Before we jump into my ASRock X870 Steel Legend review, I have to say that AMD’s wide range of chipsets has everyone confused. That’s because the brand-new X870 chipset is anything but new. In fact, it’s a clear B650 and X670 chipset refresh with some better support for RAM, WiFi 7, and USB4 requirements.
This gave board manufacturers an excuse to release a new series of boards that pack new features but also come at a price. ASRock definitely wants to break the trend with its X870 Steel Legend board.
It’s definitely a board worth buying, and for a good couple of reasons. It’s an ATX sized board that will fit in most popular cases in the market today. It offers a unique white 8-layer PCB that features a sleek design of the Steel Legend series. On top of that, it comes with Wi-Fi 7 and USB4 for those who need them.
The board is perfect for mid-range builds as it’s priced aggressively for an X870 chipset board, and that’s why it ended up as my first pick for my build.
You’re thinking of getting one? Buy one using my Amazon link and support the site. (This is an Amazon affiliate link)
Quick Specs Table
| Chipset Name | X870 |
| Supported CPUs | AMD Ryzen 7000, 8000 and 9000 Series |
| VRM | 14+2+1 Power Phase, 80A Dr.MOS for VCore+SOC with 20K Long-lasting Black Caps (high quality and conductive polymer capacitors) |
| Memory Support | Up to 8000+ OC |
| GPU Support | PCIe Gen 5 x16 |
| LAN & Wireless LAN | 2.5 Gigabit LAN port, Mediatek 802.11be 2×2 Wifi 7 Module |
| Audio | 7.1 CH HD Audio with Content Protection |
| Storage Support | 1x PCIe Gen5x4, 2x PCIe Gen 4×4 (when the second Gen 4 Slot is occupied, PCIE2 will be disabled) |
| USB | Rear: 2x USB4 Type-C, 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A, 3x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 4x USB 2.0 Front: USB Gen2x2 Type-C, 4x 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 4x USB 2.0. |
| Form Factor | ATX 12.0-in x 9.6-in (30.5 cm x 24.4 cm) |
| Price | $275.99 on Amazon (This is an affiliate link) |
Design and Build Quality
From the moment you open the box and you take the motherboard from the bag, you’ll notice sturdy build quality that breathes with quality. The white PCB leaves an amazing impression, immediately reminding the buyer of long-stranding Steel Legend authenticity.
A handy feature that I immediately noticed was the pre-installed IO shield.
Heatsinks are painted with a light silver color and feature a minimalist look. Still, they are massive enough to cool the VRM powered by long-life capacitors rated at 20,000 hours with 1,000uF Capacitance.
All this ensures higher charge storage, low ripple, and stable output current. All this makes stable overclocking possible with plenty of reliability and consistency.
The whole section is powered by dual 8-pin power connectors, which ensures there is enough power if you decide to overclock your CPU.
Unlike many competitors, ASRock is adamant about using an 8-layer design. This helps with reliability, efficiency, and better temperatures while the board is under load.
If you’re planning to run a PCIe Gen 5 SSD, you’ll love the massive heatsink over the Blazing M.2 slot.
Overall, the ASRock X870 Steel Legend design fulfills expectations. It delivers in every way and is a worthy successor to the B650 Steel Legend board. (Yes, the new X870 is on par in terms of VRM setup and PCIe Gen 5 support to B650.)
BIOS and Software
ASRock Steel Legend BIOS is very user-friendly and easy to use. Please read the manual or watch online tutorials on YouTube to explore different settings. The most important thing to note here is that new bios versions are released consistently.
The latest release is 3.20. Compared to the original one, which was 3.06, iterations in between include support for 105 TDP for 9000 series CPUs, 9800x3d CPU overclocking feature, AMD Agesa latest patches, and the latest one being optimized JEDEC DDR5-4800 EXPO memory compatibility.
This is great news, as it shows ASRock being serious about supporting its products.
When it comes to software, using Blazing OC Tuner will let you quickly play with your clock speeds. I have not used the software and can’t say much about it aside from the fact that it’s ASRock’s version of a user-friendly overclocking tool.
Other bundled software that you can use is Norton 360 and ASRock Polychrome RGB. I skipped installing Norton as I don’t really like having an antivirus on my system, I believe that Windows security is all you need if you know what you’re doing online.
ASRock Polychrome RGB is a great piece of software and I used it to sync my motherboard, GPU, and case RGB lights. You can read more about the GPU in my ASRock Intel Arc B580 Steel Legend review, the important fact is that it also supports ASRock’s RGB software tool, making it simple to sync everything.
Performance and Features
Here’s where this motherboard gets interesting. ASRock wanted to provide the best value for the customer, so it packs 14+2+1 VRM, which is plenty to deliver enough power for 9000, 8000, and 7000 Series CPUs.
I had no problem running the Ryzen 5 9600x in either 65W or 105W modes. However, as I use this PC as my daily driver, I didn’t want to overclock the CPU to put any additional strain on it. While the VRM is not intended for heavy overclocking, other online sources suggest it can handle a decent overclock.
PCIe 5.0 on the primary GPU slot and M.2 are great for futureproofing. Several future generations of GPUs will be compatible with this standard, which is already pushing the limits. Even RTX 5090 can’t use half the bandwidth that the slot provides.
This motherboard’s edge over the last generation is its Wi-Fi 7 and USB4 support. If you need these features, this might be the best budget X870 board.
Others are too expensive, have bad VRMs, or have quirky systems that share lanes between the primary x16 Gen 5 Slot and other Gen 5 M.2 slots.
Plus, this motherboard is generous with its high-frequency RAM sticks and easily supports up to 8,000 mhz.
I paired up the motherboard with these components:
- CPU – Ryzen 9600X (Tested running 65W because 105W mode does not provide much better performance)
- GPU – ASRock Intel Arch B580 Steel Legend
- RAM – DDR5 64 GB of Kinston Beast running at 6400 MHz CL 32
- Storage – Samsung 990 Pro M.2 SSD
- PSU – NZXT C1200 Gold 1200W
I placed all of these components in NZXT H5 Flow RGB to ensure great airflow. You can read more about the case in my NZXT H5 Flow RGB review.
ASRock X870 Steel Legend Gaming Performance
I tested several games with presets on maximum details to put as much load on the GPU and CPU as possible. The majority of these titles have been tested in 1080p. I’ll update the table with 1440p results once I finish testing the GPU’s performance.
| Game | Native 1080p Results – Highest preset without RT |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Average – 66.1 FPS / 1% Low – 51.7 FPS |
| Fortnite | Average – 226.9 FPS / 1% Low – 156.5 FPS |
| Helldivers 2 | Average – 75.2 FPS / 1% Low – 65 FPS |
| Hogwarts Legacy | Average – 96.2 FPS / 1% Low – 53.8 FPS |
| Witcher 3 | Average – 117.7 FPS / 1% Low – 75.6 FPS |
| Death Stranding | Average – 143.7 FPS / 1% Low – 114.3 FPS |
The board lets all the other components shine to the top without any hiccups. This test was done on BIOS version 3.20. Despite being a beta release, I have found it to be stable. During the extensive testing, all the motherboard thermals were withing normal ranges.
ASRock X870 Steel Legend Thermal Performance
Take a look at the motherboard temps while it was under load.
| ASRock X870 Steel Legend Parts | Average Temperatures in Degrees Celsius |
| VRMs | VDD – 38.9, SOC – 43.6, MISC – 38.7 |
| Chipset | 56.6 |
| Motherboard | 41.7 |
These are great results for thermals showing that the board can handle much more powerful 9000 Series CPUs.
ASRock X870 Steel Legend Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Stunning white design | Only 3 M.2 slots |
| USB4 and Wi-Fi 7 | No quick release |
| Affordable | No Q Code display |
| Great thermal performance | |
| Stable RAM OC Support |
Alternatives to Consider
During my motherboard research process, these are the other models that I considered buying. I opted for the ASRock X870 Steel Legend purely because it was the best value at that time. Here are my suggestions:
- Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite Ice – There is also a black version available.
- MSI MAG B850 Max Wifi 7 – This is a great budget option if you want a motherboard without USB4 but with Wi-Fi 7 and a 5G LAN port.
- ASRock B650 Steel Legend – This is an even better value option if you don’t need USB4 and the latest Wi-Fi 7 standard. You still get PCIe Gen 5 and the same VRM setup for a much lower price.
Pricing and Value
At $275, this board offers great value. It borrows the most important features from the high-end X870E chipset without breaking the bank. Additionally, it offers stability in terms of high-frequency memory support.
Overall, the ASRock X870 Steel Legend price makes this an affordable X870 motherboard that comes with the most important features that an average consumer needs and offers plenty of futureproofing.
ASRock X870 Steel Legend Review – Final Thoughts
To sum up my ASRock X870 Steel Legend review, I want to say that I definitely recommend this X870 motherboard.
It packs enough VRM for stable everyday use of all AMD Ryzen 9000 Series CPUs, even the highest-end ones like Ryzen 9 9950X. There’s also some overclocking potential for CPUs like 9600x and 9700x.
The build quality is incredible, as well as the color; if you are building a white PC build, this motherboard is the perfect pick. After a thorough investigation, I think that this is definitely one of the best motherboards for the Ryzen 9000 and 7000 series CPUs.
*Please Note that some of the links on this page are affiliate links. All potential earnings will be invested in growing the site and will allow me to bring more unbiased reviews to you.
