Z390- ASUS- Gene PCB breakdown

orbitalwalsh · 18 Oct 2018 at 08:00

@Robert896r1

When I've done benches I only have those programs installed and nothing else , so minimumal programs in background. Also Windows power plan set to max ?

Smffy · 18 Oct 2018 at 09:42

Where is my Apex Z390 is what I wanna know?

VincentHanna · 19 Oct 2018 at 12:14

Got an even better deal on a Rog Maximus Hero XI now thanks to a 10% off code at Ebay.

orbitalwalsh · 19 Oct 2018 at 14:54

reviews via OC3D

https://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/asus_rog_z390_maximus_xi_formula_review/1

https://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/asus_rog_z390_maximus_xi_extreme_review/1

https://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/asus_rog_z390-i_strix_itx_review/1

https://www.overclock3d.net/reviews/cpu_mainboard/intel_core_i9-9900k_and_asus_z390_strix-e_review/1

seems their chip hasnt managed above 5.0ghz - know these boards can hit over them - no VRM temps with above reviews -

find any other reviews on Asus range, please feel free to post up

Robert896r1 · 19 Oct 2018 at 15:00

@orbitalwalsh what is the Asus equivalent of MSI Pro Carbon with wifi or Asrock Taichi?

orbitalwalsh · 19 Oct 2018 at 15:10

Robert896r1 said:
@orbitalwalsh what is the Asus equivalent of MSI Pro Carbon with wifi or Asrock Taichi?

Hero I believe , or slightly less cash, Strix

seems so many reviews have landed 5ghz chips supplied by vendors =/ know they all have hit 5.3ghz on most of their boards to cherry picked chips at least and they all didn't blow up (all vendors- so z390 is a step up from z370)

ODE
My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x MSI Z390 MPG GAMING PRO CARBON AC (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £219.98
1 x ASRock Z390 Taichi Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £229.99
1 x Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £227.99

Total: £689.66 (includes shipping: £11.70)

have to see reviews into vrm heat - think both are 8 or 10 phase design - if your going to run 9900k then a lot of heat will be produced from VRMs , 8th gen should be fine

Robert896r1 · 19 Oct 2018 at 15:20

orbitalwalsh said:
Hero I believe , or slightly less cash, Strix

seems so many reviews have landed 5ghz chips supplied by vendors =/ know they all have hit 5.3ghz on most of their boards to cherry picked chips at least and they all didn't blow up (all vendors- so z390 is a step up from z370)

ODE
My basket at Overclockers UK:

1 x MSI Z390 MPG GAMING PRO CARBON AC (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £219.98

1 x ASRock Z390 Taichi Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £229.99

1 x Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Intel Z390 (Socket 1151) DDR4 ATX Motherboard= £227.99

Total: £689.66 (includes shipping: £11.70)

have to see reviews into vrm heat - think both are 8 or 10 phase design - if your going to run 9900k then a lot of heat will be produced from VRMs , 8th gen should be fine

I'm going to stick to my 8086k for now since I can keep it on air at 5ghz all core where as water is a must for the 9900k on air. I don't want to go AIO.

Main goal for me is something solid and better than my z390 gigabyte pro. I'll check out the Strix-E and Hero as they're new to me. I shy'd away as they had so many sku for Asus boards...

orbitalwalsh · 19 Oct 2018 at 15:24

Robert896r1 said:
I'm going to stick to my 8086k for now since I can keep it on air at 5ghz all core where as water is a must for the 9900k on air. I don't want to go AIO.

Main goal for me is something solid and better than my z390 gigabyte pro. I'll check out the Strix-E and Hero as they're new to me. I shy'd away as they had so many sku for Asus boards...

if by better at ram speed, then asus should edge past, for vrm couldn't comment will thermals are posted of both.

Asus have few issues with Vdroop but seems they are onto it

https://www.gamersnexus.net/hwrevie...der-vs-paste-delid-gaming-benchmarks-vs-2700x

Distracted · 19 Oct 2018 at 16:49

orbitalwalsh said:
heads up, VRMs , if you can afford to grab the watercooled ROG then do so, specially if your running AVX!
Treading carefully here, all vendors VRMs run hot - taking away the cooling aspects etc .
Watercooled versions have AVX and non AVX temps closer together but non water boards, there's a good difference.
can see why vendors have stepped up VRM counts- running 5.1/5.2ghz overclock and your VRMs are pushed hard! even at 1.35v

look out for reviews that use heatguns ! and dont just rely on sensors as some boards have them closer to the hottest part of the Mosfet (aorus)

if you can, what ever board you get, change the heatpads think asus pads are rated at W/mK 1-2, Thermal Grizzly's are like 8 w/mks

asus also have one of the strongest QVL for 2 sticks 4000hz+ but weaker with 4 sticks compared to aorus

Are you able to link to the source for the heat dissapation figures of the stock asus pads please? Trying to find it.

orbitalwalsh · 19 Oct 2018 at 16:56

Distracted said:
Are you able to link to the source for the heat dissapation figures of the stock asus pads please? Trying to find it.

Been a while, will check my emails. But yeah, all stock ones are naff. Even Aorus new z390 Xtreme uses 5 w/mk LAIRDTech Pads (never heard of them )and pushing heavy on the PR , when you can go buy thermal grizzly pads for £8 which are 8 w/mk

Distracted · 19 Oct 2018 at 17:50

orbitalwalsh said:
Been a while, will check my emails. But yeah, all stock ones are naff. Even Aorus new z390 Xtreme uses 5 w/mk LAIRDTech Pads (never heard of them )and pushing heavy on the PR , when you can go buy thermal grizzly pads for £8 which are 8 w/mk

Thanks.

I've seen the green looking Laird stuff used on the maximus boards for the m.2 heatsinks in a few reviews.

The photos of the vrm heatsinks showed a grey pad and i couldnt see any markings on it.

orbitalwalsh · 23 Oct 2018 at 13:16

Better review up of the Hero

https://www.guru3d.com/articles_pages/asus_rog_maximum_xi_hero_review,20.html

Distracted · 23 Oct 2018 at 13:19

Did the title of this thread change?

Distracted · 24 Oct 2018 at 14:22

I've been following the VRM discussion for a while now and I still can't tell what type of VRM configuration the hero, code, and formula use despite being able to see the bare board for each.

What i do know is that the board has been proven capable of getting the 9900k to over 6ghz without any hint of VRM issues.

Whatever Asus have gone with, it seems to be working just fine.

LambChop · 24 Oct 2018 at 16:16

Distracted said:
I've been following the VRM discussion for a while now and I still can't tell what type of VRM configuration the hero, code, and formula use despite being able to see the bare board for each.

What i do know is that the board has been proven capable of getting the 9900k to over 6ghz without any hint of VRM issues.

Whatever Asus have gone with, it seems to be working just fine.

Hero, Code, Formula all share the same VRM's.

8+2 powerstages (4x2 doubler)
Vishay SiC639
50 amps each phase

No VRM throttling on any of the Maximus XI range.

Distracted · 24 Oct 2018 at 16:19

LambChop said:
Hero, Code, Formula all share the same VRM's.

8+2 powerstages (4x2 doubler)
Vishay SiC639
50 amps each phase

No VRM throttling on any of the Maximus XI range.

I know the SiC 639 is used, I can see it on the board. What I can't find is the doubler. Neither can others who have looked at the bare pcb. :confused:

LambChop · 24 Oct 2018 at 16:53

Distracted said:
I know the SiC 639 is used, I can see it on the board. What I can't find is the doubler. Neither can others who have looked at the bare pcb.

According to nl.hardware, it has doublers

https://nl.hardware.info/product/487391/asus-rog-maximus-xi-hero-wifi/specificaties

Distracted · 24 Oct 2018 at 17:06

LambChop said:
According to nl.hardware, it has doublers

https://nl.hardware.info/product/487391/asus-rog-maximus-xi-hero-wifi/specificaties

Yup. That is the site that people are quoting when saying doublers are present.

On the other hand a look at the PCB doesn't show where doublers are present. In the z370/z390 VRM thread on overclock.net there is (presumably) an ASUS rep that says phase extenders aren't used, which in context I take to mean no doublers. In the official Asus forums there are shots of the CODE pcb showing an absence of doublers and shots of the HERO on Reddit don't show any doublers on the board. My own Formula doesn't have any doublers that I can see.

I think that there are 4 running in parallel rather than with doublers, so still 8 in total + 2. This obviously doesn't hurt the boards or they would be having problems, but there is some confusion surrounding the actual VRM configuration right now.

LambChop · 24 Oct 2018 at 18:16

Distracted said:
Yup. That is the site that people are quoting when saying doublers are present.

On the other hand a look at the PCB doesn't show where doublers are present. In the z370/z390 VRM thread on overclock.net there is (presumably) an ASUS rep that says phase extenders aren't used, which in context I take to mean no doublers. In the official Asus forums there are shots of the CODE pcb showing an absence of doublers and shots of the HERO on Reddit don't show any doublers on the board. My own Formula doesn't have any doublers that I can see.

I think that there are 4 running in parallel rather than with doublers, so still 8 in total + 2. This obviously doesn't hurt the boards or they would be having problems, but there is some confusion surrounding the actual VRM configuration right now.

The more I read the more I think you are spot on with that.

Distracted · 24 Oct 2018 at 18:46

LambChop said:
The more I read the more I think you are spot on with that.

Hopefully buildzoid or someone can do a breakdown and clarify things. Or perhaps Asus can come out with more info explaining what is happening.

Z390- ASUS- Gene PCB breakdown

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