Redefining premium: Meet the new ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial and Dark Hero motherboards

Twenty years ago, the original ROG Crosshair motherboard set the tone for Republic of Gamers hardware. Offering enthusiast-grade components, indulgent extras, and advanced tweaking tools alongside a user-friendly BIOS and an easy building experience, this motherboard appealed to seasoned PC veterans and neophytes alike. Times have changed, but those elements still define the core identity of ROG Crosshair motherboards. Today, we’re ready to pull the wraps off two new AM5 motherboards that carry the legacy of the original Crosshair into new territory: the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial and ROG X870E Dark Hero. 

The new king of the hill: the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial  

The all-new ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial claims the crown as our new flagship motherboard. Melding supreme performance, incredible connectivity, and an unmatched visual design, this board is tailored for builders who seek ultimate functionality and a bold, pristine look. As a CES 2026 Innovation Award honoree, this showcase motherboard is already racking up the accolades. Let’s take a closer look at what it brings to the table. 

Flagship performance 

A premium piece of tech in every sense of the word, this all-new motherboard is in a league of its own. We beefed up its power solution with 24(110A)+2(110A)+2 power stages. This lessens the load carried by each individual stage, giving it even more poise under pressure and a longer potential lifespan of use. We’ve enhanced the memory compatibility and overclocking potential of this board with a series of manufacturing optimizations, including a server-grade ultra-low-etch PCB process. NitroPath DRAM Technology reworks the layout of the traditional DRAM slot to improve signal quality, increasing DRAM overclocking performance by up to 400 MT/s depending on factors like memory speed, module, and system configuration. 

Looking to test the limits of your high-end CPU? The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial sets you up for success. You’ll get our Extreme OC kit, including LN2 Mode for exotic cooling enthusiasts. The ReTry button streamlines the process of rebooting during extreme overclocking 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 you with the information you need about voltages. On the software side, you’ll get the full suite of ROG performance-tuning tools, including AI Cache Boost, AI Overclocking, Asynchronous Clock, AI Cooling II, and more. 

Optimized PCIe lane layout  

The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial’s optimized PCIe lane layout gives you a smoother experience as you install and connect more devices and components to your motherboards. Let’s say you’re building a rig first and foremost for gaming. This motherboard lets you enjoy the full bandwidth of the first PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots simultaneously, allowing you to rapidly expand your gaming library without compromising graphics card performance. 

Perhaps you’re building a gaming and streaming setup instead. You’ll appreciate how the second expansion slot runs in PCIe 3.0 x4 mode in this same scenario, offering sufficient bandwidth for a typical capture card while letting your graphics card run at full- tilt. Maybe you need to maximize AI or content creation performance with a multi-GPU setup instead? The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial’s two PCIe expansions slots are ready to run in an x8/x8 configuration. And for users seeking to go all-in on storage, the Glacial supports up to seven total M.2 slots if you make use of its ROG Q-DIMM.2 and ROG Hyper M.2 add-in cards.  

Arming your PC for great cooling 

The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial helps your rig keep its cool with a raft of technologies. Whereas previous ROG Extreme Glacial models featured an integrated full-cover waterblock, the new Glacial builds its frosty identity on air cooling and a white colorway.  

To keep your premium PCIe 5.0 SSD at comfortable operating temperatures even during sustained workloads, we equip the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial’s primary M.2 slot for exceptional M.2 cooling with a 3D VC M.2 Heatsink that enjoys a larger heat dissipation area thanks to a 3D vapor chamber.  The heatsink is connected to extended heat pipes through a temperature equalization plate to form a vacuum chamber, significantly improving cooling performance. Despite the more complex structure, the 3D VC M.2 Heatsink is just as easy to install as our other designs. Tap the release to quickly remove it, and when you’re ready to reinstall, it’ll pop into place with a strong latching mechanism, no screwdriver necessary. 

If you love the quiet, powerful cooling of an AIO CPU liquid cooler, but would prefer not to manage the wires required by one, you’ll love the new AIO Q-Connector. We’ve devised a new system for sending power and control signals from your motherboard to the AIO cooler, and it doesn’t require a single cable. When you install a compatible AIO CPU liquid cooler, it’ll make contact with the AIO Q-Connector, and that’s all the connection it needs for running the pump and any lighting effects or display on the pump housing. The first AIO CPU liquid coolers to feature the AIO Q-Connector come from the all-new ROG Strix LC IV Series. Click here to check them out. 

With the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial, you’ll have ample headers for setting up case fans, even without adding a fan hub to your shopping cart. With its included fan splitter cables, the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial can connect up to 13 case fans. Two W_PUMP+ headers await your liquid cooling setup, while an extra flow fan header increases the number of independently controllable fans in your rig. 

Even your memory kit can get some extra cooling with the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial. The included ROG Memory Q-Fan is a small fan that attaches magnetically to a preset position on the motherboard and directs a steady stream of air between your memory modules. You won’t need screws or an extra wire to get this fan up and running — just snap it into place, and you’re good to go. 

An easy PC building experience  

We’re always working to make the PC building experience easier for newcomers and veterans alike. One thing you’ll notice when you load up the UEFI is our new EZ-Mode interface. It puts intuitive monitoring information and commonly used functions front-and-center. All told, EZ Mode is now a one-stop interface for the UEFI functions used by the majority of our users. For easy first-time setup, we’ve also included Essential Mode. On this page, users will be able to view key system information and access the most commonly used overclocking functions, all without digging through menus that often require more expertise. The Advanced Mode remains for when you need more granular control over your system. 

On top of that, we’re giving you more peace of mind as you uninstall add-in cards from your PCIe expansion slots. The PCIe Q-Release mechanism on the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial includes a physical switch on the right side of the board. Toggle the switch up to release the latch for the first slot; toggle it down to release the latch for the second slot. In the center position, both slots are latched.  

Here’s another upgrade that will be appreciated by newcomers and veterans alike: we’re doubling the ROM capacity of the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial from 32MB to 64MB, compared to previous ASUS AM5 motherboards. The extra storage space not only gives us the ability to provide out-of-the-box support for the latest AMD CPUs, but it also allows us to include pre-installed WiFi drivers for a more streamlined experience as you install your operating system.  

Future BIOS updates might require us to allocate more of this space for CPU support, limiting our ability to store the WiFi driver on-board. But we’ll include the driver as long as space permits. 

High-end connectivity 

The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial makes a statement with its connectivity selection, too. No less than two 10G Ethernet ports deliver high-bandwidth wired networking connections, while WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 cater to those living the wireless life. 

It’s tempting to offer a medal to users who can make use of all this motherboard’s USB connectivity. A pair of USB4 40Gbps ports headline the selection, but there’s twelve more rear-panel USB 10Gbps ports on offer, eight Type-A and four Type-C. And that’s not even counting headers that support up to two USB 20Gbps Type-C ports and four USB 5Gbps Type-A ports on the front panel. One of those front-facing USB Type-C ports can even offer 60W Quick Charge 4+, giving you a convenient spot to top off your smartphone.  

Showcase aesthetics  

Last but very much not least, the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial takes the Crosshair series in new directions with its visual style. The silver-and-white colorway draws eyes first along with the 5-inch, full-color, customizable LCD screen atop the I/O shroud. You can easily load up an exclusive ROG animation, keep an eye on your hardware through a system information loadout, or define your own style with content of your own.  

But this EATX board carries secrets. Armored pieces bearing a minimalist aesthetic surround the edges of the board. Several are held in place via magnetic attachment points. Pop them free when you need to connect headers or power cables. When installation is done, snap them back into place to tuck the wires and headers out of sight. There’s even a large cover on the lower half of the board hiding the expansion slots and other hardware. Odds are, you’ll remove this plate to install a graphics card. Maybe you'll find a new home for it on the exterior of your chassis — we’ll leave that up to you.  

ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial
CPU Socket	AM5
Chipset	X870E
Form Factor	EATX
PCB	8 layers, 2 oz.
Power Architecture	24(110A)+2(110A)+2
Memory	4 x DIMM, max. 256GB, DDR5 9600+(OC)  NitroPath DRAM Technology
Display Output	2 x USB4 ports support USB Type-C™ display output
PCIe	2 x PCIe 5.0 x16
M.2	2 x PCIe 5.0 (onboard)  1 x PCIe 4.0 (onboard)  2 x PCIe 5.0 (via ROG Hyper M.2 add-in card)  2 x PCIe 4.0 (via ROG DIMM.2 add-in card)
Networking	2 x 10Gb Ethernet
Wireless	WiFi 7 Bluetooth 5.4
Rear I/O	2 x USB4 40Gbps Type-C™  12 x USB 10Gbps (8 x Type-A and 4 x USB Type-C™)
Front I/O	2 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C® with up to 60W PD/QC4+)*  2 x USB 5Gbps headers support 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports  3 x USB 2.0 headers
Aura	Support for up to 6 x ARGB with included ARGB splitter cables
Cooling	Support for up to 13 fans with included fan splitter cables  1 x AIO Q-Connector
Special Features	3D Vapor Chamber M.2 Heatsink  Metal backplate  ROG Memory Q-Fan  ROG Q-DIMM.2  ROG Hyper M.2  Extreme OC Kit
ASUS Q-Design	WiFi Q-Antenna  M.2 Q-Latch, Q-Release, Q-Slide  Q-Code, Q-LED

 

Stealthy black hues and dominant gaming performance: the ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero  

You’ll see some similarities between the ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero and the existing ROG Crosshair X870E Hero, but the newer AM5 motherboard ups the ante in many respects. Loaded with premium features, decked in classic gaming style, and built for unbridled performance, the ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero is your new premium pick for an ATX gaming motherboard. 

Embracing the shadows with a smoldering black aesthetic, the Dark Hero exudes style through premium metallic textures, nickel-plated surfaces, and sleek contours. The Polymo Lighting II module built into the I/O shroud sets it all off with bold, dynamic RGB illumination for the ROG logo.   

High-end gaming experiences await  

The ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero’s high-end feature set gives you masterful control over your high-end gaming hardware. To help you unleash your top-end AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPU, it boasts an upgraded power solution with 20(110A)+2(110A)+2 power stages, ProCool II power connectors, MicroFine alloy chokes, and premium 10K black metallic capacitors. To keep this beefy power solution cool, this board includes massive heatsinks integrated with the I/O cover.  

To help you push your DDR5 kit to the limits, this board features a raft of improvements to enhance its support for high-end memory kits. Click here for all the details, but the upgrades are headlined by a server-grade ultra low-etch process, PCB back drilling, NitroPath DRAM Technology, and more. 

A pair of PCIe 5.0 x16 slots are ready and waiting for your next-gen graphics card. Five total M.2 slots, two of which support PCIe 5.0 drives, allow you to establish a fast storage array. You’ll find all our latest refinements for installing M.2 drives, including the new M.2 Q-Latch, M.2 Q-Release, and M.2 Q-Slide. Your primary M.2 drive will get the premium cooling treatment with a 3D VC M.2 Heatsink. 

Make a connection 

The ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero is fully loaded with versatile connectivity. High-performance networking options, including WiFi 7 support, allow you to integrate your new PC into your next-gen network. We’re also upgrading the Dark Hero’s wired networking options over the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero, giving you 10G and 5G ports to play with.  

The ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero offers a wide-ranging USB selection, too. A pair of onboard USB4 ports give you versatile options for connecting displays, storage drives, and more, and you’ll find the header you need to hook up a front-panel USB Type-C port with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W. Three internal USB 2.0 headers give you versatility for upgrading your system with high-end AIO CPU liquid coolers and more.  

Hide the wires with the new AIO Q-Connector  

Like the ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial, the ROG Crosshair X870 Dark Hero gives you access to our all-new AIO Q-Connector. This tech is built for gamers who prefer the quiet, powerful cooling of an AIO CPU liquid cooler, but would prefer not to manage the wires required by one. When you install a compatible AIO CPU liquid cooler, it’ll make contact with the AIO Q-Connector, and it’ll receive its power and control signals without a single wire. The first AIO CPU liquid coolers to feature the AIO Q-Connector come from the all-new ROG Strix LC IV Series. Click here to check them out.  

ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero
CPU Socket	AM5
Chipset	X870E
Form Factor	ATX
PCB	8 layers, 2 oz.
Power Architecture	20(110A)+2(110A)+2
Memory	4 x DIMM, max. 256GB, DDR5 9600+(OC)  NitroPath DRAM Technology
Display Output	2 x USB4 ports support USB Type-C™ display output  1 x HDMI
PCIe	2 x PCIe 5.0 x16
M.2	2 x PCIe 5.0  3 x PCIe 4.0
Networking	1 x 10Gb Ethernet  1 x 5Gb Ethernet
Wireless	WiFi 7  Bluetooth 5.4
Rear I/O	2 x USB4 40Gbps Type-C™  9 x USB 10Gbps (6 x Type-A and 3 x USB Type-C™)
Front I/O	1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C® with up to 60W PD/QC4+)  1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C®)  2 x USB 5Gbps headers support 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports  3 x USB 2.0 headers
Aura	3 x Addressable Gen2 headers
Cooling	1 x 4-pin CPU Fan header  1 x 4-pin CPU OPT Fan header  1 x 4-pin AIO Pump header  4 x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers  1 x W_PUMP+ header  1 x AIO Q-Connector
Special features	3D Vapor Chamber M.2 Heatsink  Metal backplate  Extreme OC Kit
ASUS Q-Design	WiFi Q-Antenna  M.2 Q-Latch, Q-Release, Q-Slide  Q-Code, Q-LED

Take a look at all the latest ASUS AM5 motherboards   

The ROG Crosshair X870E Glacial and ROG Crosshair X870E Dark Hero stand tall as the flagship offerings in our refreshed AM5 motherboard lineup, but we’re debuting new options from our other product families, too.

We have new gaming motherboards from ROG Strix, designed to give you the easiest out-of-the-box PC building experience we’ve ever offered. New options from TUF Gaming drill down on incredible value — and they’re draped in luscious white hues, too. We’re also adding a new entry to the ProArt series, giving you an AMD B-Series motherboard with multi-GPU support.  

There’s a lot to cover with the new ASUS AM5 motherboard lineup: enhanced memory support, a new cable-free technology for hooking up an AIO CPU liquid cooler, big changes to the UEFI BIOS, bold new visual designs, innovative new ways to streamline your building process, and much more. Click here to learn more about the entire series.