Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero AMD X570 ATX AM4 Gaming Motherboard
This sleek RGB-enabled motherboard is ideal for the builder who wishes to utilize a wide array of gaming-based components. The X570 chipset lays the groundwork for your components starting with the AM4 socket made for AMD's Ryzen brand processors. With eight SATA III two M.2 NVMe and four dual-channel DDR4 memory slots you can enjoy fast loading times and increased multitasking capabilities. One PCIe 3.0 x16 and two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots are available for graphics and utility cards. If you wish to build a system using multiple graphics cards you can utilize NVIDIA's 2-way SLI feature and AMD 2-way and 3-way CrossFireX technology for enhanced graphic performance. The ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero motherboard connects to wireless networks using Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology while Bluetooth 5.1 allows you to connect wireless headphones and speakers for a cordless experience. Additionally several USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 Type-A ports are available for wired peripherals. This motherboard is designed for use with Windows 10 (64-bit) operating systems.
This sleek RGB-enabled motherboard is ideal for the builder who wishes to utilize a wide array of gaming-based components. The X570 chipset lays the groundwork for your components starting with the AM4 socket made for AMD's Ryzen brand processors. With eight SATA III two M.2 NVMe and four dual-channel DDR4 memory slots you can enjoy fast loading times and increased multitasking capabilities. One PCIe 3.0 x16 and two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots are available for graphics and utility cards. If you wish to build a system using multiple graphics cards you can utilize NVIDIA's 2-way SLI feature and AMD 2-way and 3-way CrossFireX technology for enhanced graphic performance. The ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero motherboard connects to wireless networks using Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology while Bluetooth 5.1 allows you to connect wireless headphones and speakers for a cordless experience. Additionally several USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 Type-A ports are available for wired peripherals. This motherboard is designed for use with Windows 10 (64-bit) operating systems.
This sleek RGB-enabled motherboard is ideal for the builder who wishes to utilize a wide array of gaming-based components. The X570 chipset lays the groundwork for your components starting with the AM4 socket made for AMD's Ryzen brand processors. With eight SATA III two M.2 NVMe and four dual-channel DDR4 memory slots you can enjoy fast loading times and increased multitasking capabilities. One PCIe 3.0 x16 and two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots are available for graphics and utility cards. If you wish to build a system using multiple graphics cards you can utilize NVIDIA's 2-way SLI feature and AMD 2-way and 3-way CrossFireX technology for enhanced graphic performance. The ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero motherboard connects to wireless networks using Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology while Bluetooth 5.1 allows you to connect wireless headphones and speakers for a cordless experience. Additionally several USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 Type-A ports are available for wired peripherals. This motherboard is designed for use with Windows 10 (64-bit) operating systems.
This sleek RGB-enabled motherboard is ideal for the builder who wishes to utilize a wide array of gaming-based components. The X570 chipset lays the groundwork for your components starting with the AM4 socket made for AMD's Ryzen brand processors. With eight SATA III two M.2 NVMe and four dual-channel DDR4 memory slots you can enjoy fast loading times and increased multitasking capabilities. One PCIe 3.0 x16 and two PCIe 4.0 x16 slots are available for graphics and utility cards. If you wish to build a system using multiple graphics cards you can utilize NVIDIA's 2-way SLI feature and AMD 2-way and 3-way CrossFireX technology for enhanced graphic performance. The ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero motherboard connects to wireless networks using Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology while Bluetooth 5.1 allows you to connect wireless headphones and speakers for a cordless experience. Additionally several USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 Type-A ports are available for wired peripherals. This motherboard is designed for use with Windows 10 (64-bit) operating systems.
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The lowest price for Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero AMD X570 ATX AM4 Gaming Motherboard right now is $484.94 at eBay.com.au, compared across 5 retailers.
The all-time low was $387.84 on 9 May 2026 — today's price is 25% above the lowest ever. It has been notably cheaper before — worth setting a price alert.
Prices last updated 9 June 2026.
Last updated at 09/06/2026 21:12:31
Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
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1asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
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ASUS X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero AM4 AMD ATX Motherboard
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For Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Motherboard Amd X570 Socket Am4
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Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
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Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
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Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
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Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
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Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
Free delivery
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Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
originally posted on microcenter.com
Before I start venting (a lot) about this motherboard, I want to state for the record that I have been building high-end, watercooled, gaming PCs since 2003, I have two degrees in Computer Science--just to let you know that I know what I am doing.I got lucky day at Micro Center and got this motherboard with Ryzen 5950x. Coming from Intel 9700k and Gigabyte Z390 Master (which has been my go to Motherboard because of its overkill VRMs).After reading positive reviews about the Dark Hero, I went with this motherboard.The last Asus motherboard I got for a gaming build was in 2007, that one had to do an RMA while I was overseas (it was a nightmare that I still remember). I thought that Asus must have evolved since and they have better QA/QC for their motherboard.I ... MoreBefore I start venting (a lot) about this motherboard, I want to state for the record that I have been building high-end, watercooled, gaming PCs since 2003, I have two degrees in Computer Science--just to let you know that I know what I am doing.I got lucky day at Micro Center and got this motherboard with Ryzen 5950x. Coming from Intel 9700k and Gigabyte Z390 Master (which has been my go to Motherboard because of its overkill VRMs).After reading positive reviews about the Dark Hero, I went with this motherboard.The last Asus motherboard I got for a gaming build was in 2007, that one had to do an RMA while I was overseas (it was a nightmare that I still remember). I thought that Asus must have evolved since and they have better QA/QC for their motherboard.I installed this motherboard with g skill trident z 3600 mem. CPU cooled by Aquacomputer cuplex Next + custom loop with massive radiator space.First thing I did is flashed Bios with latest version (3204), setup my raid, loaded mem settings. Everything went smoothly and I made it to Windows. No overclock so far (PBO is on auto, which is disabled-don't know, but in Asus language, Auto = disabled).Downloaded couple games, synthetic tests such as Cine bench, 3d Mark, AIDA64 etc. and went through the normal stability tests.First thing started acting up is my USB devices, mouse and keyboard stutters, USB sound blaster disconnects. I started research online and found out that it's a common issue, disabling C-State should take care of it. It did, but not completely, it happened but less frequently. I was OK to live with it until next Asus/AGESA bios comes to solve it.I enabled PBO to see what I can get with Asus out of the box, all cores under load was at 4.45, but boy the random restarts, the computer became a Christmas tree. I disabled PBO (which is outrageous especially after spending $$$) just so I can have my zoom meetings.Third issue was DX crashes (this happens randomly even with optimized defaults, no PBO, no mem profiles). It would happen a lot until disconnect PSU and let all power discharge, then it will be OK for a little while.I then started the troubleshooting journey, tried ever single BIOS version since its release, each for at least two days. All three issues happened but each bios would make one worse and other better. I tried every single setting on the BIOS to gain a bit of stability but nothing helped.I then called Asus, which BTW I haven't called Tech Support for hardware since I had the Asus Striker Extreme motherboard back in 2007. I was hoping that I'd get connected to someone who's knowledgeable like EVGA team, but of course I got someone who was going through a checklist (is the power cable connected, is the Power Supply working), after 30 minutes, he said that I would need to send for repair it will take 4-8 weeks for the repair to be completed and they will send it back to me, I asked for advanced RMA (where you pay for one and they'll refund you when you send defective), the only advanced RMA they have is they send you a Board which you have to return when you get yours after repair (with hard tubing watercooling build that takes hours to reinstall, no thank you).After three weeks of complete pain, I decided to go Gigabyte X570 Master (look it up, most overclockers, including gamers nexus, use). I finally got one through Amazon which arrived today.NO issues whatsoever. few hours in, PBO with curve optimizer (- 25 on all cores +75 boost) rock stable so far with cores ranging from 4.75 - 5.150 (yes, not a typo) under load. No USB issues, no DX crashes or random restarts.Asus is the typical company that spends a ton of effort and money in marketing and paying reviewers to overhype their products, as they should don't get me wrong. I just wish they spend comparable amount of resources on customer support and QC/QA.You may think I am just unlucky, and to an extent, bad luck may have a role in this terrible experience. I have tried many motherboards including Gigabyte, As-Rock, EVGA, MSI and I have had some issues, but nothing I couldn't solve. I will stay away from Asus, and yo
originally posted on newegg.com
I waited 6 months to get my hands on the Dark Hero. Three things initially attracted me to this board. The first was no chipset fan. The second was the VRM design (also no fan) and the last was the BIOS dynamic OC feature. I have had it up and running now for several weeks and have enough time with it to form some opinions. Before I get to those, let me say that I am coming from a delidded i5-8600k on an AsRock Z370 which ran a stable at 4.7Ghz all core OC for 3 years. With all of the hype about Zen3, I wanted to give AMD a try (again). My new Dark Hero configuration is as follows: AMD 5600x with a Noctua NH-U14S HSF 32GB G.SKILL F4-3600C16-16GTZN (2x16) MSI RTX 2080 Ti (Duke) Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium PCI-E card Samsung 980 PRO 1TB (Boot Drive) Samsung 960 PRO 1TB ... MoreI waited 6 months to get my hands on the Dark Hero. Three things initially attracted me to this board. The first was no chipset fan. The second was the VRM design (also no fan) and the last was the BIOS dynamic OC feature. I have had it up and running now for several weeks and have enough time with it to form some opinions. Before I get to those, let me say that I am coming from a delidded i5-8600k on an AsRock Z370 which ran a stable at 4.7Ghz all core OC for 3 years. With all of the hype about Zen3, I wanted to give AMD a try (again). My new Dark Hero configuration is as follows: AMD 5600x with a Noctua NH-U14S HSF 32GB G.SKILL F4-3600C16-16GTZN (2x16) MSI RTX 2080 Ti (Duke) Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium PCI-E card Samsung 980 PRO 1TB (Boot Drive) Samsung 960 PRO 1TB Seasonic PRIME TX-850 PSU HW disabled in BIOS: Onboard Audio, Wireless, 2.5G NIC (I do not need these) First impressions were positive. The board looks beautiful. It powered right up with the 5600x without a BIOS update. I didnt have to deal with borrowing an older CPU or any problematic bios flashback procedures as I have read others have had to do with other boards. The first thing I did (after updating BIOS to 3401) was to run memtest86+ with my G.SKILL DRAM DOCP at 3200-C14 (only to match my 8600k memory speed for comparison purposes). Memtest86+ is not a great indicator of speed but the reported memory bandwidth was up 55% over my 8600k (29Gb/s -> 45GB/s) and ran overnight without error. I then installed Windows 10 which was snappy. Not a huge difference in desktop feel over my z370/8600k but in benchmarks, it was. I read the Dark Hero BIOS had a long POST time but I did not find that to be true. With DOCP enabled and memory speed explicitly set, I get about 8 seconds to BIOS video, 10 seconds to windows boot logo, and 14 seconds to the desktop. Thats fast enough for me GeekBench 5.3.2 was 23% faster single-core and 29% faster multi-core. The multi-core jumped to 41% faster when I increased the DIMM speed to its native 3600-C16. Nice. Cinebench R20 saw a 21% increase in single-core and 53% multi-core over the 8600k. Very nice improvement especially considering the 5600x is only 6C/12T. I have been playing games but not benchmarking them as much. Everything is smoother. I have fewer performance issues with keeping framerates up to 144FPS at 1440p and it feels like I am mostly GPU limited now. I enabled PBO (4.65Ghz boost) and Auto OC (4.75Ghz boost) and find that, in general, I get a better overall system feel with PBO. I have not tried Dynamic OC yet. Now for the cons. The first is that I dislike the Dark Hero BIOS. It is confusing, to say the least. Especially the overclocking settings. The mish-mash over what gets set in the advanced menu vs the AI Tweaker menu is confusing. Enabling DOCP and setting the memory speed and timings can easily be fumbled and result in missing the mark. I always have to check Zentimings or CPU_Z to double-check FCLK/MCLK/UCLK to make sure BIOS set it correctly. I also just plain dont like the Asus BIOS UI layout as compared to Asrock but thats not the fault of the board. I also admin that The Dark Hero consumes more power than I feel it should at idle. Mine sits around 125+w at full long idle. The latest AMD drivers are installed. BIOS is 3401. It doesnt matter which power plan is selected nor does it matter if the BIOS settings are stock or PBO is enabled. This should idle around 50-70watts and I cant seem to get it there. Even with my 8600k all-core OC, Intels idle clock throttling kept my idle power below 80w. The Asus default Q-Fan response quickly cycles the system fans up and down with only the slightest bit of system activity causing mildly annoying fan speed cycling. I am trying to find a better curve on manual but it only allows 3 threshold points (low, medium, high). I am still fiddling with that. Next is the Aura BIOS setting. It does all on/all off well. Anything in between is a mixed bag. I wanted to leave the lighting zones on but turn POST codes/system LEDs off after boot. When I do that, it also shuts off the front panel indicators which I dont want. It would be nice if those had a separate setting. When in the BIOS, the USB mouse response lags quite a bit. It makes using the mouse difficult. I find myself keyboarding around BIOS menu items instead. T In retrospect, the Dark Hero is overkill and expensive for my needs but I like it, quirks and all. It has been rock solid and performs well so far. I was worried that I would run into odd AMD problems such as USB disconnects that I have read about. I have seen none of that with the latest BIOS
originally posted on microcenter.com
I selected the Dark Hero after researching and comparing to Gigabyte, MSI, and AsRock offerings. I examined the user manuals and specs for all the X570 board candidates and I admit it was hard to decide as all of the X570 boards have great features. However, in my case I wanted at least 8 SATA ports, WiFi, and lots of USB ports. I also wanted a BIOS debug LED, solid high-power VRM, good memory O/C speed, and a good BIOS. The Crosshair VIII Dark Hero has it all, and more. Some of the other boards offer 8 SATA, but they drop down to 6 or 4 if you use an M.2 slot or certain PCIe slots, but the Dark Hero gives you all 8 SATA ports with no limitations.Setup was easy, it comes with a nice manual. The look and quality of the board is extremely good. The Dark Hero also ... MoreI selected the Dark Hero after researching and comparing to Gigabyte, MSI, and AsRock offerings. I examined the user manuals and specs for all the X570 board candidates and I admit it was hard to decide as all of the X570 boards have great features. However, in my case I wanted at least 8 SATA ports, WiFi, and lots of USB ports. I also wanted a BIOS debug LED, solid high-power VRM, good memory O/C speed, and a good BIOS. The Crosshair VIII Dark Hero has it all, and more. Some of the other boards offer 8 SATA, but they drop down to 6 or 4 if you use an M.2 slot or certain PCIe slots, but the Dark Hero gives you all 8 SATA ports with no limitations.Setup was easy, it comes with a nice manual. The look and quality of the board is extremely good. The Dark Hero also has passive Chipset cooling, so one less fan to worry about. There's 6 fan headers and 5 water cooler related headers on the board. The rear I/O panel has more USB ports than most high end boards (7 USB2.0 and 4 USB3.1) plus more for the case front panel, as well as a BIOS flashback and a clear CMOS button, and two network connectors(1Gb and 2.5Gb).There are too many other options and features than can be covered here. I absolutely love this board, and the only thing I can say against it is that the price could be better. If your budget can handle it, get this board, you'll be thrilled with it's capability.
| General | |
| Product Type | Motherboard - ATX |
| Chipset Type | AMD X570 |
| Processor Socket | Socket AM4 |
| Max Processors Qty | 1 |
Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
Delivery $172.08
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
1asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
Delivery $172.08
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
ASUS X570 ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero AM4 AMD ATX Motherboard
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
For Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Motherboard Amd X570 Socket Am4
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Asus Rog Crosshair Viii Dark Hero Am4 Amd X570s Sata 6gb/s Atx Amd
Free delivery
Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a small commission for purchases made through this link at no extra cost to you. This helps support our site. Thank you!
Before I start venting (a lot) about this motherboard, I want to state for the record that I have been building high-end, watercooled, gaming PCs since 2003, I have two degrees in Computer Science--just to let you know that I know what I am doing.I got lucky day at Micro Center and got this motherboard with Ryzen 5950x. Coming from Intel 9700k and Gigabyte Z390 Master (which has been my go to Motherboard because of its overkill VRMs).After reading positive reviews about the Dark Hero, I went with this motherboard.The last Asus motherboard I got for a gaming build was in 2007, that one had to do an RMA while I was overseas (it was a nightmare that I still remember). I thought that Asus must have evolved since and they have better QA/QC for their motherboard.I ... MoreBefore I start venting (a lot) about this motherboard, I want to state for the record that I have been building high-end, watercooled, gaming PCs since 2003, I have two degrees in Computer Science--just to let you know that I know what I am doing.I got lucky day at Micro Center and got this motherboard with Ryzen 5950x. Coming from Intel 9700k and Gigabyte Z390 Master (which has been my go to Motherboard because of its overkill VRMs).After reading positive reviews about the Dark Hero, I went with this motherboard.The last Asus motherboard I got for a gaming build was in 2007, that one had to do an RMA while I was overseas (it was a nightmare that I still remember). I thought that Asus must have evolved since and they have better QA/QC for their motherboard.I installed this motherboard with g skill trident z 3600 mem. CPU cooled by Aquacomputer cuplex Next + custom loop with massive radiator space.First thing I did is flashed Bios with latest version (3204), setup my raid, loaded mem settings. Everything went smoothly and I made it to Windows. No overclock so far (PBO is on auto, which is disabled-don't know, but in Asus language, Auto = disabled).Downloaded couple games, synthetic tests such as Cine bench, 3d Mark, AIDA64 etc. and went through the normal stability tests.First thing started acting up is my USB devices, mouse and keyboard stutters, USB sound blaster disconnects. I started research online and found out that it's a common issue, disabling C-State should take care of it. It did, but not completely, it happened but less frequently. I was OK to live with it until next Asus/AGESA bios comes to solve it.I enabled PBO to see what I can get with Asus out of the box, all cores under load was at 4.45, but boy the random restarts, the computer became a Christmas tree. I disabled PBO (which is outrageous especially after spending $$$) just so I can have my zoom meetings.Third issue was DX crashes (this happens randomly even with optimized defaults, no PBO, no mem profiles). It would happen a lot until disconnect PSU and let all power discharge, then it will be OK for a little while.I then started the troubleshooting journey, tried ever single BIOS version since its release, each for at least two days. All three issues happened but each bios would make one worse and other better. I tried every single setting on the BIOS to gain a bit of stability but nothing helped.I then called Asus, which BTW I haven't called Tech Support for hardware since I had the Asus Striker Extreme motherboard back in 2007. I was hoping that I'd get connected to someone who's knowledgeable like EVGA team, but of course I got someone who was going through a checklist (is the power cable connected, is the Power Supply working), after 30 minutes, he said that I would need to send for repair it will take 4-8 weeks for the repair to be completed and they will send it back to me, I asked for advanced RMA (where you pay for one and they'll refund you when you send defective), the only advanced RMA they have is they send you a Board which you have to return when you get yours after repair (with hard tubing watercooling build that takes hours to reinstall, no thank you).After three weeks of complete pain, I decided to go Gigabyte X570 Master (look it up, most overclockers, including gamers nexus, use). I finally got one through Amazon which arrived today.NO issues whatsoever. few hours in, PBO with curve optimizer (- 25 on all cores +75 boost) rock stable so far with cores ranging from 4.75 - 5.150 (yes, not a typo) under load. No USB issues, no DX crashes or random restarts.Asus is the typical company that spends a ton of effort and money in marketing and paying reviewers to overhype their products, as they should don't get me wrong. I just wish they spend comparable amount of resources on customer support and QC/QA.You may think I am just unlucky, and to an extent, bad luck may have a role in this terrible experience. I have tried many motherboards including Gigabyte, As-Rock, EVGA, MSI and I have had some issues, but nothing I couldn't solve. I will stay away from Asus, and yo
I waited 6 months to get my hands on the Dark Hero. Three things initially attracted me to this board. The first was no chipset fan. The second was the VRM design (also no fan) and the last was the BIOS dynamic OC feature. I have had it up and running now for several weeks and have enough time with it to form some opinions. Before I get to those, let me say that I am coming from a delidded i5-8600k on an AsRock Z370 which ran a stable at 4.7Ghz all core OC for 3 years. With all of the hype about Zen3, I wanted to give AMD a try (again). My new Dark Hero configuration is as follows: AMD 5600x with a Noctua NH-U14S HSF 32GB G.SKILL F4-3600C16-16GTZN (2x16) MSI RTX 2080 Ti (Duke) Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium PCI-E card Samsung 980 PRO 1TB (Boot Drive) Samsung 960 PRO 1TB ... MoreI waited 6 months to get my hands on the Dark Hero. Three things initially attracted me to this board. The first was no chipset fan. The second was the VRM design (also no fan) and the last was the BIOS dynamic OC feature. I have had it up and running now for several weeks and have enough time with it to form some opinions. Before I get to those, let me say that I am coming from a delidded i5-8600k on an AsRock Z370 which ran a stable at 4.7Ghz all core OC for 3 years. With all of the hype about Zen3, I wanted to give AMD a try (again). My new Dark Hero configuration is as follows: AMD 5600x with a Noctua NH-U14S HSF 32GB G.SKILL F4-3600C16-16GTZN (2x16) MSI RTX 2080 Ti (Duke) Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium PCI-E card Samsung 980 PRO 1TB (Boot Drive) Samsung 960 PRO 1TB Seasonic PRIME TX-850 PSU HW disabled in BIOS: Onboard Audio, Wireless, 2.5G NIC (I do not need these) First impressions were positive. The board looks beautiful. It powered right up with the 5600x without a BIOS update. I didnt have to deal with borrowing an older CPU or any problematic bios flashback procedures as I have read others have had to do with other boards. The first thing I did (after updating BIOS to 3401) was to run memtest86+ with my G.SKILL DRAM DOCP at 3200-C14 (only to match my 8600k memory speed for comparison purposes). Memtest86+ is not a great indicator of speed but the reported memory bandwidth was up 55% over my 8600k (29Gb/s -> 45GB/s) and ran overnight without error. I then installed Windows 10 which was snappy. Not a huge difference in desktop feel over my z370/8600k but in benchmarks, it was. I read the Dark Hero BIOS had a long POST time but I did not find that to be true. With DOCP enabled and memory speed explicitly set, I get about 8 seconds to BIOS video, 10 seconds to windows boot logo, and 14 seconds to the desktop. Thats fast enough for me GeekBench 5.3.2 was 23% faster single-core and 29% faster multi-core. The multi-core jumped to 41% faster when I increased the DIMM speed to its native 3600-C16. Nice. Cinebench R20 saw a 21% increase in single-core and 53% multi-core over the 8600k. Very nice improvement especially considering the 5600x is only 6C/12T. I have been playing games but not benchmarking them as much. Everything is smoother. I have fewer performance issues with keeping framerates up to 144FPS at 1440p and it feels like I am mostly GPU limited now. I enabled PBO (4.65Ghz boost) and Auto OC (4.75Ghz boost) and find that, in general, I get a better overall system feel with PBO. I have not tried Dynamic OC yet. Now for the cons. The first is that I dislike the Dark Hero BIOS. It is confusing, to say the least. Especially the overclocking settings. The mish-mash over what gets set in the advanced menu vs the AI Tweaker menu is confusing. Enabling DOCP and setting the memory speed and timings can easily be fumbled and result in missing the mark. I always have to check Zentimings or CPU_Z to double-check FCLK/MCLK/UCLK to make sure BIOS set it correctly. I also just plain dont like the Asus BIOS UI layout as compared to Asrock but thats not the fault of the board. I also admin that The Dark Hero consumes more power than I feel it should at idle. Mine sits around 125+w at full long idle. The latest AMD drivers are installed. BIOS is 3401. It doesnt matter which power plan is selected nor does it matter if the BIOS settings are stock or PBO is enabled. This should idle around 50-70watts and I cant seem to get it there. Even with my 8600k all-core OC, Intels idle clock throttling kept my idle power below 80w. The Asus default Q-Fan response quickly cycles the system fans up and down with only the slightest bit of system activity causing mildly annoying fan speed cycling. I am trying to find a better curve on manual but it only allows 3 threshold points (low, medium, high). I am still fiddling with that. Next is the Aura BIOS setting. It does all on/all off well. Anything in between is a mixed bag. I wanted to leave the lighting zones on but turn POST codes/system LEDs off after boot. When I do that, it also shuts off the front panel indicators which I dont want. It would be nice if those had a separate setting. When in the BIOS, the USB mouse response lags quite a bit. It makes using the mouse difficult. I find myself keyboarding around BIOS menu items instead. T In retrospect, the Dark Hero is overkill and expensive for my needs but I like it, quirks and all. It has been rock solid and performs well so far. I was worried that I would run into odd AMD problems such as USB disconnects that I have read about. I have seen none of that with the latest BIOS
I selected the Dark Hero after researching and comparing to Gigabyte, MSI, and AsRock offerings. I examined the user manuals and specs for all the X570 board candidates and I admit it was hard to decide as all of the X570 boards have great features. However, in my case I wanted at least 8 SATA ports, WiFi, and lots of USB ports. I also wanted a BIOS debug LED, solid high-power VRM, good memory O/C speed, and a good BIOS. The Crosshair VIII Dark Hero has it all, and more. Some of the other boards offer 8 SATA, but they drop down to 6 or 4 if you use an M.2 slot or certain PCIe slots, but the Dark Hero gives you all 8 SATA ports with no limitations.Setup was easy, it comes with a nice manual. The look and quality of the board is extremely good. The Dark Hero also ... MoreI selected the Dark Hero after researching and comparing to Gigabyte, MSI, and AsRock offerings. I examined the user manuals and specs for all the X570 board candidates and I admit it was hard to decide as all of the X570 boards have great features. However, in my case I wanted at least 8 SATA ports, WiFi, and lots of USB ports. I also wanted a BIOS debug LED, solid high-power VRM, good memory O/C speed, and a good BIOS. The Crosshair VIII Dark Hero has it all, and more. Some of the other boards offer 8 SATA, but they drop down to 6 or 4 if you use an M.2 slot or certain PCIe slots, but the Dark Hero gives you all 8 SATA ports with no limitations.Setup was easy, it comes with a nice manual. The look and quality of the board is extremely good. The Dark Hero also has passive Chipset cooling, so one less fan to worry about. There's 6 fan headers and 5 water cooler related headers on the board. The rear I/O panel has more USB ports than most high end boards (7 USB2.0 and 4 USB3.1) plus more for the case front panel, as well as a BIOS flashback and a clear CMOS button, and two network connectors(1Gb and 2.5Gb).There are too many other options and features than can be covered here. I absolutely love this board, and the only thing I can say against it is that the price could be better. If your budget can handle it, get this board, you'll be thrilled with it's capability.
This motherboard is packed with features, and that's even before you start considering the Over Clocking potential it has. This board is perfect for any enthusiast who wants to get the most out of their hardware, whether that be their storage, their expansion cards, or the CPU itself. The Over Clocking potential of this board is insane, with options that let you get into the weeds if you can understand some of the more nebulous acronyms in the UEFI. The only real complaint I have about this feature backed motherboard is the fact that it only has one USB 3.0 front panel connector. But with the plethora of them in the back, this board is able to make up for it.
First things first. I havent built a computer since 1999, so Im basically new to this and out of touch with the latest and greatest tech. So take my opinions for what they are worth. I think its a great board. It would have been been nice if it came with the TPM-M R2.0 module pre-installed, but I understand why it doesnt. Had issues installing Windows 11 because it tried to access the TPM that wasnt there. So I had to use Rufus software to make a bootable USB without that security feature. Maybe thats common knowledge, but I had to figure it out the hard way. My only other issue was the antenna for the WiFI 6 has two threaded connectors that go on the back panel, and it appears one of those connectors either are not threaded, or threaded incorrectly and will not ... MoreFirst things first. I havent built a computer since 1999, so Im basically new to this and out of touch with the latest and greatest tech. So take my opinions for what they are worth. I think its a great board. It would have been been nice if it came with the TPM-M R2.0 module pre-installed, but I understand why it doesnt. Had issues installing Windows 11 because it tried to access the TPM that wasnt there. So I had to use Rufus software to make a bootable USB without that security feature. Maybe thats common knowledge, but I had to figure it out the hard way. My only other issue was the antenna for the WiFI 6 has two threaded connectors that go on the back panel, and it appears one of those connectors either are not threaded, or threaded incorrectly and will not screw in. Anyway, I would recommend this board.
Highlights are the great instructions for build, awesome board construction and outstanding ports on this MB. Really a step above the competition but pricey.No real negatives about the board, M.2 drives are awesome, BIOS is stable and it overclocks nicely out of the box. The WIFI 6 runs 800+MBS, really a great product....but it is close to the access point.Why 4 stars and not 5?The ASUS Armory crate software is a chocolate mess. I installed it and use it but it has some problems and burrows into your OS like a tick....painful to get it out or update. You might consider avoiding it and just manually updating drivers and using the BIOS for fan control. You will need some way to control the RGB if you don't use Armory Crate.
I've been a big fan of the ROG Hero series for a while, while I don't really use it 100% for the overclocking and custom Bios features, I like the reliability it comes with. I dislike having to use multiple USB hubs to connect multiple devices, but with this, I have no issues, I still use a couple of HUBs for instruments, but the main components needed can plug directly into the motherboard.It has a great number of options for beginner and advanced users, and all the RBG show is a cool plus.The only reason I take 1 star away is the price, I know you can find some premium Motherboards for up to 1k, but I would think those are big exceptions.
Excellent fit and finish all around...typical of ROG expectations. Well protected in packaging. Well laid out manual for installation but would have appreciated more documentation on BIOS in manual. Good news is ASUS just has one of the most intuitive BIOS menu schemes around, and it was easy to figure things out and get everything up and running on first boot, including the DOCP settings for the 3600 MHz memory I went with. Pay attention to the QVL, which is available on the ASUS website, and you shouldn't have any issues. Solid platform for PBO controlled OC using AMD Ryzen Master utility. Great looking board without too much RGB gaudiness. Great onboard sound as well. Game or create!
Getting this particular motherboard was important for me, so I waited. It was out of stock everywhere at the time. I wanted to build a dark theme no LED, They can be switch of in the Bios "Stealth Mode" So it become a true Dark Hero or better yet Dark Assassin "NINJA" There is no compromise with the look and the features of this motherboard, it absolutely awesome. This PC appears to be turned-off but it's on 24/7. Silent cooling, passive cooling chipset, all the Fans are Noctua and my case Silverstone Fortress. It has 1/4" aluminum all around, it's basically like a heat sink enclosure. The status LED are unplugged permanently, it's in my bedroom so at night I want it pitch dark and silent, while it's still running, as I said it's on 24/7.
90 amp power stages, passive cooling, all the overclocking features you could ever want, very little excess.Excellent black out aesthetics.No problem running Trident Z 64gb 2x32 4000 mhz cl18 despite not being on QVL 1.4vPBO2 and AI tuning resulted in 4.6ghz all core on 5950x, w/Ryujin 360mm aio w/kryonaut.The reasons I doc it 1 star... Mostly nit picking, no 10gbps lan, 2.5gbps is realtec not intel, some may complain that there is only 2 m.2 slots, but honestly only one m.2 gets CPU lanes anyway. I am running 980 Pro 2tb x 2 in raid 0, raid setup documentation is WRONG, if you look online many people run into the same issue because the 48 page quick set up guide instructs you to use the wrong driver, wasted accouple hours trying to get it to work before ... More90 amp power stages, passive cooling, all the overclocking features you could ever want, very little excess.Excellent black out aesthetics.No problem running Trident Z 64gb 2x32 4000 mhz cl18 despite not being on QVL 1.4vPBO2 and AI tuning resulted in 4.6ghz all core on 5950x, w/Ryujin 360mm aio w/kryonaut.The reasons I doc it 1 star... Mostly nit picking, no 10gbps lan, 2.5gbps is realtec not intel, some may complain that there is only 2 m.2 slots, but honestly only one m.2 gets CPU lanes anyway. I am running 980 Pro 2tb x 2 in raid 0, raid setup documentation is WRONG, if you look online many people run into the same issue because the 48 page quick set up guide instructs you to use the wrong driver, wasted accouple hours trying to get it to work before trying the drivers that were for older CPU's, according to the manual. It is impacted by USB/device bug that seems to be affecting all x570 and b550 board. I wish it came with black mobo standoffs. My case is black, and I didn't think about it until build day that the standoffs would be visible (tempered glass both sides) from the back. don't want to tear down just for this, so maybe some little caps... The case header adapter is a nice touch, but 90* 24 pin, cpu power, usbc header, etc... would had been nice too. A lot of headers are impossible to get to with a vertical GPU. Third PCIE slot isn't reinforced like the first two.
| General | |
| Product Type | Motherboard - ATX |
| Chipset Type | AMD X570 |
| Processor Socket | Socket AM4 |
| Max Processors Qty | 1 |
