AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper CPUs have created fairly a storm within the HEDT processor market and have introduced excessive core rely computing at comparatively inexpensive costs in comparison with their Intel counterparts. Ryzen Threadripper is at the moment one of the best client platform for workstation computing and provides a variety of core counts to select from. Complimenting the Threadripper CPUs are the X399 motherboards, that are suitable with present and former era Threadripper platforms.
Investing in an X399 Threadripper setup is not any straightforward affair. It requires cautious planning of the necessities and the form of workflows that will probably be run on the system. Whereas taking a look at an excellent X399 motherboard, one ought to keep in mind ample cooling necessities in addition to the processor itself can require between 180-250W, and overclocking can push it even increased. Subsequently, nice consideration must be paid to the facility supply system of the board. Most different options, equivalent to M.2 slots, growth slots, SATA ports, USB ports, and so forth., are pretty customary throughout most fashions.
As such, listed below are among the finest X399 motherboards you should buy proper now:
1. Asus ROG Zenith Excessive X399 HEDT Gaming
The Asus ROG Zenith Excessive is an ideal complement for the most recent second-generation AMD Threadripper processors. Threadripper processors are all in regards to the large variety of threads, excessive PCI Specific lane counts, extra ports, and enhanced connectivity. The ROG Zenith Excessive contains assist for all these options and extra.
A few of these embody double M.2 NVMe SSDs, U.2 connectors, and eight reminiscence DIMMs for a most of 256GB, which might go as much as 3600MHz. The Zenith Excessive stands out with its networking options as effectively. The board options built-in 802.11ad Wi-Fi that’s theoretically able to speeds as much as 4.6 Gbps, supplied you have got the correct tools. Other than this, Asus additionally contains the ROG Aerion 10Gbit LAN card within the package deal.
With regards to efficiency, the ROG Zenith Excessive is well the most effective X399 motherboards available in the market in the present day. Every part from customization to fine-tuned overclocking is well doable with this motherboard. The AMD Threadripper processor can assist as much as 64 PCI Specific lanes, and the Zenith Excessive helps you make one of the best use of that bandwidth.
Efficiency in multi-threaded benchmarks is, for sure, glorious, whereas single-threaded scores aren’t unhealthy both. You may also overclock your CPU for higher single-core efficiency, however you also needs to present nice cooling to make sure trouble-free operation. The BIOS can also be neatly laid out for each newbies and seasoned tweakers.
Execs
- 4 PCI-Specific x16 slots, with assist for SLI
- 10Gbit Ethernet port
- Loads of USB ports on the rear I/O
- Warmth sinks on nearly all of the PCB
- Comes with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules
- Nice overclocking prospects
Cons
- A number of the options will not be very helpful for gaming
2. Gigabyte X399 Designare EX
The Gigabyte X399 Designare EX stays true to its title and is certainly one of many best-designed X399 boards in the marketplace. The board options every thing one expects from a top-class X399 motherboard and comes with ample port choice and even handed use of all of the house. Like many different Threadripper boards, you get two GbE NICs and wi-fi AC onboard together with USB 3.1 Kind-A and Kind-C connectors.
On the board itself, one finds a number of RGB headers, debug LED, Energy/Reset/CMOS buttons, USB headers, fan connectors, and a USB 3.1 Gen2 entrance panel header, amongst others. The Designare EX helps each ECC and non-ECC RAm, so you need to use any reminiscence module you want – though it’s a identified indisputable fact that Threadrippers works finest with the quickest RAM in the marketplace.
Given the options and aesthetics, the Designare EX is focused extra in direction of skilled customers than players. That isn’t to say that players is not going to be benefited from this board. Nonetheless, investing in Threadripper completely for gaming isn’t a great worth proposition. Audio high quality is sweet, and the gold-plated audio jacks guarantee a minimal sign loss.
Customers would possibly really feel the dearth of onboard 10Gbit LAN a bit regarding, however since it’s not a really ubiquitous customary but, it actually is not a destructive facet. Plus, you may at all times pop in a 10Gbit growth card at any time when wanted.
Execs
- 5 PCI-Specific x16 slots
- Three M.2 slots
- Onboard Wi-Fi connectivity
- State-of-the-art VRM energy supply and cooling
- Warmth sinks for each M.2 drive
- Onboard buttons for CMOS clear and energy/reset
Cons
- Each Ethernet ports are restricted to 1Gbit
3. Asrock X399 Phantom Gaming 6
The Phantom Gaming 6 from Asrock is yet one more motherboard that targets players, which implies that it includes a bizarre mixture of workstation and gaming rig options. As such, you get a grand complete of eight RAM DIMMs as an alternative of the standard 4, to not point out the truth that you additionally get to get pleasure from quad-channel reminiscence assist – a staple of the Threadripper sequence.
Nonetheless, these eight DIMMs are restricted to 3400MHz by way of most frequency, which is a bit underwhelming these days. With that being stated, shopping for quad-channel reminiscence is already a really pricey endeavor, which implies that even 3400MHz kits are very uncommon. There’s additionally the truth that 2nd era Threadripper CPUs do not play effectively with high-frequency RAM anyway.
When it comes to PCI-Specific, you get three x16 slots, every of which is strengthened to assist the load of a top-shelf GPU. The purpose right here is that you simply get loads of PCI lanes, nevertheless, since most common gaming motherboards are often restricted on this regard.
There are additionally three M.2 slots to play with, though solely certainly one of them includes a warmth sink to assist with cooling. If that is not sufficient to fulfill your storage wants, there are additionally eight SATA three ports you need to use to attach your run-of-the-mill drives.
Lastly, there will not be a complete lot of extras on the rear I/O, which generally is a little bit of a bummer. The addition of a 2.5Gbit Ethernet port is unquestionably good to see, however different boards go the additional mile and offer you a 10Gbit port, which is much extra helpful underneath the circumstances. There may be additionally no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to talk of, so hold that in thoughts.
Execs
- Triple M.2 and PCI-Specific x16 slots
- 2.5Gbit Ethernet port
- First rate USB connectivity
- A little bit of RGB lightning for players
- A number of fan headers
- Nice VRM and energy supply
Cons
- No Wi-Fi module
- No extra PCI slots
4. Asrock X399 Taichi
The Asrock X399 Taichi provides glorious efficiency for the AMD Threadripper lineup. Not like most boards, it comes with a subdued black and gray aesthetic, which could enchantment to many. The X399 Taichi sports activities the gear-shaped heatsink design that’s attribute of this sequence. The impartial colours are helpful in guaranteeing that any mixture of RGB lighting will immediately praise the board.
The rear I/O is customary for probably the most half. Asrock has geared up the board with its pure sound audio that’s EMI shielded to stop any interference. Asrock provides two U.2 ports for NVMe SSDs. You may also use M.2, however that may imply one of many three ports will get disabled. Not like many different boards, Asrock doesn’t supply any warmth spreaders for the M.2 slots. There are 4 PCI Specific slots configured in x16, x8, x16, and x8 modes.
One of the best half in regards to the Asrock X399 Taichi is that its VRM is top-notch in comparison with many different boards – not solely on this phase but additionally throughout platforms. Efficiency-wise, you will not be having any points with this board, and overclockers will discover loads of settings to fiddle with. Utilizing increased RAM frequencies will assist you get even higher efficiency.
One other extremely helpful characteristic is the provision of Energy, Reset, and Clear CMOS buttons instantly on the board. This makes it straightforward to fall again in case of any misguided setting that has resulted in an unstable system.
Whereas the Asrock X399 Taichi is likely one of the finest sTR4 motherboards round, it has a number of downsides. For one, the onboard wi-fi is barely a 1×1 433 Mbps controller, whereas different manufacturers supply a 2×2 867 Mbps controller for increased throughput. Additionally, there’s a lack of M.2 heatsinks, and the inbox contents are fairly customary disappointing these searching for extra goodies.
Execs
- 4 PCI-Specific x16 slots
- Assist for respectable RAM speeds
- Commonplace ATX form-factor
- Features a Wi-Fi module and antennae
- Loads of USB ports
- Onboard energy and reset buttons
Cons
- No warmth sinks for any of the three M.2 slots
- Ethernet ports restricted to 1Gbit
5. Asrock Fatal1ty X399 Skilled Gaming
The Asrock X399 Skilled Gaming is one other certainly one of Asrock’s choices for the AMD X399 platform. It options most facets of the X399 Taichi and provides a number of gamer-centric options. Regardless of being focused at players, the design is not too flashy, and the RGB lighting results are restricted to the heatsink. In fact, you do get loads of headers for including RGB LED strips. The X399 Skilled Gaming provides glorious connectivity choices and an excellent array of networking options.
You get a wi-fi AC plus Bluetooth module, two Intel 211AT Gigabit NICs, and an Aquantia 10Gbit Ethernet. Whether or not a 10Gb Ethernet is actually required for a gaming motherboard or not is up for debate, however you do have the choice if you’re looking out for one. The onboard Realtek ALC1220 audio chip helps the Inventive Sound Blaster Cinema 3 codec, and the audio channels are shielded from any form of electromagnetic interference.
The Asrock X399 Skilled Gaming will fulfill probably the most demanding players’ wants – be it those that run multi-GPU methods or those that prefer to customise their system to no finish. The headers are positioned on the underside aspect, permitting for straightforward entry.
The VRMs do an excellent job of guaranteeing a clear energy provide to the processor and permit for good overclocking potential. General efficiency in each content material creation and gaming is superb. You’ll not discover a lot distinction between the X399 Taichi and this one, and you’ll really go for the Taichi if you would like to avoid wasting cash and do not want the 10Gbit NIC. In actual fact, you’ll lose out on the inner USB 3.1 Kind-C header because of the 10Gbit NIC for lack of sufficient PCI Specific lanes.
Execs
- Two 1Gbit Ethernet ports and a 10Gbit port
- 4 PCI-Specific x16 slots
- Three M2 slots
- Wi-fi LAN connectivity
- Devoted BIOS flashback button
- Nice cooling for the VRM
Cons
- No warmth sinks for the M.2 slots
6. Asus ROG Strix X399-E Gaming
The Asus ROG Strix X99-E gaming is a less-expensive different to the ROG Zenith Excessive and options assist for AMD’s newest Threadripper CPUs and most options present in different X399 motherboards. The board is focused at players, however there aren’t too many flashy RGB lights.
You continue to get sufficient headers for including your personal lights, although. The POST code indicator’s placement isn’t the perfect location as it may possibly get obscured whenever you set up any growth playing cards or have a bunch of cables working over it. The heatsink design each on the chipset and the VRMs is sweet and can permit for extra environment friendly cooling. A number of the options often present in dearer X399 boards, equivalent to gold-plated audio jacks, built-in I/O defend, and so forth., will not be current within the ROG Strix X399-E.
Whereas the ROG Strix X399-E doesn’t have among the unique options of different boards on this record, it options strong overclocking and a really intuitive BIOS. Even for those who push the SoC voltage to 1.2V and the CPU voltage to 1.425V, the system will probably be comparatively steady, and it’s best to be capable to hit 4GHz on all cores on Threadripper 1920X.
The ROG Strix does compromise on storage, which implies you solely get a single M.2 slot and 6 SATA 3 ports. Efficiency in real-world and artificial benchmarks is superb, so Asus has you lined in that facet.
Execs
- 4 PCI-Specific x16 slots
- Loads of fan and RGB lighting headers
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules
- Devoted BIOS flashback button
- Eight-channel HD audio
- Correct VRM cooling
Cons
- A single 1Gbit Ethernet port
- Just one M.2 slot and 6 SATA ports
