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Benchmark Results
Our standard benchmarks and power tests are performed using the CPU’s stock frequencies (including any default boost/turbo) with all power-saving features enabled. We set optimized defaults in the BIOS and the memory by enabling the XMP profile. For this baseline testing, the Windows power scheme is set to Balanced (default) so the PC idles appropriately.
Synthetic Benchmarks
Synthetics provide a great way to determine how a board runs, as identical settings should produce similar performance results. Turbo boost wattage and advanced memory timings are areas where motherboard makers can still optimize for stability or performance, and these settings can impact some testing.
According to the synthetic benchmarks, our board was right around average, or slightly below average. But as you can see, that doesn’t matter too much in closely grouped results. You’d be hard-pressed to see a difference in most of these activities.
Timed Applications
In the timed applications, specifically Handbrake, the LiveMixer did well. It was slightly faster than average, while in LAME and Corona, it was on the slower side of the two results—still nothing you’d see unless you were staring at benchmarks.
3D Games and 3DMark
Starting with the launch of Zen 5, we’ve updated our game tests. We’re keeping the F1 racing game but have upgraded to F1 24. We also dropped Far Cry 6 in favor of a more popular and visually appealing game. We run both games at 1920x1080 resolution using the Ultra preset (details listed above). Cyberpunk 2077 uses DLSS, while we left F1 24 to native resolution scaling. The goal with these settings is to determine if there are differences in performance at the most commonly used (and CPU/system-bound) resolution with settings most people use or strive for (Ultra). We expect the difference between boards in these tests to be minor, with most falling within the margin of error. We’ve also added a minimum FPS value, which can affect your gameplay and immersion experience.
As expected, the LiveMixer can game with the best of them. While the 3DMark benchmarks were just below average, it performed well in games, floating near the top of the results. In short, this is a performant motherboard across a wide variety of functions.
Overclocking
Over the past few CPU generations, overclocking headroom has been shrinking on both sides of the fence while the out-of-the-box potential has increased. For overclockers, this means there’s less fun to have. For the average consumer, you’re getting the most out of the processor without manual tweaking. Today’s motherboards are more robust than ever, and they easily support power-hungry flagship-class processors, so we know the hardware can handle them. There are multiple ways to extract even more performance from these processors: enabling a canned PBO setting, manually tweaking the PBO settings, or just going for an all-core overclock. Results will vary and depend on the cooling as well. In other words, your mileage may vary. Considering all of the above, we’re not overclocking the CPU. However, we will try out our different memory kits to ensure they meet the specifications.
Again, our default Kingston DDR5-6000 kit didn’t work, so the ASRock board did not play nice, and we had to use the ADATA DDR5-6000 kit instead. Our DDR5-8000 kit didn't work at all, which was expected since it’s right at the limit of the board, and our sticks weren’t on the QVL. Also unsurprisingly, our DDR5-7200 kit did play nice. For AMD, aim for a frequency range of 6000 to 6400 MHz with the tightest timings possible. Vendors are releasing kits today with CAS ratings as low as 26, though they are as expensive as some of the high-speed kits. CL30 is a good middle ground.
Power Consumption / VRM Temperatures
We used AIDA64’s System Stability Test with Stress CPU, FPU, Cache, and Memory enabled for power testing, using the peak power consumption value from the processor. The wattage reading is from the wall via a Kill-A-Watt meter to capture the entire PC (minus the monitor). The only variable that changes is the motherboard; all other parts remain the same. Please note that we have transitioned to using only the stock power use/VRM temperature charts, as this section aims to ensure the power delivery can handle flagship-class processors.
The power consumption of the Ryzen 9 9990X is relatively low compared to the 7950X used for the X670/X670E platform. In the past, high-end boards peaked at nearly 300W, but current systems now reach a maximum of 250- 270W during CPU stress tests (gaming with the Nvidia RTX 4080 versus the RTX 3070 is a different matter).
The ASRock X870 LiveMixer Wifi peaked at 244W and idled at 77W, again around the average we expected from the hardware and performance results. The CPU averaged 151W during the test period.
The LiveMixer’s MOSFETs reached 43 degrees Celsius, according to our sensors (ASRock’s internal sensor showed 44 degrees Celsius). The power delivery and “XXL” heatsinks kept VRM temperatures under control with a 150W load from our CPU. There should be plenty of headroom for more powerful processors like the Ryzen 9 9950X, even when enabling PBO.
Bottom Line
ASRock’s X870 LiveMixer Wi-Fi is an expansion-ready motherboard designed for creators or those who need a lot of expansion, whether PCIe or USB-connected devices. At just under $230, the LiveMixer offers the most USB ports I can remember: 16 on the back and nine more via headers. There are also three full-length PCIe slots for add-in card expansion (think capture cards), with the key here being proper spacing to use them all concurrently. Its black and silver aesthetic blends in well with most build themes, and the hidden RGB strip is a nice addition for the target demographic, which tends to have flashy backgrounds and glowing PCs.
We do wish it had faster Wi-Fi 7 (though, how few this bothers is another story) and perhaps less lane sharing, but the latter is more a limit of the chipset. An X870E LiveMixer could resolve that issue and reduce the lane-sharing prevalent with the single PROM21 chip. I don’t see any of these issues as dealbreakers, but just things to be aware of when buying.
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