AMD CPUs and the legendary Apex series combine forces for the first time in the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex

Back in 2017, we debuted a new series of motherboards laser-focused on giving enthusiasts an impeccable platform for record-breaking performance. Bearing the name “Apex,” these boards have shattered overclocking records generation after generation. Yet for all the trophies that this motherboard series has amassed, there’s one frontier that it has yet to cross. To date, no Apex motherboard has supported AMD CPUs. But all that is changing. Today, we’re ready to announce the all-new ROG Crosshair X870E Apex. 

That’s not all. While we’re not ready to share as many details, the Apex isn’t the only new motherboard joining the ROG Crosshair X870E family in 2025. We’re currently developing the ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme, a no-holds-barred EATX motherboard that will set new standards for the series in performance, connectivity, and personalization. 

Built for extreme memory overclocking  

The ROG Crosshair X870E Apex is still in development, so consider this a sneak peek. The current plan is to finalize its design, put it in the hands of professional overclockers, and then release it for general availability by the end of Q1 2025. We'll keep you updated as we get closer to launch. For the latest news on the Apex and other upcoming products, as well as a friendly place to chat with other PC building enthusiasts, consider joining the ASUS PC DIY Community or the ROG Discord channel.  

But even now, we’re able to pull back the curtain on many elements of the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex. If the Apex series has a calling card, it’s the memory layout. In order to reduce interference to the IMC, Apex motherboards run two DIMM slots instead of four, sacrificing raw capacity to attain record-breaking frequencies.  

Given the rich history of the Apex series, we had to deck this motherboard out with the advanced features that overclockers need for exotic cooling. It features our Extreme OC kit, including LN2 Mode. The ReTry button streamlines the process of rebooting during extreme overclocking in order to achieve a successful POST, while the customizable FlexKey button provides quick access to a variety of functions. And a wealth of Probelt measurement points arms enthusiasts with the information they need about voltages. 

The ROG Crosshair X870E Apex’s overclocking capabilities aren’t merely academic — it’s already proving itself as a contender in the quest for world records.  

ROG Crosshair X870E Apex and AMD Ryzen 9 9950X
Benchmark	Record	Overclocker
Geekbench3 Multi Core	170757 points (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
7-Zip	324364 MIPS (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
Cinebench R15	9372 cb (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
Cinebench R20	23585 pts (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
Cinebench R23	60868 pts (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
GPUPI For CPU 1B	17sec 498ms (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
HWBOT x265 Benchmark 1080p	316.696 fps (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK
HWBOT x265 Benchmark 4k	78.319 fps (Global First Place)	SAFEDISK

Professional OC-er SAFEDISK has already achieved eight Global First Place records using the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex and an AMD Ryzen 9 9950X. There’s more, and it’s sure to attract the attention of anyone with memory-sensitive workloads. We installed a particularly choice 48GB DDR5 memory kit from G.SKILL, and ran the show with an AMD Ryzen 5 8500G CPU. We were able to push the memory kit all the way up to 10,200MT/s — using air cooling.  

Staying cool under pressure  

Given the performance ambitions of the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex, this motherboard needs an impeccable set of cooling hardware. Tall and thick heatsinks joined with an L-shaped heatpipe absorb heat from the board’s robust power solution, and these sinks are integrated with the I/O cover to increase the surface area for heat dissipation.  

A rich selection of fan headers lets you hook up a substantial cooling system in your chassis. In addition to a standard 4-pin AIO Pump header ready for convenient AIO CPU liquid coolers, you’ll find a W_PUMP+ header with the extra amperage often necessary for custom liquid cooling loops.  

If you’ve dialed in an aggressive overlock for your CPU and memory, you might want some additional air movement across your memory sticks and VRM heatsinks. In the box, you’ll find an ROG Memory Fan Kit. This optional accessory attaches easily to a convenient mounting point on the board and directs a stream of air that runs parallel to your DIMMs.  

Flip the Apex over, and you’ll see a key element of its arsenal of cooling technologies. Nearly the entire rear side is sheathed in metal armor, providing structural rigidity and passive cooling.  

Ready for next-gen hardware 

The ROG Crosshair X870E Apex’s robust toolkit for CPU and memory overclocking claims center stage, but its comprehensive support for cutting-edge graphics card and storage deserves some attention, too.  

The motherboard features two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots ready for the fastest graphics cards on the market. While multi-GPU setups are a thing of the past when it comes to gaming, creators and AI enthusiasts can often take advantage of more than one graphics card for their workflows. Accordingly, the Apex’s two PCIe x16 slots can be run in an x8/x8 configuration. 

The latest PCIe 5.0 SSDs offer dazzling transfer speeds, and the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex is equipped to let you take full advantage of them. Featuring not one but three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, this board empowers you to build a blazing-fast storage array. Our M.2 Q-Latch system allows you to install drives without fiddling with a tiny screw, and the beefy M.2 Heatsink for the primary slot offers tool-free installation, as well. 

Need even more storage options? In addition to the three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, this motherboard offers two PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots on the bundled ROG DIMM.2 Card and four SATA 6Gbps ports. 

Versatile, high-speed connectivity  

WiFi 7 has arrived, and this is a bandwagon that you won’t want to miss. WiFi 7 boasts a massive speed increase over WiFi 6 along with congestion-busting tech tailor-made for today’s connected homes. The ROG Crosshair X870E Apex gives you a 2x2 WiFi 7 module, and it supports 320MHz channels to let you get the most out of the 6GHz band. The ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna makes sure you get a great connection, and we give you comprehensive support on the software side, too. AI Networking II, integrated into the Armoury Crate App, uses AI-enhanced identification and boost technology to ensure faster and smarter network optimization. The new Traffic Monitor feature tracks your current WiFi channel usage and makes it easy to switch to a less-congested channel. 

The next-gen bandwidth of PCIe 5.0 connectivity allows us to deck this motherboard out with a premium selection of USB ports. Its selection is headlined by two 40Gbps USB4 ports on the rear panel. These versatile ports are your go-to choices for connecting high-speed external storage devices, high-resolution displays, and more. Eight more USB ports in a variety of speeds make it easy to connect the rest of your battlestation. 

Convenient front-panel connections make for an easy everyday experience with your PC. With the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex, you’ll find a header ready to hook up a front-panel USB 20Gbps port with Quick Charge 4+ support. Ready for up to 60W fast charging, it’ll make it easy to keep your smartphone and other devices topped off while you’re using your PC.  

More information to come  

As we get closer to the launch of the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex and the ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme, we’ll have more information to share about their cutting-edge feature sets and support for extreme overclocking. But one thing is sure: these boards will stand out from the competition as premium picks for your AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPU. Currently, we plan to release these boards by the end of the first quarter of 2025. Stay in touch with us here and on social media for further updates. 

For more information on the pricing and availability of the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex in your region, please contact your local ROG representative.