At first we would like to thank BIOSTAR for offering their Racing X470GT8 AM4 Motherboard for testing and reviewing.

 

 

 

About BIOSTAR:

 

“In 1980, the IT industry was growing at a phenomenal rate. With wide experience in buying and selling electronic parts as well as researching on future demands for mainboards and add-on cards , the founder of BIOSTAR GROUP, established BIOSTAR MICROTECH INTERNATIONAL CORP in 1986.

 

In the early years, BIOSTAR concentrated on the manufacture of mainboards built for XT form factor. To maintain steady business growth, BIOSTAR managed to keep a large portion of its capital and manpower invested on the design and development of new products, which at the same time has enabled it to stay competitive in the rapid evolution of the computer industry.

 

BIOSTAR has enriched its competence in the design and manufacture of products such as add-on cards, multi-media and system products to develop the market and meet the demands of customers for more integrated solutions. In order to expand its capacity to meet customer demand globally, BIOSTAR was the first to establish a manufacturing facility in China in 1990. In 1998, its sales revenues exceeded US$130 million and it ranked 227th among the top 1000 enterprises in Taiwan. Furthermore, BIOSTAR obtained an ISO 9001 certification in 1999 and became a publicly listed company in the same year. BIOSTAR’s future has limitless possibilities.”

 

Double Hi-Fi

 

Unlike the previous design thinking, once again BIOSTAR first to embed "Double Hi-Fi" AMP IC, in addition to retaining the exclusive Hi-Fi high-quality without change. "Double Hi-Fi" has brand new features with plug-and-play headphone to enjoy the same quality of sound; whether the sound source output set in the front or rear can have both high-quality Hi-Fi sound.

 

Blu-ray Audio

 

Upgrading your Audio performance in the easiest way is choosing BIOSTAR ultimate Motherboard. It does support Blu-ray audio DRM (compatible driver/software) and provide the higher audio output of 24 bit/ 192KHz than the 16 bit/ 48KHz from the normal MB. You will experience the high quality sound effect with pure Blu-Ray Audio.

 

Hi-Fi Ground

 

BIOSTAR Hi-Fi Ground ( Golden Line ) is noise-blocking multi-layer PCB design to isolates analog audio signals from digital sources. Unique PCB layout is ideal for exceptional clarity and high fidelity sound.

 

Hi-Fi AMP

 

The built-in amplifier can drive major high-end headphones with over 100dB loads and offer wide band-width, low noise, high slew rate and low distortion audio source from front panel I/O. Gaming enthusiasts can enjoy a fuller range of dynamic sound with crisper details and less distortion.

 

Smart Ear

 

Smart EAR is a windows-based audio utility which allows you to easily adjust system volume. With its user-friendly GUI, you can also increase or decrease impedance setting (Low/High Gain) to

optimize your headphone performance. You can easily enjoy high-quality and awesome sound.

 

Hi-Fi Cap

 

BIOSTAR Hi-Fi series motherboards come with high quality ‘Non-Polarized Electrolysis Electric audio capacitors’ for each audio channel circuit. The customized audio capacitors deliver low noise, low distortion, and wide bandwidth to achieve the highest sound resolution and sound expansion. The critical component will ensure the most realistic sound effects to gaming enthusiasts.

 

S/P DIF Output on board

 

Onboard Optical & Coaxial connector supports your desktop in transferring the non-distortion digital audio output to the AV amplifier and professional speaker system.

 

Video+

 

HDMI 4K2K

 

The new 4K2K resolution enables high-definition image display with four times the resolution of full HD ,4K2K display is faithfully express bright, highly detailed content that fills the entire screen with lifelike images. Connectivity with PCs via a single HDMI cable for displaying 4K2K data.

 

DVI

 

DVI is better than VGA for LCD displays since it is digital while VGA is analog. For LCD displays, the picture is digitized pixel per pixel. Through DVI, the panel gets data for each pixel, so the picture generated in the Graphics device matches the pixels on the panel itself.

 

DisplayPort

 

DisplayPort is a digital display interface developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor, though it can also be used to carry audio.

 

DX12

 

DirectX 12 introduces the next version of Direct3D, the graphics API at the heart of DirectX. Direct3D is one of the most critical pieces of a game or game engine, and we've redesigned it to be faster and more efficient than ever before. Direct3D 12 enables richer scenes, more objects, and full utilization of modern GPU hardware.

 

ATI CrossFire X™ Technology

 

ATI CrossFireX™ is the ultimate multi-GPU performance gaming platform. With game-dominating power, ATI CrossFireX technology enables two or more discrete graphics processors to work together to improve system performance. It supports up to four ATI Radeon™ HD graphics cards, making it the most scalable gaming platform ever!

 

Speed+

 

Intel GbE LAN

 

Unlike ordinary LAN solution, Intel® GbE LAN offers fewer CPU resource consumption and more bandwidth stability. Thus, Intel® LAN is the best choice for performance seekers.

 

USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C

 

USB 3.1 Gen 2 doubles the data transfer rate from 5Gbps to 10Gbps compared with USB 3.1 Gen 1. The Type-C connector is fully reversible which makes it convenient, and it also can save your charging time on portable devices up to 50% compared with Type-A connector.

 

USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A

 

USB 3.1 Gen 2 is a new standard known as SuperSpeed+, in order to highlight the improvement from USB3.1 Gen 1(SuperSpeed) transmission speed. The new standard doubles data transfer rate from 5Gbps to 10Gbps. It is also backward compatible with existing USB3.0 connectors and all the USB 2.0 devices.

 

USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A

 

Experience Fastest data transfers at 5 Gbps with USB 3.1 Gen 1--the new latest connectivity standard. Built to connect easily with next-generation components and peripherals, USB 3.1 Gen 1 transfers data 10X faster and backward compatible with previous USB 2.0 components.

 

PCI-e M.2 32Gb/s

 

PCI-e M.2 32Gb/s is the latest storage interface, it delivers the highest bandwidth and lower latency. It's 3 times faster compared with PCI-e M.2 10Gb/s.

 

PCI-E Gen 3.0

 

PCI-E 3.0 is the next evolution of the ubiquitous and general-purpose PCI Express I/O standard. At 8GT/s bit rate, the interconnect performance bandwidth is doubled over PCI-E 2.0, while preserving compatibility with software and mechanical interfaces.

 

SATAIII 6Gbps

 

SATAIII 6Gbps provides a higher bandwidth to retrieve and transfer HD media. With this super speed data transfer, SATAIII allows an incredible data boost which is 2x faster than the SATA 3G.

 

Dual DDR4

 

The primary advantages of DDR4 over DDR3, include higher module density, lower voltage requirements, coupled with higher data transfer rate.

 

Durable+

 

Super Durable Ferrite Choke

 

Super Durable Ferrite Choke brings the benefits of higher current capacity, lower energy loss and better power stability.

 

Super Durable Solid Caps

 

The best quality solid state capacitors with ultra low ESR design, the Super Durable Solid Caps doubles the lifespan.

 

Moistureproof PCB

 

The popularity of PC usage and working environment is getting deteriorating and moist(rural, coastal, etc.). The PCB will be oxidizing easily by damp or absorbed moisture, and ionic migration or CAF (Conductive Anodic Filament) will be generated. Moisture-proof PCB meets high density and high reliability requirements for moisture proof.

 

Low RdsOn P-Pak MOS

 

Low resistance design can significantly reduce the current out of energy loss. Low temperature, small size, excellent thermal conductivity.

 

12 Phase Power Design

 

8+4 phase VRM design with high quality power components such as low IR Direct FET MOSFETs for lower temperatures, Ferrite core chokes with lower hysteresis loss, and high quality Japanese-made solid capacitors all add up to ensure longer system life and lower power loss.

 

Protection+

 

VIVID LED ARMOR

 

The new VIVID LED Armor comes with I/O Armor and Audio Armor to protect the I/O interfaces and audio electronic components from static electricity. What’s better, it exclusively features the onboard RGB full-color LED lightings with BIOSTAR VIVID LED DJ application for DIY lovers to create their unique personal styles by changing PC color schemes.

 

M.2 Cooling Protection

 

M.2 heatsink features ultra-high cooling efficiency for protecting the M.2 SSD from thermal problems, extending the M.2 SSD lifespan for long-term usage and stable operation. To top it off, this cooling design makes the performance of certain M.2 (PCI-e 3.0x4) products most efficient even under high-temperature operating.

 

Dual BIOS

 

Dual BIOS technology offers a backup BIOS chip to take over the failed main BIOS and recover the system automatically without factory repair.

 

Super Anti-Surge Protection

 

BIOSTAR exclusive Anti-Surge design provides the best protection of board and extends the product life. Having the latest model of "Transient Voltage Suppressor" on- board can effectively protect the board circuit, reducing the shocks caused by ESD as well as other damages arising from overvoltage transients to enhance system durability.

 

ESD Protection

 

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) is the major factor to destroy PC by electrical overstress(EOS) condition, ESD occurred by PC users when touch any devices connect to PC, which may result in damage to motherboard or parts .ESD protection is designed to protect the motherboard and equipment from damage by EOS

 

USB Polyswitch

 

On board dedicated power fuse to help prevent USB port failure. It prevents USB Port overcurrent and safegurand your system and device lifespan.

 

OC / OV / OH Protection

 

All BIOSTAR special circuit design detects overvoltage conditions and prevents voltage surges from spreading in real time. It also actively cuts off the overvoltage supply to protect your system. Over current protection, avoid motherboard from damage when doing overclock or an unusual current import. Over heat protection, avoid motherboard & CPU from burning when exceeding the temperature limitation.

 

BullGuard Internet Security (90 days FREE trial)

 

BullGuard Internet Security comes with the broadest line-up of internet security features on the market, including: a cutting-edge dual Antivirus engine, Online Backup for your precious files, PC Tune Up to speed up your system, a Game Mode for a seamless gaming experience, Parental Control, Firewall, Safe Browsing and many more. Make the most of your digital life with Bullguard!

 

DIY+

 

Digital Power+

 

Digital Power+ uses IR’s digital PWM controller and PowIRstage™ IC, offering the excellent precision in delivering stable power and 100% fixed voltage to critical components of the motherboard with the maximum performance and reliability.

 

Vivid LED DJ

 

New VIVID LED DJ with more customizability and options to control multiple RGB LED lighting zones independently. Users can control color, speed and brightness for different modes at ease. Moreover,have more possibilities for users to create unlimited creativity with 5050 LED FUN ZONE which comes with dual RGB LED products.

 

5050 LED Fun ZONE

 

The brand-new 5050 LED FUN ZONE comes with two 5050 LED headers to bring more colorful lighting options to DIY lovers. They can fully enjoy the DIY fun of modding their PCs with uniquely personal style and LED strip or any kind of LED product to adjust the color of LED and change system color scheme by VIVID LED DJ application. Vivid LED DJ fun, Vivid LED lighting style!

 

RACING UEFI BIOS

 

Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a brand new framework that provides a revolutionary interface. It is a modern clear and easy-to-use graphical user interface. The UEFI comes with a colorful easy-understand icons leads users into the setup layer directly.

 

Header Zone

 

Users can easily assemble their own computer, a simple-swap data discs and other accessories.

 

BIO-Flasher

 

Update BIOS effortlessly from a USB flash disk before entering the OS. BIO-Flasher is a convenient BIOS update tool. Just launch this tool and put the BIOS on USB pen driver before entering the OS. You can update your BIOS with only a few clicks without preparing an additional floppy disk or other complicated flash utility.

 

BIOScreen Utility

 

Personalize your desktop with customizable boot logo. BIOScreen is the new feature that lets you personalize and create your own style with unique, custom-made boot logo.

 

Rapid Debug 3

 

Rapid Debug3 posts critical POST code information in a digital LED display. When system malfunction occurs, it auto-detects the device’s failure and translates the error codes on the digital LED. It also shows the CPU temperature on the same screen.

 

Super Rapid Debug 3

 

Super Rapid Debug 3 posts critical POST code information on a vivid digital LED display.

 

Super Durable Box Header

 

Super Durable Box Header provides solid, secure and durable connections between motherboard and peripheral cables.

 

LN2 Switch

 

With LN2 mode activated the BIOSTAR motherboard is optimization to remedy the cold boot bug during POST at an extremely low temperature and help the system boot successfully.

 

AMD X470 chipset

 

AMD X470 is the high-end chipset for overclockers and tweakers who need robust platforms. This chip provides the ultimate low-level control to its users and delivers ultimate graphics card bandwidth.

 

For the Ryzen 2 series, BIOSTAR has prepared two X470 motherboards: the X470GTN and the X470GT8. X470GT8 is Full-ATX, does support dual-channel DDR4 memory (up to 64GB), comes with a good number of storage options, packs the latest Realtek ALC1220 8-channel Blu-ray audio CODEC and more!

The product was shipped inside a medium-sized cardboard enclosure, which highlights the “Racing” series design:

 

 

 

On the bottom side of the box, BIOSTAR has included a description of the main product features, along with a view regarding the motherboard components, including the I/O interfaces:

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will get to see the motherboard itself; surprisingly, the manufacturer did not choose to wrap this one inside an additional anti-static bag:

 

 

 

The bottom layer does not only hold the documentation but also the rest of the bundle:

 

 

 

Speaking of the bundle, it is quite straight forward:

 

-four SATA cables

-the obligatory I/O shield

 

 

 

The manual does describe the installation options in detail and the manufacturer has also included a disk with utilities and necessary drivers:

 

 

 

As we have been accustomed with the previous Racing-series motherboards, the X470GT8 makes no exception in terms of good PCB component arrangement. The all-black board surface is complemented by a signature dark-grey logo, while the heatsinks do carry a carbon fiber imitation:

 

 

 

Let’s begin by taking a closer look! The top left corner does accommodate the 8-pin power connector:

 

 

 

X470GT8 does feature Super LAN Surge Protection chip that gives increased protection from large power surges such as lighting strikes:

 

 

 

Near the top PCI-E 2.0 x1 slot, we can spot a 4-pin PWM fan header, ideal for fitting the exhaust fan in the back of the case:

 

 

 

Nearby, we do have a M.2 Key M 32GB/s connector for fitting extra storage:

 

 

 

Talking about the expansion slots, on the X470GT8 we can find two reinforced PCI-E 3.0 x16 slots and no less than 3 PCI-E 2.0 x1 slots. The bottom PCI-E 2.0 slot does have an x16 format but is x4 electrical:

 

 

 

The bottom area of the PCB does come with a populated Audio_LED header, a F_AUDIO header, two system fan headers (PWM), a CMOS Reset jumper, a BIOS switch (this board packs dual-BIOS capabilities), two USB 2.0 headers but also one USB 3.1 Gen1 header:

 

 

 

Moving on to the right, we do have an additional USB 3.1 Gen1 header, but also the usual Frontal Panel header:

 

 

 

If we do remove the shielding on the left side of the PCB, we will discover the Intel i211AT Gigabit LAN controller:

 

 

 

The ALC1220 Audio CODEC from Realtek is also available here:

 

 

 

On the X470 chipset, BIOSTAR has placed a large aluminum heatsink (RGB-enabled) that packs the Racing series logo:

 

 

 

Under the second PCI-E 3.0 slot, we do have the ICS 9VRS4883BKLF Clock Generator:

 

 

 

The ITE IT8625E SuperIO chip is located nearby:

 

 

 

The right side of the PCB does hold no less than six SATA III connectors:

 

 

 

Moving upwards, we will be able to spot a 5050_RGBLED header:

 

 

 

 

Near the 24-pin ATX power connector, we will be able to find a two-digit Debug LED display, along with separate buttons for Power, Reset and Clear CMOS; these are handy when the board is placed on an open testbench and not a case, for easy testing:

 

 

 

The DIMM slots are all-black and fit well with the rest of the X470GT8 color scheme:

 

 

 

The top right corner does hold the LN2 switch:

 

 

 

Near the CPU VRM, we will find two fan headers, but also an additional RGB LED header:

 

 

 

The two pre-installed stock plastic mounts accompany the Foxconn-made AM4 socket:

 

 

 

The IO connector area is covered by an aluminum, RGB-lighted shield:

 

 

 

The custom Racing-themed VRM heatsinks do also feature RGB lighting:

 

 

 

 

The M.2 mounting area does also feature a pre-installed aluminum shielding, with a large thermal pad underneath:

 

 

 

The new Racing-series UEFI interface features an easy-to-use GUI and live monitoring details on the left; the Main menu allows the user to check out the current BIOS build details, currently installed RAM details, adjust the GUI language but also adjust the date/time:

 

 

 

The Advanced section presents itself with the following sub-menus:

 

 

AMD CBS

 

 

Trusted Computing

 

 

ACPI Settings / WakeUp Event Control

 

SATA Configuration

 

 

Promontory Common Options

 

 

Hardware Monitor

 

 

CPU Configuration

 

 

PCI Subsystem Settings

 

 

Network Stack Configuration

 

 

CSM Configuration

 

 

NVMe Configuration

 

 

Offboard PCIe SATA Controller

 

 

USB Configuration

 

 

Inside the Chipset menu, we do have the following sub-sections available:

 

 

South Bridge

 

 

North Bridge

 

 

Onboard Device

 

 

The Boot menu does allow the user to switch between boot devices, set miscellaneous boot options or manage HDD BBS priorities:

 

 

The usual Security options are available next, together with Secure Boot:

 

 

O.N.E is the area to go to for fine-tuning the system performance; here we can adjust the bus clock, the multiplier, the memory clock, adjust the DRAM timings in detail but also configure different voltages:

 

 

DRAM Timing Configuration Options

 

 

Memory Insight area does allow the user to check out the pre-programmed XMP settings:

 

 

The Save & Exit menu does allow the user to Save, Discard or Load BIOS Defaults; several CMOS save slots are also provided here:

 

 

Before actually starting the testing procedure, we made sure that the board was flashed with the latest available UEFI version; we went ahead and updated to the X37AK623 version from the BIOSTAR website:

 

 

The system did incorporate a Ryzen 7 2600X six-core CPU, a GEIL PC4 25600 3200MHz CL16 8GBx2 Samsung B-die based kit running at 2133Mhz (15-15-15-36 timings), one KFA2 GTX 1060 OC 6GB video card, a Cooler Master 850 PSU but also an OCZ Vector 150 240GB SSD for storage purposes/boot. During testing, the system was running on a fresh Windows 10 Creators Edition installation, while all hardware was mounted inside a Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower case.

 

With the help of the AIDA64 system reporting/benchmarking utility, we have extracted some more information regarding the system:

 

Motherboard

IMC

Chipset

Southbridge

 

BIOSTAR backs up the X470GT8 motherboard with some extra applications; Lighting Charger offers the user the possibility to enable fast charge with supported devices. It supports QC 2.0 (up to 12V/1.5A output), Apple Mode (5V/2.4A) and BC 1.2:

 

 

 

The BIOS Update application allows the user to update the board to the latest version, from a specified file or via online servers:

 

 

 

BIOScreen utility does allow the user to replace the intro logo upon boot-up:

 

 

 

 

The Racing GT application does offer plenty of information about the system and also allows system tuning, without the need of entering the UEFI interface; the System Information tab informs the user on the clock speeds, motherboard running mode and UEFI version, details on the installed CPU but also the installed RAM:

 

 

 

 

The Smart Ear tab does allow the user to alter the audio volume:

 

 

 

Several power profiles can be selected from the next menu:

 

 

 

Vivid LED DJ allows the user to configure the RGB lighting system for the motherboard but also separately for the two available headers:

 

 

 

 

Next we do have the A.I. Fan area, that can assist creating fan curves for each header:

 

 

 

From the H/W Monitor sub-section, we can see the live monitoring temperatures, fan speeds but also voltages:

 

 

 

The Overclocking menu tab allows us to change the CPU ratio on-the-fly, for easy and convenient overclocking:

 

 

 

The Overvoltage menu does permit the user to change different system voltages:

 

 

 

The last menu does inform the user on the current Racing Utility software version:

 

 

 

Given the improvements of Precision Boost 2 and XFR2, we have found that manual overclocking of the Ryzen 5 2600X is not as spectacular as we have seen with the first generation of Ryzen processors in terms of performance gained. As seen with the Gigabyte X370 AORUS Gaming 5, we did succeed to obtain an all-core 4.1GHz stable overclock at a very decent voltage (1.250 VBios, LLC6):

 

(click to view original size)

 

The next step was to try running 4.2GHz on all cores; we did manage to obtain full stability at 4.2GHz at 1.34V set inside the UEFI interface and got pretty decent temperatures as well:

 

(click to view original size)

 

 

AIDA64

Memory

CPU Queen

CPU PhotoWorxx

CPU Zlib

CPU AES

CPU Hash

FPU Julia

FPU Mandel

FPU SinJulia

FP32 Ray-Trace

FP64 Ray-Trace

 

 

CineBench R11.5

CineBench R15

Blender Ryzen Render

PCMark 7

PCMark 8

 

 

SuperPI XS 32M

X265 Benchmark (HWBOT)

1080P 64-bit Normal

3DMark Vantage

3DMark 11

3DMark 2013

Unigine Valley

Ultra AA Off DX11 1920X1080

Ashes of the Singularity DX12

CPU Focused

 

The GEIL PC4 25600 3200MHz CL16 8GBx2 Samsung B-die kit we have used did run just fine until 2933MHz, but we have had issues booting at 3200MHz, no matter which settings we did apply (including setting a memory controller voltage of 1.1V).

With the help of the AIDA64 utility, we have been able to check out the memory bandwidth differences at 2133MHz, 2400MHz, 2666MHz, 2933MHz:

2133MHz

2400MHz

2666MHz

2933MHz

 

The Racing X470GT8 AM4 Motherboard performs really well in RMAA, given its recent Realtek ALC1220 CODEC and good filtering/isolation implementation.

 

GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming K3 16/44

GIGABYTE Z270X-Ultra Gaming 16/44

MSI X370 Xpower Gaming Titanium 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING X370GT7 16/44

BIOSTAR RACING X370GTN 16/44

ECS Z270H4-I 16/44

ECS Z370-LIGHTSABER 16/44

Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming 16/44

SuperMicro SUPERO C7Z370-CG-IW 16/44

BIOSTAR Racing Z370GT6 16/44

BIOSTAR Racing X470GT8 16/44

 

 

 

 

GIGABYTE Z170X-Gaming K3 24/96

GIGABYTE Z270X-Ultra Gaming 24/96

MSI X370 Xpower Gaming Titanium 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING X370GT7 24/96

BIOSTAR RACING X370GTN 24/96

ECS Z270H4-I 24/96

ECS Z370-LIGHTSABER 24/96

Gigabyte Z370 AORUS Ultra Gaming 24/96

SuperMicro SUPERO C7Z370-CG-IW 24/96

BIOSTAR Racing Z370GT6 24/96

BIOSTAR Racing X470GT8 24/96

 

With the Racing X470GT8, BIOSTAR has built a solid mainstream platform for the AMD Ryzen 2000 series and packs quite a bit of features. The UEFI interface is easy to navigate and within it we can fine-tune the system performance or adapt the settings depending on the installed hardware. Thanks to the total of four memory slots, we can install up to 64GB of RAM and theoretically up to 3200MHz RAM is supported; in our tests, the GEIL PC4 25600 3200MHz CL16 8GBx2 Samsung B-die based kit did run well until 2933MHz, but considering that we were running the latest BETA BIOS, things may improve in the future.

 

While with the Gigabyte AX370 Gaming 5 we were unable to run our retail Ryzen 2600X at 4.2GHz all-core, the X470GT8 seemed to have no issues with that and we could do this by using a relatively low voltage.

 

The board is RGB-enabled and comes with two extra headers for connecting extra equipment; the audio interface is well isolated from the rest of the PCB and packs a more recent CODEC, the Realtek ALC1220. If the six SATA interfaces are not enough, we can also make use of the M.2 Key M 32GB/s Connector that is also provided with a heatsink, in order to avoid throttling.

 

Besides the I/O ports, we do have plenty of USB headers on the board, that do help connecting different controllers, but also making use of extra USB ports on the case.

 

The board can be found online for about 175 Euros.

BIOSTAR Racing X470GT8 AM4 Motherboard is Recommended for:

 

 

We would like to thank BIOSTAR for making this review possible!