ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi Motherboard Review

Released in late 2024 alongside AMD’s Ryzen 9000 Series, the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi has had nearly a year on the market and still stands out as one of the more compelling AM5 motherboards available. Built on the X870E chipset, it delivers features like PCIe 5.0 support for both GPU and storage, high-speed DDR5 memory compatibility, and forward looking connectivity including WiFi 7 and 5Gb Ethernet.

In this review, we'll highlight the key features of this ATX form-factor motherboard and discuss its Linux compatibility.

As of the time of writing, the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi is available at major online retailers for $478.99 USD. While it comes at a cost, the depth of features justify the premium price for enthusiasts and power users alike.

ASUS has improved its packaging by adding foam backing inside the anti-static bag to further protect the motherboard during transit, and by grouping the smaller packaged items into a single larger bag.

Included in the retail box is everything required for motherboard installation and connectivity. An external WiFi / Bluetooth antenna, two braided latching SATA cables (one straight & one 90-degree angle), an extra M.2 Q-Latch package, two M.2 Q-Slides, five M.2 rubber spacers, a spare M.2 thermal pad, cable ties, and a well illustrated quick start guide. Also included are some branded extras, such as a ROG Strix sticker pack and a ROG keychain.

Notably, one item not included is a Q-Connector for easier front panel header connections, something I believe should be standard with all ASUS motherboards.

While the board follows the current monochromatic trend, it distinguishes itself through subtle design flourishes. It's minimal in colour, yet visually busy due to the extensive printed text and symbolic elements. The text, styled in a font reminiscent of classic 8-bit graphics, adds a nostalgic touch, while the only splash of colour comes from RGB lighting on the I/O shroud, which illuminates the distinctive ROG logo that has been pixelated to match the overall theme.

For the especially observant, ASUS has embedded a few encoded textual Easter eggs on the heatsinks. The 18-15-7 is a basic alphanumeric substitution, more specifically an A1Z26 cipher that spells ROG (Republic of Gamers), along with Morse code that translates to "For Those Who Dare", the ROG slogan. It's a creative touch, though hexadecimal might have been more fitting, given the product’s purpose in computing.

Flipping the board over reveals little of note beyond the standard CPU socket backplate for the AM5 (LGA1718) socket.

AMD's Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series processors all use the AM5 socket, which retains the same mounting pattern, stack-up height, and backplate thread layout as AM4. As a result, most AM4 compatible CPU coolers will work with AM5, except for those that require custom backplates, since the stock AM5 backplate is fixed and not removable.

Designed as a premium motherboard, the ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi includes an impressive selection of internal and external connectivity. Lets take a look at the rear I/O panel, starting from the left side is an HDMI 2.1 port, two USB4 (40Gbps) Type-C ports, ten USB 10Gbps ports (9 x Type-A, 1 x Type-C), clear CMOS button, BIOS Flashback button, a USB 20Gbps port (Type-C with up to 30W Fast-charge), 5GbE LAN port (RJ-45), connectors for the WiFi 7 / Bluetooth 5.4 antenna, two gold plated high definition audio jacks supporting 2/4/5.1/7.1-channel configurations and an optical S/PDIF audio connector.

On-board graphics via USB4 Type-C ports (max resolution 4K@60 Hz), or HDMI port (4K@60 Hz) is present if you have a supporting AMD 9000/8000/7000 Series CPU, otherwise a discrete GPU is required.

The included external WiFi/Bluetooth antenna follows a familiar design seen on most WiFi capable motherboards, featuring a low profile, articulating joint, and a magnetic base for easy attachment to a metal PC case. Notably, instead of traditional twist nuts, it uses an updated push-in connector that plugs directly into the rear I/O panel with minimal effort.

Continuing with connectivity, let's turn inward to the internal I/O features. The board includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) Type-C front panel connector, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) headers supporting up to four additional ports, and three USB 2.0 headers for up to six additional USB 2.0 ports. Also present are three addressable Gen 2 RGB headers, a FlexKey button, a thermal sensor header, and a full range of system fan and AIO connectors.

Toward the upper edge near the memory slots are the diagnostic features. Here you’ll find a POST code LED, Debug LEDs for troubleshooting CPU, DRAM, VGA, and Boot issues, along with convenient onboard power and reset buttons. These buttons allow users to quickly power on, shut down, or reset the system in an open case setup, ideal for hardware testing or component swaps.

Storage configuration options are generous, with a total of five M.2 slots. Three PCIe 5.0 (x4 mode) connectors are linked to the CPU, while two PCIe 4.0 (x4 mode) connectors are handled by the chipset. These slots support various SSD form factors, including 2242, 2260, 2280, and 22110. The AMD X870E chipset offers RAID configurations for both PCIe and SATA drives, with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10. Note, however, that RAID 5 is only available when using AMD Ryzen 9000 Series processors.

Now might be a good time to mention that this motherboard includes an Alteration PCIe Mode switch, which lets you toggle the PCIe signal from the CPU between Gen4 and Gen3 for the primary slot.

As with many high-performance motherboards, certain limitations may apply when fully populating all storage slots. For detailed compatibility and configuration guidance, it’s best to consult the official online manual before purchasing drives or selecting a CPU.

ASUS has integrated several effective thermal management features into the design to address the heat typically associated with PCIe Gen5 NVMe SSDs. All M.2 slots come equipped with a heatsink backed by thermal pads, each varying in size, and as you'll see in the photos, one even incorporates a U-shaped heat pipe. Three of the five M.2 sockets also include an integrated thermal backplate. Together, these features help prevent thermal throttling, maintain optimal operating temperatures, and ensure reliable, consistent SSD performance.  Additionally, if extra board or memory cooling is needed, the large M.2_1 heatsink supports mounting a 6010 fan directly onto it.

ROG Strix motherboards offer several Q (Quick) features, and this board introduces a new push Q-Release mechanism on the M.2_1 heatsink slot, allowing for effortless removal without the need for tiny retention screws. The other M.2 heatsinks, however, still use traditional screws. All five M.2 sockets feature Q-Latch, a convenient screw free approach that secures the SSD without the need for a retention screw. Alternatively, you can use the included Q-Slide to hold the SSD in place, though this only works with sockets that have a backplate.

The board includes four Serial ATA (6Gbps) connectors to accommodate legacy storage devices. These are arranged in two stacked pairs with a 90-degree orientation and, as mentioned earlier, support RAID configurations.

The AMD 800 Series chipset introduced USB4 as standard, full PCIe Gen5 support for both graphics and NVMe storage, and improved compatibility with higher EXPO memory frequencies. Both the X870E and X870 chipsets are built on the AM5 platform, supporting Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series processors. The X870E is the more premium, feature-rich variant, offering expanded PCIe 5.0 support and additional advanced capabilities, making it worth comparing both options when choosing a motherboard. That said, the ASUS ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi is certainly worthy of consideration.

On-board audio is powered by the Realtek ALC4080 audio codec, paired with an integrated Savitech SV3H712 amplifier, and includes support for Dolby Atmos. Basic audio playback tests ran without issue, delivering clear sound with no noticeable distortion or dropouts, making it more than capable for everyday use and Linux gaming.

The ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming WiFi is equipped with a robust 18+2+2 phase VRM rated for up to 110 amps per stage, cooled by two sizable aluminum heatsinks linked by a heatpipe. This power delivery setup is more than capable of pushing AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs beyond their rated boost frequencies. That is, if you're inclined to explore the overclocking side of things.

ASUS has equipped both 8-pin EPS connectors with ProCool II, a subtle yet valuable touch that uses solid-core pins and reinforced housing to enhance power delivery and reduce heat buildup during extended use.

As with all X870E motherboards, there are four single-latch DIMM slots supporting dual-channel DDR5 memory, capable of overclocked speeds reaching up to 8400MHz.

ROG Strix brings added refinement to memory performance with its NitroPath technology, which improves signal integrity by re-engineering DIMM slot pins and optimizing PCB trace layout for better stability at higher frequencies. According to ASUS, this can provide frequency gains of up to 400 MT/s compared to conventional slot designs. The DIMM slots are also reinforced for added structural durability.

This motherboard comes equipped with two full-length PCIe x16 expansion slots. The primary slot is PCIe Gen 5 certified, offering a full x16 lane configuration directly from the CPU. It’s designed for discrete graphics cards, reinforced to support heavier GPUs, and spaced to accommodate large 4-slot cards without obstruction. A new quick release mechanism makes GPU removal easier, simply tilt the card slightly to disengage, then pull it out. This design effectively eliminates the hassle of reaching for the latch in cramped spaces.

The secondary x16 slot runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 and connects through the chipset, making it suitable for add-in cards such as network adapters, capture cards, or other peripherals that don’t require full x16 bandwidth.

Linux Compatibility

For Linux compatibility testing, I typically validate hardware against the current Ubuntu LTS release, as it offers stability and appeals to a very large user base. However, newly released hardware may require a more recent Kernel. In such cases, rather than mainlining the Kernel in Ubuntu, I also test using a rolling-release distribution that provides the latest software and Kernel versions.

Testing was performed with both Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS (Noble Numbat) running Kernel 6.11.0-29-generic, and also CachyOS July 2025 release running Kernel 6.15.6-2.

As a result, I identified that the WiFi/Bluetooth module is currently non-functional under Linux. This issue is due to the absence of a driver for the MediaTek 7927, and remains unresolved at the time of publication. Everything else functions correctly under default conditions.

Linux Compatibility Configuration

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
• Storage: NVMe M.2 SSD PCIe Gen5
• Memory: Corsair DDR5-6000 64GB
• Graphics: AMD Radeon Graphics (iGPU)
• Distribution: Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS Desktop & CachyOS (July 2025)
• Linux Kernel: Listed above
• OS Install Options: Default
• BIOS Version: 1512
• BIOS Settings: Defaults + EXPO
• Overall Result: Stable