Not all motherboards are created equal, and some come with different distinguishing features which amplify them above the others. Whether that be gaming or professional use, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace as it stands is the only X570 model which is focused on the professional market with official support for ECC memory, three full-length PCIe 4.0 slots which operate at x16, x8/x8, and is the only current X570 model to operate at x8/x8/x8 across all of its slots, using a full x8 connection from the chipset.

ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace Overview

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is the only X570 motherboard designed and focused around the professional market and as a result, drops all the gaming branding and gaming focused extras. There are no integrated RGB LEDs - instead the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace focuses on a sleek look with an all-black design and horizontally finned black aluminium heatsinks. Underneath the heatsinks is a 12+2 phase power delivery spearheaded by an ASP1405I controller operating in a 6+2 configuration. ASUS has focused more on transient response and has appropriately opted to team the phases together instead of using doublers. The end result is still a 12-phase design, done in a way to align with the intended workflow of a professional system.

One of the key elements to this board design is the x8/x8/x8 PCIe 4.0 slot layout. This motherboard is the only one on the market that uses a full PCIe 4.0 x8 lane available from the AMD X570 chipset, enabling an array of different use cases that ASUS believes this market needs. Technically the upstream link to the CPU is still limited to PCIe 4.0 x4, however this does enable PCIe 3.0 x8 cards to have full bandwidth, which accounts for a lot of add in cards (RAID, high-end networking).

ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace Block Diagram

One of the major upheavals for AMD on the new 7 nm manufacturing process is in its memory performance. Back in 2017 when the first generation of AMD's AM4 X370 models launched, there was a lot of focus on its memory support and with launch day firmware, a lot of issues arose in the compatibility of memory kits rated above DDR4-3200. Now while X570 is still on the AM4 socket, major advancements have been made with the strength of the IPC onboard the Ryzen 3000 series of processors and as also memory support is much improved. The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has four memory slots with support for up to DDR4-4400 and up to 128 GB. A lot of speculation has been made with manufacturers mentioning support for ECC memory, but the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has full support for ECC and includes options for scrubbing within the firmware; this comes down to processor support, but the WS X570-Ace is certainly geared for it. 

Looking at the feature set of the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace, networking is handled by a pair of Gigabit NICs and the onboard audio is controlled by a Realtek ALC1200S with an integrated EMI shield which offers five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output on the rear panel, and the front panel audio connector located in the bottom left-hand corner of the board. Looking at the rest of the rear panel inputs, ASUS has gone with four USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, one USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, and two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A ports. Moving onto the storage options on offer and the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has plenty to shout about with two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots (x4/x2), with four SATA ports that support RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays. 

The overall performance displayed by the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is positive in multiple areas of our system, CPU, and gaming test suites. In terms of power consumption, there wasn't too much difference between the long idle and idle power states. The workstation-focused WS X570-Ace did, however, display the lowest power draw at full load over both the MSI MEG X570 Godlike and MEG X570 Ace by around 7 Watts. Testing POST times also threw up some interesting results at default settings with a rather long POST time of 33 seconds; we managed to shrink this by nearly 13 seconds when we turned all the non-vital controllers off including onboard audio and networking; this is over a third of the POST time which shows the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace to have a little bit of inefficiency when booting into Windows 10.

Moving onto the overclocking performance, and the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace performed very well all things considered, and although this model isn't aimed at enthusiasts and gamers, it still packs a mighty punch with its 12+2 phase power delivery. The single 8-pin 12 V ATX CPU power input didn't hinder our testing in the slightest and we managed to hit the wall of our Ryzen 7 3700X processor which currently sits at 4.3 GHz at 1.375 V. CPU VCore voltage VDroop wasn't an issue and it was found to be stable at all of the frequencies and CPU VCore settings we set it to. At full load when the processor needed the grunt, the power delivery proved effective in boosting the CPU VCore when it was needed, which in turn not only reduces power consumption but temperatures too. AMD's Precision Boost Overdrive settings also proved fruitful on this model with a respectable gain in performance in our POV-Ray benchmark; the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is the first model we've tested so far to show an effective gain with PBO.

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace currently sits as the only workstation focused motherboard in the current product stack, and includes a good range of features for consumers and professional users. The X570 chipset isn't specifically designed for workstation situations, and includes features such as ASUS Node, which enables ASUS' partners to develop products with an OLED display (for example, InWin has a case that supports it).

With a current retail price of $380 at Newegg in the US, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace stands out from a very crowded gaming-orientated X570 product stack and while omitting features such as RGB LEDs, it is sure to prove popular with consumers who hate the thought of a wild rainbow discotheque startling their vision. The official support with compatible Ryzen 2000 and 3000 Pro for ECC memory also make this an interesting and appealing option to consider.

Visual Inspection

Setting its sights on professional and workstation users, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace encompasses a strict and elegant design without the plethora of RGB LEDs that plenty of other models do. Instead, the Pro WS X570-Ace uses straight angled black aluminium heatsinks with the fins aligned horizontally on an all-black PCB. This includes the power delivery heatsink, the actively cooled X570 chipset heatsink, and the single PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 heatsink. Located around the edge of the board are six 4-pin headers which support one CPU fan, one AIO pump connector, and four chassis fans. At the bottom of the PCB is an ASUS NODE connector hardware interface controller. While there aren't many products out which support this, InWin is currently developing an OLED screen which can display statistics such as CPU temperature, and fan speeds.

In the top right-hand corner of the board is four memory slots with support for DDR4-4400 memory, and is capable of housing up to 128 GB of system memory. A lot of vendors mention support for ECC memory in its specifications, but the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has validated support for ECC memory (and non-ECC). This means users can build an X570 based workstation with all the benefits of ECC memory including options in the firmware for memory scrubbing and memory addressing; this ultimately comes down to processor support including the AMD Ryzen Pro models. The WS X570-Ace also benefits from ASUS's OptiMem which is essentially a method of making the memory trace layout more efficient and can help to reduce memory latencies when overclocking, as well as potentially increase memory frequency yield too.

The bottom full-length PCIe 4.0 slot on the Pro WS X570-Ace operates at x8

One of the main features that sets this model apart from the rest of the current X570 product stack is in its PCIe 4.0 support. The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has three full-length PCIe 4.0 slots which operate at x16, and x8/x8, and the bottom slot operates at x8 powered through the chipset. All three full-length slots include a coating of metal armor re-inforcement, and for users looking to use a dedicated soundcard or another networking card, ASUS also includes a single PCIe 4.0 x1 slot.

Although the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is more geared towards workstation users, its power delivery is more than suitable for enthusiasts looking to overclock Ryzen 3000 processors too. It has a 12+2 phase design that is controlled by an ASP1405I running at 6+1 which is a custom variation of an International Rectifier IR35201 PWM controller. ASUS has opted to use teaming as opposed to doubling up phases for better transient response across its X570 models. As a result of this, the CPU VCore section is running 12 x IR3555 60 A power stages and the SoC is using 2 x IR3555 60 A power stages which are teamed together in pairs to create the 6+1 design. Delivering power to the processor is a single 8-pin 12 V ATX CPU power input.

Moving onto the storage capabilities of the ASUS WS Pro X570-Ace, we have two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots with the top M.2 slot allowing for both PCIe 4.0 x4 and SATA drives to be used which includes an M.2 heatsink. The M.2 slot located at the bottom of the board only has support for PCIe 4.0 x2 drives, although this model does include a U.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, and four SATA ports with support for RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays.

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace uses a Realtek ALC1200S HD audio codec which provides five 3.5 mm audio jacks, and an S/PDIF optical output. On the Realtek ALC1200S HD audio codec is an EMI shield and is supported with six gold Japanese audio capacitors. The audio PCB is also separated from the rest of the board's componentry.

On the rear panel are two Ethernet ports, one being Realtek RTL8117 and the other an Intel I211-AT. ASUS has included four USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, one USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, and two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A ports, as well as a pair of video outputs including an HDMI 1.4b, and DisplayPort 1.2. Touching on the Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC, this is supported by the ASUS Control Center Express which is a server-focused application which also doubles up as a management controller. It allows for out-of-band management and hardware-level control.

What's in the Box

Included in the box is a very fundamental accessories bundle which includes four SATA cables, an M.2 screw package, a driver and software installation disc, an I/O shield, and a user manual. The most noteworthy accessory in the bundle is an ASUS VGA holder designed to eliminate sagging in heavyset graphics cards, which can not only damage the card but the PCIe slot too if it isn't secured properly.

• 4 x SATA cables
• Rear I/O shield
• 1 x ASUS VGA holder
• 1 x M.2 screw package
• 1 x Installation disk
• User manual

BIOS

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is using the more professional focused UEFI BIOS Utility with white and turquoise text on a black background. Its GUI and overall look are uniformed with two different modes available for users to select between; the EZ and advanced mode. This can be done by pressing the F7 key, with the advanced mode opening up a large selection of options for users to customize, including all of the overclocking sections available in the Ai Tweaker section.

Entering the firmware for the first time brings up the EZ mode which has a basic array of customizable options and provides easy access to some of the core functions of the BIOS. In the top left corner is a basic information panel which stretches down to the bottom which includes the motherboards model number, the firmware version being used, the processor installed including its core clock speed, and the amount of system memory including its current frequency. In the center are the current CPU temperature, the current CPU Core voltage and the motherboard temperature. Directly below this is a storage information panel which even lists USB flash drives which are installed into the rear panel USB ports. There's a CPU fan speed graph and below it is a Q-Fan Control utility. On the right-hand side is an EZ System Tuning profile selector and a Boot Priority order which users can click and drag to change the default booting order.

Accessing the Q-Fan Control utility can be done from both the EZ and Advanced modes of the firmware and allows users to customize the fan profile of individual fan headers, or selecting between the four pre-defined fan profiles. Each of the six fan headers can be individually controlled, or optimized in a group based on a look-up table within the firmware; the CPU fan and Opt CPU fan are linked together.

Within the Ai Tweaker section is all of the CPU and memory overclocking settings, as well as all the power-related options. There are options for altering the CPU Core frequency, base block frequency, and for users looking to make the use of AMD's Infinity Fabric, users can even alter this for better memory overclocking performance via the FCLK Frequency setting. Users may note that ASUS uses D.O.C.P and not the usual X.M.P memory overclocking profiles; these are the same thing and it's just the ASUS term for this. Along the right-hand side of the advanced mode is a hardware monitor which lists information such as CPU Core frequency, the base clock frequency, CPU Core Voltage, current CPU temperature, with current memory and voltage settings located below this. The maximum values for CPU Core Frequency, CPU VCore voltage, DRAM frequency and FCLK frequency are as follows:

• Maximum CPU Core Frequency = 6.375 GHz
• Maximum CPU VCore = 1.70 V
• Maximum DRAM Frequency = 6000 MHz
• Maximum Infinity Fabric/FCLK Frequency = 3000 MHz

We should point out that just because you can set these values, it doesn't mean the system will work.

As the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is targeting professional users, there are plenty of options in the firmware for networking support. The inclusion of the Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC allows users to use the ASUS Control Center Express software which gives remote access and a variety of functions. Users can enable or disable this function, although its the only X570 motherboard to currently offer this feature.

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace officially supports ECC memory (not just in non-ECC mode) and as a result, the firmware is equipped with relevant options for scrubbing, linking, and memory addressing. The support for ECC memory comes down to whether or not the processor supports it and some motherboard models do allow ECC memory to be used, but this is the first model so far we've seen that officially supports ECC memory in ECC mode.

For professional users looking to create a remote accessible X570 based workstation, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace firmware seems equipped for the job. Not just for professional use, the overclocking options on offer are more than enough to eek every last MHz out of the processor and memory, with the inclusion of the networking and ECC memory options setting this model apart from the rest. The ASUS UEFI BIOS utility firmware itself feels very responsive, is stable, and is effectively laid out with plenty of settings for users to sink their teeth into. 

Software

With all the focus being on its professional-level properties, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace doesn't encumber users with lots of irrelevant gaming-centric software, instead it focuses its attention on the ASUS Control Center Express application, and useful AI Suite 3 software. 

The ASUS Control Center Express application is a watered-down version of its fully licenced professional ASUS Control Center software and offers users an entry-level point to server deployments, including VMWare. This works hand in hand with the Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC and uses it as a controller and access point. Users can access the WS X570-Ace remotely through the RTL8117 NIC and also allows users to change BIOS settings, reset and switch the system off, as well as performance operating system installations across multiple clients.

Looking into the ASUS Ai Suite 3 software, users can overclock their processors with limited options available including CPU Core Voltage, CPU SoC Voltage, and CPU Core Frequency. For users looking for a more comprehensive overclocking tool, the Ryzen Master Overclocking utility works wonders, although overclocking from the firmware has always been, and always will be the recommended method from myself personally. Users can also use the EZ Update section to keep drivers and software up-to-date, although the ASUS Control Center Express application does need to be downloaded and installed separately from the ASUS website.

Even though there isn't much in the way of software to go through, the ASUS Control Center Express software is the pick of the bunch. Users looking to customize and tweak the Realtek ALC1200S HD audio codec are required to download the software from the Windows Store, which we have noted in numerous motherboard reviews this year.

Board Features

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace sits in the mid-range of the X570 product stack with a price of $380 and combines professional features such a Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC that offers hardware-level access control for server functions with the ASUS Control Center Express application; this is assisted by an additional Ethernet port controlled by an Intel I211-AT Gigabit NIC. A Realtek ALC1200S HD audio codec handles the onboard audio and includes an EMI shield and is set on a separate area of the PCB. The solid-looking 12+2 phase power delivery includes an elegant and large aluminium heatsink and draws its power from a single 8-pin 12 V ATX CPU power input. Providing power to the rest of the board is a single 24-pin 12 V ATX motherboard power input. One of the standout features comes in the way of the full-length PCIe 4.0 slots which run at x16, x8/x8, and x8/x8/x8.

ASUS Pro WS X570 Ace ATX Motherboard
Warranty Period	3 Years
Product Page	Link
Price	$380
Size	ATX
CPU Interface	AM4
Chipset	AMD X570
Memory Slots (DDR4)	Four DDR4 Supporting 128 GB Dual Channel Up to DDR4-4400 ECC Memory Support
Video Outputs	1 x HDMI 1.4b 1 x DisplayPort 1.2
Network Connectivity	Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit Intel I211-AT Gigabit
Onboard Audio	Realtek S1200A
PCIe Slots for Graphics (from CPU)	2 x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8)
PCIe Slots for Other (from PCH)	1 x PCIe 4.0 x8 1 x PCIe 4.0 x1
Onboard SATA	Four, RAID 0/1/10
Onboard M.2	1 x PCIe 4.0 x4/SATA 1 x PCIe 4.0 x2 1 x U.2 PCIe 3.0 x4
USB 3.1 (10 Gbps)	4 x Type-A Rear Panel 1 x Type-C Rear Panel 1 x Type-C Header
USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)	2 x Type-A Rear Panel 2 x Header (two ports)
USB 2.0	2 x Type-A Rear Panel 2 x Header (four ports)
Power Connectors	1 x 24-pin ATX 1 x 8pin CPU
Fan Headers	2 x CPU (4-pin) 1 x AIO Pump (4-pin) 3 x System (4-pin)
IO Panel	4 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-A 1 x USB 3.1 G2 Type-C 2 x USB 3.1 G1 Type-A 2 x Network RJ45 (Realtek/Intel) 5 x 3.5mm Audio Jacks (Realtek) 1 x S/PDIF Output (Realtek)

On the rear panel is a fairly impressive selection of inputs including four USB 3.1 G2 Type-A, one USB 3.1 G2 Type-C, and two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A ports. A further two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A and four USB 2.0 ports can be accessed through the use of internal USB headers. For users looking to use compatible Ryzen APUs, there is also an HDMI 1.4b and DisplayPort video output. Cooling support is standard for an ATX model as the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has six 4-pin headers split into two for CPU fans, one for an AIO pump, and four for system fans. There are two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots, with the top slot operating at PCIe 4.0 x4, and the second slot at just PCIe 4.0 x2. The solitary U.2 slot supports PCIe 3.0 x4, and the four SATA ports feature support for RAID 0, 1, and 10 arrays.

Test Bed

As per our testing policy, we take a high-end CPU suitable for the motherboard that was released during the socket’s initial launch and equip the system with a suitable amount of memory running at the processor maximum supported frequency. This is also typically run at JEDEC subtimings where possible. It is noted that some users are not keen on this policy, stating that sometimes the maximum supported frequency is quite low, or faster memory is available at a similar price, or that the JEDEC speeds can be prohibitive for performance. While these comments make sense, ultimately very few users apply memory profiles (either XMP or other) as they require interaction with the BIOS, and most users will fall back on JEDEC supported speeds - this includes home users as well as industry who might want to shave off a cent or two from the cost or stay within the margins set by the manufacturer. Where possible, we will extend out testing to include faster memory modules either at the same time as the review or a later date.

While we have been able to measure audio performance from previous Z370 motherboards, the task has been made even harder with the roll-out of the Z390 chipset and none of the boards tested so far has played ball. It seems all USB support for Windows 7 is now extinct so until we can find a reliable way of measuring audio performance on Windows 10 or until a workaround can be found, audio testing will have to be done at a later date.

Test Setup
Processor	AMD Ryzen 3700X, 65W, $329  8 Cores, 16 Threads, 3.6 GHz (4.4 GHz Turbo)
Motherboard	ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace (BIOS 0702)
Cooling	ID Cooling Auraflow 240mm AIO
Power Supply	Thermaltake Toughpower Grand 1200W Gold PSU
Memory	2x8GB G.Skill TridentZ DDR4-3200 16-16-16-36 2T
Video Card	ASUS GTX 980 STRIX (1178/1279 Boost)
Hard Drive	Crucial MX300 1TB
Case	Open Benchtable BC1.1 (Silver)
Operating System	Windows 10 1903 inc. Spectre/Meltdown Patches

Readers of our motherboard review section will have noted the trend in modern motherboards to implement a form of MultiCore Enhancement / Acceleration / Turbo (read our report here) on their motherboards. This does several things, including better benchmark results at stock settings (not entirely needed if overclocking is an end-user goal) at the expense of heat and temperature. It also gives, in essence, an automatic overclock which may be against what the user wants. Our testing methodology is ‘out-of-the-box’, with the latest public BIOS installed and XMP enabled, and thus subject to the whims of this feature. It is ultimately up to the motherboard manufacturer to take this risk – and manufacturers taking risks in the setup is something they do on every product (think C-state settings, USB priority, DPC Latency / monitoring priority, overriding memory sub-timings at JEDEC). Processor speed change is part of that risk, and ultimately if no overclocking is planned, some motherboards will affect how fast that shiny new processor goes and can be an important factor in the system build.

Hardware Providers for CPU and Motherboard Reviews
Sapphire RX 460 Nitro	MSI GTX 1080 Gaming X OC	Crucial MX200 + MX500 SSDs	Corsair AX860i + AX1200i PSUs
G.Skill RipjawsV, SniperX, FlareX	Crucial Ballistix DDR4	Silverstone Coolers	Silverstone Fans

New Test Suite: Spectre and Meltdown Hardened

Since the start of our Z390 reviews, we are using an updated OS, updated drivers, and updated software. This is in line with our CPU testing updates, which includes Spectre and Meltdown patches. We are also running the testbed with the new Windows 10 1903 update for AMD's Ryzen 3000 series CPUs, and X570 motherboard reviews. The Windows 1903 update improves multi-core and multi-thread performance on AMD's Ryzen processors with topology awareness meaning previous issues in regards to latency have been known to affect performance. As users are recommended to keep their Windows 10 operating system updates, our performance data is reflected with the 1903 update.

System Performance

Not all motherboards are created equal. On the face of it, they should all perform the same and differ only in the functionality they provide - however, this is not the case. The obvious pointers are power consumption, but also the ability for the manufacturer to optimize USB speed, audio quality (based on audio codec), POST time and latency. This can come down to the manufacturing process and prowess, so these are tested.

For X570 we are running using Windows 10 64-bit with the 1903 update as per our Ryzen 3000 CPU review.

Power Consumption

Power consumption was tested on the system while in a single ASUS GTX 980 GPU configuration with a wall meter connected to the Thermaltake 1200W power supply. This power supply has ~75% efficiency > 50W, and 90%+ efficiency at 250W, suitable for both idle and multi-GPU loading. This method of power reading allows us to compare the power management of the UEFI and the board to supply components with power under load, and includes typical PSU losses due to efficiency. These are the real world values that consumers may expect from a typical system (minus the monitor) using this motherboard.

While this method for power measurement may not be ideal, and you feel these numbers are not representative due to the high wattage power supply being used (we use the same PSU to remain consistent over a series of reviews, and the fact that some boards on our test bed get tested with three or four high powered GPUs), the important point to take away is the relationship between the numbers. These boards are all under the same conditions, and thus the differences between them should be easy to spot.

Looking at the power consumption numbers outputted from the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace, it performs slightly worse than the MSI MEG X570 Ace model in both a long idle and idle power state. At full load, the tables are turned and the WS X570-Ace without RGB LEDs and unnecessary fluff managed to pull around 7-8 watts less at the wall than both the MSI MEG X570 models.

Non-UEFI POST Time

Different motherboards have different POST sequences before an operating system is initialized. A lot of this is dependent on the board itself, and POST boot time is determined by the controllers on board (and the sequence of how those extras are organized). As part of our testing, we look at the POST Boot Time using a stopwatch. This is the time from pressing the ON button on the computer to when Windows starts loading. (We discount Windows loading as it is highly variable given Windows specific features.)

In our POST time test, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace took a considerable amount of time to boot into Windows 10, but with controllers disabled, we managed to squeeze a much quicker time with a POST time of around 20 seconds. This is down to the Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC requiring extra POST time to initialize, which in a professional environment, isn't too much of a burden to bear.

DPC Latency

Deferred Procedure Call latency is a way in which Windows handles interrupt servicing. In order to wait for a processor to acknowledge the request, the system will queue all interrupt requests by priority. Critical interrupts will be handled as soon as possible, whereas lesser priority requests such as audio will be further down the line. If the audio device requires data, it will have to wait until the request is processed before the buffer is filled.

If the device drivers of higher priority components in a system are poorly implemented, this can cause delays in request scheduling and process time. This can lead to an empty audio buffer and characteristic audible pauses, pops and clicks. The DPC latency checker measures how much time is taken processing DPCs from driver invocation. The lower the value will result in better audio transfer at smaller buffer sizes. Results are measured in microseconds.

We test DPC at default settings, out of the box, and the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace performs very well in comparison to other models on test.

CPU Performance, Short Form

For our motherboard reviews, we use our short form testing method. These tests usually focus on if a motherboard is using MultiCore Turbo (the feature used to have maximum turbo on at all times, giving a frequency advantage), or if there are slight gains to be had from tweaking the firmware. We put the memory settings at the CPU manufacturers suggested frequency, making it very easy to see which motherboards have MCT enabled by default.

For X570 we are running using Windows 10 64-bit with the 1903 update as per our Ryzen 3000 CPU review.

Rendering - Blender 2.7b: 3D Creation Suite - link

A high profile rendering tool, Blender is open-source allowing for massive amounts of configurability, and is used by a number of high-profile animation studios worldwide. The organization recently released a Blender benchmark package, a couple of weeks after we had narrowed our Blender test for our new suite, however their test can take over an hour. For our results, we run one of the sub-tests in that suite through the command line - a standard ‘bmw27’ scene in CPU only mode, and measure the time to complete the render.

Streaming and Archival Video Transcoding - Handbrake 1.1.0

A popular open source tool, Handbrake is the anything-to-anything video conversion software that a number of people use as a reference point. The danger is always on version numbers and optimization, for example the latest versions of the software can take advantage of AVX-512 and OpenCL to accelerate certain types of transcoding and algorithms. The version we use here is a pure CPU play, with common transcoding variations.

We have split Handbrake up into several tests, using a Logitech C920 1080p60 native webcam recording (essentially a streamer recording), and convert them into two types of streaming formats and one for archival. The output settings used are:

• 720p60 at 6000 kbps constant bit rate, fast setting, high profile
• 1080p60 at 3500 kbps constant bit rate, faster setting, main profile
• 1080p60 HEVC at 3500 kbps variable bit rate, fast setting, main profile

Rendering – POV-Ray 3.7.1: Ray Tracing - link

The Persistence of Vision Ray Tracer, or POV-Ray, is a freeware package for as the name suggests, ray tracing. It is a pure renderer, rather than modeling software, but the latest beta version contains a handy benchmark for stressing all processing threads on a platform. We have been using this test in motherboard reviews to test memory stability at various CPU speeds to good effect – if it passes the test, the IMC in the CPU is stable for a given CPU speed. As a CPU test, it runs for approximately 1-2 minutes on high-end platforms.

Compression – WinRAR 5.60b3: link

Our WinRAR test from 2013 is updated to the latest version of WinRAR at the start of 2014. We compress a set of 2867 files across 320 folders totaling 1.52 GB in size – 95% of these files are small typical website files, and the rest (90% of the size) are small 30-second 720p videos.

Synthetic – 7-Zip v1805: link

Out of our compression/decompression tool tests, 7-zip is the most requested and comes with a built-in benchmark. For our test suite, we’ve pulled the latest version of the software and we run the benchmark from the command line, reporting the compression, decompression, and a combined score.

It is noted in this benchmark that the latest multi-die processors have very bi-modal performance between compression and decompression, performing well in one and badly in the other. There are also discussions around how the Windows Scheduler is implementing every thread. As we get more results, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Point Calculations – 3D Movement Algorithm Test: link

3DPM is a self-penned benchmark, taking basic 3D movement algorithms used in Brownian Motion simulations and testing them for speed. High floating point performance, MHz, and IPC win in the single thread version, whereas the multithread version has to handle the threads and loves more cores. For a brief explanation of the platform agnostic coding behind this benchmark, see my forum post here.

Neuron Simulation - DigiCortex v1.20: link

The newest benchmark in our suite is DigiCortex, a simulation of biologically plausible neural network circuits, and simulates activity of neurons and synapses. DigiCortex relies heavily on a mix of DRAM speed and computational throughput, indicating that systems which apply memory profiles properly should benefit and those that play fast and loose with overclocking settings might get some extra speed up. Results are taken during the steady-state period in a 32k neuron simulation and represented as a function of the ability to simulate in real time (1.000x equals real-time).

Gaming Performance

For X570 we are running using Windows 10 64-bit with the 1903 update as per our Ryzen 3000 CPU review.

World of Tanks enCore

Albeit different to most of the other commonly played MMO or massively multiplayer online games, World of Tanks is set in the mid-20th century and allows players to take control of a range of military based armored vehicles. World of Tanks (WoT) is developed and published by Wargaming who are based in Belarus, with the game’s soundtrack being primarily composed by Belarusian composer Sergey Khmelevsky. The game offers multiple entry points including a free-to-play element as well as allowing players to pay a fee to open up more features. One of the most interesting things about this tank based MMO is that it achieved eSports status when it debuted at the World Cyber Games back in 2012.

World of Tanks enCore is a demo application for a new and unreleased graphics engine penned by the Wargaming development team. Over time the new core engine will implemented into the full game upgrading the games visuals with key elements such as improved water, flora, shadows, lighting as well as other objects such as buildings. The World of Tanks enCore demo app not only offers up insight into the impending game engine changes, but allows users to check system performance to see if the new engine run optimally on their system.

Grand Theft Auto V

The highly anticipated iteration of the Grand Theft Auto franchise hit the shelves on April 14th 2015, with both AMD and NVIDIA in tow to help optimize the title. GTA doesn’t provide graphical presets, but opens up the options to users and extends the boundaries by pushing even the hardest systems to the limit using Rockstar’s Advanced Game Engine under DirectX 11. Whether the user is flying high in the mountains with long draw distances or dealing with assorted trash in the city, when cranked up to maximum it creates stunning visuals but hard work for both the CPU and the GPU.

For our test we have scripted a version of the in-game benchmark. The in-game benchmark consists of five scenarios: four short panning shots with varying lighting and weather effects, and a fifth action sequence that lasts around 90 seconds. We use only the final part of the benchmark, which combines a flight scene in a jet followed by an inner city drive-by through several intersections followed by ramming a tanker that explodes, causing other cars to explode as well. This is a mix of distance rendering followed by a detailed near-rendering action sequence, and the title thankfully spits out frame time data.

F1 2018

Aside from keeping up-to-date on the Formula One world, F1 2017 added HDR support, which F1 2018 has maintained; otherwise, we should see any newer versions of Codemasters' EGO engine find its way into F1. Graphically demanding in its own right, F1 2018 keeps a useful racing-type graphics workload in our benchmarks.

Aside from keeping up-to-date on the Formula One world, F1 2017 added HDR support, which F1 2018 has maintained. We use the in-game benchmark, set to run on the Montreal track in the wet, driving as Lewis Hamilton from last place on the grid. Data is taken over a one-lap race.

Overclocking Ryzen 3000

Experience with the ASUS Pro X570-Ace

The expected overclocking potential prior to the launch of the Ryzen 3000 series hasn't lived up to all the hype that was surrounding it. Regardless of this, the limitations could be in the new 7 nm manufacturing process, the use of the chiplet design, or the very high temperature that these processors run at when overclocked. It remains to be seen in the next revision whether or not the clock speeds will be more fruitful for what enthusiasts expect, but when overclocking the Ryzen 3000 processors, premium cooling methods such as high-end AIOs and custom water cooling is needed. 

Overclocking our Ryzen 7 3700X using the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace via the firmware was easy without much pomp and show. All of the overclocking options including both the CPU, memory, voltage and power settings can be found within the Ai Tweaker section. Users can either opt to use the basic overclocking functions within the AI Suite 3 software or use the acclaimed Ryzen Master overclocking software which as far as AMD overclocking goes, works very well. When overclocking the memory on ASUS branded AMD motherboards, what is more commonly known as X.M.P is called D.O.C.P; this is the exact same thing, no difference, just a different naming structure. 

The power-related settings can be found under the External Digi+ Power Control menu, with options for variables such as Load-Line Calibration which is useful for eliminating VDroop on the CPU VCore, VDDSoC settings, and enabling or disabling spread spectrum. There are no real overclocking presets to select from and that's okay given that this model is more for professional users, but there are three performance enhancer settings to select from.

Overclocking Methodology

Our standard overclocking methodology is as follows. We select the automatic overclock options and test for stability with POV-Ray and OCCT to simulate high-end workloads. These stability tests aim to catch any immediate causes for memory or CPU errors.

For manual overclocks, based on the information gathered from the previous testing, starts off at a nominal voltage and CPU multiplier, and the multiplier is increased until the stability tests are failed. The CPU voltage is increased gradually until the stability tests are passed, and the process repeated until the motherboard reduces the multiplier automatically (due to safety protocol) or the CPU temperature reaches a stupidly high level (105ºC+). Our testbed is not in a case, which should push overclocks higher with fresher (cooler) air.

Overclocking Results

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has a capable 12+2 phase power delivery running in 6+1 configuration with an ASP1405I which operates at 6+1.  While running the manual overclock testing, we noticed very little VDroop once we ran 3.7 GHz at 1.250 V and above, all the way to 4.3 GHz at 1.375V. This shows that the automatic LLC setting runs pretty much spot on in our testing which means that what voltage is set in the firmware, is the voltage that our Ryzen 7 3700X ran at when under full load.

Performance in our POV-Ray testing from 3.6 GHz to 4.3 GHz showed a consistent increase in performance, and the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace managed to push our Ryzen 7 3700X to its limitations of 4.3 GHz at 1.375 V. We did go for 4.4 GHz, but even with 1.550 V on the CPU VCore which for the record is way too much, it still wasn't any more stable. 

When using the three levels of performance enhancement profiles, we found that they pumped a similar amount of CPU VCore voltage (around 1.375-1.384 V), but it didn't quite match up to the performance in POV-Ray than our manually overclocked 4.3 GHz with 1.375 V. All three profiles we're actually similar to just enabling Precision Boost Overdrive in terms of temperatures, POV-Ray performance and power draw; these are more PBO focused enhancements as opposed to overclocking profiles. 

Power Delivery Thermal Analysis

One of the most requested elements of our motherboard reviews revolves around the power delivery and its componentry. Aside from the quality of the components and its capability for overclocking to push out higher clock speeds which in turn improves performance, is the thermal capability of the cooling solutions implemented by manufacturers. While almost always fine for users running processors at default settings, the cooling capability of the VRMs isn't something that users should worry too much about, but for those looking to squeeze out extra performance from the CPU via overclocking, this puts extra pressure on the power delivery and in turn, generates extra heat. This is why more premium models often include heatsinks on its models with better cooling designs, heftier chunks of metal, and in some cases, even with water blocks.

Testing Methodology

Our method of testing is going to focus on if the power delivery and its heatsink are effective at dissipating heat. We run an intensely heavy CPU workload for a prolonged method of time and apply an overclock which is deemed safe and at the maximum that the silicon on our AMD Ryzen 7 3700X processor allows. We then run the Prime95 with AVX2 enabled under a torture test for an hour at the maximum stable overclock we can, which puts insane pressure on the processor. We collect our data via three different methods which include the following:

• Taking a thermal image from a birds-eye view after an hour with a Flir Pro thermal imaging camera
• Securing two probes on to the rear of the PCB, right underneath CPU VCore section of the power delivery for better parity in case a probe reports a faulty reading
• Taking a reading of the VRM temperature from the sensor reading within the HWInfo monitoring application

Two K-Type Thermal Probes attached to the rear of the power delivery on the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace

The reason for using three different methods is that some sensors can read inaccurate temperatures, which can give very erratic results for users looking to gauge whether an overclock is too much pressure for the power delivery handle. With using a probe on the rear, it can also show the efficiency of the power stages and heatsinks as a wide margin between the probe and sensor temperature can show that the heatsink is dissipating heat and that the design is working, or that the internal sensor is massively wrong. To ensure our probe was accurate prior to testing, I personally binned 10 and selected the most accurate (within 1c of the actual temperature) for better parity in our testing.

For thermal image, we use a Flir One camera as it gives a good indication of where the heat is generated around the socket area, as some designs use different configurations and an evenly spread power delivery with good components will usually generate less heat. Manufacturers who use inefficient heatsinks and cheap out on power delivery components should run hotter than those who have invested. Of course, a $700 flagship motherboard is likely to outperform a cheaper $100 model under the same testing conditions, but it is still worth testing to see which vendors are doing things correctly.

Thermal Analysis Results

We measured 55.5°C on PCB between the CPU socket and power delivery

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is running a 12-phase power delivery for the CPU VCore and a 2-phase setup for the SoC. This is controlled by an ASP1405I which is a rebadged International Rectifier IR35201 PWM controller which is operating in a 6+1 configuration. Cooling the power delivery is a good-sized aluminium heatsink with uniformed fins which when combined with good passive airflow, should prove effective. As ASUS is running the Pro WS X570-Ace power delivery power stages in a teamed mode as opposed to doublers, this should, in theory, make the power delivery cooler. Delivering power to the CPU is a single 8-pin 12 V ATX which is more than enough power for the current Ryzen 3000 processor line-up.

As we get more results, we will endeavour to update this chart when more models have been tested

Note - The ASRock B450 Gaming ITX-ac model crashed instantly every time the small FFT torture test within Prime95 was initiated. At anything on the CPU VCore above 1.35 V would result in instant instability. The Ryzen Master auto-overclocking function failed every time it tried to dial in settings, but it does, however, operate absolutely fine at stock, and with Precision Boost Overdrive enabled.  Either the firmware is the issue, or the board just isn't capable of overclocking the Ryzen 3700X with extreme workloads with what is considered a stable overclock on the X570 chipset. We will re-test this in the future.

Comparing the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace to other models on test with our Ryzen 7 3700X processor, we found that at the time of writing, this particular model has the most efficient power delivery design so far. The teaming of the power stages from a 12+2 to a 6+1 design works well and as a result, runs around 7°C cooler than the MSI MEG X570 Godlike at maximum load. One drawback to the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is that this model doesn't include a VRM temperature sensor integrated into the power delivery, but our thermal probe readings and thermal imaging are consistent, and the WS X570-Ace performs superbly in comparison to both the MSI MEG X570 models we have tested so far.

ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace Conclusion

Looking throughout the entire X570 product stack, there's a small handful out of 35+ models that aren't targetting gamers, but the only one to target the workstation users is the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace. This sets it apart from the rest of the product stack and it's not just in the WS branding, but in its core feature set too. Firstly, it's the only X570 model to have three full-length PCIe 4.0 slots that run at a minimum of x8: x16, x8/x8, and x8/x8/x8. This is useful for users looking to run three NVIDIA graphics cards for various tasks such as gaming, rendering and virtual machines. Another important workstation related feature comes with the Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC which allows users to hook it up with the ASUS Control Center Express application for virtual machine deployment, dedicated remote access through the Ethernet port, and even affords users the ability to install operating systems with PME, and PXE support. This is supplemented by an additional Ethernet port which is controlled by an Intel I211-AT Gigabit NIC.

Another notable inclusion a Realtek ALC1200S HD audio codec which comes geared with an EMI shield and PCB separation for a much better experience, and the out of the box DPC Latency performance wasn't too bad either. The power delivery on the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace consists of a 12+2 phase power delivery running in a 6+1 configuration with an ASP1405I PWM controller and 14 x IR3555 60 A power stages for the CPU teamed up in pairs, with 2 x IR3555 60 A power stages for the SoC section; also teamed up with aim on reducing transient response times in the phase switches for more efficiency, and ultimately better thermal performance. Touching more on the thermal performance in our new power delivery thermal analysis, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace out of the boards we have tested so far proved to be exceptional with a recorded temperature of 52°C measured from our thermal probe. 

Touching on the overclocking performance and the WS X570-Ace once again proved its worth with consistent performance in our POV-Ray benchmark testing, and managed to push our testbed Ryzen 7 3700X processor to its limit of 4.3 GHz at 1.375 V. We did manage to get into Windows 10 with 4.4 GHz, but it required too much CPU VCore and as a result, was highly unstable and too warm for even our premium 240 mm AIO CPU cooler to handle. In terms of cooling, the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace has six 4-pin fan headers with two for CPU fans, one for an AIO water pump, and four for chassis fans. Performance in our CPU and gaming test suite is competitive and the only caveats came in POST time which is down to the initializing of the Realtek RTL8117 Gigabit NIC during POST; once this is turned off, we managed to reduce the booting time into Windows 10 by around 13 seconds; not an issue for workstation users, but certainly doesn't look attractive to users that are impatient.

Looking at the rear panel, ASUS includes four USB 3.1 G2 Type-A and a single USB 3.1 Type-C port, with a further two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A ports. This is certainly ample for a board of this calibre and users looking to add more can add four USB 2.0 ports via two headers, and an additional two USB 3.1 G1 Type-A ports across two headers. For users looking to use Ryzen APUs, there are two video outputs including an HDMI 1.4b, and a DisplayPort 1.2 output. The Realtek ALC1200 HD audio codec is 8-channel and as a result, offers users with five 3.5 mm audio jacks and S/PDIF optical output; there's also a front panel audio connector located next to the audio PCB.

The bottom full-length PCIe 4.0 slot on the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace operates at x8

It would be unfair to compare the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace motherboard to other models in the product stack due to its focus on workstation and professional use, but for $380, this model does offer everything needed to create a good looking system for gaming and workstation use and even without all the integrated RGB LEDs, this actually adds appeal to this model. The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace ($380) is priced the same is its gaming-centric ROG X570 Crosshair VIII Hero Wi-Fi ($380) model, and is slightly more expensive than the MSI MEG X570 Ace ($370) which we previously reviewed at launch. Aside from the full-length PCIe 4.0 x8 slot triple-header and remote access capabilities, the Pro WS X570-Ace is also unique as it's the only X570 model with a PCIe 3.0 x4 U.2 port onboard, and the two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots operate at x4/x2, which does cap the performance of the second M.2 slot a little; this is most likely a PCIe lane limitation of running a full-length PCIe 4.0 x8 slot from the chipset in comparison to the regular x4 on all other X570 models.

The ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace goes in a different direction for users looking to build a dedicated workstation, but with Ryzen's Pro CPUs coming in at a much lower cost than AMD's own TR4/SP3 platform overall, it gives an element of value for users to grasp while being able to spend the budget saved on other areas such as VGA and storage.

For casual users, there are other models which offer more consumer-friendly features for a better price. But overall the ASUS Pro WS X570-Ace is a good buy for users looking for a more professional feature set on the X570 chipset, for those interested in remote access and VMWare deployment, and triple full-length PCIe 4.0 x8 slot layout. 

AnandTech Ryzen 3000 CPU and X570 Motherboard Coverage

• The AMD X570 Motherboard Overview: Over 35+ Motherboards Analyzed
• The MSI MEG X570 Ace Motherboard Review: Ace in the Hole at $369
• The AMD 3rd Gen Ryzen Deep Dive Review: 3700X and 3900X Raising The Bar
• AMD 16-Core Ryzen 9 3950X: Up to 4.7 GHz, 105W, Coming September
• AMD Zen 2 Microarchitecture Analysis: Ryzen 3000 and EPYC Rome
• AMD Ryzen 3000 Post-Review BIOS Update Recap: Larger ST Gains, Some Gains, Some Losses