ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero BTF @ TechPowerUp
TechPowerUp presents the ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero BTF as the current flagship statement piece for rear connector AM5 builds. By bringing one of its top Crosshair boards into the BTF family, ASUS is clearly signaling that rear connector layouts are not just a niche experiment but a direction it intends to push hard, especially when paired with BTF 2.0 and GC HPWR for power cable free graphics cards. In terms of positioning, this board and its Z890 BTF counterpart sit at the very top of the rear connector ecosystem with almost no true high end competition. There are cheaper reverse connector alternatives such as MSI’s MAG X870E Tomahawk Max WiFi PZ, Gigabyte’s X870 Aorus Stealth Ice, and even ASUS’ own TUF Gaming B850 BTF WiFi W, all of which cost roughly half as much while still offering features like WiFi 7, 5 Gb Ethernet, dual PCIe Gen 5 SSD support and tool free M.2 heatsinks. However, the Hero BTF adds the GC HPWR connector, the BTF 2.0 and 2.5 ecosystem and Crosshair level fit and finish, and its aesthetics and feel are described as every bit worthy of its price if you specifically want a showcase BTF system.
ASUS shows off the most high-end BTF reverse connector motherboard on Socket AM5 yet, featuring its unique cable-free GC-HPWR GPU power connector too. But do these and its other features justify its sizable price tag this late into the motherboard life cycle?
That price is the main barrier. TechPowerUp expects very little change from 700 US dollars for the BTF model, while the standard Crosshair X870E Hero is now around 600, making this version an expensive indulgence and pushing it out of reach for many builders, especially given the limited number of compatible BTF cases. Compared to the original Hero, SSD temperatures appear improved, likely due to heatsink tweaks, and overall performance remains excellent. At the same time, some features you might reasonably expect at this level are missing: no 10 Gb Ethernet, no Slim SAS, and the enhanced front panel Type C power delivery seen on the regular Hero is gone, while rivals from MSI and Gigabyte can offer dual PCIe Gen 5 SSDs without sacrificing GPU lanes by trading off USB4 instead. The conclusion is that the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero BTF is the only ultra high end rear connector option for AMD owners who want the cleanest possible BTF system and are willing to pay a premium and accept limited case choices. For everyone else, far cheaper reverse connector boards with many of the same core features will make more practical sense.
Related Web URL: https://www.techpowerup.com/review/asus-rog-crossh...
