X570 Crosshair VIII Dark Hero

Update to this.. I called Asus to RMA and they refused, said warranty does not cover damaged products. They escalated my case twice and was told the exact thing each time.. that their warranty policy does not cover damaged components.. regardless of how the damage happened. They said I could send it in but would be charged a repair fee. Pretty annoying considering how hard it is to get these and this was damaged from packaging at Asus. Guess I have no choice other than return for refund to Newegg.

I'm not sure why you would want a manufacturer RMA (which would likely be a fix or refurb) vs a brand new sealed exchange from Newegg (which would likely also be a significantly faster turnaround).
 
I'm not sure why you would want a manufacturer RMA (which would likely be a fix or refurb) vs a brand new sealed exchange from Newegg (which would likely also be a significantly faster turnaround).
Because Newegg will not exchange, they will refund since they are basically perma out of stock.
 
getting so sick of this "out of stock," nonsense. You can get just about everything from scalpers most of the time. So I'm supposed to believe there is only enough inventory for the scalpers to keep scalping for months on end. Sure there has been a pandemic and all sorts of abnormal things but this is like a coordinated effort or something. And ^^^ you have the perfect example of why it sux to buy from scalpers (third parties). They will fight to not refund you and in the end you lose even if you get your money back because you have no board and your other parts are probably going out of their return timeframe.
Sorry for the rant.
 
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what does the max top out at for this gen 5000 cpus, what is the sweet spot for ram speed, i have 2 kits of royal gskill one is 3200 mhz cl 14 16 gb 2x8gb other is 3600 mhz cl 16 4x8gb i want at least 64gb 4x16gb but need to know the frequency i should aim for.

I can run 64GB 4x16 3600 on my 3700X and CH7 (on overclocked Hynix AFRs no less) so I'd go on a limb and say you'd be ok with that too.

Ryzen has been getting less and less RAM speed dependent per generation.

3600-3800 should be fine for you.
 
Got a notification that it's back in stock. Looks like it's available now. I already obtained an MSI X570 Unify, hopefully someone else can grab it.
 
Just updated to the non-beta 3204. Everything all good here with standard DOCP on and PBO on my 5950x as a data point. Even booted in with -5 on all cores :D. Might start tuning PBO2 some more now.
 
Hello all,

I'm thinking of a build with these three main parts.
CPU: 5900X
RAM: F4-3600C14Q-64GTZR
MB: Dark hero

Is anyone running this combo? Any feedback or thoughts?
My main concern is if I will be able to get the oem specs out of the ram.

Will also be using the EK 360 AIO rgb, O11 XL-W case and the new lian lee SL120 fans if I can get them.
Video card might be the Gigabit 3080 oc vision if I can get it for a reasonable price. Mainly chose it for the aesthetics.
PSU will probably be the EVGA 850 G3.

Also got to say; As a happy x58 user finally making the leap to current hardware (out of necessity) I am totally bummed out by how little is left on the table in terms of overclocks with current hardware. Currently running a xeon 5675 (6core 12 thread) at 4.2ghz without issue on air. This is over 30% gain on a roughly 12 year old board (asus formula III) that has been overclocked its entire life. I have a feeling this new rig will have a much shorter lifespan simply because you can't push them much beyond oem but who knows.

Running the above components except my RAM is F4-3600C14D-32GTZN. Zero issues.
 
Bought one at Micro Center yesterday. It's way overkill, but no chipset fan basically won me over as a silent computing water cooler. Those little fans may be ok for now, but I do question them longterm over multiple years.
 
Setup in sig, still unable to get 4000/2000 on ram/fclk with bios 3204. I can boot in to windows fine and everything seems stable, but WHEA errors out the a$$.. oh well, back to 3800/1900.
 
anything on this board stock updates? amd store lists it as coming soon
It has been in and out of stock at newegg many times over the past few weeks. I could have bought 4 or 5 more if I needed em. Use distill web monitor and set it up for newegg, have it check every 10-18 seconds (random interval).
 
Think you just gotta jump on it when you see it. Definitely the case when I saw them hit stock on Newegg, and when my local Micro Center got around 14 or 15 of them, they were all gone bye the next day (I got one of them).
 
Like I said I bent the power button back already. It wasn't as bad as Doox00's. ASUS has a problem with their shipping. Shitty b/c even if i did get a replacement whos to say it won't be messed up also
your photo of the bent rgb headers looks exactly like my dark hero i received yesterday (2/20) did your board still function?
 

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your photo of the bent rgb headers looks exactly like my dark hero i received yesterday (2/20) did your board still function?
It's a series of slightly bent wires, nothing more. As long as the PCB or pins aren't cracked/broken, there's absolutely nothing really wrong here beyond some very slight cosmetics which can be easily fixed. You can just simply bend the pins back if you ever plan to use them with a connector.
 
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New BIOS firmware is out today for the Dark Hero. Get it from ASUS here.

ROG CROSSHAIR VIII DARK HERO BIOS 3302
- Update AMD AM4 AGESA V2 PI 1.2.0.1
- Improved system performance
- Improved system compatibility
- Improved memory performance
 
New BIOS firmware is out today for the Dark Hero. Get it from ASUS here.

ROG CROSSHAIR VIII DARK HERO BIOS 3302
- Update AMD AM4 AGESA V2 PI 1.2.0.1
- Improved system performance
- Improved system compatibility
- Improved memory performance
Awesome thank you , been on 3301 with amazing results in curve optimizer and memory stability , can imagine this will be rock solid
 
Updated, no issues so far. Just backed up my profile and restored it when I finished flashing.
 
Updated, no issues so far. Just backed up my profile and restored it when I finished flashing.
Same. Noticed that GPU Memory BAR support is there in the upper right corner of the BIOS screen, but is defaulted off. (Will require updated firmware on Nvidia GPUs before it will work with them though - hopefully that arrives soon.)
While this BIOS update seems really solid, I'm looking forward more to the one expected sometime in April which will have futher AGESA tweaks to include the much talked about USB fix.
 
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I have had my system built for about a week now with my Asus Crosshair VIII Dark Hero board.

I ran into some weirdness when I flashed the 3302 BIOS where the system didn't post after it applied (waited an hour with a 00 on the Q Code LED display), then I powered off and back on again, didn't post and I think it was Q code 02, powered off and back on and it has been fine since. I did reset to optimized defaults before moving on to be safe since that was a recommendation in documentation.

I did discover after that when I was moving on to applying D.O.C.P. settings for my RAM that I couldn't get that to work, it failed every time. It is possible that this was responsible for the weird no post issue after the BIOS flash, though the system was working fine for a day while I was configuring windows with default settings... It turns out I was using memory slots A1 and A2 and apparently B1 and B2 are preferred for 2 DIMM dual channel operation. I was looking all over in the manual when I did the initial build, but I only found the section where they tell you how to physically install the modules, they buried the details about preferred RAM configurations a different section. To be honest, I just looked again and I can't find where I read their recommended configuration... I was aware, but I still got burned, they could improve this part of the manual... D.O.C.P. worked perfectly after moving to B1, B2 DIMM slots.

So far, I like the board. It has been solid once I got over the issues mentioned above. It looks good and the included RGB is just the right amount IMHO. No crazy edge lighting and the ROG illumination on back panel IO cover is fairly subtle and doesn't draw too much attention. The chipset LED lighting makes me laugh because unless you duck down and look under your GPU, you can't even see it anyhow...

I don't really plan to dig into overclocking for the time being. As with past builds, I generally wait until I'm content that everything is 100% stable and that I am OK with the possibility of no warranty on the CPU etc. Everything I have been reading about Ryzen 5000 in general kind of makes me feel like overclocking isn't actually all that beneficial in the traditional "all core" overclock scenarios, especially for gaming. The curve optimizer stuff is interesting, and it is my understanding that this is one of the first boards to have this feature. From my limited reading, it seems like the way forward for overclocking on this platform.

I ended up with a 5800x because of availability, but after I looked into it a bit, there really didn't seem to be much of a benefit to going with a 5950x which was my initial choice for this build. Saved 1/2 on the CPU. We'll see how I feel about that in the future. Seems like an amazing upgrade from my i7 6700k so far... very responsive, games are smoother, life is good.
 
I did discover after that when I was moving on to applying D.O.C.P. settings for my RAM that I couldn't get that to work, it failed every time. It is possible that this was responsible for the weird no post issue after the BIOS flash, though the system was working fine for a day while I was configuring windows with default settings... It turns out I was using memory slots A1 and A2 and apparently B1 and B2 are preferred for 2 DIMM dual channel operation. I was looking all over in the manual when I did the initial build, but I only found the section where they tell you how to physically install the modules, they buried the details about preferred RAM configurations a different section. To be honest, I just looked again and I can't find where I read their recommended configuration... I was aware, but I still got burned, they could improve this part of the manual... D.O.C.P. worked perfectly after moving to B1, B2 DIMM slots.
It is B2 and A2 for dual DIMM, otherwise you get single channel. Those are #2 and #4 from the CPU socket. B1 and B2 are on the same channel. RTFM :)
 
Ok... Whatever, I got the right slots. It is running dual channel at D.O.C.P. Speeds.

I have it in the slots you described.
 
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Has anyone received this motherboard from Shop BLT? I have one a queue supposedly but the date keeps getting pushed back.
 
Has anyone received this motherboard from Shop BLT? I have one a queue supposedly but the date keeps getting pushed back.
Scored mine on a day Micro Center got about 14 of them in. They were sold out by the next day and online seems to be a total crap chute.
 
New Beta BIOS firmware is out for the Dark Hero. Get it from ASUS here.

ROG CROSSHAIR VIII DARK HERO BIOS (Beta) 3401
- Update AMD AM4 AGESA V2 PI 1.2.0.1 Patch A
- Fix USB connectivity issue

Edit: I've been running this new BIOS on my board for a couple of days now. So far it's been 100% solid. The USB fix seems to be working perfectly. Previosly, I was experiencing some minor intermittent crackling/popping on my external USB 2 based DAC/AMP combo whenever I was shutting down or opening up apps that happen to also use sound. (Games, video/audio players, etc.) This new BIOS seems to completely resolve this issue. I've experienced zero crackling or popping since I've had this BIOS installed. For those of you that want a non-beta BIOS, you'll have to wait for the next AGESA v2 PI 1.2.0.2 release, which should be due out sometime in early April.
 
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How much should I worry about sticking to the QVL with this board? I am looking to grab this kit: F4-4266C17D-32GVKB but it is not listed on the QVL (and the gskill site only has it listed with Intel). Given how crazy RAM prices are right now, this is actually one of the few decently priced RAM sticks i can find with B-die.
 
How much should I worry about sticking to the QVL with this board? I am looking to grab this kit: F4-4266C17D-32GVKB but it is not listed on the QVL (and the gskill site only has it listed with Intel). Given how crazy RAM prices are right now, this is actually one of the few decently priced RAM sticks i can find with B-die.
You will end up having to figure out what voltage, timings and mhz it is stable at yourself. It will not run with at 4266 with a 1:1 with the fclock, likely not at 4266 at all, which is why you are unlikely to see it on the QVL at any point. It will of course work at some setting and should be fine once you figure it out what the voltages, speed and timings are.
 
How much should I worry about sticking to the QVL with this board? I am looking to grab this kit: F4-4266C17D-32GVKB but it is not listed on the QVL (and the gskill site only has it listed with Intel). Given how crazy RAM prices are right now, this is actually one of the few decently priced RAM sticks i can find with B-die.



I bought a similar kit that will do 4000mhz. But it'll just be luck of the draw if your IO die will do 2000mhz IF. As for QVL, I think it's kind of pointless on memory unless you just want to set xmp and forget it. I think most people on here like tweaking and tuning their system. If that's you, then don't worry about QVL. As evhvis said, 4266 isn't happening 1:1 with IF. I'd get a 4000 kit and save some money.
 
Not as concerned with it working out of box at rated speed, just didnt want a case where it is unstable trying to run tight timings at like 3600/3800 (or even 4000). As for why not get a 4000 kit, right now all the ones with Samsung B-die are over $400, while these just popped back in stock at $339. The only 4000mhz kit i see that is close in cost is worse timings.
 
Not as concerned with it working out of box at rated speed, just didnt want a case where it is unstable trying to run tight timings at like 3600/3800 (or even 4000). As for why not get a 4000 kit, right now all the ones with Samsung B-die are over $400, while these just popped back in stock at $339. The only 4000mhz kit i see that is close in cost is worse timings.
The answer there is that there are no guarantees, unless on QVL. It might be fine for 3800 at CL14 or you might be unlucky and have to go quite a bit lower both in timings and mhz. You will not know for sure before you have stability tested it in your own rig. If it is on the QVL then ASUS says they have tested it to be good for D.O.C.P on their motherboard. Loading D.O.C.P. is kinda similar to loading XMP, but it doesn't load all values from the XMP profile.

The speeds you get are a combo of motherboard and CPU. Every CPU is different (even between same model number) and afaik you need to win in the CPU silicon lottery to be able to do 4000 on zen3 with 1:1 fclock.
 
I bought a similar kit that will do 4000mhz. But it'll just be luck of the draw if your IO die will do 2000mhz IF. As for QVL, I think it's kind of pointless on memory unless you just want to set xmp and forget it. I think most people on here like tweaking and tuning their system. If that's you, then don't worry about QVL. As evhvis said, 4266 isn't happening 1:1 with IF. I'd get a 4000 kit and save some money.
I don't think that's necessarily 100% true. Even with the seemingly 100s of available memory settings in BIOS, there are still settings that you can't see or adjust. QVL means the RAM was actually tested and some of those settings may differ for different sets of RAM on the QVL. It doesn't mean RAM not on QVL will not work fine, but there are no guarantees. I have a set of 16GB x 2 G.Skill 4000 B-Die that will not run faster than 3733 at CAS 16 on my motherboard. They need 1.47v to run 3733. They will run 3600 at CAS 16 at 1.40v. They will not run at XMP 4000 1.35v under any circumstances, even with FSB at 1800 and super loose timings.
 
I don't think that's necessarily 100% true. Even with the seemingly 100s of available memory settings in BIOS, there are still settings that you can't see or adjust. QVL means the RAM was actually tested and some of those settings may differ for different sets of RAM on the QVL. It doesn't mean RAM not on QVL will not work fine, but there are no guarantees. I have a set of 16GB x 2 G.Skill 4000 B-Die that will not run faster than 3733 at CAS 16 on my motherboard. They need 1.47v to run 3733. They will run 3600 at CAS 16 at 1.40v. They will not run at XMP 4000 1.35v under any circumstances, even with FSB at 1800 and super loose timings.
I guess it's luck of the draw for the most part, but yea I was trying to say just cause a kit isn't on the QVL doesn't mean it won't work. It just might not work at advertised speeds like your scenario. I'm my case I can run better than advertised specs on my GSkill 4000 kit, but my IO die can't keep up so I get whea errors.
 
I am in the market for 64GB RAM for 5950X CPU on Dark Hero Mobo.
Aim is to get 2 x 32GB right now and later upgrade to another 64 GB, 2 x 32GB in the future. It is for my 3d workstation.

G.Skill Ripjaws V, 2x, 32GB, DDR4-3600, DIMM 288, Manufacturer no. F4-3600C18D-64GVK

Is it a good option? Any other you could recommend?
 
I am in the market for 64GB RAM for 5950X CPU on Dark Hero Mobo.
Aim is to get 2 x 32GB right now and later upgrade to another 64 GB, 2 x 32GB in the future. It is for my 3d workstation.

G.Skill Ripjaws V, 2x, 32GB, DDR4-3600, DIMM 288, Manufacturer no. F4-3600C18D-64GVK

Is it a good option? Any other you could recommend?
For a workstation where stability is often more important than outright speed, that GSkill kit will do fine.

A few 3600 C16 kits will run faster in synthetic tests though.

The Crucial Ballistix has 3600 C16 2x32gbs. Corsair also has 3600 C18 kits but Im going to guess they use the same ICs as the GSkills you mentioned.
 
I am in the market for 64GB RAM for 5950X CPU on Dark Hero Mobo.
Aim is to get 2 x 32GB right now and later upgrade to another 64 GB, 2 x 32GB in the future. It is for my 3d workstation.

G.Skill Ripjaws V, 2x, 32GB, DDR4-3600, DIMM 288, Manufacturer no. F4-3600C18D-64GVK

Is it a good option? Any other you could recommend?
That is a similar set to what I have. Mine was rated for cas 16 tho. I had zero issues with a 5950x and gigabyte x570 master. They won't do anything more then the advertise specs unfortunately.
 
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That is a similar set to what I have. Mine was rated for cas 16 tho. I had zero issues with a 5859z and gigabyte x570 master. They won't do anything more then the advertise specs unfortunately.
https://gskill.com/product/165/184/...DDR4-3600MHz-CL16-19-19-39-1.35V64GB-(4x16GB)

This is what I'm running on my standard Hero VIII x570 with a 3950x. I used the timings from the 1smus calculator and it's very stable at 1.35v. I think I paid around $250 when I got them. I did have one stick go bad, first time I ever had that happen. Replaced under RMA with no issues.
 
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