New 2023 ASUS Z790 Motherboard Line-up - 14th Gen Ready
Taking a look at 6 new ASUS Z790 Motherboards. Shopping links below.
Sponsor: Seasonic Vertex PSUs are awesome! Get yours: geni.us/PXyXnL (affiliate)
Also check out my Intel Core i9-14900K Review ft. 36 games on 1080p, 1440p & 4K - (link coming on 17/10!)
Shopping links (affiliate links)
ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi - geni.us/37wLL
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II - geni.us/TgSNtG
ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi II - geni.us/KrBN
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero - geni.us/WboKMTB
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula - geni.us/sujSey2
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore - geni.us/HPuo5A
Lego Used (affiliate links)
Lego Succulents (10309) - geni.us/dU5e14R
Lego Bonsai (10281) - geni.us/pndxCfB
Lego Groot (76217) - geni.us/VjkzA
*No Lego was harmed in the making of this video.
-------------------------------------------------------
If you want to support what I do, check these out:
Patreon: / techtesters
Twitter: / nadaoverbeeke
Instagram: / techtesters.eu
-------------------------------------------------------
Timestamps
0:00 - Introduction
0:55 - Z790 Chipset
1:45 - ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi
5:15 - ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II
6:50 - ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi II
8:10 - ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
10:20 - ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula
11:20 - ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore
12:25 - Pricing
13:20 - Final Thoughts
-------------------------------------------------------
Disclosure
- These product were provided by ASUS for the purpose of testing. As per my own guidelines, they don't get any say about anything in this video or any of my other reviews. It's not sponsored by them, they also didn't get to preview this video beforehand, or any other nonsense like that. My reviews reflect my own views, nothing more, nothing less.
- Amazon links I provide are (typically) affiliate links. Using these does not cost you anything at all. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This means they do provide me with a small commission when you decide to buy a product, at no cost to you.
#ASUS #ROG #Z790
These prices are simply insane.
Not wrong there.
It's ridiculous
Another great review. Thanks for the facts and your in depth explanations.
love that you started with the base model then built up. Great job.
Thanks!
@TechTesters can you recommend me a board mid range pricing. I'm into gaming and the cpu I want is 14900k using fan cooler. And I want to get rtx4080. 128mb ram.
Awesome video, very well done! Exactly what I was looking for, thank you for doing this one! (Earned a Sub)
I just love your content! Love from 🇺🇸
Really appreciate all your pc videos!
Really appreciate these product line break downs. I'm curious about msi range as well.
Thanks! I only have 3 boards so far, will see if I can get some more. They are interesting though as they are making some different choices.
Think I'll stick to the 13900k for now. Bought a prebuilt as my first pc ever this last year for gaming. I couldn't imagine not having a pc now. Love it. No end to what you can learn and create.
the E is on sale this weekend, in Canada anyways. Thanks to your awesome breakdown, went out and got it.
Thank you Nada! Nice to see a comparison of the entire Asus lineup. I think my old Formula cost what the Tuf costs today 😄
I hear ya, my Maximus XII Formula still sells for $500 at ASUS. My 10900K just failed this week and I'm looking to replace it, but if I move up to the current gen CPU, then I must get a socket 1700 board, and so on. My build is custom from 2020 and its built as an opened unit, in the corner of my room, mounted on two walls. It's got 2 water loops each with a hydro X xd5 corsair pump pushing coolant through a 360 corsair radiator so I would like to be able to swap out the motherboard without having to redesign the cooling system, but $750 for a new Formula board is just more than I can afford. Hell, thats more than I earn most weeks. LOL, had to edit 'here, to hear'.
Great in-depth review, very well presented! ....I like the Z790-E!
Please stop blaming inflation for these ridiculous prices.
The fact that she replied to everything else on the comments but this 😂😂
So who do we blame? Lol kids.
Well it is
@@justanobody4983manufacturers greed, I work in manufacturing and have to do the efficiency calculations to ensure we are clearing an over 500% mark up on our estimated retail prices.
Yeah these reviews are way to shallow and she seems to accept A LOT of sponsor money.
Very detailed video,Thanks
Great video as always Nada!
Thank you! 😃
I just ordered the Z790-E. It was insanely expensive but I'm excited. Arrives on Monday
Enjoy the new board!
holy god those prices are insane
can't wait for sales on the 13th gen motherboards and CPUs
Thank you for the information, Nada. I know what board top get now, mostly to handle gaming and flight sim. (FYI Hero in case you were wondering)
Hope I helped :)
amazing video (as usual!) :) the TUF no-RGB is interesting as the Z690 TUF (at least my WIFI-PLUS D4) has it. also, I'm not happy with the nvme covers of the Dark Hero. as I have a 4090, and if I want to add/replace nvme drive in the most bottom slots, I don't need to remove the GPU. on the Dark Hero you can unscrew the whole cover in one piece. Formula and Apex Encore are just overkills... and a question: how do you see, cheaper boards' VRMs will be enough to handle a 14th gen i9 with some OC?
I have same but AMD x670e there is TUF logo on top right that looks exactly like mine, and mine glows (also on the right but lower)
Really nice review ❤
Thank you 😊
I bought msi 760m-a pro this month, I was wondering if it's 14th gen ready? I'm currently using i5 13th gen, my worry is if I decided to upgrade to 14th gen cpu I might need to do extra workaround to make it work/compatible.
A very good video but it does overlook an absolutely critical element of the boards (and something pretty much all channels miss) and that is what the PCIE slots are.
Thank you! I was looking for something like this. I'm going for a 14th gen build as my 4th gen has finally died. Would love to see what Gigabyte, MSI and Asrock has to offer on their lineup.
I have some GB and MSI boards coming up. Nothing Asrock though.
You have a 4th gen Intel cpu? What is the model?
@@xlr555usa 4770k. It just died about a month ago. So I decided to wait for 14th gen before upgrading however it seems it wasn't worth waiting for lol.
@@lordmephisto6654 Why not? I mean with a new 14th gen on a market i think 13th gen as well as 12th gen will get cheaper so you can get yourself something like 13600k or 12700k at a much better price
@@lordmephisto6654 14th gen is a snoozefest but maybe it will bring down prices for 13th gen eventually? I may pick up a i9 13th gen or the 14th gen i7-14700K which has more cores and threads than its predecessor with 20 cores and 28 threads. The i7-14700K is the only processor worth looking at for 14th gen.
Is the PCB manufacturing better on these boards than other or previous boards ? Do these have 10 layer PCB's ?
Amazing video as always Nada! In my opinion the Strix will always be the best middle ground regarding Asus
Formula looks incredible. It is not just motherboard, it is masterpiece.
Literally HEAVEN on Earth! 😇
Those prices, holy!!!
This is a great video with crisp explanation. Thank you!! Could you please also do a comparison video of the refresh motherboards of Gigabyte and MSI?
Thanks! And working on it 😀
@@TechTesters Awesome! Looking forward to to those videos 🤩
Would also like a comparison video between Asus Z790 Dark Hero vs MSI MEG Z790 Ace Max.
I wonder if the CPU bending issue is fixed for refresh?
The most updated channel for PC stuff.
most of those mobos are more expensive than 13700K, that's WILD, years back when I got workstation-tier ASUS X99-S it had all those fancier features for about half the cost
Other then the fact that your gorgeous I do like your videos and appreciate the info on the newer lineup/refresh's , ty for the info )
i'm lending towards getting the dark hero only for the thunder bolt. I plan to put my pc on the otherside of my house and run a fiber optics thunder bolt cable from that to a dock like linus.
Very high production quality. Nice vid.
what would you recommend the asus formula or the apex encore?
Thank you.
Do you know when the ROG Strix-F is coming? (I understand it's basically a black version of the "A").
I just bought the ROG x Evangelion Asuka Edition full set, the EVA-02 feature from the modified Maximus Z790 Hero mother board looks simply awesome! ❤
Nice! I just got that one in, didn’t get to look at it yet 🫣
@@TechTesters Please make a review video about this beauty if you have time… >.< This is by far one of the best PC set up I ever bought in my entire life
@@ZERO-gt1lg that’s the plan!
@@TechTesters Looking forward to it and prepared to share! ☺️
What makes it better than the regular z790 hero for 14th gen ?
this Asus boards going to catch fire like last ones? How about the capacitors being installed backwards?
Do you know when the Apex encore will be available to order?
Here in the US the Tuf Pro is $50 more costly then last gen, the Strix A is also $50 higher, the Strix E seems to be around the same price. RIP Euro buyers.
Do the last 3 support dual RTX 4090
I have the Asus Tuf D4 version and there are some rgb on the board. Its in the back just highlighting the name.
I'm really interested in the z790E specs
I remember the days when a z370 top end motherboard costs $400. While the regular boards costs less than $200
same. i bought my Maximus XI Hero for $340 and now prices is insane. Moreover, I absolutely do not like the way the new motherboards look. There are some good ideas, but they are spoiled by unsuccessful ones. From a technology point of view, it is clear that everything is fine in motherboards. but.. well, I hope that the z890 will look better. p.s. no display port on dark hero, only hdmi. even z790-a II have it, lol
Heck, I remember and still have boards for around $50 twenty years ago that are still working like new today
I remember the days when a good gaming Mobo was at 100 bucks and you could grab a decent board for the casual user for around 60 bucks. It´s so weird where this all went. You still can get 60 buck mainboards but then you miss out on nearly every feature available lmao. I´m 39 now .... so brands like elitegroup tyan and some more were the good budget board manufactures which aren´t available anymore. At least here in germany for me xD
Bruh,, z370? I remember when Intel D845 chipset was the top end and costed about just 75 USD and then z170 was the biggest jump and top end were costing near 300 USD, now this shit. TBH MSI has better bundle of features at the price of around what Asus Tuf z790 is costing.
@@rodhester2166you must have not used any of the new motherboards cause that thing sure ain’t running good as new lmaoooo 20years? da fuk is wrong with you lol
The ASUS ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II do I need to update to use it for my I9 14900k? Please Answer Thankyou so much
Vertex PX-850 platinum got mine in my new build! WHISPER Quiet! Whine Who?? Best $250 spent Even though I'm not an Asus guy those boards are SICK! ❤
I got the Z790-A Gaming WiFi II a few days ago and I'm supper happy with the looks and options included. Waiting for RAM and AIO to actually try to start it and see actual performance :D
So many choices which kne to choose
Hey! Mine arrives today. Did you need to flash the bios for 14th gen?
@@skywalkies77 nope, it works out of the box as it was intented for 14th gen
@@mightyakkylex awesome thanks!
@@skywalkies77 yw :D
And to think I complained about paying $150 for my Aorus pro ddr4 a year ago. No regrets now. Cmon 14700k!!
The updated Aorus Master (x) is 50$ more msrp than the og z790 master, so currently selling for 100$ more. 100$ for wifi 7 if you have the router for it
You'll win a Nobel Prize if you can accurately detail the bifurcation of PCIe lanes with each of these motherboards and all the tradeoffs as you populate the PCIe slots, M.2 slots, and SATA ports, keeping straight which operate at Gen 5 vs Gen 4 vs Gen 3. ASUS does not make it easy to sort out.
😂 That's nothing new, and not really ASUS exclusive either. This batch does make the SSD stuff easier: all boards I've seen so far all have Gen4 for each SSD, and if the board offers Gen5 it's the top slot above the GPU. You'll still drop to x8/x8 if you use the second PCIe slot that's connected to the CPU, but that's unavoidable due to the 20 lane CPU limit.
About a year ago, I deliberately chose TUF gaming Z790-plus over the ROG because of the Gen 4 M.2 that goes directly into the CPU and doesn't steal PCI Gen 5 lanes from the GPU. So that way, I utilize all 16 lanes of Gen 5 PCI for the GPU and 4 lanes of Gen 4 for the SSD. All other m.2 slots are also occupied, but only the SSD with the system goes into the CPU directly.
Not sure that’s how it works sorry. There is only 16 lanes in total and even the RTX 4090 is still gen 4
@@rohancrawford2967 Intel 13th Gen has 20 lanes in total. And there are only two modes: 1x16 pci 5 + 1x4 pci 4, or 2x8 pci 5 + 1x4 pci 4. Even if the GPU is Gen 4 it is backward compatible and uses either all 16 lanes of Gen 5 or only 8 lanes if here is another device using pci 5 lanes. If you use Gen 5 ssd connected to CPU controller, the controller runs in 2x8 lanes mode (and yes, 4 lanes out of 8 are wasted)
My thoughts are the same thats why i have just brought the same motherboard
@@ArtemDzhadzha Ah, good retort!
Thanks!
Thank you 🤗
Have Asus Z690s, good boards though. I think if I upgrade from 12th would just update those.
Which is the best for over glocking
Very very beautiful motherboard. I will buy one with my Intel 14900K and 4090.
Is there a 14 gen motherboard without wifi? I don't need wifi and feel like it adds on price.
my entrylevel asrock b650 comes with gen5 nvme ,intel only in highest end
I need Gigabyte lineup :D Good video, very informative, nicely broken down. You gotta sub :D
Thank you! And Im working on it now. Probably online next week.
@TechTesters Aside of this topic, I'd like to ask you for your opinion on this. What makes more sense in your opinion: Get Intel platform, 14700k or maybe 14900k, 4090 etc.. and be stuck with 1700 platform, and when time comes change it as a whole, mobo and cpu. Or Get am5 platform with say 7800x3d maybe, and hope that zen5 will be better in productivity and upgrade cpu then, as they will use am5 socket? My main focus is on productivity and gaming, as I'm doing games development course in uni, and we will be doing everything in UE5 starting new years. Thank you!
Wish there was a refreshed mini-ITX.
Nada great video as always! Would you prefer the MSI Tomahawk Max over the Asus TUF PRO? I cannot chose between them. Their most obvious difference is that the MSI supports one pci xpress 5.0 nvme while the asus doesn't.
Thanks! And unless you really need one of those specific differences you can’t really go wrong with either imho. In that case i would pick either the same brand as the GPU, pick a particular look (but these look pretty similar), buy the cheaper one, or Id recommend you pick the brand that you have some personal preference for. Chances of you ever really telling the difference are close to none.
SO if I run a gen5 SSD at PCIE5 ill lose my GPU at 16x4 so whats the point of running gen5 SSD if I lose my GPU speeds?
I hope there will also be an M-ATX board to fit in my M-ATX case of Asus of all cases... Asus? You there? 😅
Great video. Is there anyway on the Maximus Dark Hero if I use a gen 4 in the first slot M.2 do I lose my PCIE 16x to bifurcation?
M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode.)** ** M.2_1 shares bandwidth with PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_1 is enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_2 will be disabled and PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 only.
thats what I thought I'm not going to populate that M.2 _1 since I'll have 4 other M.2 to use. thank you for the response@@johntotten4872
No. The CPU has 20 PCI-E lanes so, just like my older Z790 Hero, it will support a PCIe4 NVMe SSD and a 16 lane PCIe4 GPU. This is how I run my 13900K and 4090. Bifurcation only takes place if you install a 2nd card in the other pcie16 slot.
And which one should i get for a i9 149000k asus 4090 please help im torn
Hello, what are your thoughts / review about this board? ASUS ROG Maximus Z690 Extreme thank you
I had one. Awesome board. Just very expensive and for most users there is no point spending so much on a motherboard.
@@TechTesters thank you so much, ive been really appreciating your uploads as they have helped me very much in purchasing parts for my new build. wish you and your family a wonderful weekend.
Damn I want that Dark Hero but I’m just not interested in the 14th gen.
Do these new ASUS motherboards have DLVR (Digital Linear Voltage Regulator) technology? Also regarding WiFi 7, the ASUS z790 manuals say that the MLO feature isn’t coming unitl Windows 24H2. So “WiFi 7” is just marketing in name only, for now. Finally, the z790 formula has a regression in the Ethernet spec vs the z690 model. For the z690 model, ASUS went with Marvel Aquantia 10 GbE. But with z790, we only get half the speeds with a 5 GbE controller from Realtek.
I'm just curious, does the Formula require a custom loop to cool it, or will air cooling work just fine?
They've always worked just fine without water.
How about msi z790 tomahawk max wifi?
Inflation 10%, price of stuff goes up by 50 to 100%, yep sounds like inflation :p
Best Asus mb for me was all white TUF Z97 Sabertooth limited edition. Its sad Asus not following that design language.
That was a great looking board! Loved their later Prime Deluxe too.
omg that graphics card release button is huuuuuuuuge, how many times i almost broke the lock is countless .. i hate doing that i get nervous
Why you didn't include Asus Prime line up ? 😭
SO GOOD
Thank you!
I can't find any information abaut Asus rog strix z790-H Gaming wifi motherboard.
I only want some motherboards for Motherlode! and that oven raid boss M.O.T.H.E.R, because that merchandise has that new thing scent, but 'm not planing to build a second PC Primal Council Xenothreat, but that means for your support must buy it and as customers are not allowed to use WC in these cases - which is somewhere near the fan connectors every public town WC.
Personally going for asus over other similarly cheaper boards for the thunderbolt port
Would have liked to see a new Asus Z790 Pro Art with less quirks but it didn't come through so purchased the Aorus Pro X as my creator motherboard.
5:28 Here, the heatsinks collectively look like the side view of a military tank - the cannon points left. Coincidence? I DON'T THINK SO!
Looking to upgrade from 10th gen but it seems it might be wise to wait for the 15th gen, as it seems the 14th gen are the end of the lifecycle for motherboards, meaning any further upgrades will require a new one.
That's likely. 15th gen will be a while though.
I would propose to the Formula right away. 😘
Wow! Love the 💅
I’m so confused because it says it’s 14th gen ready but when I look at it on Amazon it says asus z790 is for 12th and 13th gen?
wich is the best/good enough motherborad for creator (editing foto and video ) using Davinci resolve and photoshop /lightroom ?
Most should be "good enough". Just pick the features you really need. I personally always stick to ASUS/MSI/GB.
What would you change about the chipset if you could? I guess 10gbe would be nice. Or better sata support. The issues with modern motherboards don't reside in the chipset. It's nice to see a few boards that can support expansion cards The price is what pcie5 and ddr5 support cost. So its i guess as "fair" as the previous prices. And if you want a z series board presumably you want these features. Id like to see more review coverage of the lower end chipsets in the future. For most people z series boards dont make sense
Personally 10 Gig ethernet, I would like to see 4 dimm memory setups to support higher speeds, and I want both Thunderbolt and 20 Gig USB on one board. And will try to get a good range of cheaper chipset boards for sure! If those refresh anyway.
@@TechTesters hopefully we'll see more ddr5 boards supporting 4 slot configs at higher speeds as Intel iterates on the imc :)
Yea the sata support is weak, looks like 2-4 only.
I want 10g ethernet otherwise I have to get an sfp+ module (and then I only have to add 10g sfp+ for my fiber network as these will probably never be standard... i'd prefer an 8x slot for a double). Also want good linux support.
Lack of involvement from EK on the Asus Formula might have something to do with the corrosion issues on the last model.
I thought that might be the case, but without any real info on it I didn't want to imply a connection there.
does the z790-e board with gen 5 ssd support share lanes with the 5.0 pcie slot such that it forces the primary graphics card to run in 8x mode?
All z790 boards will do that.
When is the release date, I had heard they were supposed to be released today, however couldn’t find any preorder links.
Tomorrow Oct 17th 6 am PST if I had to guess.
@@johntotten4872 🥲 still not released yet can’t find it online, I do see it’s listed on ASUS website but no purchase options exist for it yet
Namaste 🙏 hug from india, dear maam, If all the RAM slots support different frequencies, then will it be okay to buy 7200 MHz RAM or will it be okay to buy minimum 5600 mhz because of the slot having minimum support. like this 1DPC 1R Max speed up to 7200+ MHz 1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6600+ MHz 2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MHz 2DPC 2R Max speed up to 5600+ MHz i am very confused plz help me good to go with 7200 or 5600, It is possible that 7200 MHz will not give any benefit and will work like 5600 MHz.
I have a 10gen cpu and a z490 mobo. That i build in 2021. I think my gpu is giving out a 3070 still have the warranty im gonna go get it examined and if its faulty time to replace it with a 4070Ti and might as well get a new mobo ill get the older z790 mobos as these new ones are a money grab. A tuf mobo for twice the price?? No way. Whats a great MSI or asus board that will support 13, and 14gen?
Thank you so much for posting this excellent video. I really appreciate the motherboard roundup. A while ago, I built a system with the Asus "ProArt Z790 Creator Wifi" and it has been a solid performer for the person who owns it. It was a very pricey motherboard, but it worked well and gave no trouble and build time and continues to be quite acceptable. I mostly want motherboards useful for content creators. That would mean plenty of NvME and RAM. A few months ago, I believe that Jay on the channel "JayzTwoCents" was very critical of Asus for sending him defective motherboards. I don't know if that is your experience also. Perhaps I was lucky with my own board. I would love to see some reviews that look at boards useful for content creation. Thanks again for a really excellent roundup of Asus products.
Thank you for the compliments 😊 I'd say most boards are fine for content creation these days. Even with 4-5 NVMe and 4-8TB SSDs you probably have more storage than you'll need. It's hard to fit more SSDs physically, but you can always add more with those PCIe expanion cards if you want to. But if you need more than what these boards offer you'll probably want a dedicated storage server and a 10Gb link (or faster). But even mid-range boards get you plenty of storage and plenty of USB, so the only things I see missing that creators might want that are rare are thunderbolt (great for external storage too) or faster networking. As for brands. I can't speak for lesser known brands, but ASUS/MSI/Gigabyte have all been really solid for us. I can't remember a board coming in broken from any of them and we use dozens from each brand every year. We use a bit more ASUS boards generally out of habit and familiarity with the bios, but I don't see any structural issues with the products from any of those three.
@@TechTesters Thank you so much for responding. I was telling myself that your system building and testing experience far exceeds mine -- I have great trust in your reviews of all the products that you test.
Is one of the features overvolting the CPU like they have been doing. Would not go near one of these Motherboards.
Nice review the only thing asus and msi needs to do is drop their prices because they perform same or less better than cheaper motherboards!
Ty :)
👊
It's 14th gen already and I'm still using my 2nd gen intel core i7 2600k with asus maximus IV gene-z.
At least if you upgrade you get a LOT more performance :D
I own an Asus ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi D4 motherboard. Paid $349 for it. I would never pay that much for a motherboard again. These mobo prices, especially from Asus, are getting ridiculous.
RIP
I payed 189$ for my motherboard a couple years back and that was quite expensive compared to the other choices. I remember thinking that I was really treating myself. Now even the cheapest is more expensive than that, it's crazy
great video and comparison, thanks! I'm really disappointed that you need to spend this much nowadays to get a proper motherboard with premium overclocking features (die-sense, LED post, onboard motherboard buttons). Who cares about premium audio? So many prosumers have their own audio interface, dacs etc. Who cares about RGB? Some sure, but it doesn't justify spending 750 on a motherboard. Overbuilt heatsinks? Man I dream of having something in the 300 range that cuts all the crap while giving the staple OC features for those of us running a intel-K series.
You also need to explain which board supports which frequency of DDR5 RAM
Do you really think that matters? Even the TUF boards support 8000MHz these days. Does anyone buy kits that get near that outside of xOCers that will buy (or get 😅) Apexes anyway.
@@TechTesters i don’t see any differences on Z690 Z790( last year ) & these Z790 , Companies are just milking consumers
Can we get same video for MSI boards please?
Soon. Only 3 boards though