Asus brought several new models of BTF series boards to CES 2025. Their main feature is the power connectors moved to the rear side. In addition, the company announced the release of the flagship model ROG Maximus Z890 Hero BTF with a similar feature.
Image source: TechPowerUp
Among the BTF series boards shown at the exhibition are the TUF Gaming B850-BTF WIFI and B860-PLUS WIFI models in a new design. The first is designed for the latest generations of Ryzen processors and is equipped with a Socket AM5 processor socket, while the second is designed for Intel Arrow Lake-S chips and has an LGA 1851 processor socket.
The new products are equipped with a special blade power connector located next to the main PCIe x16 slot. This connector is capable of transmitting up to 600 W of power to the video card. On the back side of the board, where this connector is located, there is a 12+4-pin connector (in the photo below it is on the left), which connects to the power supply. Additional connectors for connecting peripherals, as well as powering the board itself, have also been moved to the rear side.
The flagship ROG Maximus Z890 Hero BTF model with connectors on the rear side is equipped with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, six M.2 PCIe slots (one of which is PCIe 5.0×4 standard), a 2.5-Gigabit Intel NIC and a 5-Gigabit Realtek NIC .
Image source: ASUS
For professional users, Asus introduced the ProArt Z890 Creator WIFI model. Also shown at the exhibition was the ROG Crosshair X870E Apex board. This is the first model in the Apex series designed for Ryzen processors. In particular, the new product is perfectly compatible with the latest Ryzen 9000X3D chips.