ASUS PRIME Z790M-PLUS DDR5 Intel Motherboard

The ASUS PRIME Z790M-PLUS DDR5 is a Micro-ATX motherboard built on the Intel Z790 chipset, designed to support both 12th Gen and 13th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors via the LGA1700 socket. At 9.6 x 9.6 inches (24.4 cm x 24.4 cm), it delivers a compact footprint without compromising on connectivity or expandability, making it a capable choice for space-conscious builds that still demand serious platform flexibility. Memory support is a standout feature: four DIMM slots accommodate up to 192GB of DDR5 memory in a dual-channel configuration, with native speeds from DDR5-4800 up to DDR5-7200+ via overclocking. Intel Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) is supported for straightforward memory tuning through the UEFI BIOS. On the expansion front, the board provides one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot sourced directly from the CPU for the primary graphics card, complemented by one PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (operating at x4 mode) and two PCIe 4.0 x1 slots from the Z790 chipset. Storage is equally well-served with three M.2 Key-M slots—all supporting PCIe 4.0 x4—plus four SATA 6Gb/s ports, and Intel Rapid Storage Technology enabling RAID 0/1/5/10 across both PCIe and SATA arrays. Connectivity at the rear panel includes eight USB ports (one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C at 20Gbps, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, and two USB 2.0), a DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.1 output for integrated graphics (both supporting up to 4K@60Hz), and Intel 1Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard protection. Audio is handled by a Realtek 7.1 surround sound HD Audio codec with dedicated PCB layers, audio shielding, and premium capacitors supporting up to 24-bit/192kHz playback. Cooling infrastructure includes VRM heatsinks with thermal pads, one 4-pin CPU fan header, one CPU OPT header, one AIO pump header, and three chassis fan headers. Internal headers also feature three Addressable Gen 2 (ARGB) headers, one Aura RGB header, and a Thunderbolt (USB4) header. Wi-Fi is available via an optional Key-E M.2 module sold separately. Verified Specifications: - Form Factor: mATX, 9.6 x 9.6 in (24.4 x 24.4 cm) - Socket: Intel LGA1700 - Chipset: Intel Z790 - CPU Compatibility: 12th & 13th Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron - Memory: 4x DIMM, DDR5, Max 192GB, DDR5-4800 to DDR5-7200+(OC), Dual Channel, XMP - PCIe: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 (CPU), 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 mode, chipset), 2x PCIe 4.0 x1 - Storage: 3x M.2 (PCIe 4.0 x4), 4x SATA 6Gb/s, RAID 0/1/5/10 - Rear USB: 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1, 2x USB 2.0 - Display: 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (4K@60Hz), 1x HDMI 2.1 (4K@60Hz) - Ethernet: Intel 1Gb LAN + ASUS LANGuard - Audio: Realtek 7.1 HD Audio, 24-bit/192kHz - BIOS: 192Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI - OS: Windows 11 / Windows 10 64-bit