 10 Gbps
1
Rear USB4 Type-C
2
Front USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20 Gbps
2
Front USB-C PD
60 W
Header USB 2.0
4
Header USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
4
USB4
Type-C · rear

Networking

Ethernet
1 x Realtek 5Gb EthernetASUS LANGuard
LAN ports
1
LAN speed
5000 Mbps
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Wi-Fi bandwidth
320MHz
Bands
['2.4GHz', '5GHz', '6GHz']
Antenna connectors
2
Bluetooth
5.4

Audio

Chipset
ALC4080
Analog jacks
2
Gold-plated jacks
Yes
Optical S/PDIF
Yes
Spatial audio
No

Buttons

BIOS flashback
Yes
Clear CMOS
Yes
Q-Flash Plus
No
Smart button
No
Onboard start / reset
Start

Additional information

CPU support
AMD Socket AM5 for AMD Ryzen™ 9000 & 8000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors* * Refer to https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/ for CPU support list.
OS support
Windows 11  (22H2 & later)
Memory notes
Supports DDR5 un-buffered memory only. Supports both ECC and non-ECC un-buffered modules (Non-ECC DDR5 uses On-Die ECC). Memory speeds and supported module counts vary by CPU and memory configuration; listed OC speeds depend on CPU family. Supports AMD EXPO (EXPO™) and ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP) for overclocking. For full CPU/memory compatibility and supported speeds, refer to the CPU/Memory Support list at https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/.
Display notes
2 x USB4 (40Gbps) USB Type-C ports support display outputs (DisplayPort over Type-C). Supports max 4K@60Hz as specified by DisplayPort 1.4a. Graphics specifications and supported resolutions (including VGA) vary depending on the CPU or discrete graphics card; refer to AMD CPU specifications for integrated graphics capabilities.
Expansion notes
Maximum supported PCIe generation: PCIe 5.0 (available when using AMD Ryzen 9000 & 7000 series processors). PCIe 5.0 offers roughly double PCIe 4.0 bandwidth and approximately ~64 GB/s total bandwidth for an x16 link (backward compatible with previous PCIe versions). Physical slot summary: two x16 physical slots, one x4 slot (PCIe 4.0 from X870E chipset), and one x1 slot (PCIe 3.0 from chipset). Bandwidth sharing / limitations: the two physical PCIEx16 slots share CPU lanes and can operate in x16 or split modes (supports x16, x8/x8, or x8/x4/x4 depending on CPU and configuration). For some lower-end processors listed (Ryzen 8700/8600/8400 and 8500/8300), the x16 slots are limited to PCIe 4.0 and may disable or reduce the second slot’s bandwidth (e.g., PCIEx16_2 disabled or limited to x4). Specific behaviors noted: when both PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 are populated they run x8/x8; enabling certain M.2 slots (M.2_2, M.2_3) changes lane allocation (can disable PCIEX16_2 or reduce PCIEX16_1 to x8), see the motherboard bifurcation table on ASUS support for exact configurations (https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1037507/).
M.2_1
PCIe 5.0 x4 (Ryzen 9000/7000); PCIe 4.0 x4 (Ryzen 8000) 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280 · From CPU (varies by CPU series)
M.2_2
PCIe 5.0 x4 (Ryzen 9000/7000); Not supported (Ryzen 8000) 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280 · From CPU (varies by CPU series) — When M.2_2 is enabled and M.2_3 is not in use: PCIEX16_1 runs at x8 and PCIEX16_2 is disabled. When M.2_2 and M.2_3 are both enabled: PCIEX16_1 runs at x8 and PCIEX16_2 is disabled. (Also: M.2_2 support depends on CPU — not supported on Ryzen 8000.)
M.2_3
PCIe 5.0 x4 (Ryzen 9000/7000); Not supported (Ryzen 8000) 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280 · From CPU (varies by CPU series) — When M.2_3 is enabled and M.2_2 is not in use: PCIEX16_1 runs at x8 and PCIEX16_2 runs at x4. When M.2_2 and M.2_3 are both enabled: PCIEX16_1 runs at x8 and PCIEX16_2 is disabled. (Also: M.2_3 support depends on CPU — not supported on Ryzen 8000.)
DIMM.2_1
PCIe 4.0 x4 4 · 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 · From X870E Chipset
DIMM.2_2
PCIe 4.0 x4 4 · 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 · From X870E Chipset
Storage notes
Board supports 5 M.2 slots and 4 SATA 6Gb/s ports. Specifications vary by CPU: Ryzen 9000/7000 enable M.2_1/2/3 at PCIe 5.0 x4; Ryzen 8000 only supports M.2_1 at PCIe 4.0 x4 (M.2_2 and M.2_3 are not supported on Ryzen 8000). DIMM.2_1 and DIMM.2_2 are provided by the X870E chipset and support 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 at PCIe 4.0 x4. Lane-sharing rules: enabling M.2_2 or M.2_3 affects PCIEX16_1/PCIEX16_2 as described (see interdependencies entries).
USB notes
Rear: 2x USB4 (40Gbps, Type-C), 6x 10Gbps (5x Type-A + 1x Type-C), 2x 5Gbps Type-A. Front: 2x 20Gbps Type-C (mapped to USB 3.2 Gen 2x2); one front 20Gbps Type-C explicitly supports up to 60W PD/QC4+. Front also provides 2 USB 5Gbps headers supporting 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports and 2 USB 2.0 headers supporting 4 additional USB 2.0 ports (these header-provided ports are counted above as header_ports). PD details/footnote: USB Type-C PD spec noted 5/9/15/20V max 3A, PPS 3.3–21V max 3A. Internal and back-panel IO sections list similar connectors but were not counted separately per instructions.
Audio notes
ROG SupremeFX features: impedance sense for front/rear headphone outputs; jack-detection, multi-streaming, front panel MIC jack-retasking; 120 dB SNR stereo playback and 110 dB SNR recording; supports up to 32-bit/384 kHz playback on front panel. Includes SupremeFX shielding technology, Savitech SV3H712 amplifier, premium audio capacitors, and audio cover. 7.1 output requires a chassis with an HD audio front-panel module. The LINE OUT on the rear does not support spatial audio; spatial audio must be used via front-panel jack or USB audio device.
Networking notes
Wi‑Fi module options: Qualcomm QCNCM865 or MediaTek MT7927; 2x2 Wi‑Fi7 (802.11be); 1 x Wi‑Fi module on board. Wi‑Fi features and 6GHz regulatory/bandwidth may vary by OS and country (Windows 11 24H2+ required for full Wi‑Fi7; Windows 11 21H2/22H2/23H2 only support Wi‑Fi 6E; Windows 10 may lack drivers). Bluetooth version may vary per module. ASUS LANGuard present for the Realtek 5Gb Ethernet port.
Button notes
Additional front/back-panel controls: 2 x BCLK buttons; 1 x BIOS Switch button; 1 x FlexKey button; 1 x Pause switch; 1 x ReTry button; 1 x Safe Boot button; 1 x Start button; 1 x Slow Mode switch; 2 x RSVD switches. Other related jumpers/switches/features: 1 x Alteration PCIe mode switch; 1 x LN2 Mode jumper; 1 x 80 Light Bar jumper; 3 x Addressable Gen2 headers; 12 x ProbeIt measurement points; 1 x 10-1 pin System Panel header; Front Panel Audio header and Thermal Sensor header also present.
Fan / RGB headers
1 CPU · 1 OPT · 1 AIO · 2 chassis · 3 ARGB · — RGB
Thermal sensors
1
Other headers
Front audio · System panel
Accessories
ROG DIMM.2 with Heatsink 1 x ROG DIMM.2 with heatsink 1 x M.2 pad for ROG DIMM.2 2 x M.2 screw package for ROG DIMM.2 Additional Cooling Kit 1 x ROG Memory Fan Kit Miscellaneous 1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna 1 x Q-connector 3 x M.2 Q-Slide package 3 x M.2 rubber package 1 x ROG stickers 1 x ROG thank you card 1 x ROG Bottle Opener Installation Media 1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers Documentation 1 x Quick start guide
Dimensions
ATX Form Factor12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )

Extracted notes sit here. Official manufacturer copy is at the bottom of the page.

Amazon

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VRM fit

VRM-appropriate CPUs

AM5 processors whose TDP sits in this board’s VRM window. Socket match is required; chipset extras still matter on sTR5. This is a power-delivery filter, not a ranked CPU guide.

Open AM5 CPUs in the CPU table

Discussion

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Vendor copy

Official manufacturer data

Raw manufacturer text kept for reference. Structured specs above are extracted from this copy and are the source for scores and tables.

CPU support

AMD Socket AM5 for AMD Ryzen™ 9000 & 8000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors*
* Refer to https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/ for CPU support list.

Memory

2 x DIMM slots, max. 128GB, DDR5
Supports up to
8200+MT/s(OC) with Ryzen™ 9000 Series Processors,
9600+MT/s(OC) with Ryzen™ 8000 Series Processors
8000+MT/s(OC) with Ryzen™ 7000 Series Processors,
ECC and Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory*
Dual channel memory architecture
Supports AMD Extended Profiles for Overclocking (EXPO™)
ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP)
* Supported memory types, data rate (speed), and number of DRAM modules vary depending on the CPU and memory configuration, for more information please refer to CPU/Memory Support list under the Support tab of product information site or visit https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/.
* Non-ECC, un-buffered DDR5 memory supports On-Die ECC function.

Graphics

2 x USB4 ® (40Gbps) ports support USB Type-C ® display outputs*
Graphics specifications may vary between CPU types. Please refer to AMD CPU specifications.
VGA resolution support depends on processors' or graphic cards' resolution.
*Supports max. 4K@60Hz as specified in DisplayPort 1.4a

Expansion slots

AMD Ryzen™ 9000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors*
2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots with Q-Release Slim (supports x16 or x8/x8** or x8/x4/x4 modes***)

AMD Ryzen™ 8700 & 8600 & 8400 Series Desktop Processors*
2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slots with Q-Release Slim (only supports PCIEx16_1 & total bandwidth for x8, PCIEx16_2 will be disabled)
AMD Ryzen™ 8500 & 8300 Series Desktop Processors*
2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slots with Q-Release Slim (only supports PCIEx16_1 & total bandwidth for x4, PCIEx16_2 will be disabled)
AMD X870E Chipset
1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 slot
1 x PCIe 3.0 x1 slot
* Please check the PCIe bifurcation table on the support site (https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1037507/).
**When both PCIEX16_1 and PCIEX16_2 are in use, they will each run in x8 mode.
***When M.2_2 is enabled, but M.2_3 is not in use, PCIEX16_1 will run in x8 mode and PCIEX16_2 will be disabled.
***When M.2_3 is enabled, but M.2_2 is not in use, PCIEX16_1 will run in x8 mode and PCIEX16_2 will run in x4 mode.
***When both M.2_2 and M.2_3 are enabled, PCIEX16_1 will run in x8 mode and PCIEX16_2 will be disabled.
- To ensure compatibility of the device installed, please refer to https://www.asus.com/support/ for the list of supported

Storage

Supports 5 x M.2 slots and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
AMD Ryzen™ 9000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors
M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)
M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)**
M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)**
AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series Desktop Processors
M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (Not supports)
M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (Not supports)
AMD X870E Chipset
DIMM.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
DIMM.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
*  Specifications vary by CPU types.
**When M.2_2 is enabled, but M.2_3 is not in use, PCIEX16_1 will run in x8 mode and PCIEX16_2 will be disabled.
**When M.2_3 is enabled, but M.2_2 is not in use, PCIEX16_1 will run in x8 mode and PCIEX16_2 will run in x4 mode.
**When both M.2_2 and M.2_3 are enabled, PCIEX16_1 will run in x8 mode and PCIEX16_2 will be disabled.

USB

Rear USB (Total 10 ports)
2 x USB4 ® (40Gbps) ports (2 x USB Type-C ® )
6 x USB 10Gbps ports (5 x Type-A + 1 x USB Type-C ® )
2 x USB 5Gbps ports (2 x Type-A)
Front USB (Total 10 ports)
1 x USB 20Gbps (supports USB Type-C ® with up to 60W PD/QC4+)*
1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C ® )
2 x USB 5Gbps headers support 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports
2 x USB 2.0 headers support 4 additional USB 2.0 ports
USB Type-C ® power delivery output: max. 5V/3A
*USB Type-C ® power delivery output: 5/9/15/20V max. 3A, PPS:3.3–21V max. 3A

Internal I/O

Fan and Cooling Related
1 x 4-pin CPU Fan header
1 x 4-pin CPU OPT Fan header
1 x 4-pin AIO Pump header
2 x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers
2 x 4-pin Full Speed Fan headers
1 x W_PUMP+ header
1 x Extra Flow Fan header
Power Related
1 x 24-pin Main Power connector
2 x 8-pin +12V CPU Power connector
1 x 8-pin PCIe Power connector
Storage Related
3 x M.2 slots (Key M)
4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
USB
2 x USB 20Gbps connectors (support USB Type-C ® )
2 x USB 5Gbps headers support 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports
2 x USB 2.0 headers support 4 additional USB 2.0 ports
Miscellaneous
1 x 80 Light Bar jumper
3 x Addressable Gen2 headers
1 x Alteration PCIe mode switch
2 x BCLK button
1 x BIOS Switch button
1 x FlexKey button
1 x Front Panel Audio header (F_AUDIO)
1 x LN2 Mode jumper
1 x Pause switch
12 x ProbeIt Measurement Points
1 x ReTry button
2 x RSVD switches
1 x RSVD_4 header
1 x Safe Boot button
1 x Slow Mode switch
1 x Start button
1 x 10-1 pin System Panel header
1 x Thermal Sensor header

Rear I/O

2 x USB4 ® (40Gbps) ports (2 x USB Type-C ® )
6 x USB 10Gbps ports (5 x Type-A + 1 x USB Type-C ® )
2 x USB 5Gbps ports (2 x Type-A)
1 x Wi-Fi module
1 x Realtek 5Gb Ethernet port
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
2 x Gold-plated audio jacks
1 x Optical S/PDIF out port
1 x BIOS FlashBack™ button
1 x Clear CMOS button

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7 (Qualcomm QCNCM865 or MediaTek MT7927)*
2x2 Wi-Fi 7** (802.11be)
Supports 2.4/5/6GHz frequency band***
Supports Wi-Fi 7 320MHz bandwidth
Bluetooth ® v5.4****

*The actual Wi-Fi module that comes with this motherboard may vary, please refer to the label on the product for more details.
**Wi-Fi features may vary depending on the operating system
For Windows 11, Wi-Fi 7 will require  24H2 or later version for full functions, Windows 11 21H2/22H2/23H2 only support Wi-Fi 6E.
For Windows 10, please note that no driver is available, refer to the Wi-Fi chipset vendor's website for details.
*** Wi-Fi 6GHz frequency band and bandwidth regulatory may vary between countries.
**** The Bluetooth ® version may vary, please refer to the Wi-Fi module manufacturer's website for the latest specifications.

Audio

"ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC ALC4080*
- Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs
- Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel MIC Jack-retasking
- High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 110 dB SNR recording input
- Supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback on front panel"
Audio Features
- SupremeFX Shielding Technology
- Savitech SV3H712 AMP
- Gold-plated audio jacks
- Rear optical S/PDIF out port
- Premium audio capacitors
- Audio cover
* A chassis with an HD audio module in the front panel is required to support 7.1 Surround Sound audio output.
** The LINE OUT port on the rear panel does not support spatial audio. If you wish to use spatial audio, make sure to connect your audio output device to the audio jack on the front panel of your chassis or use a USB interface audio device.

Special features

Extreme OC Kit
- FlexKey button
- LN2 Mode
- ProbeIt
- ReTry button
- Safe boot button
- Start button
- Slow Mode
Extreme Engine Digi+
- SMD Capacitor
- MicroFine alloy choke
ASUS Q-Design
- M.2 Q-Latch
- M.2 Q-Release
- M.2 Q-Slide
- Q-Release Slim (with PCIe SafeSlot)
- Q-Antenna
- Q-Code
- Q-Connector
- Q-Dashboard
- Q-DIMM
- Q-LED (CPU [red], DRAM [yellow], VGA [white], Boot Device [yellow green])
ASUS Thermal Solution
- M.2 heatsink backplate
- M.2 heatsink
- VRM heatsink design
- Metal backplate
ASUS EZ DIY
- Backplate
- BIOS FlashBack™ button
- Clear CMOS button
- CPU Socket lever protector
- ProCool II
- Pre-mounted I/O shield
- SafeSlot
- SafeDIMM
Aura Sync
- Addressable Gen2 header(s)
Front Panel USB 20Gbps with Quick Charge 4+ Support
- Support: up to 60W fast charging and USB Wattage Watcher*
- Output: 5/9/15/20V max. 3A, PPS:3.3–21V max. 3A
- Compatible with PD3.0 and PPS
* To support 60W, please install the power cable to the 8-pin PCIe power connector or else only 27W will be supported.

Accessories

ROG DIMM.2 with Heatsink
1 x ROG DIMM.2 with heatsink
1 x M.2 pad for ROG DIMM.2
2 x M.2 screw package for ROG DIMM.2
Additional Cooling Kit
1 x ROG Memory Fan Kit
Miscellaneous
1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
1 x Q-connector
3 x M.2 Q-Slide package
3 x M.2 rubber package
1 x ROG stickers
1 x ROG thank you card
1 x ROG Bottle Opener
Installation Media
1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers
Documentation
1 x Quick start guide