Board Design, CPU, and Memory
The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi motherboard features an enhanced design similar to its predecessor, the Z790-Plus Wi-Fi. The new board comes with large heatsinks that cover most of what is needed on the 6-layer circuit board. The VRM heatsinks have adequate mass and surface area (thanks to deep cuts) to be effective in their function.
The deep-cut design or heatsinks replace the existing geometric design found in the previous M.2 heatsinks on the board, giving it a unified appearance. If you’re looking for some RGB lighting, the Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro has a small area that lights up through the circular board on the right edge. It’s a visually simple implementation, as expected at this price point, but it should fit well with most build styles. However, it won’t be the brightest thing in your case.
The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi naturally supports Intel processors from the 12th to the 14th generation of LGA 1700, including the flagship Core i9-14900K and 14900KS. Electronic components such as capacitors and the 16 60A MOSFET dedicated to the processor manage the high-power CPU effortlessly during testing. The heatsinks keep the electrical components running well within specified limits, even during overclocking, although they tend to warm up under continuous high loads. Additional airflow isn’t strictly necessary, but it won’t hurt if you’re using high-powered CPUs.
The memory supports up to DDR5-7800+ (OC), compared to DDR5-7200 for the previous version, surpassing most direct competitors of the board. If you need plenty of memory, the four DRAM slots support up to 192 GB, which is sufficient for even the most enthusiastic home users. The memory is secured by a one-sided locking mechanism (locks at the top, where there’s room to access them).
Board Design, CPU, and Memory
We start our tour at the top left of the board where we find the 8-pin EPS power connectors (one required) to power the CPU. Surrounding them are large VRM heatsinks to cool the hidden electrical components underneath. The rear I/O cover bears the TUF branding and some slogans like “BE THE LAST ONE STANDING”. Personally, I prefer designs over words, but it doesn’t impact the appearance.
Above the upper heatsink, we find the first two of seven fan connectors. Each supports PWM and DC-controlled devices and can output up to 1A/12W. This should be sufficient for most fans, but if you plan on using a custom water cooling loop, ensure anything you connect does not exceed this amount or you may damage the motherboard. These devices are controlled through the BIOS or the Asus Armory Crate software.
Above the DRAM slots, there is a Q-LED feature that helps troubleshoot POST issues. If there is a problem during booting in the area of the boot device, memory, CPU, or video during the POST process, the corresponding LED remains lit, giving you a general idea of where the problem lies. Updated Asus boards also feature a DIMM Detect feature that keeps the DRAM LED lit if the memory is not properly seated in the slot. It’s a nice valuable addition not found in other boards at this price point.
On the right side of the board, we see a small portion of the transparent RGB-illuminated board on the back side. The lighting won’t dominate your case by itself but gives a nice glow from the back. Below are the first RGB connectors, in this case, a 4-pin RGB connector and one 3-pin ARGB connector. There are two additional 3-pin ARGB connectors along the bottom edge. Below is a 24-pin ATX connector to power the motherboard, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) Type-C port on the front of the board, and finally a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) connector for the front USB interface.
Audio
Expansion, Storage, and Rear I/O
In the lower left corner of the board, there is an audio section consisting of three dedicated audio capacitors hidden under a Faraday cage (part of TUF series protection against ESD) and a previous-generation Realtek ALC1220A audio codec. This 7.1 channel audio codec is one of the best in the previous generation and is considered more than adequate for most users’ needs.
The PCI Express slots and M.2 sockets maintain the same configuration as the Z90-Plus board, with four mixed M.2 sockets in five PCIe slots. Three of the four M.2 sockets are accessible without removing your graphics card, even if the three slots are wide.
The first slot (enhanced) is the primary graphics slot and supports PCIe 5.0 speeds x16; it also features Q-Release for easy GPU removal. The lower slot is fully connected via the chipset and operates at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds. The PCIe 4.0 x4 slot and the two smaller PCIe 3.0 x1 slots are also routed through the chipset. Clearly, there is ample room for numerous expansion cards.
The top M.2 socket, which holds the largest thermal sink and is designated for the fastest and/or hottest unit, features a CPU-attached PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gbps) socket that accommodates devices up to 110 mm in size. The three lower slots connect directly to the chipset and operate at PCIe 4.0 x4 (64Gbps). All four M.2 sockets on the board use Asus’s Q-Latch design to secure the units without screws, which is a great feature given how small those screws are. Unfortunately, modern storage enthusiasts won’t find a PCI Express 5.0 x4 socket here as they would in competing motherboards from ASRock and MSI.
Along the bottom edge of the board, there is a cluster of connectors, including those dedicated for extra USB 2.0 ports, more fan headers, front panel audio, the usual front panel lights and buttons connectors, a COM port, ARGB, and Thunderbolt AIC connector. You will also find a switch here for clearing the CMOS memory and two SATA ports.
The rear I/O consists of a pre-installed I/O shield with white labels on a black background and the TUF Gaming logo. It is made from corrosion-resistant steel bonded with chrome oxide, and Asus claims it will last three times longer than traditional panels – according to specifications, it passed the salt spray test for 72 hours while others last only 24 hours.
Next, starting from the left, we see HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs for use with integrated graphics in some CPUs. Following those are the USB ports, including two Type-C ports (one at 10Gbps and the other at 20Gbps) and six Type-A ports (two at 10Gbps and four at 5Gbps). Some users may wish for more USB-A ports on the rear. Continuing, we see Wi-Fi 6E Q-Antenna connections (easier for connecting using integrated tools for Wi-Fi signal testing through Armoury Crate), a 2.5 Gigabit network port, and the audio array, which consists of five analog ports and an S/PDIF port.
A Quick Look at the BIOS and Tools
The BIOS of the Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi features the same easy-to-read black and gray background, with white and yellow text that we’ve seen in several generations. It starts in EZ Mode, which shares high-level system information including CPU temperature, core voltage, memory status, fan profiles, and access to the Q-Fan function. However, since the Z790 chipset supports overclocking, you will get better system performance if you overclock manually.
Provides
The advanced part of the BIOS is a standard configuration with main key headings at the top, including My Favorites (user-customizable), Main, AI Tweaker, Advanced, Monitor, Boot, Tool, and Exit. In this comprehensive mode, there are more detailed functions.
The AI Tweaker section contains all options for system tuning and overclocking. Here you can adjust voltage, memory speeds, timings, and CPU overclocking options. Although the power delivery is not the strongest we have seen, it is likely that CPU temperatures and cooling will be a limiting factor before the motherboard.
The Advanced section has several subheadings where you can adjust the processor, chipset, USB, audio, and networking functions.
The Monitor section displays detailed data on temperatures, fan speeds, and voltage, and allows you to access Q-Fan configuration to adjust fan profiles. There are pre-programmed profiles and the ability to create and save custom fan curves, which is everything we can ask from a BIOS.
Asus’s BIOS is logically organized and easy to navigate, and the Z790 version has a full suite of tweaks, including those for memory and CPU overclocking. The company’s BIOS is typically my favorite among major motherboard manufacturers, as everything is easy to read and options are easy to find. It provides all the necessary options, and our version (1424) proved stable during our time with the board.
On the software side, Asus’s well-known Armoury Crate has many functions, including system tuning and monitoring, RGB lighting control, and fan management. The application matches the ROG theme and is user-friendly. The first thumbnail image below shows the homepage, all devices that can be controlled in our test system, and functions like fan and RGB lighting control.
The Fan Expert 4 unit controls all fans and water pumps connected to four-pin connectors. You can set it up through four preset settings or adjust each connector with a custom curve. The Aura Sync section controls all RGB lighting. It includes numerous preset modes (static, breathing, color cycle, rainbow, satellite, glowing yo-yo, bright night, and glowing and blinking) that you can also adjust individually.
Asus offers a complete OS-based solution for controlling everything you can do in the BIOS. If you want to overclock, use AI Suite 3 instead of the BIOS for more precise CPU control.
Conclusion: TUF is still sufficient for the fourteenth generation
The updated Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi board takes everything TUF and makes it ready for Intel’s fourteenth generation processors. It features the same military components, including robust power delivery and ESD protection, as the Z790-Plus. Additionally, you get a fully featured board including four M.2 sockets, four SATA ports, high-quality audio solutions, 2.5GbE networking, and Wi-Fi 6E (not Wi-Fi 7). In terms of performance, the board has shown its capabilities in productivity and gaming, so we have no concerns in this aspect or any other.
Of course, Asus’s competitors offer alternative boards, most of them in the same price range. The Gigabyte Z790 Aorus Elite X AX ($289.99) is currently the most expensive but offers Wi-Fi 7 and six SATA ports. The MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk Max Wi-Fi ($279.99) offers PCIe 5.0 M.2 storage, eight SATA ports, and Wi-Fi 7. Perhaps the best value choice comes from the ASRock Z790 PG Riptide, which at $249.99 offers PCIe 5.0 capable M.2 sockets, eight SATA ports, and Wi-Fi 7.
Except for…
ASRock, which costs $30 less, has similar prices to competitors, so your choice depends on appearance, storage requirements, and Wi-Fi 7 (do you need it or just want it?) and the value you get from features like Asus AEMP II to stretch your budget. The TUF Z790-Pro motherboard is definitely a comprehensive offering that should be on your list of motherboards under $300 with support for the fourteenth generation.
Specifications of the Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi
aRGB Connectors: 3
Chipset: Intel Z790
CPU Socket: Intel LGA 1700
Ethernet Ports: 1
Form Factor: ATX
M.2 Slots: 4
Maximum Memory Speed: 7800
Maximum Supported Memory: 192
Memory Type: DDR5
Audio Channels: 7.1
DIMM Slots: 4
Integrated Audio Codec: Realtek ALC1220A
Integrated GPU Video Output (Back Panel): DisplayPort
Integrated GPU Video Output (Back Panel): HDMI
Integrated Wireless: 802.11ax
PCI Express x1 Slots: 1
PCI Express x16 Slots: 3
PCI Express x4 Slots: 1
S/PDIF Port
SATA Connectors: 4
USB 2.0 Ports Supported via Header: 4
USB 3.0 or 3.1 or 3.2 Ports on Board (Back Panel): 8
USB 3.0 or 3.1 or 3.2 Ports Supported via Header: 3
USB Type-C Connector
All Specifications
Table of Contents
Motherboard, CPU, and Memory Design
Motherboard, CPU, and Memory Design
Audio, Expansion, Storage, and Rear I/O
A Quick Look at BIOS and Tools
Conclusion: TUF is Still Enough for the Fourteenth Generation
Source: https://me.pcmag.com/en/motherboards/21234/asus-tuf-gaming-z790-pro-wi-fi
Leave a Reply