From ASUS Press Release: To help professionals, enthusiasts and gamers alike unleash the full potential of AMD’s 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper, ASUS is introducing new TRX40 series motherboards that come loaded with improvements and new features: the ROG Zenith II Extreme, ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming and the Prime TRX40-Pro.
Teamed up with the TRX40 chipset, 3rd Gen Threadripper CPUs bring PCI Express 4.0 to the high-end desktop for the first time, doubling bandwidth across a total of 64 PCIe 4.0 lanes to allow for even faster SSDs, graphics cards and A/V gear. Every PCIe slot and M.2 slot in the TRX40 lineup is wired with PCIe 4.0 connectivity for maximum bandwidth, meaning any expansion cards slotted into an ASUS TRX40 board will run as fast as they possibly can.
For high-end desktop users, the TRX40 series offers four memory channels for up to 256 GB of RAM across eight slots. 3rd Gen Threadripper CPUs maintain their predecessors’ support for ECC memory, too. Take your rig to new heights with bumped up 3200MHz stock RAM speeds and push the limits even further with an extra boost from our exclusive OptiMem III technology in the Republic of Gamers (ROG) Zenith II Extreme.
There’s an ROG or ASUS TRX40 motherboard for everyone, from professionals who want the most of everything and hardcore gamers obsessed with performance to first-time builders seeking the ultimate PC experience. For further details about our ROG lineup please visit ASUS ROG. Our guide with complete specifications and images for the entire lineup of TRX40 motherboards is located at Edge Up ASUS.
The ROG Zenith II Extreme helps demanding users push every limit
The ROG Zenith II Extreme is perfect for professional users and gaming enthusiasts looking to explore the limits of 3rd Gen Threadripper CPUs’ core and memory clock speeds. It’s filled to the brim with top-notch hardware to satisfy the most demanding users around.
The board’s styling strikes a balance between industrial power and gamer-friendly flash. With the lights off, the Zenith II epitomizes stealth and subtlety, but once you fire up the multi-zone Aura RGB LED lighting, the Zenith II becomes a high-end showpiece. The decorative panel atop the I/O shield has a holographic Infinity Lighting motif, while a full-color LiveDash OLED display can display POST codes, critical system information, or custom graphics. Aluminum ROG Armor covers most of the front of the board, and a metal backplate fortifies the board against the weight of massive heatsinks and expansion cards.
The Zenith II employs an enhanced 16-power-stage VRM design, suitable for the most extreme overclocking efforts. Many components in a high-end build can get a little toasty once workloads ramp up and the bits start flowing, so the Zenith II Extreme’s main VRM heatsink uses two semi-passive fans that only turn on when the underlying component temperatures reach 60º C. To further enhance heat dissipation, a heat pipe joins the main VRM heatsink with an auxiliary heatsink under the I/O shroud. Another fan underneath the chipset heatsink draws heat away from the main M.2 slots and the TRX40 silicon itself, and its airflow also helps keep the SoC VRM cool during memory overclocking. Every one of those fans is smart enough to only turn on when they’re needed and are controlled by the Fan Xpert 4 utility.
Extensive storage capabilities are enabled by the Zenith II’s five M.2 slots each using up to four lanes of PCIe 4.0, with three slots directly on-board and two coming from the exclusive DIMM.2 module. Hard drives are still the kings of sheer capacity, and the Zenith II provides eight SATA ports for all your mass storage needs.
Networking is a key aspect for workstation and high-end desktop machines. After all, whatever tasks you're dealing with probably involve shuffling large chunks of data from one machine to another. The Zenith II Extreme features a trio of network interfaces. An Intel I211-AT Gigabit Ethernet controller gets the party started, but the Aquantia AQC-107 10GbE controller really fires things up as it makes short work of multi-terabyte transfers. If wires don't agree with you, then experience the fastest Wi-Fi 6 performance with exclusive ASUS GameFirst V technology featuring Intel® AX200 Wi-Fi 6 hardware with Bluetooth 5 support.
Every recent improvement in USB speed has made its way into the Zenith II, so the board is more than ready for the latest peripherals. The back panel contains a total of seven USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports with 10Gbps of throughput, but the real highlight is the super-fast USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C connector with 20Gbps of bandwidth. You also get a pair of front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2 connectors, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports and three USB 2.0 headers.
Finally, a little music for your ears. Whether you’re gaming or rocking your headphones to some tunes while working, quality sound is important for excitement and ambience both. The Zenith II uses a SupremeFX S1220 codec coupled with a high-end ESS Sabre 32-bit DAC. The audio package further includes software support for DTS Sound Unbound, offering deep soundscapes with pinpoint-accurate object-based 3D audio.
Transport Threadripper to the battlefield atop the ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming
The ROG Strix TRX40-E Gaming motherboard has the high-end desktop credentials you would expect from such a standout component, and it fits all of that power into a standard ATX form factor with great customization options, sleek Strix Cybertext aesthetics and a 1.3-inch LiveDash OLED display. Its striking angular design extends to the M.2 heatsink and audio circuitry covers, and most of the board is blacked out so that it can look its best under any shade of RGB LED lighting.
This Strix board feeds its CPU with a 16-stage VRM with two semi-passive fans above the heatsink to keep things cool, even with demanding overlocks. ProCool II power plugs and their solid pins help ensure stable power delivery to Threadripper's many cores and keep the connectors themselves cool under load.
The board also provides plenty of options for storage devices and peripherals. There are three M.2 sockets, each linked to four lanes of PCIe 4.0, as well as eight SATA ports that adorn the edge of the board. Around the back, you'll find eight USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports with 10Gbps of bandwidth (one in the Type-C form factor), alongside another four USB 2.0 Type-A connectors. The Strix also offers dedicated headers for both AIO and custom-loop pumps in addition to its standard arsenal of fan headers.
This board also comes with a trio of network controllers. Maximize your performance with ASUS GameFirst V technology using Intel AX200 Wi-Fi 6 hardware with Bluetooth 5 support, alongside a potent 2.5G Realtek ethernet controller paired with the Intel I211-AT Gigabit Ethernet controller. For your audio needs, the Strix uses a SupremeFX S1220 audio codec in addition to providing DTS Sound Unbound support.
The Prime TRX40-Pro is a rock-solid professional foundation for any 3rd Gen Threadripper
The Prime TRX40-Pro is a reliable foundation for any enthusiast or professional with creative workloads like video editing and 3D rendering that benefit from the power of many-core CPUs. In addition to contributing to the board’s clean and futuristic design, its brushed-aluminum VRM heatsink wicks heat away from a 16-stage power-delivery subsystem comprising Infineon TDA21462 integrated power stages paired with premium chokes and components. Every single expansion slot comes loaded with the performance of PCIe 4.0, too: three PCIe x16 SafeSlots grace the main portion of the board, and they’re poised to run all-out in an x16/x16/x16 configuration.
The Prime TRX40-Pro includes three M.2 slots, wired up to PCIe 4.0 x4 bandwidth. Creators working with massive video files can RAID together multiple NVMe devices for massive I/O bandwidth and seamless playback in their editing bays. Two of those slots rest under a dedicated heatsink for preventing SSD throttling under heavy loads. The third M.2 slot positions SSDs vertically to take advantage of ambient airflow around the CPU socket.
The USB port selection on the back panel includes three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connectors and a reversible USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port to provide up to 10Gbps for connecting fast external storage, audio interfaces, dedicated video editing controllers, and more. The Prime TRX40-Pro also has a full set of fan and liquid-cooling headers controllable with our Fan Xpert 4 utility. Although the Prime doesn't have built-in wireless connectivity, we've added an E-key M.2 2230 socket for those who want to add a Wi-Fi module of their own. Wired connectivity comes from a Gigabit Ethernet port backed by an Intel I211-AT chip.
The Realtek S1220 audio codec offers pristine audio quality, helped along by EMI shielding and separate PCB layers for the left and right channels to maintain signal integrity. For times where you need to pump up the volume, you can engage DTS:X Ultra support to bring immersive 3D spatial audio to your existing set of headphones or speakers.
