ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming Wifi DDR5 Intel Motherboard

The ASUS ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi is a full-size ATX motherboard built on the Intel Z790 chipset, designed for Intel 12th and 13th Gen Core processors in the LGA1700 socket. It measures 12 x 9.6 inches (30.5 x 24.4 cm) and is engineered for enthusiast-grade overclocking, high-bandwidth storage, and competitive gaming. At its core is an 18+1 power stage design rated at 90A per stage, fed through dual 8-pin ProCool II connectors with metal-sheathed contacts for improved heat dissipation. Two thick VRM heatsinks with strategic airflow channels sit above the power delivery circuitry, while an eight-layer PCB aids thermal management around the voltage regulators. ASUS AI Overclocking profiles the CPU and cooling configuration to suggest and apply an optimal overclock automatically. The board supports four DDR5 DIMM slots with a maximum capacity of 128 GB, running at native speeds up to DDR5-5600 and overclocked profiles up to DDR5-7800+ via Intel XMP and ASUS OptiMem II. A PCIe 5.0 x16 primary slot — reinforced with a SafeSlot steel bracket — handles the latest graphics cards, while two additional PCIe 4.0 x16 slots (running at x4 mode) and one PCIe 3.0 x1 slot round out expansion. Storage options are extensive: five M.2 Key-M slots are provided, with M.2_1 running at PCIe 5.0 x4 for up to approximately 16 GB/s sequential throughput, and the remaining four slots running at PCIe 4.0 x4. All five M.2 slots receive dedicated heatsinks; the primary slot also benefits from an M.2 Combo-Sink with a direct-contact heat pipe and a backplate for extra thermal control. Four SATA 6 Gb/s ports complement the M.2 array, and Intel Rapid Storage Technology supports RAID 0/1/5/10 across both PCIe and SATA drives. Connectivity includes onboard 2×2 Wi-Fi 6E (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax) covering 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and the newly available 6 GHz band with up to seven 160 MHz channels, alongside Bluetooth 5.3 and a wired Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet port protected by ASUS LANGuard. The rear I/O carries 12 USB ports: one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps), seven USB 3.2 Gen 2 (six Type-A plus one Type-C), and four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A. The front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C header supports Power Delivery 3.0 at up to 30 W. Video output comprises one DisplayPort 1.4 (up to 8K@60 Hz) and one HDMI 2.1 (up to 4K@60 Hz) for integrated-graphics use. Audio is handled by the ROG SupremeFX implementation using the ALC4080 codec, delivering 7.1 surround sound, up to 32-bit/384 kHz playback, 120 dB SNR stereo output, 113 dB SNR recording input, and a Savitech SV3H712 front-panel amplifier. Gold-plated audio jacks, a rear optical S/PDIF output, and SupremeFX shielding complete the audio subsystem. Q-Design convenience features include the tool-free M.2 Q-Latch, the single-button PCIe Slot Q-Release for easy GPU removal, Q-DIMM single-sided latch, Q-LED boot diagnostic indicators, a physical Start button, a Clear CMOS button, and BIOS FlashBack for CPU-free firmware updates. AURA Sync RGB lighting is supported via one AURA RGB header and three Addressable Gen 2 headers. A Thunderbolt (USB4) header, thermal sensor header, and three Addressable Gen 2 headers further extend the build options. Key Specifications: – Chipset: Intel Z790 – Socket: LGA1700 (Intel 12th & 13th Gen Core, Pentium Gold, Celeron) – Memory: 4x DDR5 DIMM, max 128 GB, DDR5-4800 native to DDR5-7800+(OC), dual-channel, XMP, OptiMem II – Expansion: 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 mode), 1x PCIe 3.0 x1 – Storage: 5x M.2 (1x PCIe 5.0 x4, 4x PCIe 4.0 x4), 4x SATA 6 Gb/s – Networking: Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet; Wi-Fi 6E 2×2 (2.4/5/6 GHz); Bluetooth 5.3 – USB Rear: 1x Gen 2×2 Type-C, 7x Gen 2 (6x-A + 1x-C), 4x Gen 1 Type-A – Audio: ALC4080, 7.1 surround, 32-bit/384 kHz, Savitech SV3H712 AMP – VRM: 18+1 phases, 90A per stage, dual 8-pin ProCool II – Form Factor: ATX, 12 x 9.6 in (30.5 x 24.4 cm) – BIOS: 256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI – Warranty: 3 Years