ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi II Motherboard Review

ASUS is well known for high-end motherboards, especially when it comes to their ROG series which are more focused gaming motherboards for high-end gaming systems. I recently reviewed the STRIX Z790-A Gaming, a broadly similar motherboard to the Z790-E Gaming, with the main differences being some tweaks to the I/O options and storage, heatsinks and the like, but largely they’re both still high-end Z790 motherboards with similar prices.

ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi

It’s certainly well equipped, with a powerful 18+1 VRM configuration with 90A power stages, and some significantly sized heatsinks to ensure you can push your CPU to its limits. It’s also got some beefed-up storage options, with PCIe 5.0 M.2 and PCIe 5.0 PCIe, as well as four more PCIe 4.0 M.2 mounts, all with robust heatsinks for improved performance. There’s also the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, WiFi 6E and 2.5 GbE LAN. However, it’s good to see ASUS also deploying some pretty killer audio hardware with the ALC4080 chipset and a powerful Savitech SV3H712 amplifier.

Features

• Intel^® LGA 1700 socket: Ready for 13^th Gen Intel^® Core^™ processors & 12^th Gen Intel Core^™, Pentium^® Gold and Celeron^® Processors
• Robust Power Solution: 18 + 1 power solution rated for 90A per stage with dual ProCool II power connectors, high-quality alloy chokes, and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors
• Optimized VRM Thermals: Massive heatsinks with integrated I/O cover high-conductivity thermal pads, and connected with an L-shaped heatpipe
• Next-Gen M.2 Support: PCIe^® 5.0 M.2 slot with Combo-sink and backplate, and four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots all with heatsinks
• Abundant Connectivity: USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C^® rear I/O port and front-panel connector with PD 3.0 up to 30W, eleven additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 1 ports, PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlot, HDMI^® 2.1, and DisplayPort^™ 1.4
• High-Performance Networking: On-board Intel WiFi 6E (802.11ax) and Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
• Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking and Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation to simplify setup and improve performance
• Immersive Gaming Audio: ALC4080 with Savitech SV3H712 amplifier, along with DTS^® Sound Unbound and Sonic Studio III
• Unmatched Personalization: ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting, including one RGB header and three addressable Gen 2 headers
• DIY Friendly Design: PCIe Slot Q-Release, M.2 Q-Latch, pre-mounted I/O shield, Q-LED, BIOS FlashBack^™ button, BIOS FlashBack LED, and Clear CMOS button
• Renowned Software: Bundled 60-day AIDA64 Extreme trial subscription and intuitive UEFI BIOS dashboard with integrated MemTest86

For in-depth features and specifications, please visit the official product page here.

What ASUS Had to Say

Fully embracing the new standard, the Strix Z790-E offers end-to-end PCIe 5.0 support. The topmost x16 expansion slot is Gen 5-ready, and is protected with a SafeSlot retention bracket to bear the weight of the latest graphics cards. One of the onboard M.2 slots is geared for blistering 16 GB/s read and write speeds thanks to its PCIe 5.0 interface, while all the rest can deliver still-impressive 8 GB/s transfers. Every M.2 slot is covered with substantial heatsinks to dispatch the heat of next-gen drives.​