Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme X570 Motherboard Review

ASUS uses its standard dark theme packaging on the ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme.

The rear of the box highlights a few of the many features as well as lists some basic specs.

When you open the box you are immediately greeted with a panoramic view of the Crosshair VIII Extreme under a clear cover. The slogan ‘For Those Who Dare’ is embossed in red on the lid.

The clear lid just lifts off the top tray to access the board. There was some scuffing on the clear cover and the rear I/O scratch protection film from vibrations during shipping, but no damage.

The motherboard tray lifts out to access the lower half of the box where all the included goodies hide.

The biggest compartment opens to reveal a foam block cradling several important accessories.

Given the ‘Extreme’ nature of the board, the list of inclusions is extensive.

• Cables:
  • 1X 1-to-3 ARGB splitter
  • 2X 1-to-4 fan splitter
  • 1X RGB extension
  • 6X ROG weave braided SATA cables
  • 1X 3-in-1 Thermistor cables pack
• ROG Fan Controller:
  • ROG Fan Controller
  • Power Cable
  • ARGB Input Cable
  • USB Input Cable
  • 3M Mounting tape
• ROG Dimm.2:
  • ROG DIMM.2 with Heatsink
  • 2 Thermal pad
  • 2X M.2 Screw package
• ROG Clavis DAC
• Wi-Fi Antenna
• 2X M.2 Screw packages
• Q-Connector
• ROG keychain
• ROG GPU Holder
• ROG Screwdriver
• ROG USB Drive with utilities and drivers
• Documentation
  • User Manual
  • ROG Thank you card
  • Clavis DAC Manual
  • ROG Fan controller manual.
  • ROG Stickers

One special inclusion if the ROG Clavis DAC. The ROG Clavis is a USB Type-C based DAC with Ai Noise-Canceling mic and is based on the ESS 9281 QUAD DAC. A switch on the side changes between PC/notebook mode, and Mobile/Phone/Gaming console mode. The ESS 9281 DAC features QUAD DAC technology to provide lossless audio processing. Each of its four DACs devotes processing power to a subset of the audible frequency range, across lows, mids, highs to ultra-highs. The four signals are then combined to produce clearer sound with an impressive 130 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and an integrated amplifier supports up to 300 ohms of impedance.

And yes, it also includes ASUS Aura Sync RGB Lighting.

Another special inclusion is the ROG DIMM.2 Module.  The DIMM.2 Module allows easy connection of two NVMe or SATA M.2 drives up to 110mm in length through a special DIMM slot on the ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme.

Both slots sink heat to the exterior shell of the DIMM.2 module and support pretty much any M.2 drive on the market.

The next inclusion is the ROG Fan controller. This device mounts in your case in an empty 2.5” drive tray and provides 6 ARGB lighting headers, two thermal probe connections, and 6 fan headers.

The first three fan ports support ASUS’s HydraNODE fan strings as well as independent ARGB channels for each.

The other side provides 3 more normal fan headers and an additional three ARGB ports.

One of the first things you’ll notice about the ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme is its weight. The board alone weighs in at almost 6¼ pounds or a touch over 2.8kg.