ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI Motherboard Review

I love the big flagship motherboards with their ridiculous amounts of VRMs, heatsinks, armour, and even more armour, but honestly, when it comes to spending my own money on a motherboard I usually boil my choices down to a B-series board, or more often than not, the TUF-Series. Usually, they offer up every feature I actually need and will use, at a more affordable price too. However, with the TUF series, things are literally built to be "TOUGH" and you get a lot of quality and stability features that make them exceptionally good motherboards. Or at least, that's held true in the past, but I'm hoping it's still the case with the new ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI. ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI Just like many of the more high-end gaming motherboards in the X870/X870E it features a comprehensive 16+2 Power Stage design with 80A chokes, and you get four DDR5 DIMMS, with two PCIe Gen5 x4 M.2 and two PCIE Gen4 x4 M.2, PCIe 5.0 x16 for your GPU, and an additional PCIe 4.0 x16 (@x4) for an additional expansion card. That's ticking all the right boxes for me, and while the armour isn't covering the full board, there are robust heatsinks in all the places it matters, as well as good quality components for things like the chokes and capacitors. Key Features Military-grade components Upgraded power solution Comprehensive cooling system Support for the latest AMD Ryzen™ processors PCIe 5.0 for graphics card WiFi 7 with ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna Aura Sync RGB lighting control 16(80A) + 2(80A) + 1(80A) power stages For more information, please visit the official product page here. Memory Support Memory support is impressive, offering up incredible speeds for these new CPUs, however, which generation of CPU you use will have some impact on the memory capabilities as you might expect, but typically they're all over 8000 MHz. What ASUS Had to Say ASUS TUF GAMING X870-PLUS WIFI takes all the essential elements of the latest AMD Ryzen™ processors and combines them with game-ready features and proven durability. Engineered with military-grade components, an upgraded power solution and a comprehensive cooling system, this motherboard goes beyond expectations with rock-solid and stable performance for marathon gaming. TUF GAMING motherboards also undergo rigorous endurance testing to ensure that they can handle conditions where others may fail. This platform delivers the power and connectivity that advanced AI PC applications demand. AMD 800 Series Chipset While this review cycle we'll be focusing on the X870E series of motherboards, of course, there's going to be more to this series, with the X870E being the flagship models, the X870 below that, and then the B850 and the B840 being the more affordable models below those, but with some obvious compromises on the features, giving us a range of options for normal PC users, gamers, overclockers and enthusiasts. Ryzen 9 9950X For these reviews, we'll be using the latest AMD Ryzen 9000 series CPU, and while we haven't actually reviewed this CPU on its own, of course, we'll be exploring the Ryzen 9 9950X performance through these motherboard reviews. We did a feature testing Windows 32H2 Vs 24H2 on YouTube recently, which you can check out here. 16 cores and 32 threads Up to 5.7 GHz max boost clock 64 MB of L3 cache Supports DDR5 memory up to 2x1R DDR5-5600 or 4x1R DDR5-3600 Requires AM5 socket motherboard Includes Precision Boost Overdrive and Curve Optimizer Voltage Offsets technology Unlocked for overclocking Supports PCIe 5.0 Packaging The box looks great, with a large and clear photo of the motherboard up front, showcasing that lovely frosty-looking design. We can see key features, such as the X870 chipset, WiFi7 and Dolby Atmos support. Around the back, they clearly detail key features and unique aspects, such as the VRM, heatsinks, M.2 support, and all I/O for the motherboard. A Closer Look The TUF motherboards are a long-time favourite of mine, I like their industrial and practical design, but also appreciate that they have upgraded hardware that is designed to be more resilient and quite literally TUF "tough". It's a performance-focused motherboard and comes with a potent 16+2+1 80A Power Stage design with large heatsinks to ensure it can deal with those more demanding CPUs, boost clocks and overclocking. The board is also fully equipped with the upgraded TUF 5K Black Metallic Capacitors, which have a much wider temperature tolerance and a 2.5x longer life span. Below that, there's the main M.2 slot, which supports PCIe 5.0 x4 on Ryzen 7000 and 9000, but Gen4 on 8000 processors. however, the entire lower section of the motherboard is also armoured with huge heatsinks, ensuring that all additional M.2 mounts also get the best cooling performance. There's a second Gen 5 M.2 below the main PCIe lane, and then two more Gen4 M.2 slots below that, with the larger heatsinks covering the middle two. 2 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 5.0 x4) 2 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4) As you might expect, the primary PCIe slot is Gen5 and comes with the TUF armour, as well as Q-Release for easy removal of your expansion cards. There's also a PCIe x16 @x4 at the bottom for an additional expansion card. This motherboard features ALC1220P audio, with s 120 dB signal-to-noise (SNR) ratio for the stereo line out and a 113 dB SNR for the line in with impedance-sensing. A nice bonus is the inclusion of two USB4 40Gbps Type-C ports on the rear I/O, as well as USB 10Gbps, 5Gbps, and a single USB 2.0 port, as well as the 2.5GbE LAN and WiFi 7 networking. 2 x USB4 (40Gbps) (2 x USB Type-C) ports 3 x USB 10Gbps ports (3 x Type-A) 4 x USB 5Gbps ports (4 x Type-A) 1 x USB 2.0 port (1 x Type-A) 1 x HDMI port 1 x Wi-Fi module 1 x Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet port 5 x Audio jacks 1 x BIOS FlashBack button VRM Analysis The TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi is designed with reliability and durability in mind, reflecting the ethos of ASUS’s TUF series. While positioned as a more budget-friendly option compared to its ROG and STRIX counterparts, this board still boasts an 8-layer PCB and a robust 16+2+1 phase power design, ensuring solid performance for both gaming and productivity. At the core of the VRM is the Infineon ASP2206 PWM controller, which strikes a balance between efficiency and power delivery. Although it may not be as high-end as the ASP2205 found on premium models, the ASP2206 is still a capable unit that ensures reliable voltage regulation across the board. It has been effectively used in previous mid-tier ASUS motherboards, providing stable power delivery for both stock and overclocked systems. For the main Vcore and SOC phases, the TUF board utilizes MPS MP86670 80A Smart Power Stages (SPS). These power stages are known for their efficiency and thermal performance, making them an excellent fit for maintaining stability during sustained gaming or work sessions. The integration of MOSFETs and driver circuitry helps reduce heat and improve overall system performance, which is a key factor in the TUF series' focus on reliability. The miscellaneous phases are managed by Vishay SiC629 80A SPS, a solid choice used across various other ASUS motherboards. While there isn’t extensive public information on this specific model, the DrMOS design integrates MOSFETs and drivers, enhancing efficiency and thermal management. This aligns with the TUF’s focus on robustness, ensuring the board can handle demanding workloads without sacrificing long-term stability. Despite being categorized as a more affordable option, the TUF Gaming X870-Plus WiFi packs a punch. The combination of reliable power delivery, solid thermal performance, and durable components makes this board more than capable of meeting the needs of gamers and professionals alike, positioning it as a strong contender in the mid-range segment. BIOS Screenshots As you might expect, a lot of these motherboards launching today will have broadly similar BIOS features for the basic stuff, such as CPU, memory and other components, that much is a given. However, as you move from the more budget to the more premium solutions, you'll expect these features to be more in-depth. It's a lot to dive into, and frankly, not something every consumer fully understands either, but for those of you who care to see what the BIOS has to offer, we've screenshotted all the pages so you can dive in and see if it offers the level of fine-tuning you desire to get the best performance from your system. However, largely most users will rely on the landing page for EXPO memory settings, the AI Tuner page for setting manual boost and overclock settings, and the voltage page for undervolting and stability. Everything else you'll find in the gallery below. Landing Page AI Tuner Voltages BIOS Gallery 3DMark Timespy 3DMark Time Spy is a popular benchmark focused on evaluating DirectX 12 performance. It simulates a demanding gaming scenario, stressing both your CPU and GPU with complex graphics and physics calculations. The benchmark renders a detailed scene featuring advanced lighting, shadows, and particle effects, providing a realistic representation of modern game visuals. 3DMark is available on Steam here. 3DMark CPU Benchmark 3DMark CPU Benchmark is a tool designed to measure CPU performance across various scenarios. Instead of providing a single score, it runs multiple tests using different numbers of threads (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and maximum available) to see how well your CPU scales with increasing workload. This helps to gauge performance not only for modern games utilizing many cores, but also older titles and tasks like 3D rendering. The results give a comprehensive overview of your CPU's capabilities under different loads, aiding in comparisons, overclocking decisions, and understanding potential bottlenecks. Available now on Steam. PCMark 10 Express PCMark 10 Express is a shorter benchmark that focuses on basic home PC use. It includes the Essentials and Productivity test groups. It is less demanding than the main PCMark 10 benchmark. The Essentials test group covers the common tasks that people do every day with their PCs, such as web browsing, video conferencing, and app start-up time. The Productivity test group measures system performance with everyday office applications, such as writing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Available now on Steam. Cinebench R23 Cinebench is a real-world cross-platform test suite that evaluates your computer’s hardware capabilities. Improvements to Cinebench Release 23 reflect the overall advancements to CPU and rendering technology in recent years, providing a more accurate measurement of Cinema 4D’s ability to take advantage of multiple CPU cores and modern processor features available to the average user. Available now on Maxon. Cinebench 2024 Cinebench 2024 is a cross-platform benchmarking tool used to evaluate both CPU and GPU performance. Unlike previous versions which focused solely on CPU, it now leverages Maxon's Redshift rendering engine to assess a system's capability for handling demanding 3D tasks. It provides scores for both single-core and multi-core CPU performance, as well as a separate GPU score, making it a comprehensive solution for understanding your system's overall rendering capabilities. Available now on Maxon. Blender 4.2.0 Blender 4.2.0 is a powerful, open-source 3D creation suite, not a benchmarking tool itself. It excels in tasks like 3D modelling, sculpting, animation, texturing, shading, lighting, simulation, rendering, video editing, and compositing. While it doesn't provide a benchmark score, you can use Blender to indirectly benchmark your system by measuring render times for complex scenes. This can give you a sense of how well your hardware handles demanding 3D workloads. Available now from blender.org Super PI 2.1 Super PI is a single-threaded benchmark that calculates pi to a specific number of digits. It uses the Gauss-Legendre algorithm and is a Windows port of a program used by Yasumasa Kanada in 1995 to compute pi to 232 digits. It's a good indicator of CPU and memory performance, and a good stress test for things like the VRM and cooling hardware too. Available now on Super PI. Wprime 2.11 wPrime 2.11 is a multi-threaded benchmark tool designed to stress-test your CPU by performing complex calculations. It specifically focuses on evaluating your CPU's ability to handle heavy multi-core workloads, making it useful for overclockers, system builders, and anyone looking to gauge their CPU's performance under demanding conditions. The benchmark calculates square roots using the Newton method, providing results for both 32 million and 1024 million iterations, testing different levels of computational intensity. It offers both single-threaded and multi-threaded modes, allowing you to see how well your CPU scales with additional cores. Available now from WPrime. Y-Cruncher Y-Cruncher is a specialized benchmarking tool designed to measure the computational power of your system by calculating the mathematical constant Pi (π) to trillions of digits. It's a multi-threaded application, leveraging the full capabilities of modern multi-core processors and large amounts of RAM. Y-Cruncher is often used by enthusiasts and overclockers to stress-test their systems, assess stability, and compare performance with other configurations. While it doesn't directly measure gaming or 3D rendering performance, its focus on heavy computational tasks makes it a good indicator of a system's raw number-crunching abilities, particularly for memory-intensive operations. Available now from numberworld.org. AIDA64 AIDA64 memory benchmark is a feature of AIDA64, a system information and diagnostics software. It measures the bandwidth and latency of the CPU caches and the system memory by performing various read, write, copy, and latency tests. It uses different instruction set extensions and optimizations depending on the processor and memory type. Typically, you want to see higher read, write and copy figures, while lantecy as low as possible, as both of these will result in improved system performance and responsiveness. Available now on AIDA64. Cyberpunk 2077 Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world, action-adventure RPG set in the megalopolis of Night City, where you play as a cyberpunk mercenary wrapped up in a do-or-die fight for survival. Improved and featuring all-new free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades. The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be? Available now on Steam. F1 23 Be the last to brake in EA SPORTS F1 23, the official video game of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship. A new chapter in the thrilling “Braking Point” story mode delivers high-speed drama and heated rivalries. Available now on Steam. Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered Developed by Insomniac Games in collaboration with Marvel, and optimized for PC by Nixxes Software, Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered on PC introduces an experienced Peter Parker who’s fighting big crime and iconic villains in Marvel’s New York. At the same time, he’s struggling to balance his chaotic personal life and career while the fate of Marvel’s New York rests upon his shoulders. Available now on Steam. The Riftbreaker The Riftbreaker is a base-building, survival game with Action-RPG elements. You are an elite scientist/commando inside an advanced Mecha-Suit capable of dimensional rift travel. Hack & slash countless enemies. Build up your base, collect samples and research new inventions to survive. Available now on Steam. Shadow of the Tomb Raider Experience Lara Croft’s defining moment as she becomes the Tomb Raider. In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara must master a deadly jungle, overcome terrifying tombs, and persevere through her darkest hour. As she races to save the world from a Maya apocalypse, Lara will ultimately be forged into the Tomb Raider she is destined to be. Available now on Steam. In the fast-paced world of today, every second counts. That's why we put each motherboard through its paces, measuring the time it takes to boot into Windows. A speedy boot time means less waiting and more doing. We've meticulously timed each motherboard's startup process, from pressing the power button to reaching the Windows desktop. Obviously, the shorter the time here, the better! Boot Time Power Consumption Power consumption on motherboards is important because it affects the stability and performance of the system, especially when overclocking or using high-end components. The power consumption of a motherboard depends on its features, the type of voltage regulator, integrated chipsets and modules, and BIOS power-saving features. More extreme VRM designs and increased levels of connectivity on a motherboard are likely to result in higher power draw. Still, we want to test that no board draws unreasonable power levels for its respective class. Typically a lower power draw is ideal for most users, but is still expected to be higher on gaming boards vs budget ones, and higher still on overclocking-focused motherboards. VRM Performance When it comes to testing VRM performance, there are multiple ways to do it including using the likes of HWiNFO to measure what the sensor tells you, or to use K-Type probes, or to get a better, well-rounded picture, you can use both, which is exactly what we've done here today. All of these motherboards were tested in the same room with the same probe configuration with the ambient temperature controlled at 23c for consistency in the results. First, the VRM temperature was taken at idle, with one probe on the upper VRMs and one probe to the side of the CPU A third reading was taken using the built-in sensor on the motherboard via HwiNFO. We then leave the system sitting on the desktop for 10 minutes to settle before taking our idle readings on both HWiNFO and the probes. After this, we wanted to simulate a worst-case scenario using Prime95 with small FFTs to generate the most heat, as well as Cinebench 2024 to simulate more common, real-world usage. We run each test for an hour, along with letting the temperatures to settle down between each test. You will find that the software reading from the sensor will vary quite wildly in areas, and this is down to the sensor location for one, and if the sensor is reporting the internal temperature instead, which based on our testing and the sensor data generally reading higher, that is the case. When we look at our table, we can see that every board did exceptionally well with nothing hitting over 70 degrees Celsius, with our highest result coming from the X870-I Gaming WiFi Mini-ITX board at Degrees on the sensor temperature, while our highest probe temperature was 68.8 Degrees from probe 1 on the same board during our Prime95 hour long run but as it is such a small board, that's pretty much expected. Given that VRMs (Voltage Regulator Modules) behave similarly to CPUs and GPUs regarding heat generation and dissipation, it's crucial to manage their temperatures effectively. Operating temperatures above 100°C can lead to long-term damage or failure. Typically, a safe operating range for VRMs is between 70°C and 90°C, but this could result in CPU performance throttling to reduce the temperatures to safer levels. however, it’s best to keep them below 70°C for optimal performance and longevity. All the boards tested here fall within these safe ranges, so that’s a big thumbs up for their thermal management. How Much Does It Cost? Keep in mind that the X870 chipset is the flagship chipset for the new motherboards, so all of these are regarded as high-end motherboards. However, there are of course more affordable X870 and more premium X870 motherboards in this launch, with the largest variance being increased VRM, which is paired with larger VRM cooling solutions, which increases the price. The number of M.2 mounts, USB ports, and networking, for example, will all increase the price too. This is why the cheapest board such as the Prime starts at around $249, while a flagship board such as the crosshair is $699, despite using the same chipset and AM5 socket. Unfortunately, we don't have UK pricing for these boards at the time of writing but will update that with retail links as soon as they're available sometime after we publish these reviews. However, what we can see is how these prices have changed since the previous generation (X670) motherboards launched, and largely they're all about the same, with the Prime coming in cheaper than before, and the ProArt a little more expensive, but overall, they're all in a similar price bracket as before. In the US, prices for the X670/X670E and X870/X870E versions of the motherboards are generally the same, with a few exceptions. The ASUS Prime X70-P WIFI shows a 16.72% lower price for the X870/X870E version, while the ASUS ProArt X70E-Creator WIFI is 7.88% more expensive for the X870/X870E version. The ASUS ROG STRIX X70-A Gaming WIFI has a 7.52% lower price for the X870/X870E version, and the ASUS TUF Gaming X70-Plus WIFI is 6.08% cheaper in its X870/X870E version. However, we don't have UK pricing for these boards at the moment. If these are too expensive for you, there will be more affordable B-series motherboards coming, but we suspect these will be revealed at CES 2025 and launch in Q1 2025, if you can wait that long, if not, then the X-series boards are clearly some of the best options right now for those building an AMD focused build. More X870 Motherboards This is a major chipset launch for AMD, so there are dozens of new X870 motherboards hitting the market today. Of course, we've been very busy testing 9 of them for you, and they're all linked below, so if the one in this review isn't quite meeting your needs, there's plenty more to choose from! Largely, all being the same chipset, with the same AMD 9950X CPU being used for our testing, we expect the majority of the benchmarks to be broadly the same, with perhaps small differences in some of them. Largely, the price and performance of each motherboard are dictated by the additional features. Such as more PCIe slots, more M.2 mounts in Gen3, Gen4, or Gen5, more high-speed USB ports, more cooling hardware, etc. Largely, we recommend buying a motherboard that meets your current component requirements, with a little overhead for future upgrades; a spare M.2 slot for example. ASUS Prime X870-P WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ProArt X870E-Creator WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG Strix X870-A Gaming WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG Strix X870-I Gaming WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS ROG STRIX X870E Gaming WIFI Motherboard [Review] ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI Motherboard [Review] Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WIFI7 ICE Motherboard [Review] MSI MPG X870E Carbon WIFI Motherboard [Review] Conclusion The ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI motherboard embodies the core philosophy of the TUF series: prioritizing quality, durability, and essential features without unnecessary extravagance. This approach results in a motherboard that offers excellent performance and reliability at a more accessible price point compared to higher-end models. TOUGH... TUF! ASUS has reinforced the TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI with military-grade components, including higher-rated capacitors, a thicker PCB, and enhanced armour for the PCIe slot. These enhancements contribute to improved durability, stability, and thermal performance, making it well-suited for demanding tasks and even overclocking. VRM The 16+2+1 80A power stage VRM design provides ample power delivery for high-end CPUs, ensuring they can consistently reach their boost clocks and maintain optimal performance. This robust power delivery system also provides headroom for overclocking, allowing users to extract even more performance from their processors. Connectivity Connectivity is well-rounded, with two ultra-fast USB4 Type-C ports offering 40Gbps speeds for high-performance external storage and peripherals. The inclusion of both 2.5GbE LAN and the latest WiFi 7 ensures fast and reliable networking for users with compatible internet connections. Should I Buy One? The ASUS TUF Gaming X870-Plus WIFI is a compelling option for users who value quality, performance, and affordability. It delivers a solid foundation for a gaming PC or workstation without compromising on essential features or durability. By focusing on core components and robust design, ASUS has created a motherboard that offers excellent value and performance for a wide range of users.