Price When Reviewed

499.99

Best Prices Today: Asus ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming Wifi

$499.99

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With the introduction of Intel’s Thirteenth-generation Raptor Lake, we’ve acquired some new motherboards to savor. Some of essentially the most finger-lickin’-good choices have come from the Asus ROG Strix lineups of the previous—packing nice options for the value. 

Will the brand new Z790 era sustain the development and entice you to indulge? Today we’re trying on the Asus ROG Strix Z790-E. We’ll go over the options, design, and efficiency. For its $499 MSRP, ought to this be on the highest of your listing for those who’re upgrading to Intel’s Thirteenth-gen? Let’s discover out!

Asus ROG Strix Z790-E: The Specs

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-E has historically been an ideal entry level into the higher-end motherboard area. ROG, or “Republic of Gamers,” branding tends to indicate fashions with extra options and gamer-focused niceties on the design aspect. 

Let’s have a look at the fundamental specs, after which we’ll focus on which ought to matter essentially the most in real-world use circumstances. Coming in a barely smaller field than a number of the different ROG motherboards, such because the ROG Hero, it nonetheless contains some good equipment: Wi-Fi antenna, ROG stickers, ROG keychain, and different miscellaneous gadgets corresponding to cable ties. 

Good information: Both Intel’s Twelfth- and Thirteenth-gen CPUs will work, alongside together with your earlier CPU coolers of the LGA 1200/1151 selection. 

The specs under actually cater to the gamer market—some content material creators could have to step as much as the Hero line in the event that they want quicker I/O or extra SATA ports. 

• ATX type issue 
• Support for each Intel Twelfth- and Thirteenth-gen CPUs 
• Twin 18+1 Digital VRM with 90 amps
• DDR5 RAM 
• PCIe Gen 5 16x slot 
• Five M.2 slots, (1x PCIe Gen 5 and 4x PCIe Gen 4) 
• HDMI and DisplayPort out 
• 12 USB ports on again, Including a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20Gb/s
• Intel Wi-Fi 6E 
• Intel 2.5GbE LAN
• RGB Aura Sync header
• 4 SATA 6Gb/s ports 
• 8 PWM fan headers
• BIOS Flashback and Clear CMOS 
• Onboard energy button
• Audio: ROG SupremeFX with ALC4080 Codec  
• Backwards appropriate CPU-cooler mounting
• MSRP $499

Asus ROG Strix Z790-E: Features

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The hearty spec listing above factors to the Strix giving players precisely what they want—and fewer of what they don’t. This board is optimized for gaming in its DNA. 

PCIe Gen 5 and DDR5 are each right here, which might simply sustain with as we speak’s PCIe Gen 4 GPUs, together with the mighty Nvidia RTX 4090. The new Z790 chipset has stronger DDR5 RAM assist in comparison with Z690, plus quicker most speeds, too. 

You can set up as many as 5 M.2 drives right here—and considered one of them may even be PCIe Gen 5. While you’ll solely get 4 SATA ports, this no-frills strategy is precisely what players will seemingly make extra use of. 

USB ports are considerable, together with a single ultra-fast 20Gb/s 3.2 Gen 2×2. You gained’t get Thunderbolt 4 or the quicker USB 4 40Gb/s on the again, however Thunderbolt 4 continues to be accessible as a header on the motherboard.

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Audio connectivity is competent, with the ROG SupremeFX ALC4080 Codec. 

Gamers prefer to construct and tinker, and the Strix-E delivers these goodies on the options aspect too. Clear CMOS for when your overlock goes awry? It’s right here. Need to do a BIOS flashback? Yep! Plus, we love the onboard begin button for these instances when your construct isn’t fairly prepared but. To high it off, a helpful post-code readout can also be included within the high proper for diagnostics.

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There are loads of “quality of life” options right here that players will get pleasure from, too. Do you want swapping out M.2 drives or GPUs typically? Asus has their Q-release and Q-latch methods, making these beforehand arduous duties a lot simpler. (I’ve misplaced extra M.2 screws than I can depend.)

Asus ROG Strix Z790-E: Design

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The $499 MSRP ROG Strix-E hits the design cues in exactly the way in which players will recognize. Robust construct high quality, plus distinctive touches—primarily within the clear left cowl, make this a successful mixture. 

Attractive M.2 armor additionally covers the PCIe space of the motherboard, with fascinating particulars in all places the attention can see. To hold the fee affordable, the board doesn’t have a beefy backplate such as you’d discover on the ROG Hero, however you’ll by no means see that anyway. What it does have is a great deal of eye sweet and inventive graphical touches adorned throughout the entrance design—making it a proud addition to your gaming construct.

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The Q-Code show is each purposeful and aesthetically fascinating—it signifies that this gaming motherboard means enterprise! 

The surrounding higher VRM space is beefy and contains a number of the aforementioned quirky design components that the Strix is commonly identified to have.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-E: Performance and BIOS

18+1 energy phases is a lot even for the mighty Intel Core-i9 13900K. These new CPUs are pushing out increased energy and warmth than ever earlier than, so that is actually an space that have to be a precedence on a gaming motherboard. 

DDR5 RAM additionally has a extra strong implementation over its Z690 predecessor, dual-channel reminiscence able to overclocking to 7800. The earlier Z690 Strix-E sometimes went to 6400, a pleasant increase! While you will not be overclocking your RAM that top, Z790 does provide basic DDR5 enhancements beneath the radar that may make for higher optimization and stability, particularly throughout greater than two sticks of RAM. (Z690 sometimes favored two sticks of RAM just for most efficiency.) 

The Asus BIOS and software program suite are again, they usually’ve been optimized over earlier generations. On the software program aspect, Armory Crate is superb and a jack-of-all-trades. You can set fan profiles, get driver updates, and play with Aura Sync RGB settings. This is nice to have beneath one unified piece of software program. 

On the BIOS aspect, the identical easy-to-use UEFI BIOS that Asus is well-regarded for, is right here. Easily set reminiscence profiles, fan curves, and a great deal of CPU-tweaking choices for those who’d prefer to tinker. Automatic overclocking can also be right here, which might have various outcomes primarily based in your cooling resolution.

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Should you purchase the Asus ROG Strix Z790-E?

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-E actually hits house for individuals who need the very best efficiency, however don’t want extraneous options. It has mighty CPU taming VRMs, and a delightfully playful design that enhances the gamer aesthetic.

The $499 MSRP is actually greater than justified with the superior included “tech upgrades:” You shall be on the “next-gen” prepare right here with PCIe Gen 5, DDR5, and assist for the most recent Intel CPUs.

The Strix-E hits the precise stability of “high end” whereas nonetheless packing nice options for the greenback. Those customers who want extra options shall be higher served by motherboards such because the Asus ROG Z790 Hero, which provide Thunderbolt 4 (and different options which may be engaging to content material creators, too.)

Gamers will discover nirvana proper round this stage, nonetheless—with all of the goodies that you really want for an ideal gaming PC construct, with out the surplus that you simply gained’t use. Plus, it seems very cool, too!