ASRock has released revision 2.0 of its WRX80 Creator motherboard for AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper Pro processor costing more than $350 which is less than revision 1.0 of the same mainboard that was released this August. The only difference is that the new model uses Marvell’s Aquantia 10GbE controller instead of an Intel 10GbE controller. 

ASRock’s WRX80 Creator motherboards are identical. Both use a 14-layer printed circuit board. Both boards have voltage regulating modules (VRMs) featuring Infineon’s premium DrMOS power stages that promise extended longevity and are designed for reliability and durability.  

Both the motherboards are now available at Newegg. The new ASRock WRX80 Creator revision 2.0 costs $899 whereas, the ASRock WRX80 Creator revision 1.0 costs $1256. The mention of the revision 2.0 on Newegg’s website has been made by @momo_us, as ASRock has not made any official declaration of the product’s new version yet.  

Both the motherboards support AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper Pro CPUs for high-end workstations and thus, support up to 2TB of DDR4-3200 memory using eight channels and have 128 PCIe 4.0 lanes, spread across its seven PCIe 4.0 x16 (electrical), M.2-2280 as well as U.2 Gen4 x4 slots. 

They also feature all the premium input/output capabilities that include two 10GbE ports namely Intel-powered on revision 1.0 and Marvell Aquantia-powered on revision 2.0, Wi-Fi-6E, Thunderbolt 4, eight SATA connectors, 7.1-channel audio with a headset amplifier, a built-in KVM, and Aspeed’s AST 2500 BMC for remote management. 

There are no such differences between the two ASRock’s WRX80 Creator motherboards, unlike the 10GbE controllers. But an Intel network controller is asked for by many enterprise clients since their IT departments know how to manage them. Moreover, Intel’s controller supports the Energy Efficient Ethernet 802.3az feature which is important for business customers. 

It can be said that ASRock’s WRX80 revision 2.0 with a Marvell 10GbE controller provides the same performance for $350 less. This is surely a significant factor for boutique workstation makers and DIYers. Now the question is whether Intel’s 10GbE controller is worth that much more.