Following the official announcement of AMD Ryzen, ASUS has released more details about their compatible AM4 product line as well as a primer about the entire platform itself in a 3-page motherboard guide on their Edge-Up blog. Written by former TechReport reviewer now ASUS rep Geoff Gassior, the article outlines the differences between the B350 and the X370 chipset and helps users select the right motherboard for their needs.
| X370 | B350 | A320 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overclocking | Y | Y | N |
| PCIe 3.0 x8/x8 | Y | N | N |
| PCIe 2.0 | 8 | 6 | 4 |
| USB 3.1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| USB 3.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| USB 2.0 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| SATA | 6 | 4 | 4 |
| RAID | 0,1,10 | 0,1,10 | 0,1,10 |
We reported of estimated prices last week according to leaked Australian retailers and the final retail price is close, although slightly higher by $10-$20 than earlier calculated. The popularity of Ryzen might have something to do with the AM4 motherboard price increase and ASUS is well within their right to do so if the demand is there. Both X370 motherboards are $20 more than expected with the ROG Crosshair VI Hero retailing for $254.99 USD while the Prime X370-Pro is priced at $169 USD. The price estimates for the ASUS Prime B350-Plus motherboard cost $10 more than initially anticipated, retailing for $99. The Prime B350M-A is the most affordable at $89.99.
| ROG Crosshair VI Hero | Prime X370-Pro | Prime B350-Plus | Prime B350M-A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | ATX | ATX | ATX | microATX |
| Chipset | X370 | X370 | B350 | B350 |
| Memory | 4 x DDR4 up to 3200 (OC) | 4 x DDR4-2666 | 4 x DDR4-2666 | 4 x DDR4-2666 |
| Multi-GPU | CrossFireX 2 x SLI | CrossFireX 2 x SLI | CrossFireX | NA |
| PCIe | 2 x16 3.0 1 x16 2.0 3 x1 2.0 | 2 x16 3.0 1 x16 2.0 3 x1 2.0 | 1 x16 3.0 1 x16 2.0 2 x1 2.0 | 1 x16 3.0 2 x1 2.0 |
| M.2 | 1 x4/SATA | 1 x4/SATA | 1 x4/SATA | 1 x4/SATA |
| SATA | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 |
| Ethernet | Intel | Intel | Realtek | Realtek |
| Audio | SupremeFX S1220 | S1220A | 887-VD2 | 887-VD2 |
| USB 3.1 | 1 x front 1x Type-C 1 x Type-A | 1 x front 2 x Type-A | 2 x Type-A | 2 x Type-A |
| Display | N | Y | Y | Y |
| Aura | Chipset, 2 x strip | 1 x strip | NA | NA |
| Price | $254.99 USD $328.99 CAD | $169.99 USD $218.99 CAD | $99.99 USD $139.99 CAD | $89.99 USD $119.99 CAD |
All motherboards are now available for pre-order from Amazon.com and NewEgg.com in the US. In Canada, users can pre-order all motherboards in Canada Computers, NCIX, and Memory Express.
| ROG Crosshair VI Hero | Prime X370-Pro | Prime B350-Plus | Prime B350M-A | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-order (USA) | Amazon Newegg | Amazon Newegg | Amazon Newegg | Amazon |
| Pre-order (Canada) | Canada Computers NCIX | Canada Computers NCIX | Canada Computers Memory Express NCIX | Canada Computers NCIX |
