X870 Live Mixer Wi-Fi Unboxing & Overview
Let’s start with the basics: the unboxing. ASRock has included multiple layers of cardboard to ensure the board arrives safely. As expected, it sits inside an antistatic bag to avoid potential damage. Below the board, you will find the following accessories:
- A quick installation guide and regulatory notices
- 2x Wi-Fi antennas
- ASRock sticker
- 2x SATA 3 cables
- 2x Velcro straps with ASRock branding
- 1x thermistor
Now it’s time to take a closer look at the board itself. The color scheme is tamer compared to previous generations of Live Mixer cards, which might disappoint some people who liked the artsy look. Nonetheless, it’s a classic scheme that can be a great base for your system, with hues of gray and a subtle dark blue tint. Please wait until you see what parts we paired it with!
The top half of the board is dominated by the VRM heatsinks, located both above and to the left of the CPU socket. On the right, you’ll find the four DDR5 RAM slots, supporting up to 256 GB and speeds of up to 8000 MT/s, although we recommend sticking to around 6000 MT/s for stability.
In the top-left corner are the two EPS connectors that power energy-hungry AMD CPUs. On the right side, there are three PWM headers (one labeled for AIO use), four diagnostic LEDs to help troubleshoot issues, and two 5V ARGB connectors.
Moving down along the right side of the board, we see the 24-pin ATX connector, a 15-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 header, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 header for 20 Gbps front-panel Type-C connectivity. A bit lower, there’s another 15-pin USB 3.2 Gen 1 header mounted sideways and two SATA 3 ports for traditional storage. But let’s not forget: some lanes are shared. If the M2_2 slot is occupied, the rear USB4 Type-C ports and M2_2 will downgrade to x2 mode.
Just below the CPU socket is the main M.2 slot, ASRock calls it the “Blazing M.2.” It supports type-2280 PCIe Gen 5×4 (128 Gb/s) drives and is the ideal location for your OS. This slot has thermal pads both above and below for optimal cooling, something you’ll definitely need for PCIe 5.0 drives.
And yes, there are three more M.2 slots. The one right below is the same type and speed, but is the M2_2 we mentioned earlier. The other two use PCIe Gen 4×4 (64 Gb/s) connections, with the bottom-right slot also supporting shorter M.2 drives. Lane sharing applies here as well: the two PCIe 3.0 ×16 slots will drop to x2 if their respective M.2 slot is populated. While not ideal, this at least gives you flexibility in setup.
On the plus side, ASRock has concealed the drives and chipset under heatsinks with integrated thermal pads, and all M.2 slots feature a robust, toolless retention mechanism.
Sandwiched between the M.2 slots is the main PCIe 5.0 ×16 slot (PCIE1) for your graphics card. The connector is reinforced to reduce the risk of accidental damage, though the EZ Connect latch is missing here.
To the left of the M.2 slots is the Wi-Fi card, which is replaceable, though unnecessary right now, since it’s already Wi-Fi 7 with Bluetooth 5.4. Just above it is another PWM connector, conveniently placed for a rear exhaust fan.
The lower section of the board follows a typical layout: two PCIe 3.0 ×4 slots (full x16 length), an uncovered CMOS battery, the front I/O button and LED headers, two USB 2.0 headers, two more PWM connectors, a 12V and a 5V ARGB connector, the thermistor connector, and the HD Audio header for the front panel. It’s easy to miss, but there’s also a clear CMOS jumper here.
There’s not much to see on the back of the board, just the screws holding the VRM and chipset heatsinks, and the pre-installed rear I/O shield.
Speaking of VRMs, the ASRock X870 LiveMixer uses a 16+2+1 phase design with modern power delivery features such as Dr. MOS, high-density connectors, and robust capacitors, all aimed at delivering stable, reliable power for demanding workloads. We only disassembled the boards after testing to avoid disturbing the factory setup. While it shouldn’t make a difference, we prefer to be cautious.
Now, let’s talk rear I/O, get ready for a lot of “USB.” First, there are two USB4 ports for ultra-fast 40 Gbit connections. Then, there are seven USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports and one additional Type-C port. Two of the Type-A ports (orange) use separate controllers and are intended for your mouse and keyboard. The two dark blue Type-A ports can deliver up to 15 W via PD 3.0 charging. And if that’s still not enough, there are six more USB 2.0 ports.
Other rear I/O includes two antenna connectors, one HDMI port, a BIOS flashback button, a 5 Gbit Ethernet port, an SPDIF optical output, a line-out jack, and a microphone jack. As mentioned earlier, the board comes with Wi-Fi 7 support.
