Asus ROG Crosshair 2006 motherboard review: 20 years of ROG

Dark Hero goes retro: Crosshair 2006 combines throwback styling with modern underpinnings

Reviews
By published
Asus ROG Crosshair 2006
(Image credit: © Future)

Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.

Firmware

Asus updated the BIOS layout and color earlier in the year, and for the Crosshair 2006, adopted the familiar ROG black-on-white with red accents theme. EZ Mode is mostly informative, with system information and temperatures on the left, and quick settings for EZ Flash, Aura RGB, the Driver Hub for easy driver installation, and more in the middle. Fan control and access to full Q-Fan functionality are below. The right block displays DRAM and storage status, and Boot Priority is self-explanatory.

Advanced mode still has the headers across the top, but the shortcuts to Q-Fan and AI OC have been moved to quick settings and other locations. The right panel holds system information, including CPU frequency and temperature, in a colorful display. The main body has all the editable functionality.

Overall, I like the aesthetic update for the BIOS. It’s easy to read and, as usual with Asus BIOS, frequently used items are easy to find and not buried too deeply in their menus. Anything that’s a pain to access can be added to the customizable favorites screen.

Latest Videos From
Image 1 of 37
Asus ROG Crosshair 2006 - BIOS
(Image credit: Future)

Software

Armoury Crate here also follows the ROG-inspired theme. Several applications exist for various functions, ranging from RGB lighting control and audio to system monitoring and overclocking. It's also worth mentioning the included software. When purchasing this Asus motherboard, you get a one-year AIDA64 license – a helpful application for stress and performance testing; Asus’ Driver Hub (get your updated drivers here); Dolby Atmos (for audio); and a custom version of Hwinfo for real-time monitoring — all are helpful applications. We’ve captured a few screenshots of the applications below.

Image 1 of 6
Asus ROG Crosshair 2006 - Armoury Crate
(Image credit: Future)

Test System / Comparison Products

We’ve updated our test system to Windows 11 (23H2) 64-bit OS with all updates applied as of late September 2024 (this includes the Branch Prediction Optimizations for AMD). Hardware-wise, we’ve updated the RAM kits (matching our Intel test system), cooling, storage, and video card. Unless otherwise noted, we use the latest publicly available non-beta motherboard BIOS. The hardware we used is as follows:

TEST SYSTEM COMPONENTS

Asus ROG Crosshair 2006 - On the testbed

(Image credit: Future)
Swipe to scroll horizontally

Sound

Integrated HD audio

Network

Integrated Networking (GbE to 10 GbE)

Graphics Driver

GeForce 561.09

Benchmark Settings

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Synthetic Benchmarks and Settings

Procyon

Version 2.8.1352 64

Office 365, Video Editing (Premiere Pro 24.6.1), Photo Editing (Photoshop 25.1.2, Lightroom Classic 13.5.1)

3DMark

Version 2.29.8294.0 64

Speed Way and Steel Nomad (Default)

Cinebench R24

Version 2024.1.0
Open GL Rendering Benchmark - Single and Multi-threaded

Blender

Version 4.2.0
Full benchmark (all 3 tests)

Application Tests and Settings

LAME MP3

Version SSE2_2019

Mixed 271MB WAV to mp3: Command: -b 160 --nores (160Kb/s)

HandBrake CLI

Version: 1.8.2

Sintel Open Movie Project: 4.19GB 4K mkv to x264 (light AVX) and x265 (heavy AVX)

Corona 1.4

Version 1.4

Custom benchmark

7-Zip

Version 24.08

Integrated benchmark (Command Line)

Game Tests and Settings

Cyberpunk 2077

Ultra RT: - 1920 x 1080, DLSS - Balanced.

F1 2024

Ultra High Preset - 1920 x 1080, 16xAF/TAA, Great Britain (Clear/Dry), FPS Counter ON

MORE: Best Motherboards

MORE: How To Choose A Motherboard

MORE: Best Motherboard Deals

MORE: Best Motherboard Combo Deals

MORE: All Motherboard Content

TOPICS
Joe Shields
Joe Shields
Staff Writer, Components

Joe Shields is a staff writer at Tom’s Hardware. He reviews motherboards and PC components.

8 Comments Comment from the forums
  • -Fran-
    Thanks for the detailed review. Quite good.

    This though: "Asus’ ROG Crosshair 2006 ($799.99) is an awesome, premium mid-range motherboard".

    What? Mid range at $800? WHAT?

    As an owner of the Strix 870E-E, which is already $400+, I DO NOT consider my board "mid-range", at all. Since when did we move the bar so drastically? Heck, I'd even argue my Strix -E and the ProArt are better boards than this one from a usage standpoint, since this one is more XOC oriented.

    I've also owned most Crosshairs since PhenomII days (3, 4, and 7... I thought about getting the 8, but decided to go AM5), just skipping Bulldozer era and now moving to "just" the Strix line instead, so I've lived through their "evolution" to the current "XOC or bust" approach.

    Nice throwback of a motherboard, but it's not much over the Strix -E I have; in fact a lesser board for me.

    Regards.
    Reply
  • wakuwaku
    -Fran- said:
    What? Mid range at $800? WHAT?
    Can you blame the author? He wants MOAR USB A ports. Less means less premium

    Cons
    Only six USB Type-A ports on the rear IO
    Seriously though, USB A should only have 4 at most. For all the permanently connected stuff behind there such as keyboard and mouse and wireless headsets, either wired or wireless. The rest that you regularly or occasionally plug in and out? Type C all the way please. Finally we don't need to wrestle our way on which orientation is the USB cable facing, it goes in either way! I do not see any reason why everything should not be USB C. You can buy anything to type C nowadays, Yes even USB 2.0 type B printer ports. I use them for my UPS to my mini PC which has more type C than type A. Wireless USB A dongle? Just get a C to A extension. Plenty of newer boards are starting to omit USB 2.0 is is recommended for these wireless dongles anyway due to interference. A USB 2.0 extension solves this.

    Serious I am probably older than this writer and I don't think like an old man pining for old ports. There is basically ZERO advantage.
    Reply
  • Notton
    My suggestion for USB ports is... use an external USB hub or KVM. Even better if it runs off of its own power.
    USB hubs make it possible to live with a mini-PC that only has 2 USB ports on the back.
    But also don't buy a monitor with built-in USB hub, those suck from a usage perspective.

    As for the mobo itself, $700 is well into the premium range.
    I'm glad it has 3 years of warranty, but at $700, it should have 5 years minimum.

    Anecdotal, but all my Asus mobos gradually lost some sort of functionality outside of the warranty period they had.
    P5W-DH Deluxe: Some rear USB ports
    P8Z77-I Deluxe: Some rear USB ports
    X470-F Strix: A1 & A2 RAM slots

    So now I'm an MSI guy, at least for mobos.
    Reply
  • cp0x
    "eceived"

    *received
    Reply
  • -Fran-
    wakuwaku said:
    Can you blame the author? He wants MOAR USB A ports. Less means less premium


    Seriously though, USB A should only have 4 at most. For all the permanently connected stuff behind there such as keyboard and mouse and wireless headsets, either wired or wireless. The rest that you regularly or occasionally plug in and out? Type C all the way please. Finally we don't need to wrestle our way on which orientation is the USB cable facing, it goes in either way! I do not see any reason why everything should not be USB C. You can buy anything to type C nowadays, Yes even USB 2.0 type B printer ports. I use them for my UPS to my mini PC which has more type C than type A. Wireless USB A dongle? Just get a C to A extension. Plenty of newer boards are starting to omit USB 2.0 is is recommended for these wireless dongles anyway due to interference. A USB 2.0 extension solves this.

    Serious I am probably older than this writer and I don't think like an old man pining for old ports. There is basically ZERO advantage.
    I bought the Strix -E because of having 10Gbps USB-A ports only (and 10 of them) and 40Gbps USB-C ports with a good PCIe split topology. That is absolutely worth the premium for me over the -F and TUF/Prime series, but you'd have to be tech-illiterate (not you) to think a board with these details is "mainstream", "budget" or "entry level". That is just mental to me.

    I'm actually baffled by the conclusion xD

    Regards.
    Reply
  • Ogotai
    id iike to point this out, as i mentioned in this thread here, not enough PCIe lanes or slots to go around, for all the features they are adding....

    specs from here :

    ** When PCIEX16_1 runs at PCIe 5.0 x16, PCIEX16_2 will run at PCIe 3.0 x4. The bandwidth can be altered in the BIOS.
    this board only has 2 pci x16 slots... thats all...

    ** The USB4 40Gbps ports and the M.2 Socket 3 slot (M.2_2) share the available bandwidth. When a device is installed in the M.2_2 slot, both the USB4 controller and the M.2_2 slot operate at up to x2 mode. By configuring the M.2_2 slot in the BIOS, the M.2_2 slot can operate at up to x4 mode. However, enabling this setting will disable the USB4 40Gbps ports.

    the more you use on the board, the less is usable, or have bandwidth cut....

    id rather have more sata ports then M.2, but thats just me....
    Reply
  • A_XTX24G
    Beautiful board, I hope we one day see colourful boards again, but the price is ridonkulous.
    Reply
  • btmedic04
    I lost interest as soon as you said copper colored (not actual copper) vrm heatsinks. Typical to see asus cheaping out these days
    Reply