Launched alongside the latest X570 boards from ASUS, the ASUS Prime Utopia is a radical redesign of what we have come to know as a “motherboard.”
Packing a Glacier White color scheme, the newest ASUS prototype motherboard switches things up from other motherboards in the market.
A weird but beautiful layout
The Prime Utopia, oddly enough, places the PCIe slot at the back. ASUS says that this convention-breaking placement allows gives the board a larger space to breath to reach maximum cooling potential. This is especially helpful for high-core count processors that needs all the cooling they can get.
To further cool the processor, the ASUS Prime Utopia comes with integrated water-cooling. This water-cooling solution from ASUS comes with a proprietary (and patent pending) Hydra Cortex fan header.
The new Hydra Cortex Header allows up to four fans to be connected and controlled individually. This allows simpler cable routing for radiators. Currently, the brand is working with their partners to develop fans that are compatible with this new header.
In addition for the additional cooling for the processor, the added real-estate allows more expansion cards and M.2 cards to breath in order for the user to experience a throttle-free storage experience.
A larger OLED screen
Taking up the space where the PCIe slot used to be is a 7.0-inch full-color OLED panel with touch control. The display can be connected via cable or WiFi. This also allows the user to completely modify the BIOS settings, control fan settings, turn the system on or off, or monitor real-time statistics easily.
Modular rear I/O panel
Another design choice that deserves a kudos is the ASUS Prime Utopia’s modular rear I/O panel. Instead of being stuck on the input and output ports that most manufacturers provide, users are now encouraged to mix and match I/O ports depending on their needs.
We have to wait to see what platform the Utopia will support
At this time, the ASUS Prime Utopia remains as a prototype for ASUS’ Open Platform group. As such the motherboard doesn’t actually indicate what platform (Intel or AMD) it supports.
Despite not having an official platform, the ASUS Prime Utopia sets an example of what a brand can do if they are given the creativity to break conventional norms in design.