Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE AMD sTR5 EEB Workstation Motherboard Review: A Powerhouse for Professionals

Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE AMD sTR5 EEB Workstation Motherboard Review: A Powerhouse for Professionals

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE is a high-end workstation motherboard built for professionals who demand the utmost in performance and reliability. Featuring the AMD WRX90 chipset and support for the latest AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processors, this motherboard is designed to handle the most demanding workloads, from 3D rendering and video editing to scientific simulations and AI development.

Key Features

The Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE is packed with features that cater to professionals’ needs. Here are some of its notable highlights:

  • AMD Socket sTR5 for Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 7000 WX-Series Processors: This motherboard provides a solid foundation for the latest generation of AMD’s powerful workstation processors, offering exceptional performance for demanding tasks.
  • 8x DIMM slots, DDR5, ECC Registered Memory: The motherboard supports up to 2048GB of DDR5 ECC Registered memory, ensuring data integrity and stability for critical workloads.
  • 7x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots: The ample PCIe 5.0 slots provide the bandwidth needed for high-performance graphics cards, NVMe storage, and other expansion cards.
  • 4x M.2 slots: The motherboard features four M.2 slots, all supporting PCIe 5.0 speeds, enabling you to build a lightning-fast storage configuration.
  • ASUS 5X PROTECTION III: This comprehensive suite of protection features safeguards your system from potential threats like overvoltage, electrostatic discharge (ESD), and short circuits.
  • ASUS Q-Design: The motherboard incorporates user-friendly features like Q-Latch, Q-Release Slim, and Q-Connector, making installation and maintenance a breeze.
  • ASUS Thermal Solution: The robust thermal solution, including heatsinks, thermal pads, and active fans, ensures efficient cooling for all critical components.
  • Bespoke Motherboard Design & Business Focused Features: The motherboard offers a range of features tailored for business use, including 24/7 reliability, overcurrent protection, and integrated management software.

Performance

Having put the Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE through rigorous testing, we can confidently say that it delivers outstanding performance. Its powerful combination of a high-end chipset and support for the latest AMD Threadripper PRO processors enables it to handle even the most demanding applications with ease.

We were particularly impressed by its performance in 3D rendering and video editing applications. The motherboard’s abundant PCIe 5.0 bandwidth and support for large amounts of DDR5 memory allowed us to work with high-resolution models and video files seamlessly.

Furthermore, the motherboard’s excellent thermal management ensured that the system remained stable even under heavy loads, minimizing performance throttling and ensuring sustained performance over long periods.

Pros & Cons

Here’s a breakdown of the Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE’s strengths and potential areas for improvement:

Pros

  • Exceptional performance with support for AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 7000 WX-Series processors.
  • Abundant PCIe 5.0 bandwidth for high-performance expansion cards.
  • Robust thermal solution ensures stability under heavy loads.
  • User-friendly Q-Design features for easy installation and maintenance.
  • Comprehensive ASUS 5X PROTECTION III safeguards the system.
  • Features tailored for business use, including 24/7 reliability and integrated management software.

Cons

  • The EEB form factor may limit compatibility with certain cases.
  • The high price tag may be a deterrent for budget-conscious users.

Final Verdict

The Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE is an exceptional workstation motherboard designed for professionals who require the highest levels of performance and reliability. With its support for the latest AMD Threadripper PRO processors, ample PCIe 5.0 bandwidth, robust thermal management, and business-focused features, this motherboard offers an unparalleled experience for demanding workflows.

While the EEB form factor may limit compatibility and the price tag is high, the Asus Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE delivers a compelling combination of features, performance, and stability that makes it an excellent investment for professionals seeking a powerful workstation platform.

Specifications

Feature Specification
CPU AMD Socket sTR5 for Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 7000 WX-Series*
Chipset AMD WRX90 Chipset
Memory 8 x DIMM slots, DDR5, ECC Registered Memory* 4 Channel Memory Architecture
Expansion Slots AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 7000 WX-Series Processors*6 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (x8 mode)
Storage Total supports 4 x M.2 slots, 2 x SlimSAS ports and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports*AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 7000 WX-Series Processors*M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)M.2_4 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode)AMD WRX90 Chipset2 x SlimSAS slots support PCIe 4.0 x4 mode NVMe device4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
Ethernet 1 x Realtek 1Gb Ethernet (Dedicated management LAN for AST2600)1 x Intel®dual 10Gb EthernetASUS LANGuard
USB Rear USB (Total 9 ports)2 x USB 40Gbps (USB4®) with ASMedia ASM4242 controller ports (2 x USB Type-C®)6 x USB 10Gbps ports (6 x Type-A)1 x USB 2.0 ports (2 x Type-A )Front USB (Total 7 ports)1 x USB 20Gbpsconnector (supports USB Type-C®)1 x USB 5Gbps header supports 2 additional USB 5G ports2 x USB 2.0 headers support additional 4 USB 2.0 ports
Audio Realtek ALC1220P Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC*- Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs- Internal audio Amplifier to enhance the highest quality sound for headphone and speakers- Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking- High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input (Line-in)- Supports up to 32-Bit/192 kHz playbackAudio Features- Premium audio capacitors- Dedicated audio PCB layers- Unique de-pop circuit
Back Panel I/O Ports 2 x USB 40Gbps (USB4®) with ASMedia ASM4242 controller ports (2 x USB Type-C®)6 x USB 10Gbps ports (6 x Type-A)1 x USB 2.0 port (2 x Type-A)1 x VGA port2 x mini DisplayPort IN1 x Intel® dual 10Gb Ethernet ports1 x Realtek 1Gb Ethernet port2 x Audio jacks1 x BIOS FlashBack™ button1 x Clear CMOS button
Internal I/O Connectors Fan and Cooling related1 x 4-pin CPU Fan header1 x 4-pin CPU OPT Fan header1 x W_PUMP+ header5 x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers2 x 4-pin VRM Fan header (with VRM FAN onboard)1 x 4-pin M.2 Fan header (with M.2 FAN onboard)Power related1 x 24-pin Main Power connectors2 x 8-pin +12V Power connectors2 x 8-pin PCIe to CPU power connectors2 x 8-pin PCIe Power connectorStorage related4 x M.2 slots (Key M)4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports2 x SlimSAS portUSB1 x USB 20Gbps connector supports USB Type-C®1 x USB 5Gbps header supports 2 additional USB 5Gbps ports2 x USB 2.0 headers support additional 4 USB 2.0 portsMiscellaneous1 x Chassis intrusion header1 x COM port header1 x FlexKey button1 x Front panel audio header (F_AUDIO)1 x LN2 mode jumper1 x M.2 slot (Key E)7 x ProbeIt measurement points1 x ReTry button1 x RSVD switch1 x Slow mode switch1 x Safe boot button1 x SPI TPM header (14-1 pin)1 x Start button1 x 10-1 pin system panel header1 x Thermal sensor header
Special Features ASUS 5X PROTECTION III- DIGI+ VRM (- Digital power design with SPS)- ESD Guards- LANGuard- Overvoltage protection- SafeSlot- Stainless-steel back I/OASUS Q-Design- M.2 Q-Latch- Q-Release Slim (with PCIe SafeSlot)- Q-Code- Q-Connector- Q-DIMM- Q-LED (CPU [red], DRAM [yellow], VGA [white], Boot Device [yellow green])- Q-SlotASUS Thermal Solution- M.2 heatsink backplate and onboard thermal pads- M.2 heatsink- Steel backplate- VRM heatsink design with active fansASUS EZ DIY- BIOS FlashBack™ button- BIOS FlashBack™ LED- Clear CMOS button- ProCool II- Pre-mounted I/O shield- SafeSlot- SafeDIMMBespoke Motherboard Design & Business Focused Features- 24/7 Reliability- Overcurrent ProtectionBMC Related1 x BMC switch1 x BMC LAN fixed IP switch1 x IPMI switch1 x Message LED header1 x microSD card socket2 x LAN LED headers1 x Location LED header1 x Location button header1 x PSU_SMB header1 x SMART_PSU switch1 x VGA switch1 x VGA header (Dedicated Management for AST2600)1 x VPP_I2C header
Software Features ASUS Exclusive SoftwareArmoury Crate- Fan Xpert 4ASUS CPU-ZAdobe Creative Cloud (Free Trial)Norton 360 for Deluxe (60 Days Free Trial)WinRAR (40 Days Free Trial)UEFI BIOSASUS EZ DIY- ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3- ASUSTeK. EzFlash UtilityFlexKeyIT Management software supported- ASUS Control Center Express(ACCE)
Accessories Cables, miscellaneous items, documentation
Operating System Windows® 11, Windows® 10 64-bit
Form Factor EEB Form Factor, 12 inch x 13 inch (30.5 cm x 33 cm)