ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme Wifi DDR5 Intel Motherboard

The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme Wi-Fi is a flagship E-ATX motherboard engineered for Intel 12th and 13th Gen Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron processors on the LGA1700 socket. Underpinned by the Intel Z790 chipset, it is purpose-built for enthusiasts who demand uncompromising performance, dense connectivity, and deep overclocking control. Memory support spans four DIMM slots accommodating up to 128 GB of DDR5 non-ECC unbuffered RAM at speeds from DDR5-4800 up to DDR5-7800 and beyond, with native compatibility for Intel XMP profiles and ASUS OptiMem III signal-integrity technology. Two PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion slots deliver the full bandwidth required by the latest discrete graphics cards, complemented by a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot from the chipset. Storage options are equally expansive: three onboard Key-M M.2 slots plus a DIMM.2 riser that adds a further two Key-M M.2 slots are paired with six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, giving builders ample room for high-speed NVMe arrays and conventional drives. Networking is a standout strength. Dual wired connections — an Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet port and a Marvell AQtion 10 Gb Ethernet port — sit alongside a 2x2 Wi-Fi 6E module covering 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz bands with support for Intel Double Connect Technology and Bluetooth 5.3. The rear I/O panel carries 10 USB ports in total, including a Thunderbolt 4 Type-C port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port, and eight USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (seven Type-A plus one Type-C). Front-panel headers mirror that density with a further Thunderbolt 4 connector and a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 connector offering up to 60 W Power Delivery and Quick Charge 4+. Audio is handled by the ROG SupremeFX subsystem: an ALC4082 HD Audio CODEC backed by an ESS ES9218 Quad DAC, delivering 120 dB SNR stereo playback and 113 dB SNR recording, with support for 32-bit/384 kHz playback and a rear optical S/PDIF output. SupremeFX Shielding Technology and LED-illuminated audio jacks complete the package. For extreme overclocking, the board carries a dedicated OC toolkit: LN2 Mode, ProbeIt measurement points, ReTry and Safe Boot buttons, a Slow Mode switch, BCLK adjustment buttons, and a V_Latch switch. Power delivery is reinforced by 10K Black Metallic Capacitors and MicroFine Alloy Chokes within the Extreme Engine Digi+ VRM design. A 2-inch LiveDash colour OLED provides real-time POST codes and system readouts. Dual BIOS with BIOS FlashBack and a physical BIOS Switch ensures resilience during firmware updates. Customisation is served by Aura Sync-compatible ARGB Gen 2 headers, addressable RGB headers, and a ROG Aura Sync backplate. ASUS Fan Xpert 4 with AI Cooling II governs the extensive fan and pump header array, which includes dedicated radiator, water-pump, and water-flow sensor headers for custom loop builds. Verified Specifications: - Socket: Intel LGA1700 - Chipset: Intel Z790 - Form Factor: E-ATX, 12 in x 10.9 in (30.5 cm x 27.7 cm) - Memory: 4 x DIMM, max 128 GB, DDR5-4800 to DDR5-7800+, Dual Channel, XMP - PCIe: 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8); 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 (chipset) - Storage: 3 x M.2 (onboard) + 2 x M.2 via DIMM.2; 6 x SATA 6 Gb/s - Ethernet: 1 x Intel 2.5 Gb + 1 x Marvell AQtion 10 Gb - Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E 2x2 (802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax), Bluetooth 5.3 - Rear USB: 1 x TB4 Type-C, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C, 8 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 - Audio: ALC4082 + ESS ES9218 Quad DAC, 7.1 surround, 120 dB SNR playback - BIOS: 2 x 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI, Dual BIOS - OS Support: Windows 11, Windows 10 64-bit - Warranty: 3 Years