Why you can trust Tom’s Hardware
Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Thanks to X3D CPUs like the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, AMD’s partners are still pushing out new high-end motherboards, like Asus’ latest flagship ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial, which is on our test bench today. This icy white E-ATX motherboard is the pinnacle of Asus’ technology on the X870E platform. In typical flagship fashion, the board is covered in heatsinks, magnetic shrouds, and even includes a large 5-inch LCD. You can tell just by looking at it that this board is both impressive and expensive. At $1,199.99, it is costly and right up there with other recently released flagships like the MSI X870E Godlike X and Gigabyte’s X870E Aorus Xtreme X3D AI TOP, both well over $1,000.
I’m not sure where to start regarding features, as there are so many to cover. There’s a whopping seven M.2 sockets between the included Hyper M.2 and DIMM.2 add-in-cards, with three capable of running the full PCIe 5.0 x4 bandwidth (the fourth 5.0 x2). It’s also the only desktop-class board with two 10 GbE ports. On top of that, the Glacial has an incredibly robust 28-phase VRM, a high-end audio solution with integrated DAC/AMP, and loads of other perks, including EZ PC DIY and AI features (for overclocking, cooling, and performance) that aim to pull you in. On top of all the hardware, it looks good too, though some of the bottom shrouds need to be removed to install a graphics card in the top PCIe slot, taking away from the aesthetic.
Below, we’ll examine the Glacial’s performance and other features to determine whether it deserves a spot on our list of the best motherboards. But before we share test results and discuss details, here are the specifications from Asus’ website:
Specifications of the Crosshair X870E Glacial
|
Socket |
AM5 (LGA 1718) |
|
Chipset |
X870E |
|
Form Factor |
E-ATX |
|
Voltage Regulator |
28 Phase (24x 110A MOSFETs for Vcore) |
|
Video Ports |
(2) USB4 Type-C DisplayPort |
|
USB Ports |
(2) USB 4 (40 Gbps) Type-C (8) USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) |
|
Network Jacks |
(2) 10 GbE |
|
Audio Jacks |
(2) Analog + SPDIF |
|
Legacy Ports/Jacks |
✗ |
|
Other Ports/Jack |
✗ |
|
PCIe x16 |
(2) v5.0 (x16, x8/x8, x8/x4/x4, X4/X4/X4/X4) |
|
PCIe x8 |
✗ |
|
PCIe x4 |
✗ |
|
PCIe x1 |
✗ |
|
CrossFire/SLI |
✗ |
|
DIMM Slots |
(4) DDR5-9600(OC), 256GB Capacity 9600+MT/s(OC)**/9200+MT/s(OC)*** with Ryzen™ 8000 Series 8000+MT/s(OC)**/8000+MT/s(OC)*** with Ryzen™ 7000 Series |
|
M.2 Sockets |
(2) PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) / PCIe (up to 110/80mm) Supports RAID 0/1/5/10 |
|
SATA Ports |
(4) SATA3 6 Gbps |
|
USB Headers |
(1) USB v3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps) Type-C (up to 60W PD/QC4+) |
|
Fan/Pump Headers |
(8) 4-Pin (Accepts PWM and DC) |
|
RGB Headers |
(1) 6-pin ARGB Gen2 header supports 2x ARGB Gen2 headers |
|
Diagnostics Panel |
(1) EZ Debug LED |
|
Internal Button/Switch |
BCLK/Flexkey/Retry/Start/Safeboot/BCLK+- buttons |
|
SATA Controllers |
ASMedia ASM1162 |
|
Ethernet Controller(s) |
(2) Realtek 8127 (10 GbE) |
|
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth |
Mediatek MT7927 Wi-Fi 7 – 320 MHz, 6 GHz, 5.8 GHz, BT 5.4 |
|
USB Controllers |
Asmedia ASM4242, ASM2074, |
|
HD Audio Codec |
ROG Supreme FX (ALC4082) + ESS9219 Quad DAC, LED illuminated audio jacks |
|
DDL/DTS |
✗ / ✗ |
|
Warranty |
3 Years |
Inside the Box
Inside the retail packaging, the massive amount of accessories includes the Hyper M.2 and DIMM.2 cards, and even a small fan to cool your memory. The number is too large to put in a paragraph, so we’ve listed all that box includes, and a picture of the unique items, below.
- 1-to-4 ARGB splitter cable
- 1-to-2 ARGB splitter cable
- (2) 1-to-3 fan splitter cable
- (2) ROG weave SATA 6G cable packages
- ROG Hyper M.2 Card with Heatsink
- M.2 pad package for ROG Q-DIMM.2
- (2) Thermal pad for ROG Hyper M.2 Card
- ROG Q-DIMM.2 with Heatsink
- M.2 pad package for ROG Q-DIMM.2
- (2) x Thermal pad for ROG Q-DIMM.2
- Thermal pad for M.2 22110
- ROG Memory Q-Fan
- ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
- Q-connector
- ROG logo plate sticker
- ROG stickers
- ROG VIP card
- M.2 Q-Slide package
- M.2 backplate rubber packages
- ROG Bottle Opener
- Quick start guide
Design of the X870E Glacial
Image 1 of 5
The Crosshair X870E Glacial certainly looks the part of a flagship motherboard. The informative (and adjustable) 5-inch LCD is a focal point, as is the raised chrome ROG symbol on the magnetic shroud covering the PCIe slots and two M.2 sockets. Below is another magnetic cover that hides all the connectivity at the bottom. It looks fantastic in white — a very clean look.
That said, to install a PCIe card, you’ll need to remove that awesome-looking shroud in the middle (or use a riser card in the bottom slot and expose the headers across the bottom). That gives way to another heatsink below for the two integrated M.2 sockets, but it’s clearly not the showpiece. I understand it’s typically not visible, but if you use a vertically mounted GPU, the less-attractive M.2 heatsink plate is visible. On the surface, it just seems wasteful (read: increase on the BOM) when they can incorporate that into one heatsink and still show it off. Perhaps there’s some engineering magic we’re unaware of.
Looking at the top half of the board, starting on the left, gives us a better view of the 5-inch LCD. You can display things like pre-loaded ROG animations, hardware information, or your own customized image. The screen is also adjustable (preventing the rear fan from covering any portion of the screen). Under that is a large heatpipe-connected VRM heatsink to cool the highly-capable power delivery below. Above that, and hidden beneath the top magnetically connected shroud, are two 8-pin EPS connectors (one required) to power the processor.
Moving right past the socket and before the DRAM slots is the new Asus Q-connector. The proprietary 11-pin connector transfers power and control signals (think pump, ARGB, fans, and, on some models, the display) directly through the motherboard, eliminating the need for traditional, visible, individual cables that detract from a clean aesthetic. At the time of this writing, only the CES 2026-announced ROG Strix LC and SLC IV 360 AIOs work with the connector. It’s a useful feature if you plan to use compatible Asus AIOs. Otherwise, the gold contacts stick out from the white aesthetic (why not put a white rubber cover on it, Asus?).
Next, the four DRAM slots to the right have locking mechanisms on both sides. It’s a tight fit for the bottom locks (requires something skinny to poke them), or remove another magnetic piece next to PCIe latch that says Glacial on it to get better access. Or, use a single locking mechanism at the top. Asus lists support for DDR5-8600 for 9000 series desktop processors and even higher (DDR5-9200) for APUs, though unless you’re benching for Hwbot, I can’t see anyone using an APU on a $1,200 motherboard. Still, that’s plenty fast and way past AMD’s sweetspot.
To the right of the RAM slots is Asus’ DIMM.2 slot for additional M.2 drives. The DIMM.2 add-in-card holds two modules, up to 110mm. One runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps), and the other at 4.0 x2 (32 Gbps). This is a great way to add easily swappable M.2 storage. Asus also includes the Hyper M.2 card, which you install in a PCIe slot. The Hyper M.2 offers two more PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) M.2 sockets, bringing the total to four (if you force M.2_2 to x4 speeds). If your build needs a lot of fast M.2, the Glacial is where it’s at.
Above the DRAM slots (still under the shroud) are the first three (of eight) standard 4-pin fan headers. Per usual, each supports PWM and DC-controlled devices. Power output varies from 1A/12W on most headers (CPU, Rad, Chassis, AIO, and EF fans), while the two pump headers allow 3A/36W. The Asus BIOS or Armory Crate software controls these attached devices.
To the right of that are the ProbeIt measurement points that let you measure your system’s current voltage and oc settings. You can measure Vcore, Vmem, VSOC, and eight other voltages. This is primarily useful for the extreme overclocker, but it’s always worth verifying against software, as that can be off. Next to that are four Q-LEDs and the Q-Code LED that helps with troubleshooting POST issues.
Looking down the right edge, we see another shroud with two buttons on top (Start and Flexkey), and beneath those are multiple 90-degree headers. This includes the first 3-pin ARGB header, two additional 4-pin fan headers (W_Pump and CHA_FAN2), the 24-pin ATX power connector, and two front-panel USB 3.2 Type-C connectors (both 20 Gbps).
Power delivery on the X870E Glacial is one of the most capable we’ve seen. With a total of 28 phases (24 for Vcore), you’re not going to find one more potent. Power heads from the 8-pin EPS connectors and onto the Digi+ EPU voltage regulator. From there, it moves to the Infineon PMC41420 110A MOSFETs. The 2,640 Amps available will handle any CPU you throw at it, whether you’re using ambient or extreme cooling methods, even a Ryzen 9 9950X or the recently released Ryzen 9 9850X3D.
Image 1 of 3
At the bottom of the board, hidden under the shrouds, are the audio, PCIe slots, and M.2 sockets. Starting on the left, Asus uses the flagship-class Supreme FX audio solution (read: Realtek ALC4082 codec) along with an ESS Q9219 DAC. This is the best native audio combination you can get, and what you’d expect from a high-end board.
Next are the two PCIe slots hidden beneath magnetically attached shrouds. I don’t see the point of this decorative shroud, as you have to remove it to use either PCIe slot (and who’s going to use the iGPU only on a board like this?). You can use the bottom slot with negligible losses from the primary slot (it is PCIe 5.0 x8), but there you’re exposing the headers across the bottom.
Both of these reinforced slots connect through the CPU, offering PCIe 5.0 bandwidth. The top slot is for primary graphics and runs at x16 speeds (breaking down to x8/X8, x8/x4/x4, or x4/x4/x4/x4 modes), while the bottom slot is limited to x8. Note that this applies to 7000 and 9000 series desktop processors; APUs are different (see the specifications on Asus’ website for details). Asus moved away from its controversial PCIe latching mechanism. The company adopted a mechanical lever system on the Glacial that’s easy to use and won’t risk scratching the connector on your expensive graphics card.
Under the shrouds and heatsinks are three M.2 sockets. The top M.2 socket, M.2_1, under the large 3D VC M.2 heatsink (with Q-Release) runs PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps) and supports up to 110mm modules. The second socket, M.2_2, also connects to the CPU and runs PCIe 5.0 x2 by default as it shares lanes with the USB4 ports. It can run at x4 by forcing it in the BIOS, but this disables the USB4 ports altogether. The third native socket, M.2_3, connects to the chipset and runs at PCIe 4.0 x4. Asus made connecting M.2 drives easy with the M.2 Q-Latch or M.2 Q-Slide functionality. No screws!
The two PROM21 chips for the chipset are under their own really cool-looking heatsinks, which are under the M.2 heatsink, and under that fancy shroud that covers the PCIe slots (yes, that sentence is intentional and correct). While that’s fine, what I found odd was that the heatsinks had a protective plastic on them that you need to remove. It’s not like they’re ever visible and need protection, so why even bother putting them on? There’s a chance the board will live its life with plastic on the heatsink, as it’s plausible that users forgo M.2_2/3 under the heatsink and use DIMM.2 or the Hyper M.2 AICs instead. I don’t think it’s a big deal, but it was a curious choice to put plastic on something buried that doesn’t need protection.
Moving to the right edge, we see more horizontal connectivity. The first thing we see is the 8-pin PCIe connector for supplemental power to the motherboard (and to enable 60W USB-C charging). There are two 19-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) connectors, a system fan header, and the front panel header.
We’ve also included many images of the active IC’s for the board. The Glacial uses multiple ASMedia (USB), Infineon (VRMs), and Realtek (Audio, USB).
Image 1 of 6
Along the bottom are several headers under the magnetic cover, ranging from all four SATA ports to BCLK adjustment buttons for overclocking, with a lot in between. If you’re keen on using the shroud and the SATA ports, be sure to use 90-degree connectors so they fit underneath without excessive cable bends. The rest of the connectors are all thin wires that bend and should fit naturally. A complete list of connectivity is listed below (from L to R):
- Front panel audio
- LN2 mode jumper
- BCLK +/_ buttons
- (2) 3-pin ARGB headers
- BIOS and PCIe switches
- 2-pin thermistor header
- (4) SATA ports
- (3) USB 2.0 headers
- W_PUMP2 header
- Retry and Safeboot buttons
- RAD_FAN2 header
The rear IO on the X870E Glacial is packed with connectivity, including 14 USB ports. On the left are two buttons: one to clear the CMOS (backlit with a green LED) and the other for BIOS Flashback functionality. The first two Type-C ports (vertical) run at 10 Gbps; the next two are 40 Gbps USB4 ports; and on the right are two more 10 Gbps Type-C ports. The eight red Type-A ports are all 10 Gbps. In the middle of all those USB ports are the two Realtek 10 GbE ports. On the right are the Wi-Fi 7 quick-connect antenna and the audio stack, with two 3.5mm jacks (mic in, line out), both backlit with LEDs (red and green, respectively).
MORE: Best Motherboards
MORE: How To Choose A Motherboard
MORE: All Motherboard Content
التعليقات