ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E APEX AM5 ATX Motherboard
ASUS ROG
ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E APEX AM5 ATX Motherboard
The ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E APEX is an AM5 ATX motherboard built for serious overclockers and AMD Ryzen performance enthusiasts who want the maximum available power delivery, memory cooling, and storage bandwidth on the AM5 platform. It addresses the constraints that hold back extreme overclocking — power delivery limits, memory thermals, and BIOS depth — through an 18+2+2 power stage design, the ROG Memory Fan Kit for DDR5 cooling, and a comprehensive suite of overclocking controls. It also provides broad connectivity for high-bandwidth graphics, five M.2 slots, dual USB4 ports, and Wi-Fi 7 for builders who do not want to compromise on any front.
Why this product
18+2+2 power stages for extreme overclocking
The 22-stage VRM — rated at 18×110A, 2×110A, and 2×80A — delivers the current headroom needed for sustained overclocking of AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series processors. ProCool II connectors, MicroFine alloy chokes, and premium SMD capacitors back up the rated figures.
ROG Memory Fan Kit enables DDR5 beyond 9600 MT/s
The included ROG-exclusive Memory Fan Kit actively cools DDR5 modules, allowing memory overclocking beyond 9600 MT/s — a threshold rarely achievable without dedicated thermal management on the memory itself.
Five M.2 slots, three at PCIe 5.0 speed
Three onboard M.2 slots run at PCIe 5.0 x4, and two further slots on the included ROG DIMM.2 card run at PCIe 4.0 x4. All five slots have dedicated cooling solutions.
Dual USB4 ports plus dual 20Gbps front-panel connectors
Two rear USB4 (40Gbps) Type-C ports handle high-speed peripherals and displays. The front panel provides two USB 20Gbps Type-C connectors, one of which supports Quick Charge 4+ at up to 60W with USB Wattage Watcher.
Wi-Fi 7 with 5Gb wired Ethernet onboard
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be, 320 MHz, 6 GHz band, 4096 QAM) is paired with a Realtek 5Gb Ethernet port and the ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna, covering both wired and wireless high-bandwidth networking without add-in cards.
Comprehensive DIY and BIOS features
BIOS FlashBack, Clear CMOS, Q-Code display, Q-LED diagnostics, Q-Release Slim, M.2 Q-Latch, M.2 Q-Release, M.2 Q-Slide, Start and FlexKey buttons, and a pre-mounted I/O shield are all present to simplify building and troubleshooting.
- SocketAMD AM5
- ChipsetAMD X870E
- Form FactorATX
- Memory Support2 x DDR5 DIMM, up to 128 GB
- M.2 Slots5 total (3 x PCIe 5.0 x4 onboard, 2 x PCIe 4.0 x4 via DIMM.2 card)
- Rear USB4 Ports2 x USB4 40Gbps (Type-C)
- NetworkingWi-Fi 7 (802.11be) + Realtek 5Gb Ethernet
- Power Stages18(110A)+2(110A)+2(80A)
- SKUASU-2696
- EAN4711387890240
- Compatible with AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series Desktop Processors via the AM5 socket.
- Supports DDR5 memory only (2 DIMM slots, up to 128 GB). DDR4 is not supported on this platform.
- Standard ATX form factor — fits any case that supports ATX motherboards.
- Two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots support current and next-generation graphics cards, including x8/x8 and x8/x4/x4 multi-GPU configurations.
- Memory overclocking speed limits vary by processor generation: up to 8200+ MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 9000, up to 8000+ MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 7000, and up to 9600+ MT/s (OC) with Ryzen 8000 Series.
- Not compatible with Intel processors or AM4/AM3 AMD processors — the AM5 socket is exclusive to current AMD Ryzen platforms.
Best for
- Extreme overclockers who need maximum VRM headroom, deep BIOS controls (Dynamic OC Switcher, Core Flex, Asynchronous Clock, PBO Enhancement), and active memory cooling to push DDR5 past 9600 MT/s.
- High-bandwidth storage builders who want three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots and two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots in a single board without relying on add-in cards.
- Content creators and AI workstation users who require dual USB4 ports, 5Gb Ethernet, Wi-Fi 7, and USB 20Gbps front-panel charging in a single platform.
- Enthusiast DIY builders who value extensive on-board tools — Q-Code, BIOS FlashBack, Clear CMOS, M.2 tool-free release mechanisms — for easier assembly and debugging.
- High-fidelity audio users who want on-board 7.1 surround audio with 120 dB SNR playback, gold-plated jacks, and Dolby Atmos support without a discrete sound card.
Trade-offs
- Budget-conscious builders — this is a flagship overclocking board; mainstream or mid-range builds do not require the 22-stage VRM or the Memory Fan Kit included here.
- Compact or small-form-factor builds — the ATX form factor does not fit ITX or Micro-ATX cases.
- Builders needing more than two DIMM slots — this board provides only two DDR5 slots (max 128 GB), whereas some competing X870E boards offer four slots.
- AMD Ryzen users on AM4 or Intel platform — the AM5 socket is not backward-compatible with AM4 processors or any Intel CPUs.
- Users who do not need extreme memory overclocking — the ROG Memory Fan Kit and APEX-specific BIOS features add cost and complexity that standard workloads will not benefit from.
The AI PC-ready ROG Crosshair X870E Apex is built for world-record overclocking, courtesy of extensive BIOS features and the exotic cooling of the ROG-exclusive Memory Fan Kit. Beyond its overclocking prowess, it delivers comprehensive support for cutting-edge graphics cards and storage, making it the ultimate platform for AM5 AMD Ryzen™ performance enthusiasts.
AMD X870E (AM5 Socket) ATX motherboard, Advanced AI PC-ready, 18+2+2 power stages, Dynamic OC Switcher, Core Flex, DDR5 slots with AEMP, ROG Memory Fan Kit for DDR5 overclocking, Wi-Fi 7 with ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna, three PCIe® 5.0 M.2 slots onboard, two PCIe 4.0 slots on an ROG DIMM.2 card, PCIe® 5.0 x16 SafeSlots with PCIe® Slot Q-Release Slim and full support for next-gen graphics cards, two USB4® ports, two USB 20Gbps Type-C® front-panel connectors (one with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W and USB Wattage Watcher), AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, and AI Networking II.
General
| Brand | ASUS ROG |
|---|---|
| Part Number | 90MB1KR0-MVAAY0 |
| CPU Socket | AMD AM5 |
| Supported Processors | AMD Ryzen 9000, 8000 & 7000 Series Desktop Processors |
| Chipset | AMD X870E |
| Form Factor | ATX |
Memory & Storage
| Memory Slots | 2 x DIMM (DDR5 only) |
|---|---|
| Max Memory | 128 GB |
| Memory Speed (OC) | Up to 8200+ MT/s with Ryzen 9000; up to 9600+ MT/s with Ryzen 8000; up to 8000+ MT/s with Ryzen 7000 |
| Memory Standards | ECC and Non-ECC Un-buffered; AMD EXPO; ASUS AEMP; Dual channel |
| M.2 Slots | 3 x PCIe 5.0 x4 (onboard, Key M, 2242/2260/2280); 2 x PCIe 4.0 x4 (DIMM.2 card, Key M, 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110) |
| SATA Ports | 4 x SATA 6Gb/s |
| Expansion Slots | 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4); 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4; 1 x PCIe 3.0 x1 |
Connectivity & I/O
| Rear USB | 2 x USB4 40Gbps Type-C; 5 x USB 10Gbps Type-A + 1 x USB 10Gbps Type-C; 2 x USB 5Gbps Type-A |
|---|---|
| Front Panel USB | 1 x USB 20Gbps Type-C (up to 60W QC4+); 1 x USB 20Gbps Type-C; 4 x USB 5Gbps (via 2 headers); 4 x USB 2.0 (via 2 headers) |
| Wired Networking | Realtek 5Gb Ethernet |
| Wireless Networking | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), 320 MHz, 6 GHz band, 4096 QAM |
| Rear Other | 1 x PS/2 combo port; 1 x Optical S/PDIF out; BIOS FlashBack button; Clear CMOS button |
| BIOS Flash | 2 x 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS; BIOS FlashBack support |
Power, Audio & Lighting
| Power Stages | 18(110A)+2(110A)+2(80A) |
|---|---|
| Audio Codec | ROG SupremeFX ALC4080, 7.1 Surround Sound |
| Audio Amplifier | Savitech SV3H712 |
| Audio SNR | 120 dB SNR stereo playback; 110 dB SNR recording input |
| Audio Output | Up to 32-bit/384 kHz front panel playback; Optical S/PDIF out; Dolby Atmos |
| RGB Headers | 3 x Addressable Gen 2 (ARGB), Aura Sync compatible |
| Fan Headers | 1 x CPU Fan; 1 x CPU OPT Fan; 1 x AIO Pump; 2 x Chassis Fan; 2 x Full Speed Fan; 1 x W_PUMP+; 1 x Extra Flow Fan |
Shipping
All our products are shipped from the United Kingdom within 24 to 48 hours of purchase. See our Shipping and Returns page for full details.
Returns
- Tech Syndicate offers a full money-back guarantee on all purchases made in our store. If you are not satisfied with your purchase, we will provide a full refund, no questions asked.
- Refunds are available within 45 days of delivery.
- After the 45-day period you are no longer eligible for a refund, so we encourage you to try the product within the first few weeks to make sure it fits your needs.