ASUS brings X570 to small form factors with ROG Crosshair Impact and ROG Strix X570-I

ASUS already has a few ATX-sized X570 motherboards out in the wild but today, we are seeing two new additions to the lineup for small form factor builds. The ROG Crosshair VIII Impact and ROG Strix X570-I will both be landing at retail soon, complete with active cooling, PCIe 4.0 support and Wi-Fi 6 to boost networking capabilities.

As ASUS puts it, both of these new SFF ROG boards have been tuned to bring the full benefits of the X570 platform to Mini-ITX without compromises. The Crosshair VIII Impact includes ATX-grade overclocking features for extreme performance. The Strix X570-I is also shaping up to be a solid performer, focusing on being a reliable and easy to use with DIY friendly features.

The ROG Crosshair VIII Impact is actually based on the Mini-DTX form factor, making it a bit taller than a traditional Mini-ITX motherboard. However, Mini-DTX compatibility is still maintained in most Mini-ITX cases. This extra space allowed ASUS to implement better cooling for the X570 chipset. The motherboard has an 8+2 TDA21472 power stages, each rated to handle 70 amps. Keeping that cool is a single-body VRM and chipset heatsink with dual Delta Superflo fans and a copper heatpipe.

ASUS has also tweaked the memory-trace layout on this board, improving signal integrity and mitigating noise. This will allow for lower latency and higher frequency RAM support.

The ROG Strix X570-I Gaming is the cheaper option and is a true Mini-ITX motherboard. The VRM heatsink is designed in a way to maintain compatibility with AMD Wraith CPU coolers. You can also clip off one of the heatsinks for instant access to M.2 storage without needing to grab a screwdriver.

As you would expect, HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs are included for living room/home theatre setups. Intel Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 support also remain intact. Extension cables are included for front-panel audio and power/reset buttons.

The ROG Crosshair VIII Impact will be retailing for around £383.99 here in the UK. The ROG Strix X570-I Gaming is the more affordable option, coming in at £289.99 MSRP.

KitGuru Says: I've always liked ASUS's Mini-ITX boards. Are any of you planning on building a small form-factor Ryzen rig?

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