ASUS ROG Strix z590-"E" motherboard thoughts?

[Rothschild]

Hey all.

Any thoughts/experience regarding the ROG Strix z590-"E" before I place my order?
I mean the reviews seem really good but wanted to get some input from yous.

It supports 5333 O.C'd/XMP RAM but I have 3000MHz RAM to put in there, I mean usually I'm more fussed about capacity rather than speeds but woah that's a big jump from mine.

Also the i9 I'm getting has 20 PCIx 4.0 lanes where as my now dead i7 6850K had 40 PCIx 3.0 lanes. I'll be still using my ASUS GTX 1080 for a while till I get a new card eventually. So if my 1080 is PCIx 3.0 does that mean I'll be ok with it set to 8x PCIx 4.0 lanes? More specifically would 8x PCIx 4.0 lanes be the same thing as 16x PCIx 3.0 lanes?

Thanks!

 

[Blaylock]

I can't comment on the Z590 E as I don't have experience with that board. The other Strix boards I've used have been top-notch though, so I wouldn't expect anything less.

You will have no issue running your current ram at 3000 MHz. Obviously, you can benefit from faster ram with a newer i9 (think 3600MHz - 4800MHz depending on needs) but your 3000 MHz will suffice just fine.

As far as PCIe lanes and generation. As you mentioned the GTX 1080 is PCIe Gen 3.0 but there is no reason to be concerned about this. From what I can gather all 3 slots on that motherboard are x16 (top 2 are 4.0 bottom is 3.0) so you will get maximum throughput no matter where you place it. It will run at its max speeds in either a 3.0 or 4.0 slot.

I hope this helps.

 

[Johan45]

I have used this board quite extensively for testing, it's the one from our review on the front page. https://www.overclockers.com/asus-rog-strix-z590-e-gaming-wifi-motherboard-review/
Use the top full-length slot for the GTX 1080 it's the only one that is physically wired for x16 operation.
If you get a PCIe NVMe drive for storage, then the position is important depending on the PCIe generation. Gen4 drives work in the top 2 slots with but preferably the top one. If it's a Gen3 then it will not work in the top position but will in the others.
As for the board, it works very well with Win10 and 11.

 

[EarthDog]

would 8x PCIx 4.0 lanes be the same thing as 16x PCIx 3.0 lanes?

Yes. 4.0 is 2x fast as 3.0. So 4.0 x8 = 3.0 x16. No difference.

Looks like these great people have you covered on the other parts.

 

[Rothschild]

Hey EarthDog!

Yes. 4.0 is 2x fast as 3.0. So 4.0 x8 = 3.0 x16. No difference.

Looks like these great people have you covered on the other parts.

BOOM! Ok Cheerz that's exactly what I was lookin for. I can't escape you you're everywhere Yea awesome does indeed look like I'm covered by these great people.

Hi Blaylock!

I can't comment on the Z590 E as I don't have experience with that board. The other Strix boards I've used have been top-notch though, so I wouldn't expect anything less.

You will have no issue running your current ram at 3000 MHz. Obviously, you can benefit from faster ram with a newer i9 (think 3600MHz - 4800MHz depending on needs) but your 3000 MHz will suffice just fine.

As far as PCIe lanes and generation. As you mentioned the GTX 1080 is PCIe Gen 3.0 but there is no reason to be concerned about this. From what I can gather all 3 slots on that motherboard are x16 (top 2 are 4.0 bottom is 3.0) so you will get maximum throughput no matter where you place it. It will run at its max speeds in either a 3.0 or 4.0 slot.

I hope this helps.

Definitely helps thanks! Yea I'm pretty sure that's what I read regarding the z590-E supporting 3000MHz RAM natively so no XMP profile needed. Suffice just fine is all I needed to hear really so I'll stay with the 3000MHz. Just got excited seeing the 5333 jump Yea I wasn't really concerned about it, it's more for knowledge, I've been out the game since 2017 lol! I should of been more clear regarding my 1080 & x16 slots, I was referring more to the CPU PCIx lanes distribution rather than the physical side of the slots.

For example the Intel i9 11900K has 20 PCIx 4.0 lanes so I was more curious about how it distributes the lanes if I had two 1080's configured as 8x PCIx 4.0 & if that would be equivalent to running them both at 16x PCIx 3.0 if they were on an older motherboard such as my current one. I understand now. Thanks for your reply!

Hi Johan45!

I have used this board quite extensively for testing, it's the one from our review on the front page. https://www.overclockers.com/asus-ro...rboard-review/
Use the top full-length slot for the GTX 1080 it's the only one that is physically wired for x16 operation.
If you get a PCIe NVMe drive for storage, then the position is important depending on the PCIe generation. Gen4 drives work in the top 2 slots with but preferably the top one. If it's a Gen3 then it will not work in the top position but will in the others.
As for the board, it works very well with Win10 and 11.

That's awesome to hear, you just got my cursor closer to the Add To Cart button. Yea I understand the motherboard layout & CPU's PCIx 4.0 distribution now. I mean eventually when I DO get a new graphics card for example the 3080 or newer, it'll be PCIx 4.0 ofcourse taking x16 4.0 lanes from my CPU's 20 which would leave me x4 4.0 lanes left for my Gen 4 M.2 drive & will be my main one. Thanks for the heads up & awesome I'll definitely read the full review here at OC's.com you linked, Cheerz!

This part about M.2 SSD's where you say

If it's a Gen3 then it will not work in the top position but will in the others.

Are you positive about this? I mean I'm pretty sure I've read that ANY Gen would work in any M.2 slot & only speeds will change. In other words that M.2 Gen 4 slots are fully backwards compatible regardless of which Gen is plugged into them. The only thing I'd expect to see if putting an M.2 Gen 3 in the top (physically wired to CPU) M.2 Gen 4 slot is that I'd only be using 2x PCIx 4.0 lanes of bandwidth which is equivalent to 4x PCIx 3.0 lane bandwidth.

Are both the top M.2 slots physically wired to the CPU or does the bottom one use 8x PCIx 3.0 lanes from the chipset's 24 PCIx 3.0 lanes to make the bandwidth equivalent to 4x PCIx 4.0 lanes ??

Also "IF" the top two M.2 Gen 4 slots are wired to the CPU & not the chipset, & let's say I had two M.2 Gen 4 SSD's, then I'd assume that if I had a PCIx 4.0 graphics card taking 16x 4.0 lanes from the CPU's 20, that I could only use ONE of the top two M.2 slots taking 4x 4.0 lanes as that would be all of the CPU's 20 lanes taken?? Which would in turn leave me no choice but to use the other M.2 Gen 4 SSD in one of the two (bottom) M.2 PCIx 3.0 chipset slots??

I'll finish reading that review, thanks for your time!

 

[Johan45]

I haven't tested the top two slots with PCIe3.0 so I'm not sure. I think I was getting that info confused with using a 10 series CPU. In that scenario, the top two M.2 slots do not work with Gen4.0 drives since there's no link to the CPU.
Here's a layout of the 11 series Intel and Z590 chipset.



On that board the top two slots are connected directly to the CPU and "IF" both are occupied by an NVMe PCIe 4.0x4 then the top GPU slot is reduced to PCIe 4.0 X8 (still as fast as PCIe 3.0 X16), this would require some manual settings in the BIOS.
Just to clarify PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 aren't interchangeable they're backward compatible. What this means is using a GEN3.0 device in a Gen 4.0 X8 slot doesn't give you 3.0 X16 it doesn't work that way. There are only eight lanes and the device is limited to PCIe Gen 3.0. So you get 3.0x8 since the device can't use the 4.0 protocol which doubles bandwidth.

 

[Rothschild]

Hi Johan45.

Appreciate your reply & that diagram!

I haven't tested the top two slots with PCIe3.0 so I'm not sure. I think I was getting that info confused with using a 10 series CPU. In that scenario, the top two M.2 slots do not work with Gen4.0 drives since there's no link to the CPU.
Here's a layout of the 11 series Intel and Z590 chipset.

Aha! Ok I understand & confirmed, the top two M.2 slots are definitely both connected directly to CPU.

On that board the top two slots are connected directly to the CPU and "IF" both are occupied by an NVMe PCIe 4.0x4 then the top GPU slot is reduced to PCIe 4.0 X8 (still as fast as PCIe 3.0 X16), this would require some manual settings in the BIOS.

Ok yea that makes sense now.

This also helped me from the manual ::



In the "A" section & the number "1" config, that confirms that if I had a PCIx 4.0 graphics card running at x16 & I had two Gen 4 M.2's, then only 1 CPU M.2 slot would be available (as you said) which ofcourse would leave me no choice but to run the other Gen 4 M.2 as Gen 3 on any of the two chipset's M.2 slots. Also I'm pretty sure that would mean even if I installed a Gen 3 M.2 into the top CPU M.2 slot that the 2nd CPU M.2 slot would STILL be unavailable regardless even if the Gen 3 M.2 in the top slot would only utilize 2 of the 4 PCIx 4.0 lanes worth of bandwidth (if ofcourse the top PCIx slot is configured as x16).

I fully understand the layout/lane distribution config now, thank you!

Just to clarify PCIe 3.0 and 4.0 aren't interchangeable they're backward compatible. What this means is using a GEN3.0 device in a Gen 4.0 X8 slot doesn't give you 3.0 X16 it doesn't work that way. There are only eight lanes and the device is limited to PCIe Gen 3.0. So you get 3.0x8 since the device can't use the 4.0 protocol which doubles bandwidth.

Clarified! Yea I thought so.

Finished reading that Overclockers.com review you linked, nice review, thanks!

Last question (hopefully) about Thunderbolt.

It has two rear UBS-C ports, one is USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10/Gbps) & the other is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps). In that z590 diagram you posted the chipset says (ignoring their "thunderbolt" spelling mistake lol) "Discrete Intel Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4 Compliant)". But does this ASUS z590-E actually have built-in Thunderbolt? I mean the fastest one USB-C Gen 2x2 port on the back is 20Gbps where as Thunderbolt 3 & 4 are 40Gbps. I know about the Thunderbolt Header & what it's for but confused about the USB-C Gen 2x2 port.

In the following link, in the "Intel Thunderbolt 4: Support for Maple Ridge" section, I'm not sure which motherboard pics they are but it clearly shows two Thunderbolt logos on both the rear USB-C ports where as the ASUS z590-E doesn't have any Thunderbolt logos for any of the USB-C's, unless I'm overlooking something.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/16347/the-intel-z590-overview

Anywayz I've ordered the motherboard & Intel i9 11900K, just confirming some thingz such as the Thunderbolt while I wait.

Again thanks for your help!

 

[Johan45]

This is what you would need to TB4 connectivity, it's not built into that board.

 

[Rothschild]

Hi Johan45.

This is what you would need to TB4 connectivity, it's not built into that board.

Yea I've been using a TB3 AIC like that for a few years already on my x99 which is why I'm already familiar with the use of the Thunderbolt Header on the MB.
Ok thanks, yea I had a feeling it didn't come with built-in Thunderbolt but when I saw the diagram you posted which clearly shows Discrete Intel Thunderbolt 4 then that confused me.

I wasn't really expecting TB4 on this board but at least one built-in TB3 port would of been nice. Not a big deal I'll keep using my PCIx card for TB.


Thanks for all your help!