970 pro gaming/aura Asus 970 Pro Gaming/Aura - last AM3+ warior

FlanK3r · April 4, 2016

So finally I can throw the whole long story short last for Asus AM3 + boards.

The actual socket AM3 + is here with us since 2011, but the concept is based on the AM3 and old AM2 + from then or AM2. Neither the chipset itself saw no excessive change and native support for USB 3.0 is not here. Fortunately for AM3 board based variants with USB3.1 controllers ... But time progressed and we have USB3.1 and also more and more popular M.2. Special M.2 PCIe :-). AMD fans is still little and it was necessary to hear the petition and issue a variation in affordable segment for the AM3 + socket. And so we have motherboard, for example with supports SLI and Crossfire, ut has decent power VRM circuit, missing not her USB3.1 and even M.2 (via PCIe 2.0, such as at Haswell).

AURA label itself suggests lighting a scene that is variable in many colors and RGB spectra using the software can be set to different modes of functions - strobe flashing, variable pulse, static. Colors and backlighting can be set to off.

Personally, I use select the backlight according to the CPU temperature

News on the motherboard can be summarized in this promo picture, it's a pair of USB3.1 connectors type with bandwidth up to 10Gb / s. Furthermore, the connectivity M.2 PCIe 2.0, which will be limited transfer speeds of 4x PCIe 2.0. This corresponds to the theoretical 10Gb / s. So still much faster than traditional SATA. Bonuses are dual cards reality SLI or CF, Intel LAN and sound named SupremeFX with ALC1150.

Supreme FX sound is formed in the base chip ALC1150 while it forms a separate part of the PCB containing 300ohms headphone amplifier and audio capacitors

Nichicon.

LAN provides a new Intel chip itself. Output inside is amplified and have anti-surge protection options

Various protective things also found themselves on IO part outputs, near RAM circuit etc. Even these small things is well aware that not every motherboard has.

Many know the software AI Suite III, but at AM3 + is a version of the AI Suite III for the first time, which is pleasing

BIOS and BIOS interface options are wide. BIOS is a hybrid between traditional and Asus ROG Asus. I personally go there only missing OC memory profiles (hynix, Samsung, elpida etc.)

Basic description of the motherboard

When you buy mobo, you peek inside on these accessories. So how classic manual inside and DVD, stickers, SATA cables, IO cap and SLI bridge

From the above has the board classic layout. Red-black color as first impression seems like as something better for gaming segment. The series comes to a Pro Gaming Series, as evidenced by the design and color themselves passives heatsinks or SupremeFX sound. I came across a frame around the CPU socket, the AM3 + u were not, so frequent, gave only "half" as known in FM2 +. Another thing that at first glance it is worth noting the gap between NB and PCIe slot for graphics card. I commend odstatečnou gap because NB itself quite well warms and will have more space for efficient cooling. Involvement SLI or Crossfire will be comfortable, deployment slots I think is ideal. At the bottom are tabs for M.2 SSDs. More about them later.

OK, now we have there PCIe and PCI slots. Now it is the first PCIe 2.0 x1, followed by the primary PCIe x16 graphics card slot, then the old PCI and PCIe x1 others. The last one is a long PCIe x16 slots for SLI / CF (2 x 8) and again the old PCI. The actual layout seems reasonable. The first slot is always fitted, also always the primary graphics card slot. If we use a dual engagement cards, then we lose PCI. However, I believe that PCI is now a marginal issue.

Bottom part of board includes from left to right: front audio inputs to the case, COM port, TPM connector, multiple USB ports, CLR CMOS, special LN2 zone [/ b] connector for fan connectors and case connectors.

Just above the lower right side we see NVMe M2 PCIe connector supports drives up to specification 2280 (80mm lenght).

DRAM support is up to 32GB of DDR3 with a frequency of 2133 MHz by a divider. If we want more, we must overclocked BusSpeed. This is one of the properties 990FX chipset compared to ...

There is an audio part, which I discussed in the theory. Means Supreme FX = + ALC1150, two audio lines in the PCB, a separate part of the PCB, headphone amplifier and capacitors ... Near the sound chip is bigger ITE driver IO chip and left it Asus TPU controller chip which allows, for example, overclocking in Windows, etc.

Connectivity is at 970 chipset more than good. Six SATA 6G ports on the front and M.2 USB3.0 (Actually electrically couple USB3.0)

Rear connectors form the PS2, crazy number of 8 USB2.0 and two USB3.1-A, LAN connector and audio outputs.

VRM circuit of the motherboard and connectors

Let's look at the actual power supply and connectors. I framed as green 24-pin power supply board and the 8-pin CPU connector. At motherboard are six 4-pin connectors for CPU/chasis fans! One serves to control the water pump. I marked in red area, where it hides the power circuit for the CPU and CPU uncore part. It is digitally controlled and consists of 7 + 1 phases. This is a bit unusual, but it has good reason. A team of testers has been found that one phase can handle high CPUNB at FX processors and others seven can therefore be left purely to the CPU. Blue is indicated for single-phase power of DRAM, pink marked are digital controllers. Orange is then marked phases for the Northbridge and yellow is power circuit of South Bridge. On the bottom edge of the board is the purple box that indicates the function OC area where we have a means of linking pins function as the retry button or safe mode.

As we see the entire complex communicates with arrows. Perhaps it is clear :-)

Close to three connectors PWM area and at CPU + CPU-NB circuit and DRAM power right then. Liabilities over the MOSFET is clamped with pushpin.

Northbridge pasive separate liabilities that are secured to the board with a screw.

Software inside :)

AI Suite III is a package encompassing a tuning of CPU, power circuit driving, fan optimization and energy savings. 4-way button optimization, myself tunes your PC to perfection if you simply and do not understand how to do overcllock ...

Here are all the features of AI Suite III. I use myself on another plate, for example, AI Charger, USB3.1 boost and OC-up is not wrong to try PC cleaner, it helps slightly in tests

Good idea interconnection and intelligent communication with a PC or mobile phone and tablet I also like.

There is PC cleaner

software for audio tweaking

Management of RGB lighting

Sonic Radar II for gaming

My favourite software is TurboV. That which is not working on Intel boards for AMD, so you must use the version that is only for AMD chips and at 970 for Gaming have it available! It works on FM2 + or other AM3 + motherboards.

The test PC and tests, including overclocking

Asus 970 Pro Gaming/Aura

AMD FX-8370 , cooling allinone liquid AMD FX

2x 4 GB G.Skill RipjawsX 2400 MHz set to 2133 MHz

Asus GTX 980Ti Poseidon

Corsair AX1200

HyperX SSD

Thus, the CPU behaves in idle, downclocking at 1400Mhz. RAM running at 2133 MHz, 970 chipset itself allows HT link "only" 2,200 MHz.

AMD FX as everyone knows as his boots were a many of the tests. I tested a few CPU tests and two game tests. A popular game World of Tanks in the latest version and a short game in Witcher III. Both games set to 1920x1080, Witcher for ULTRA and WOT on high detail. Both games were subjectively playable without problems and without lags.

SuperPi 32M, though it is not very meaningful test. But its good to compare similar architectures (complete 15h family example.)

HWBOT PRIME

Cinebench R11.5

3D Mark Fire Strike Extreme...

WOT 1920x1080, high

-pro info, min FPS 46, max FPS 111 na default. Po OC, min FPS 56, max FPS 125

Witcher III, 1920x1080, Ultra

And how about power consumption? The standby consumption is not an issue, this is almost always right ... And the stress? I was surprised that this OC voltage consumption is not threatening even after overclocking. Which is commendable. Anyway, I assure you that I am certainly a bit above average FX, which gives a stable 4,900 MHz with just 1.45V. Then I go to overclocking, the 5000 MHz and 1.5V think about it for so worth the long run .... However, it is seen that the base plate 970 Pro Gaming faring well at higher overclocking and there are no throtling (but u must cool down VRM area).

Here to search for more CPU-Z overclocking. Temperature everything was fine, CPU cores were only around 58 C in Coretemp, which is actually about 75 C. CPUNB would probably go to 2800+ MHz, but we did not want to lose more time testing and tuning stability ....

What conclusion? It's a fresh breeze to the old platform, AM3 +, which took farewell before boarding AM4. AM4 motherboards will be here in a few months, but there are still people who prefer buying cheaper AM3 + as a whole. So if we are talking about AMD fans. Then FM2 + is more modern chipset with everything eco friendly. But FM2 + processors do not reach the overall performance as the FX-8000 series. So AM3 + for at least a year of their customers find.