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Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/11685/amd-threadripper-x399-motherboards



With the release of AMD’s Threadripper CPUs into the HEDT market, board partners have released new motherboards based on the X399 chipset. Consumers are going to see quad channel memory, native 4-Way SLI and Crossfire capabilities, more full-speed M.2 slots, added 10G network ports, and more on the new platform. We're taking a quick look at each of the motherboards that the vendors are promoting in the market, as well as a few upcoming teasers.

Related Reading

AMD Ryzen Threadripper Needs a Mother(board)

A big takeaway from our AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X and 1950X review is the increase in CPU connected PCIe 3.0 lanes. A full 60 lanes are available to the PCIe slots and M.2 drives, while 4 lanes head off to the chipset where it's muxed for USB, SATA, low-level I/O, and other features. The increase in CPU PCIe lanes is set up to allow for a lot more flexibility connecting devices using PCIe bandwidth. 

The four major players, ASRock, ASUS, GIGABYTE, and MSI, have launched X399 motherboards for Threadripper. These boards equip the massive 4094-pin socket with eight DIMM slots to cover the four memory channels and then differentiate themselves in PCIe configuration, IO, styling and software support. 

Unlike Ryzen, the base processor is not a true SoC as the term has evolved over the years. In order to get the compliment of SATA and USB ports, each Threadripper CPU needs to be paired with an X399 chipset. So aside from the CPU PCIe lanes, the 'new' X399 chipset also gets some IO to play with:

Unlike mainstream platforms that have several chipsets to choose from that vary in capability and cost, the AMD high-end platform only has a single chipset, similar to Intel's X299. As we've learned over the last few months, some elements of the motherboard base cost, such as the socket, can cost a pretty penny to the board manufacturers, which in turn will be forwarded on to the user. These motherboards appear to start somewhere around $249-$299, with the top board so far set at $549. Guess which one AMD sent us for our CPU review.

The Underlying Block Diagram

When PCIe is the game, it becomes time to play with controllers and ports to see what fits. It all starts with the underlying diagram for Threadripper and X399:

AMD's marketing on the left is set out to explain that each product in the Threadripper and X399 line will be 'fully enabled' - none of the chips will be limited in PCIe lane counts or DRAM for the sake of segmentation. AMD is happy at this point to keep segmentation limited to cores, frequency, and L3 cache.

The diagram shows the two hubs for everything to connect to: the CPU and the chipset. The CPU has 60 PCIe lanes, provided in 3 or 4 PCIe root complexes at x16 each (the diagram above suggests x16/x8/x16/x8). These will often go towards the main PCIe slots to support add-in cards like GPUs, or they could be partitioned off for RAID controllers or fast ethernet if required. In total, AMD has stated that the platform can support six GPUs maximum. The CPU also supports eight USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) Type-A ports, quad channel DDR4, and support for up to three PCIe 3.0 x4 storage drives for 3-way NVMe.

Threadripper CPUs reserve four PCIe lanes for the chipset, which similar to Intel acts like a PCIe switch for more IO - although AMD only offers a few lanes here compared to Intel's 24 PCIe 3.0 x4 lanes. 

From the chipset there are eight PCIe lanes, which AMD here has suggested reserving two for gigabit Ethernet, four for a PCIe x4 slot, one for a PCIe x1 slot, and one for a WiFi module. Alongside the PCIe lanes are eight SATA ports, six USB 2.0 ports, four USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) Type-A ports, one USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) Type-C port and two USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) ports with appropriate redrivers. In a change to what we normally see on Intel motherboards, AMD lists SPI and Audio features as coming from the CPU rather than the chipset.

AMD Suggests Variants

As part of the launch, AMD is wanting to promote the different ways in which an X399 motherboard could be arranged depending on the workload requirements.

X399 Potential Configurations
  Use PCIe Lanes Total
Content Creator 2 x Pro GPUs
2 x M.2 Cache Drives
10G Ethernet
1 x U.2 Storage
1 x M.2 OS/Apps
6 x SATA Local Backup
x16/x16 from CPU
x4 + x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
From Chipset
52 Lanes
Extreme PC 2 x Gaming GPUs
1 x HDMI Capture Card
2 x M.2 for Games/Stream
10G Ethernet
1 x M.2 OS/Apps
6 x SATA Local Backup
x16/x16 from CPU
x8 from CPU
x4 + x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
From Chipset
56 Lanes
Streamer 1 x Gaming GPU
1 x HDMI Capture Card
2 x M.2 Stream/Transcode
10G Ethernet
1 x U.2 Storage
1 x M.2 OS/Apps
6 x SATA Local Backup
x16 from CPU
x4 from CPU
x4 + x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
From Chipset
40 Lanes
Render Farm 4 x Vega FE Pro GPUs
2 x M.2 Cache Drives
1 x M.2 OS/Apps
6 x SATA Local Backup
x16/x8/x8/x8
x4 + x4 from CPU
x4 from CPU
From Chipset
52 Lanes

Each of these potential configurations would run into several thousand dollars a piece for a full build - the M.2 drives were suggested at 512GB minimum, with the SATA drives in RAID configurations as well. AMD is making no joke; they want to be the premium platform.

New Controllers for X399

With each of these motherboard overviews, we like to cover a few of the newer controllers to hit the market that motherboard manufacturers might take advantage of. Given the recent X299 launch on the Intel side, not much has changed since. The big parts to enter the consumer space are Aquantia's multi-gigabit ethernet controllers.

Aquantia launched two ethernet controllers: the AQC107 which supports 100MB, 1G, 2.5G, 5G and 10G, and the AQC108 which supports 100MB, 1G, 2.5G and 5G, all through standard RJ45 connectors. Motherboard manufacturers can use these controllers directly on the boards, or bundle them in add-in cards like the AQN107 and AQN108 above. We've seen cards from ASUS and GIGABYTE already hit the market based on these controllers, while ASRock and MSI prefer to integrate them direct.

The second controller worth mentioning is the updated ASMedia ASM3142 controller, providing USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) functionality to motherboards that need more USB 3.1g2. Originally we saw the ASM1142 single lane controller, while the ASM2142 integrated a dual lane design such that all the ports had peak bandwidth when multiple ports are in use. ASM3142 is a low powered version of the ASM2142, but still supporting all the ports at peak bandwidth.

Third is the updated Realtek ALC1150 audio codec, known as the ALC1220. The ALC1220 improves peak SNR while adding new functionality. ASUS run a customized version known as the ALC1220A, which removes some of the excess function for a stripped down version unique to them but configured in a partnership with Realtek.

The Motherboards

The seven motherboards we have to discuss are:

  • The ASRock X399 Taichi
  • The ASRock X399 Professional Gaming
  • The ASUS X399 ROG Zenith Extreme
  • The ASUS Prime X399-A
  • The ASUS Strix X399-E Gaming
  • The GIGABYTE X399-Gaming 7
  • The MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon
  • The MSI X399 SLI Plus

Added on 9/19: The GIGABYTE X399 Designare EX

Added on 10/10: The MSI X399 SLI Plus



ASRock 

No stranger to the fray, ASRock is ready with the launch of two boards, the X399 Professional Gaming and X399 Taichi. Both boards share features but have enough differences to separate them in the product stack. The Pro Gaming adds 10 Gigabit Ethernet to its two Gigabit NICs and supports Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 3, while the Taichi aims to be a more mid-range board, by sticking with dual Gigabit NICs and uses Purity Sound 4. The styling is a little different too.

ASRock X399 Professional Gaming 

The high-end board from ASRock will be the Professional Gaming. It also carries the Fatal1ty name, due to ASRock’s never-ending association with a pro-gamer from the turn of the century.

 

On the aesthetic side, the X399 Professional Gaming has a black PCB accented with gray heatsinks and grey stenciling where the M.2 slots are located. The memory slots are black, along with the rear IO cover that extends down the board. There are two heatsinks to cool the VRMs, connected by a heatpipe, and one reaches near to the rear IO. The chipset heatsink is not connected as part of the VRM cooling, but consumes a fairly large portion of the board and looks a bit like a play button. As with the fascination with RGB, the Professional Gaming has a few under the chipset heatsink. Users can add more RGB LEDs via two headers, and control them all through ASRock's RGB LED application.

The Professional Gaming has support for both NVIDIA 4-Way SLI and AMD 4-Way Crossfire with full-length PCIe slots. These have additional reinforcement to prevent sag or bending due to heavy PCIe cards during transit – the reinforcement is what ASRock calls its ‘Steel Armor’. The PCIe slots give an x16/x8/x16/x8 configuration from top to bottom, using 48 of the 60 PCIe lanes from the processor. The rest of the lanes are allocated to storage: there are a total of three M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slots, one of which is shared/switched with a U.2 connector. For other storage, there are eight SATA ports from the chipset that natively support RAID 0/1/10.

 

For added features, the X399 Professional Gaming jumps past the ever-present Gigabit Ethernet and uses an Aquantia AQC107 10 Gigabit LAN controller to appeal to users that want to invest in 10GbE. This is paired with two Intel I211AT network controllers, and all three can do regular gigabit Ethernet duties. If three Ethernet ports were not enough, also included is an integrated Intel AC8265 2x2 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi module, to handle wireless duties.

ASRock provided chipset diagram for the Pro Gaming to show how it breaks down all the bandwidth:

For power delivery, ASRock uses a digital 11 phase International Rectifier solution, along with IR DrMOS for monitoring VRM current and temperature. Distributing power to the VRMs are two EPS 12V connectors, an 8-pin and a 4-pin, although the system will work with only the 8-pin installed. Typically we see EPS connectors oriented close to each other at the top of the motherboard, but here the connectors are located on opposite sides of the socket. As shown above, the 8-pin is in the upper right-hand corner above the DIMM slots, while the supplemental 4-pin is in the more familiar location at the top left-hand corner. ASRock asserts this creates a wider trace for the CPU VRM, bringing better power delivery efficiency and lowering temperatures. 

For USB connectivity, the Professional Gaming has three USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-A ports on the rear, one USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-C port on the rear, two USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) headers for front panel ports, and two USB 2.0 headers for front panel ports.

Fatal1ty X399 Professional Gaming
Warranty Period 3 Years
Product Page Link
Price $439.99
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4 Slots, up to 3600 MT/s
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Network Connectivity 1 x Aquantia AQC107 10 Gigabit LAN
2 x Intel I211AT GbE
Wireless Network 802.11 ab/g/n/ac Dual-Band (2.4/5 GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2
Onboard Audio Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots 4 x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x8/x16/x8) from CPU
2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 from Chipset
Onboard SATA 8 x SATA 6 Gbps
Supporting RAID 0/1/5/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4 (disables M2_1 when in use)
USB 3.1 1 x Type-A , 1 x Type-C (Rear Panel)
USB 3.0 8 x Rear Panel, 4 x via internal headers
USB 2.0 4 x via internal headers
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin ATX
1 x 8-pin CPU
1 x 4-pin CPU
Fan Headers 1 x CPU 1A/12W Max. (4-pin)
1 x CPU Opt/Water Pump 1.5A/18W Max. (4-pin)
2 x Chassis (4-pin)
1 x Chassis Opt/Water Pump 1.(4-pin)
IO Panel 2 x Antenna Ports
1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port (10 Gb/s)
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port (10 Gb/s)
8 x USB 3.0 Ports
4 x USB 3.0 Ports
3 x RJ-45 LAN Ports w/ LED
1 x BIOS Flashback Switch
HD Audio Jacks


ASRock X399 Taichi

The X399 Taichi is configured at a lower point down the ASRock product stack from the Professional Gaming. The Taichi forgoes 10 Gigabit Ethernet, and instead of the Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 3 suite for audio the Taichi uses Purity Sound 4 and a Realtek ALC1220 Codec. 

Normally we associate ASRock’s Taichi models with black and white, but this time ASRock has made the board white and grey and drawing attention to the fact that the LEDs can be white if needed. So this means the X399 Taichi has a black PCB with gray accents in the shape of cogs on the PCB area between the PCIe slots and around the chipset heatsink. The DRAM slots are black, while the dual heatsinks for the VRM stretch around to the rear IO via a heatpipe are gray. Much like the Professional Gaming, the only integrated RGB LEDs are under the chipset heatsink, although there are two RGB LED headers for connecting additional RGB strips, all of which can all be controlled by the RGB LED application bundled with the board. 

 

Just like the Professional Gaming, the Taichi supports up to 4-Way SLI and 4-Way Crossfire, with the PCIe slots reinforced using ASRock’s ‘Steel Slot’ protection. From top to bottom, the PCIe slots offer x16/x8/x16/x8 connectivity, taking 48 of the 60 PCIe lanes from the chipset. The final twelve are dedicated to storage with three onboard PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots, one of which is switched with a U.2 connector. Other storage connectivity comes from eight SATA ports, supporting RAID 0/1/10.

The X399 Taichi uses two Intel I211AT gigabit Ethernet controllers, as well as an Intel 3168 1x1 802.11ac WiFi module.

In an almost copy-paste of the Pro Gaming, the Taichi uses the same digital 11 phase IR solution, along with the same EPS placement on the board. USB connectivity on the Taichi is the same as well, with three USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-A ports on the rear panel, one USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) Type-C port on the rear panel, two onboard USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) headers for the front panel, and two USB 2.0 headers as well. 

ASRock X399 Taichi
Warranty Period 3 Years
Product Page Link
Price $339.99
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4 Slots, up to 3600 MT/s
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Network Connectivity 2 x Intel I211AT GbE
Wireless Network 802.11 ab/g/n/ac Dual-Band (2.4/5 GHz)
Bluetooth 4.2
Onboard Audio Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots 4 x PCIe 3.0 (x16/x8/x16/x8) from CPU
1 x PCIe 2.0 x1 from Chipset
Onboard SATA 8x Supporting RAID 0/1/5/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4
(disables M2_1 when in use)
USB 3.1 1 x Type-A, 1 x Type-C (Rear Panel)
USB 3.0 8 x Rear Panel, 4x via internal headers
USB 2.0 4 x via internal headers
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin ATX
1 x 8-pin CPU
Fan Headers 1 x CPU (4-pin)
1 x CPU Opt/Water Pump (4-pin)
2 x Chassis (4-pin)
1 x Chassis Opt/Water Pump (4-pin)
IO Panel 2 x Antenna Ports
1 x PS/2 Mouse/Keyboard Port
1 x Optical SPDIF Out Port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A Port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C Port
8 x USB 3.0 Ports
4 x USB 3.0 Ports
2 x RJ-45 LAN Ports w/ LED
1 x BIOS Flashback Switch
HD Audio Jacks


ASUS

ASUS enters the Threadripper arena with two motherboards available at launch: the Republic of Gamers Zenith Extreme and the Prime X399-A. A third board, the ROG Strix X399-E, is set to follow. 

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) X399 Zenith Extreme

The first board, the ROG Zenith Extreme, is positioned at the top of the ASUS X399 product stack. As is typical with ASUS Extreme motherboards, the aim is to include considerable numbers of features to support the high-end positioning. This means overengineering, extra cooling, overclocking functionality, extra support, and using higher end controllers such as 10G networking through a bundled add-in card. This is one of ASUS’ boards that also implements their custom DIMM.2 slot, which looks like a DRAM slot but actually supports enough PCIe lanes for two additional M.2 drives placed vertically. 

 

As with most Threadripper motherboards, the Zenith has eight DDR4 memory slots for quad-channel memory, supporting a total of 128GB of both ECC and non-ECC memory. ASUS states a supported overclocked speed up to DDR4-3200, due to ASUS’ T-Topology trace layout, although users can overclock beyond this should they wish.

For the power delivery, the Zenith uses an eight phase design. This is paired with two heatsinks connected via a heatpipe, spreading the thermal capacity from above the VRM to near the IO. The heatsink near the IO has a finned portion to increase the surface area, and also includes a 40mm fan which sits under the I/O shield. It is designed to spin up only when needed, although based on our testing sample sent by AMD for the Threadripper launch, at max RPM it gets sufficiency loud. Power to the VRM is handled by two 8-pin EPS 12V ports located on the top right corner. 

While any of the AM4 boards can overclock Threadripper, ASUS positions the Zenith as having a few more features on it compared to the others. This includes LN2 and Slow Mode switches, for users wanting an increased voltage range and/or have trouble getting to the OS under sub-zero conditions, as well as Retry and Safe Boot buttons for a failed POST. There are also switches to disable the PCIe Slots individually, to minimize any potential variation when really pushing the clock speeds under extreme cooling environments. The Zenith also has an external BCLK / base frequency generator, for additional flexibility when overclocking.

The Zenith supports SLI and Crossfire, which breaks down as x16/x8/x16/x8 from top to bottom with the full-length reinforced PCIe slots. The final PCIe x8 slot is actually bifurcated again to x4/x4, such that when the U.2 port is being used, the final slot shares half of its lanes with it, giving x16/x8/x16/x4 for the slots and x4 for U.2 functionality. There is also a PCIe 2.0 x4 slot from the chipset in the middle, with the aim of this slot to be for the ROG Areion 10G card which enables 10 gigabit Ethernet functionality to the system. This allows users with two graphics cards to get the best slot positioning as well as support for 10G and U.2 all in one system.

The main PCIe slots account for 48 of the onboard CPU PCIe lanes, which leaves 12 left. ASUS has put them to M.2 storage, where one slot is found underneath the heatsink and the other two are from ASUS’ custom DIMM.2 slot. DIMM.2, for those that haven’t seen it before, looks like a DRAM slot but uses a riser card to support a pair of additional 22110 M.2 drives. Three drives at four lanes a piece brings the total CPU lanes up to 60.

For network connectivity, the ROG Zenith Extreme also does something a little different. Under the normal networking category, we have a single Intel I211-AT gigabit Ethernet controller leading to one port on the rear panel. Users can equip the bundled 10G card for an additional Ethernet port as well. Under the abnormal networking category is the WiFi: ASUS has equipped the board with a WiFi card that supports both 2x2 802.11ac with MU-MIMO as well as 802.11ad 60 GHz WiGig. We first saw WiGig in action several years ago at MWC from Wilocity, and when that company were purchased by Dell we saw WiGig came to enterprise laptops. At the time it was a near-line-of-sight technology, working at less than 10 meters. ASUS states that combined with 802.11ac, their WiGig solution can support a combined speed up to 4600Mbps. As we’ve mentioned before, ASUS also includes their ROG Areion 10G expansion card, which uses the Aquantia AQtion AQC107 controller.

Audio functionality on the Zenith is handled by ROG SupremeFX, which incorporates ASUS’ version of Realtek’s ALC1220 (the ALC1220A) but also comes with an ESS SABRE9018Q2C integrated DAC/AMP for front panel ports, enabling better audio fidelity. By contrast, most Threadripper boards will use the ALC1220 in a custom audio profile, or Creative’s Core Sound3D. The S1220A, ASUS says, is a tweaked version of the ALC1220 by removing some of the unneeded functionality for lower power operation. 

For USB, on the rear panel ASUS supports one USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-C port from an ASM3142, one USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) Type-A port from the same ASM3142, and eight USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) ports from the CPU. For front panel connections, ASUS has an onboard USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) header from the chipset, two USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) headers from the chipset, and a single USB 2.0 header which shares connectivity with an ROG OC Panel.

The ROG Zenith has several RGB LEDs are integrated on the board. The main focal point is on the chipset heatsink, where with the ROG symbol illuminated, but the system also has RGB LEDs on the I/O cover and a long strip running the entire right side of the board. It is worth noting that the LEDs will remain switched on even after shutting down the machine by default. Adding more LEDs is possible, with two RGB headers on the board. All of the LEDs can be controlled by AURA Lighting Control software, bundled with the motherboard. 

ASUS provided a block diagram showing exactly where devices are fed from on the Zenith. At the top we see the socket supporting four M.2 drives as well as four PCIe slots. The way the routing is presented between the final slot and the U.2 port might be confusing: the final set of x4 goes around to the quick switch, and if the U.2 is present it will support the U.2, and if not it will support the final PCIe slot, giving x8 connectivity.

From the chipset we see the SATA ports, the chipset USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) header, two USB 3.1 (5 Gbps) headers and a variety of PCIe slot allocations. The first PCIe allocation is in blue, two lanes of PCIe 2.0 being used to power the ASMedia ASM3142 controller, giving two ports of USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) on the rear panel, one of which is USB Type-C. The other PCIe lanes from the chipset go to the gigabit Ethernet (Intel I211-AT), two lanes for the 802.11ac/ad, four lanes for the middle PCIe slot, and another lane for a x1 slot. 

ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme
Warranty Period  3 Years
Product Page Link
Price $549.99
Size E-ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Up to 3600 MHz (OC)
Network Connectivity 1 x Intel I211-AT GbE
1 x Aquantia 10 GbE
Wireless Network 802.11ad WiGig
802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MU-MIMO
Onboard Audio SupremeFX Realtek S1220
ESS SABRE9018Q2C DAC
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16
Supports 4-Way SLI/CF
PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 (max)
1 x PCIe 2.0 x1
Onboard SATA 6x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4
(2 x PCIe + 1 x PCIe and SATA)
Onboard U.2 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4
USB 3.1 1 x Type-A
1 x Type-C
USB 3.0 8 x Back Panel
2 x Header
USB 2.0 1 x Header
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin EATX
2 x 8-pin ATX 12V
Fan Headers 1 x CPU
1 x CPU Opt
2 x Chassis
1 x H_AMP
1 x W_Pump+
1 x 5-pin EXT_Fan (Extension Fan)
IO Panel 1 x Intel GbE
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A
8 x USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
1 x Clear CMOS button
1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button
1 x ASUS Wi-Fi GO! module
5 x LED-illuminated audio jacks


ASUS Prime X399-A

By contrast to the comparison between the two ASRock motherboards, ASUS has positioned their first two products further apart from each other. The Prime X399-A is aimed more at an entry into X399, although the ‘entry’ moniker might be misleading: these X399 motherboards are still being stacked to the hilt in functionality even for the ‘cheaper’ models.

The ASUS Prime X399-A follows previous Prime-A products in a white/grey styling, using a brushed metal and angled design across the heatsinks and PCB to show that this motherboard means business (or something like that). The key features of the Prime X399-A are going to be the extended power delivery heatsink arrangement, U.2 and M.2 storage support, ASUS’ upgrade to the Realtek audio and RGB support. 

The baseline specifications for the majority of Threadripper boards are here: a full complement of 8 DIMMs for memory, a good set of PCIe slots for multiple-add in cards, SATA storage, Ethernet and USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) support. ASUS, by comparison to the ROG Zenith, has stripped this model down: there’s only one Ethernet port, no WiFi, only two M.2 slots, fewer USB ports (but still over a dozen), and fewer PCIe slots with reinforcement. Threadripper is a high-end product, so doing a complete strip down to the bare essentials negates the high-end aspect of the platform. Perhaps a surprise over the ROG is that the Prime-A has a two-digit LED debug, while the ROG does not.

Going through the board in detail, starting at the top, is the VRM arrangement. This is an eight-phase design, with a dual connected heatsink reaching around the memory slots to the rear panel, which has a small 40mm fan. On the other side of the socket, ASUS has placed both EPS connectors (one 8-pin, one 4-pin) on the top right of the board with the 24-pin ATX connector directly below. While this area is where ASUS normally places some of its more esoteric features, such as PCIe slot disabling switches, there is no need to here. Perhaps a little strange to most will be the placement of the M.2 slot underneath the 24-pin, which requires the M.2 be placed ‘standing-up’ and out of the board. ASUS provides an M.2 bracket to assist in rigidity here.

Below the M.2 is the onboard USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) header from the chipset, which is slowly becoming adopted as the onboard standard, with a small number of chassis manufacturers adopting it for adding front-panel ports. This is followed by one of the two USB 3.0 headers, a U.2 port, and six SATA ports.

The chipset heatsink, as shown by the RGB on the picture, houses a few LEDs to adjust the aesthetic through the onboard AURA SYNC software. The heatsink also houses an M.2 slot, like the ROG, and helps provide additional cooling for it if needed.

To the left of the chipset are the PCIe slots. In order to save some cost and provide a little bit of product differentiation, ASUS has decided to only equip three of the full-length slots with a reinforcement guard, although all four full-length slots are connected to the CPU. The full length slots are provided as x16/x8/x16/x8, and when users equip multiple graphics cards, the slots with the reinforcement guard are the best ones to use. The one without the guard is not worse in any way, however in a two or three card system, using x16/x16 or x16/x16/x8 is usually preferred to x16/x8 or x16/x8/x8 due to the slot spacing arrangement. There is an additional PCIe 2.0 x4 from the chipset present as well.

Below the PCIe slots are the onboard headers, including USB 3.0 headers, fan headers, RGB LED headers and a two-digit debug. This is also paired with a power button to test the motherboard when a hand is in the case but the case is not hooked up. To the right of this is the onboard audio, to which ASUS uses their customized version of the Realtek ALC1220. This is combined with upgraded filter caps, PCB separation, an EMI shield and a DTS software stack.

The rear panel, due to the positioning of the board, might look a little bare compared to the ROG. There is the BIOS reset button, a total of eight USB 3.0 ports, the gigabit Ethernet port provided via the Intel I211-AT controller, a USB 3.1 Type-A port and Type-C port from an ASMedia controller, and the audio jacks with SPDIF output. 

ASUS Prime X399-A
Warranty Period  3 Years
Product Page Link
Price $349.99
Size E-ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Up to 3600 MHz (OC)
Network Connectivity 1 x Intel I211-AT GbE
Wireless Network N/A
Onboard Audio SupremeFX S1220A
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16
Supports SLI/CF
PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 (max)
1 x PCIe 2.0 x1
Onboard SATA 6x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 2 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 1 x 
USB 3.1 1 x Type-A Port
1 x Type-C Port
USB 3.0 8 x Rear Panel Ports
2 x Headers
USB 2.0 2 x Headers
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin EATX
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V
Fan Headers 1 x M.2
1 x CPU
1 x CPU OPT
3 x Chassis 
1 x AIO_PUMP
1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN
IO Panel 1 x Intel NIC
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A 
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C

8 x USB 3.0 Ports
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio jack 
1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button


ASUS ROG Strix X399-E Gaming

With the advent of eSports and the ability to stream and even broadcast your own gaming sessions, PC gaming has gained a significant amount of momentum the past few years. So much so, many (if not all) of the motherboard partners have latched on to the nomenclature and started entire lines for 'gaming' motherboards. ASUS is no different with gaming based motherboards, out for generations now under the ROG name, and continues to do so on the X399 Threadripper platform in the ROG Strix X399-E Gaming. Strix as a brand has migrated from a 'zero-noise' implementation to the more budget oriented gaming products from ASUS.

The ROG Strix falls between the Zenith Extreme and the Prime with a mix of features. For example, the Strix includes WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, like the flagship Zenith Extreme, or that the Prime and Strix each have a single Intel I211-AT Gigabit LAN while the Zenith has three network ports including a 10 GbE. The Strix X399-E Gaming has eight DRAM slots, supports multiple GPUs (SLI and Crossfire), uses the latest audio codec (Supreme FX S1220A for the Strix), a capable VRM, multiple storage options, and RGB lighting among other features.

Looking over the board in detail, we'll start at the top. First, the VRM configuration is an eight-phase design. It is cooled by dual heat sinks running along the top of the socket with the second sitting between the memory slots and rear I/O. Extra cooling on the VRMs is provided by an included 40mm fan sitting under the I/O shroud (similar to the Zenith). Both EPS connectors, an 8-pin and 4-pin, as well as the 24-pin ATX connector, are in the top right-hand corner of the board. Below that is the second M.2 slot. An M.2 drive in this slot, like in the Prime, sticks out from the board instead of laying flat. ASUS does include an M.2 bracket for the slot to assist with supporting the standing device.

Continuing to move down the motherboard, below the vertical M.2 slot is the USB3.1 (10 Gbps) header fed from the chipset. For cases that have front panel USB 3.1 ports, this is typically the header used for that connectivity. Below that is the single U.2 port and six SATA ports. 

The chipset heatsink on the ROG Strix houses RGB LEDs that can be adjusted with the AURA Sync software. The only other LEDs on the board are located on the I/O cover. The chipset heatsink extends on the bottom between the last two full-length PCIe slots and covers the first M.2 slot providing additional cooling for those devices. 

The Strix offers four full-length PCIe slots, three use a reinforcing guard and is where users will slot their graphics cards for optimal performance. The PCIe arrangement allows for up to a triple slot video card between slot 1 and slot 3, and a dual slot card will fit between between slot 3 and slot 4. Slot breakdowns are x16 for single, x16/x16 for dual GPUs, and x16/x16/x8 when using three GPUs. Additionally there is one PCIe x1 slot, a PCIe x4 slot, and full-length PCIe slot (x4). These slots distinguish themselves by not having the reinforcement. 

Across the bottom of the board are more onboard headers. These include external addressable RGB LED headers, fan headers, and USB3.0 headers. It also has a debug display as well as a small power button for testing outside of the case. On the left side of the board is where the audio parts are housed. Mostly concealed under the shroud is an EMI protected ALC1220A codec using upgraded filter caps, and PCB separation of the audio components from the rest of the board.

The rear I/O panel is fairly busy with a BIOS reset button, wireless connectivity, eight USB 3.0 ports, and the Gigabit Ethernet port taking up most of the real estate. USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports from the ASMedia controller are also present, with the audio jacks, including SPDIF output, rounding out the rear panel. 

ASUS ROG Strix X399-E Gaming
Warranty Period  3 Years
Product Page Link
Price N/A
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Up to 4133 MHz (OC)
Network Connectivity 1 x Intel I211-AT GbE
Wireless Network Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Onboard Audio SupremeFX S1220A
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16
Supports SLI/CF
PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x4 (max)
1 x PCIe 2.0 x1
Onboard SATA 6x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 2 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - PCIe or SATA
Onboard U.2 1 x PCIe 3.0 x4
USB 3.1 1 x Header
1 x Rear Panel Type-A
1 x Rear Panel Type-C
USB 3.0 8 x Rear-Panel
2 x Header
USB 2.0 2 x Header
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin EATX
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V
Fan Headers 1 x M.2
1 x CPU
1 x CPU OPT
3 x Chassis 
1 x AIO_PUMP
1 X w_PUMP+
1 x 5-pin EXT_FAN
IO Panel 1 x Intel NIC
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C

8 x USB 3.0 
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio jacks
1 x USB BIOS Flashback Button
1 x 2x2 Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac

ASUS mentioned pricing for the Strix X399-E Gaming to be at a more affordable price than their flaghsip ROG Zenith Extreme. It is currently available through smaller distributors, perhaps as a pre-order, but not found on Newegg or Amazon at the time of writing (9/11).



GIGABYTE

GIGABYTE's initial entry into the Threadripper platform is the X399 AORUS Gaming 7, formally placing the name AORUS into the motherboard listing. In GIGABYTE’s typical product stack of Gaming X versions, models usually have a 3, a 5, a 7 or a 9 at the end. With this one being a Gaming 7, it stands to reason that GIGABYTE might have something for the more extreme Threadripper audience in a future Gaming 9, or a product easier on the wallet in a future Gaming 3. For now, the X399 AORUS Gaming 7 stands alone, although the specifications ensure that it is one of the higher-end products at launch.

Edit: We've been informed that GIGABYTE has an X399 Designare on the way!

X399 AORUS Gaming 7

If the promotional shots are anything to go buy, GIGABYTE is adamant that you must know that the motherboard has RGB LEDs, and it has them almost everywhere. Between the DRAM slots, on all the PCIe slots, through a transparent plastic shield on the chipset heatsink, on the audio shield, and on the IO cover. If you thought RGB was kitsch, then the Gaming 7 is a one way ticket to kitsch central.

As with the other boards in this roundup, quad channel memory at two DIMMs per channel is the name of the game for the socket area, and similarly we get a power delivery system that uses a main heatsink connected to a secondary heatsink by the rear IO via a heatpipe, but carefully hidden under the rear IO vanity plate. In a plus point to marketing, GIGABYTE is listing its power delivery as ‘server class’, using fourth generation International Rectifier (IR) PWM controllers and third generation PowIRstage chokes. The EPS connectors for the power delivery are found in the top left corner of the board, with one 8-pin and one 4-pin.

On the top right of the board is an array of five 4-pin fan headers, paired with an RGBW header marking GIGABYTE’s different approach to added RGB LED connectivity. There other 4-pin fan headers on board, with at least two on the bottom, again with another RGBW header. Speaking of headers, USB connectivity comes through an onboard USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) header from the chipset near the eight SATA ports, a USB 3.0 header on the bottom of the board, two USB 2.0 headers near the power buttons also on the bottom of the board, and a TPM header.  

One of the headline features on the Gaming 7 is the support for three M.2 drives, as shown in the image above. The two areas for M.2 drives between the PCIe slots support 110mm long drives, while the area below the heatsink supports a more standard 80mm drive. All three of these M.2 slots come with additional heatsinks, providing a better thermal environment for any drive and not disturbing the aesthetic of the system. Compared to other motherboards, GIGABYTE has implemented this arrangement rather than pursue a separate (or switched) U.2 connector. For other storage, GIGABYTE has equipped the board with eight SATA ports.

The PCIe slot arrangement, despite having every slot with additional RGB and slot reinforcement, only four of these slots are direct from the CPU for peak graphics duty. The slots that are doubly spaced support an x16/x8/x16/x8 arrangement, with the middle slot supporting a separate PCIe 3.0 x4 connection through the chipset. The idea is that the middle slot can be used for an add-in card, such as 10 gigabit Ethernet or additional connectivity while using two GPUs.

Next to the PCIe slots is GIGABYTE’s audio solution, using the Realtek ALC1220 audio codec and implementing an EMI shield, PCB separation for digital and analog signals, filter caps and headphone jack detection. GIGABYTE also likes to promote DAC-UP, ensuring a more consistent USB power delivery port for USB connected audio devices. It’s not necessarily a unique feature, although it rarely gets marketing attention on other motherboards.

Connectivity on the rear IO panel shows one of the few motherboards with a PS/2 port, which can be useful in some environments. Due to the support for USB 3.0 from the CPU, the rear panel has a full set of eight USB 3.0 ports, in yellow, blue and a white color. There is also two USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) ports from the chipset, one of which is USB Type-C. Network connectivity is provided by a Rivet Networks Killer E2500 and a WiFi solution, and at the end are a set of audio jacks.

GIGABYTE supplied a chipset/block diagram as well to show the lane routing on the Gaming 7:

GIGABYTE X399 AORUS Gaming 7
Warranty Period 3 Years
Product Page Link
Price $389.99
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Support DDR4 3600+
Support for ECC UDIMM (operates in non-ECC mode)
Network Connectivity 1 x Rivet Networks Killer E2500 LAN
1 x Intel 2x2 802.11ac
Onboard Audio Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) 2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots @ x16 
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots @ x8 
PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) 1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots @ x4 (PCIeX4)
Onboard SATA 8 x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 None
USB 3.1 1 x Type-C (ASMedia)
1 x Type-A (ASMedia)
USB 3.0 8 x Back Panel
1 x Header
USB 2.0 2 x Headers
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin EATX
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V
Fan Headers 1 x CPU
1 x Watercooling CPU
4 x System Fan headers
2 x System Fan/ Water Pump headers
IO Panel 1 x PS.2 keyboard/mouse port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A
8 x USB 3.0 
1 x RJ-45 LAN Port
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio Jacks
Antenna connectors

 



Added 9/19: GIGABYTE X399 Designare-EX

One of the first things one may notice on this board is lack of RGB LEDs compared with the AORUS Gaming 7. On the Gaming 7, where RGB LEDs are just about everywhere, the Designare EX on the other hand only has a few under the PCH heatsink. Aside from that, design aesthetics are remarkably similar, with only the color scheme changed from black colored heatsinks and shrouds (with the AORUS name) to all silver, and the GIGABYTE name on the shrouds instead. The PCH heatsink is the same shape with a different accent plate for the Designare, marking a not to GIGABYTE's aimed market for this product: design professionals. Also included is an integrated I/O shield giving it a more high-end feel.

Outside of what has been listed above, the specifications for the Designare are very similar to the Gaming 7, as it uses the same base PCB. Keeping on the platform trend, the Designare EX supports quad channel memory at two DIMMs per channel, for eight total supporting up to 128GB. What looks like an 8-phase VRM uses the same style main heatsink connected to a secondary heatsink via a heat pipe located behind the rear I/O. Being the same PCB, the power delivery is also listed as ‘server class’ like the Gaming 7, using fourth generation International Rectifier (IR) PWM controllers and third generation PowIRstage chokes. EPS power is found in its normal location in the top left corner of the board, with one 8-pin and one 4-pin.

In the top right corner of the board are five 4-pin fan headers along with an RGBW header for LEDs. Two other RGB headers are found across the bottom of the board, including another RGBW header. USB connectivity uses an onboard USB 3.1 (10Gbps) header from the chipset close to the eight SATA ports. There is a USB 3.0 header on the bottom of the board, two USB 2.0 headers near the power buttons, and a TPM header at the bottom of the board.

Like the AORUS Gaming 7, the Designare EX supports three M.2 drives. The two locations between the PCIe slots support up to 110mm long drives, while the third below the PCH heatsink can fit up to 80mm drives. All locations come with additional heatsinks to keep the drives underneath cool. The Designare EX uses the three M.2 slots instead of a separate U.2 connector.  For other storage, GIGABYTE has equipped the board with eight SATA ports. The 5-pin Thunderbolt 3 header, required for add-in Thunderbolt 3 cards and unique for X399 to this specific GIGABYTE X399 board, is located just above the SATA ports. We are asking GIGABYTE if they plan to bundle a Thunderbolt 3 add-in card with this model, and are awaiting a response.

The rear of the motherboard, like some other designs on the market, uses a rear backplate to assist with motherboard rigidity. The thinking here is that these motherboards are often used in systems with multiple heavy graphics cards or PCIe coprocessors, such that if a motherboard screw is incorrectly tightened, the motherboard might be required to take the load and eventually warp. With the back-plate in place, this is designed to distribute that potential extra torque throughout the PCB, minimising any negative effects.

The PCIe slots are the same as the Gaming 7 also, with four of the five sourcing its lanes directly from the CPU. The slots used for GPUs are double-spaced and support an x16/x8/x16/x8 arrangement. The middle slot supports PCIe 3.0 x4 connection fed from the chipset. The middle slot can be used for additional add-in cards, such as a Thunderbolt 3 card.

Next to the PCIe slots is GIGABYTE’s audio solution, using a Realtek ALC1220 codec and using an EMI shield, PCB separation for the digital and analog audio signals, filter caps (both WIMA and Nichicon), and has headphone hack detection. GIGABYTE also uses DAC-UP, which delivers a more consistent USB power supply for USB connected audio devices. 

Rear IO connectivity on the Designare EX is also like the AORUS Gaming 7. The only difference will be the additional Ethernet port as this model uses dual Intel NICs. Because of the USB 3.0 support from the CPU, the rear IO has eight USB ports, in yellow, blue, and white. There are also two USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) ports from the chipset, one USB Type-C. Network connectivity differs here with the Designare EX using two Intel NICs (we imagine some mixture of I219V or I211AT) and does away with the Rivet Networks Killer E2500 found on its little brother. Last, are a set of audio jacks including SPDIF. 

Pricing was not listed, however, if it is slated to be the flagship of the X399 lineup, pricing is expected to be a higher than the already released X399 AORUS Gaming 7 at $389.99 on Amazon. GIGABYTE says the Designare EX will be available come Mid-October. 

GIGABYTE X399 Designare EX
Warranty Period 3 Years
Product Page N/A
Price TBD
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Support DDR4 3600+
Support for ECC UDIMM (in non-ECC mode)
Network Connectivity 2 x Intel LAN
1 x Intel 2x2 802.11ac
Onboard Audio Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots for Graphics
 (from CPU)
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots @ x16 
2 x PCIe 3.0 x16 slots @ x8 
PCIe Slots for Other
(from Chipset)
1 x PCIe 2.0 x16 slots @ x4
Onboard SATA 8 x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 None
USB 3.1 1 x Type-C (ASMedia)
1 x Type-A (ASMedia)
USB 3.0 8 x Back Panel
1 x Header
USB 2.0 2 x Headers
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin EATX
1 x 8-pin ATX 12V
1 x 4-pin ATX 12V
Fan Headers 1 x CPU
1 x Watercooling CPU
4 x System Fan headers
2 x System Fan/ Water Pump headers
IO Panel 1 x PS.2 keyboard/mouse port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A
8 x USB 3.0 
2 x RJ-45 LAN Port
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
5 x Audio Jacks
Antenna connectors

 

Additional News (9/20):

After speaking with GIGABYTE, it seems that Thunderbolt 3 support will perhaps still be in limbo:

Thunderbolt 3 certification requires a few things from the CPU side like graphical output which we haven't been able to do. We expect this will be developed upon through Raven Ridge and possibly get more groundwork down to activate TB3 on the X399 Designare EX.

The header will remain, though TB3 use / full TB3 enablement will be at a later date. It seems like GIGABYTE has taken note that users are interested in TB3 on AMD.



MSI

MSI's initial offering in the X399 space comes in the form of Gaming Pro Carbon AC. This board sits as the high-end board within the Performance Gaming lineup in previous generations. The Gaming Pro Carbon series tends to features for gamers and enthusiasts, using modern audio codecs, wireless capabilities, and aiming for high overclocking abilities.

The MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon AC

Starting with the DRAM, we see eight slots covered with MSI's Steel Armor. Memory capacity is the same as other boards, holding up to 128GB in a quad channel configuration, and MSI promotes a maximum supported speed of DDR4-3600, although higher might be possible through overclocking further. MSI is promoting its DDR4 Boost technology, which they say optimizes the traces and fully isolates the memory circuitry for increased stability and performance. 

Power delivery for the X399 Gaming Pro Carbon AC is handled by International Rectifier based DrMOS ICs. These are likely either IR3556 or IR 3555 PowIRstages, so either 50A or 60A each. The controller is said to be the IR35201. Power is fed to the VRM by 2x 8-pin 12V CPU (one is optional) located in the upper left-hand corner between the memory slots and rear I/O area. The board has an 8 layer PCB design which MSI mentions is designed to increase efficiency and stability over a standard PCB (it is worth noting that no-one uses a 'standard PCB' for X399). Preaching top quality and stability again, MSI's states its Titanium-II chokes, Dark Caps, and Dark Chokes are 'Military Class 6' certified. The VRM heatsink is unusually tall, to negate the fact it is not connected to anything, but is made out aluminum.

Moving down the board a bit, we can identify four full-length PCIe slots also protected by MSI's Steel Armor surrounding the slots. The Gaming Pro Carbon AC supports 4-Way SLI/Crossfire. In addition to the four full-length connections are two PCIe 2.0 x1 slots fed from the chipset. 

For storage purposes, the motherboard has a total of eight SATA ports, six of which are horizontally mounted, while the other two are vertical. There are three M.2 slots also, all of them supporting both PCIe 3.0 x4 drives and SATA drives. Two of the three slots can hold up to a 80mm drives, while the middle M.2 can hold a 110mm drive. All the M.2 ports are nestled between PCIe slots, and use an 'M.2 Shield' to aid with heat dissipation. Unlike some of the other boards, U.2 does not make an appearance on the Gaming Pro Carbon. 

Audio output is handled by the Realtek ALC1220 codec working with MSI's Audio Boost 4 suite. MSI updated the Nahimic sound technology to Nahimic 2+, and is now able to apply its audio effects through S/PDIF and Optical connections for non-encoded formats. There is also a dedicated headphone amplifier which auto-detects impedance such that headphones up to 600Ω can be used. The Gaming Pro Carbon also features board isolation of the channels in separate layers of the PCB, filter caps, EMI protection on the audio processor itself (includes built-in DAC), as well as isolation of the audio circuitry from the rest of the motherboard. 

RGB LEDs make an appearance on this board as well. Somewhere between the understated ASRock boards and well below the Gigabyte light show is where the Gaming Pro Carbon lands on the spectrum. We can see the LEDs on the rear I/O cover and above the audio on the left-hand side of the board, as well as the chipset heatsink. The last set of LEDs is located under the board below the SATA ports. The Pro Carbon also has two more headers for RGB strips. One for general RGB and the other a rainbow strip. MSI's Mystic Light software controls all the RGB LED functions including those connected to the headers. 

MSI included a block diagram of how they break all the lanes down from the CPU and chipset to attached devices. 

Below is a complete list of specifications.

MSI X399 Gaming Pro Carbon
Warranty Period 3 Years
Product Page Link
Price $379.99
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Up to 3600 MHz (OC)
Supports ECC UDIMM (in non-ECC mode)
Network Connectivity 1 x Intel I211 Gigabit LAN controller
Onboard Audio Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16
PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 
Onboard SATA 8 x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 None
USB 3.1 1 x Type-C (ASMedia)
1 x Type-A (ASMedia)
1 x Header (Chipset)
USB 3.0 8 x Rear Panel
2 x Header
USB 2.0 2 x Rear Panel
2 x Header
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin ATX
2 x 8-pin CPU
1 x 6-pin PCIe
Fan Headers 1 x CPU (4-pin)
1 x Water Pump (4-pin)
4 x System Fan (4-pin)
IO Panel 1 x Clear CMOS button
1 x BIOS FLASHBACK+ button
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
2 x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
8 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports
1 x LAN (RJ-45)
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C port
5 x Audio Jacks
1 x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector


The MSI X399 SLI Plus

As with other X399 boards, the MSI X399 SLI Plus uses eight total memory slots, although these are not reinforced. This configuration allows for up to 128GB of RAM in a quad channel setup. MSI uses their DDR4 Boost technology on the SLI Plus and lists memory speed support up to DDR4-3600+. 

Power delivery is handled by a fully digital 13 phase VRM which looks quite similar to the Gaming Pro Carbon AC. Per the Military Class VI specs, it uses Titanium chokes and 'dark' capacitors. We cannot confirm by the pictures, however, it is likely using the same DrMOS ICs found on the Pro Carbon. Power is fed to the VRMs by two 12V CPU leads (one is optional) located in the upper left-hand corner of the board. The SLI Plus has a full two character debug LED as well as a simplified four LED debug system with LED’s for Boot, VGA, DRAM, and CPU.

The SLI Plus has a total of six PCIe slots: two PCIe 2.0 x1 slots and four full-length PCIe 3.0 slots. The two main GPU slots, capable of running x16/x16 if they are the only ones populated, are reinforced with MSI’s Steel Armor to support heavy video cards and prevent potential damage to the slot. The motherboard supports 4-Way NVIDIA SLI and 4-Way AMD Crossfire technologies.

For storage, the SLI Plus has a total of eight SATA ports fed from the chipset, and has the same physical location and orientation of the Pro Carbon; six horizontal and two vertical. There are a total of three PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slots which get their lanes from the CPU. Two of the M.2 slots support up to 80mm drives, while the middle slot can handle up to 110mm modules. Only the top M.2 slot has a heatsink for cooling down the installed M.2 module. U.2 support does not make it to the SLI Plus.

The audio side of the house is managed by a Realtek ACL1220 codec working in conjunction with MSI’s Audio Boost 4 suite. While the Nahimic software package normally found on the gaming products does not make its way here, the SLI Plus uses separate audio layers for left and right channels, de-pop protection, Chemi-Con audio capacitors, EMI shielding and board separation, and a dedicated headphone amplifier which auto-detects impedance (use up to 600Ω).

As far as the overall aesthetic, MSI uses a black PCB and color scheme and lets the integrated RGB LEDs fit whatever theme a builder has in mind. LEDs make it on the back panel IO shroud, chipset heatsink, and a strip found on the back of the board under the SATA ports. Additional RGB LED strips can be added via the two onboard RGB headers. One is for a rainbow strip, while the other for general RGB; both are controlled by MSI’s Mystic Light software. 

Pricing was not listed, but we do expect the SLI Plus to come in under the Gaming Pro Carbon. We should see these available for purchase soon. 

MSI X399 SLI PLUS
Warranty Period 3 Years
Product Page Link
Price N/A
Size ATX
CPU Interface TR4
Chipset AMD X399
Memory Slots (DDR4) Eight DDR4
Supporting 128GB
Quad Channel
Up to 3600 MHz (OC)
Supports ECC UDIMM (in non-ECC mode)
Network Connectivity 1 x Intel Gigabit LAN controller
Onboard Audio Realtek ALC1220
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU) 4 x PCIe 3.0 x16
PCIe Slots for Other (from Chipset) 2 x PCIe 2.0 x1 
Onboard SATA 8 x Supporting RAID 0/1/10
Onboard SATA Express None
Onboard M.2 3 x PCIe 3.0 x4 - NVMe or SATA
Onboard U.2 None
USB 3.1 1 x Type-C (ASMedia)
1 x Type-A (ASMedia)
1 x Internal Header
USB 3.0 4 x USB 3.0
USB 2.0 2 x Back Panel
2 x Headers
Power Connectors 1 x 24-pin ATX
2 x 8-pin CPU
Fan Headers 1 x CPU (4-pin)
1 x Water Pump (4-pin)
4 x System Fan (4-pin)
IO Panel 1 x Clear CMOS button
1 x BIOS FLASHBACK+ button
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port
2 x USB 2.0 Type-A ports
8 x USB 3.0 Type-A ports
1 x LAN (RJ-45)
1 x USB 3.1 Type-A port
1 x USB 3.1 Type-C port
5 x Audio Jacks
1 x Optical S/PDIF OUT connector
 


Covering the X399 Spectrum

We've seen details on seven boards which, on the surface, can seem similar as far as feature sets go. Owners that just want a Threadripper system to get up and go will get the necessities out of any motherboard listed here. The differences lay in the details: in networking, PCIe layout, RGB, overclocking features, enthusiast level gaming or compute, the want/need for 10 Gigabit ethernet, or storage options like fast M.2 and U.2. Even the type and number of USB ports can all factor into a buying decision.

It is also hard to forget about looks. All motherboards have some form of RGB LEDs scattered around their black PCBs. Some incorporate less than others, with the cheaper boards from ASRock and ASUS only applying them on the chipset heatsink, while others like the Gigabyte X399 AORUS Gaming 7 are loaded to the brim. Only one board, the ASUS X399 Prime, doesn't have wireless or Bluetooth capability. The MSI board sets itself apart from the rest by including bundled sets of vanity plates for the chipset heatsink, I/O and Audio covers, giving owners a bit more flexibility over the boards base appearance. That said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It is up to the buyer to figure out which looks best in their system vision. Assuming you care about aesthetics, that is.

PCIe differences come down to the number of slots for the GPUs, and if a user requires tri-slot spacing. For users looking at PCIe co-processors other than GPUs, then there isn't an ideal 7-slot motherboard on the market so far. But plug in a request, see if a manufacturer bites.


What happens when you mix several motherboards together in MSPaint

With Threadripper CPUs TDP set at 180W, an efficient VRM solution will be needed for cool operation, as well as for overclocking: many of the boards are using International Rectifier parts (MSI, GIGABYTE, ASRock) with the phase count ranging from eight to thirteen depending on the board. Keeping the VRMs cool is also a point to be considered, and the boards do this different. ASUS has two heatsinks connected via a heat-pipe, and include a fan for active cooling. The ASRock Professional Gaming, Taichi, and Gigabyte Aorus Gaming 7 also use two heat sinks but are passive (no fans). The MSI has a single VRM heatsink, but has doubled the standard height. 

The table below shows several of the specifications differences between the released motherboards. The bold values are the top specifications for the category. 

X399 Motherboard Feature Comparison
  ASRock ASUS Gigabyte MSI X399
Gaming Pro Carbon AC
X399 Taichi X399 Pro Gaming Prime X399-A ROG Zenith X399 Gaming 7
Listed DRAM Freq. 3600+ 3600+ 3200 3600 3600+ 3600+
# PCIe x16 Slots 4 4 4 4 5 4
SATA Ports 8 8 6 6 8 8
M.2 / U.2 3 / 1 3 / 1 2 / 1 3 / 1 3 / 0 3 / 0
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) 2 2 3 3 2 3
USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) 8 8 12 12 10 6
USB 2.0 2 2 4 2 4 0
10 Gigabit Ethernet 0 1 0 1 0 0
1 Gigabit Ethernet 2 2 1 1 1 1
802.11ac Y Y N Y Y Y
802.11ad N N N Y N N
Form Factor ATX ATX E-ATX E-ATX ATX ATX
MSRP $350 $450 $350 $550 $390 $380
Current Price
(9/11)
Amazon - - $350 $520 $390 $350
Newegg $340 $440 $350 $550 $390 -

The table is clearly not the final discussion - each user has different requirements out of their system and motherboard. Some enthusiasts may want to overclock their boards more than others, or have a need for 10 gigabit Ethernet capabilities or the latest wireless networking options, or require an ATX form factor in their current chassis. Perhaps all of those, or none. We're likely to see further products hit the shelves in the coming months and quarters, especially as AMD has confirmed that this socket will stay for at least one more generation of products.

Pricing on the boards range from $340 (ASRock Taichi), up to $550 for the ASUS' flagship Zenith Extreme so there is quite a range already. All boards detailed here are available, with ASUS saying the Strix arriving later. 

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