ASUS TUF H370-Pro Gaming WiFi Motherboard Review

TUF H370-Pro WiFi ASUS is one of the biggest names in the PC gaming market, especially their RoG hardware. Of course, there are many fans of their award-winner TUF hardware too! Today, I'll be taking a look at the H370-Pro Wifi. It's a new mid-range chipset from Intel, which offers most of the thrills of Z370, with the exception of overclocking. Cheaper CPUs to High-End It may lack overclocking, but you still get the full range of CPU support for Intel's 8th generation. Sure, the i7 may have two extra cores now, but the whole Core-i CPU series saw a boost this generation, and the H370 chipset is well suited to the i3 and i5 range, as well as the i7. Great Features, Great Price Equipped with DIGI+ VRM, OptiMem Trace, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and built-in 802.11ac WiFi, the Tuf is certainly not lacking in terms of features. Of course, adding M.2 storage solutions, as well as Intel Optane support, and high-end audio make it seem like a deal that's too good to be true. What ASUS Had to Say "Plus, the H370 and B360 go beyond their Z370 predecessor by integrating not only USB 3.1 Gen 2 support for next-gen peripherals, but also optional 802.11ac Wi-Fi for wireless networking. They retain support for Intel Optane Memory, which uses ultrafast flash storage to reduce load times for the mechanical storage commonly found in entry-level machines." - ASUS A Closer Look The TUF motherboard is one of the best looking H370 motherboards on the market. It's the first we've reviewed that features a black PCB, which is a nice start. There are some really cool cut-away designs on the edge too, as well as some graphics printed on it that really make it stand out. Remember, this is meant to be a more affordable solution, it sure as heck doesn't look it though. No overclocking means a more cut-down power delivery is all that's needed. That being said, an 8-pin power connector and some chunky VRM/Choke hardware is still here. The VRM heatsink looks robust too, and I love the addition of that I/O shroud, it really tidies up the aesthetics. Down the side of the board, you'll find four DIMM slots, and all the usual power cable hookups, as well as a USB 3.0 header. There are on-board debug lights for power, boot, VGA, etc too, which could help with problem-solving if you have boot issues. There are six SATA ports on this motherboard, four at the bottom, and two mounted on their side for easy cable routing. This motherboard makes no excuses, as with six PCIe lanes it's clearly well suited to the mining market. However, with a full-size PCIe slot at the top with armor, it'll handy and modern GPU with ease too. There are two M.2 mounts, offering super-fast storage support, as well as options for Optane drives. The rear I/O looks pretty decent. There are three display outputs, with DP, HDMI, and an older VGA connection. Furthermore, there are six USB ports, plus an additional Type-C connector. However, there are only three audio jacks though, and no optical. However, I suspect this is plenty for most users, if not all users these days. Testing and Methodology Test Procedure Here at eTeknix, we endeavor to disclose vital information regarding the benchmarking process so that readers can quantify the results and attempt to replicate them using their hardware. When it comes to motherboard reviews, the benchmarks are pretty self-explanatory although there are a few exceptions. Rember that your choice of motherboard, the silicon lottery, and other factors can yield different numbers, and there's always a margin for error when using the software. Therefore, your experience may vary. Each benchmark runs three times, and the average figure is taken to try to reduce the effect of hardware variation. Of course, any relevant details regarding the parameters will be listed below. Test Systems Z370/B360/H370 Motherboard – Changes Per Review CPU – Intel Core i7-8700K RAM - Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2666 MHz CPU Cooler – Noctua D15S Graphics Card – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Power Supply – BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 850 Watt Main Storage Drive – Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GB Chassis – Lian Li T80 Test Bench Operating System – Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit X399 Motherboard – Changes Per Review CPU – Threadripper 1950X RAM - Crucial DDR4 2400MHz Quad-Channel 32GB CPU Cooler – Noctua D15S Graphics Card – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Power Supply – BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 850 Watt Main Storage Drive – Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GB Chassis – Lian Li T80 Test Bench Operating System – Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit X299 Motherboard – Changes Per Review CPU – Intel Core i9-7900X RAM - Crucial DDR4 2400MHz Quad-Channel 32GB CPU Cooler - Noctua D15S with dual fans Graphics Card - Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Power Supply - BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 850 Watt Main Storage Drive - Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GB Chassis - Lian Li T80 Test Bench Operating System - Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit AM4 Motherboard – Changes Per Review CPU – Ryzen 7 1800X RAM - GeIL DDR4 2977MHz Dual Channel 16GB CPU Cooler - Noctua D15S with dual fans Graphics Card - Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Power Supply - BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 850 Watt Main Storage Drive - Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GB Chassis - Lian Li T80 Test Bench Operating System - Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit Z270 Motherboard – Changes Per Review CPU – Intel Core i7-7700K RAM - Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2666 MHz CPU Cooler – Noctua D15S Graphics Card – Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Power Supply – BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 850 Watt Main Storage Drive – Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GB Chassis – Lian Li T80 Test Bench Operating System – Windows 10 Pro 64 Bit X99 - Our GPU Review Test Bench Motherboard – Changes Per Review CPU – Intel Core i7-5960X RAM – Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 2666 MHz CPU Cooler - Noctua D15S with dual fans Graphics Card - Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Power Supply - BeQuiet Dark Power Pro 850 Watt Main Storage Drive – Toshiba OCZ VX500 500GB Chassis – Lian Li T80 Open Air Test Bench Operating System – Windows 10 64-bit Games Used All games are tested on a 60 Hz display with V-Sync off for all tests. Previously we would use "extreme" presets, but these have now been adjusted to "Medium" or equivalent to better test the capabilities of the CPU, not the GPU. Rise of the Tomb Raider (Steam) DX12 Medium Preset Pure Hair Off Deus Ex (Steam) DX12 Medium Preset Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Uplay) Medium Preset Turf Effects Off Far Cry Primal (Uplay) Normal Preset Software Used 3DMark Fire Strike (download) FireStrike (1080p) Benchmark Unigine Superposition (download) 1080p Extreme Benchmark PCMark 10 Professional (download) Express Benchmark WPrime (download) 32M and 1024M Power usage recorded at 1024M 50% complete, thermals recorded at 75% CineBench R15 (download) CPU Multi CPU Single Handbrake (download) Custom MP4 to MKV 4K conversion (details below) AIDA64 Engineer (download) CPU-Z (download) HWMonitor (download) Handbrake To stress processors to their absolute limit and accurately judge their performance in video editing workloads, we transcode a 7.7GB compilation of gaming footage; this particular file is freely available from here. The captured footage is 22 minutes and 12 seconds long, it has a bit rate of 50.1 Mbps and it uses the Advanced Video Codec. Additionally, the video runs at a constant 30 frames-per-second and opts for a 3820 x 2140 (4K) resolution. Once loaded into Handbrake, we then transcode the 4K MP4 to an MKV file using the "normal" profile. Other Notes A rest period of 2-5 minutes is observed between each piece of software allowing the system to return to its idle power usage and temperatures. Background services like Windows Update are checked to not be running during the testing period by setting WiFi to Metered Connection. Thanks Thank you to Noctua, Crucial, ASUS, Gigabyte, Lian-Li, be quiet!, OCZ, for providing the hardware that helps makes these tests possible! Synthetic Benchmarks The first ASUS H370 motherboard we have tested so far is off to a flying start. It's an affordable motherboard, but it's up there with the best when it comes to performance. It scored a fantastic 32200 in 3DMark, the fifth-highest score to date, and just ahead of the Gigabyte H370 motherboard. The same is true for Unigine, scoring out second highest benchmark to date. Honestly, I didn't see that coming. In PCMark 10, WPrime, Cinebench, etc, the scores were pretty average. However, they're far from bad, and for day-to-day performance the H370 chipset is still competing with a fair few Z370 motherboards. Of course, as seen above, the GPU bound tasks were absolutely stunning. 3DMark Firestrike Stock Unigine Superposition 1080p Extreme Stock PCMark 10 Express Stock WPrime 32M and 1024M Stock Cinebench R15 Stock Handbrake MP4 to MKV Conversion 4K Stock Gaming Performance The synthetic benchmarks were much better than I expect, and it seems that trend continues into the gaming benchmarks too. The Deus Ex score was above average for what we see from Z370, which is great. However, the Ghost Recon score was only 0.1 FPS from our highest ever score for that game, and set one of the highest minimums too! Rise of the Tomb Raider was also pretty high at 201 FPS, well within what Z370 normally delivers, as was Far Cry Primal at 151 FPS. If you had doubts this wasn't a great gaming motherboard, well, it really is! Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Rise of the Tomb Raider Ghost Recon: Wildlands Far Cry Primal Power Consumption and Temperatures Power Consumption It comes as no surprise that this motherboard is pretty efficient. However, it uses more power than the Gigabyte Gaming 3 H370, but then again it does perform a bit better, so that power is hardly going to waste. Stock Final Thoughts Pricing Unfortunately, at the time of writing, I didn't have up to date pricing information. However, this motherboard launches today and should be in retailer web stores any moment now. I would expect the price to be just a little over £100, and if it's less than that, then that's even better news. Overview The TUF series has always had a little something to be proud of. It's a great series of motherboards that still packs a lot of the thrills we've come to love about their high-end STRIX gaming series. However, the focus on a more robust design and aesthetics provide a different flavour to the ASUS range. As we've seen today, this motherboard may be affordable, but it's not mucking about when it comes to performance. Build Quality I think ASUS has done a fantastic job in this regard. There are a few little "premium" features that aren't present, such as standard DIMMS with no armour, and only one PCIe slot armoured. However, does that really affect performance for the type of build this is aimed at? Not one bit. Of course, additional features such as the I/O shroud, the custom shaped black PCB, printed graphics, LED lighting, and more all add up to giving up a much more premium quality product, both physically and aesthetically. Performance When it comes to gaming performance, the TUF absolutely killed it. It set some of our most impressive gaming benchmarks to date, and that's amazing. I really didn't expect it if I'm honest. Cheaper motherboards often mean lower end performance, but that's not the case. However, as much as this would make a great gaming motherboard, the crypto market is going to love it. It's got the room for six GPUs if you use riser cables, obviously has fantastic GPU performance, and good power efficiency, so that's ticking all the right boxes for mining rigs too. Should I Buy One? Cutting out the overclocking features may be a deal breaker for you. However, many people don't run K-series CPUs and don't need to either. I mean, we ran stock clocks, and still got amazing results! H370 may not offer much innovation over Z370 or even the H270 that it replaces. However, it does offer support for the 8th generation CPUs and their increased core counts, which does bring sizable gains. If I was to buy an H370 motherboard today, it would be this one.