With the launch of the thirteenth Era Intel Core sequence processors, we’re taking a fast take a look at the motherboard platform we’re utilizing in our evaluate. We’re in a little bit of a logjam with this evaluate and OCP Summit 2022 protection, so count on benchmarks utilizing this platform in our formal evaluate someday within the subsequent 12-36 hours. We nonetheless needed to point out off the brand new ASUS PRIME Z790-A WiFi to point out our readers the platform we’re utilizing and what the brand new platform provides.
ASUS PRIME Z790-A WiFi Overview
The motherboard itself is an ATX kind issue. This isn’t ASUS’s most costly nor most ornate resolution, however it’s removed from a discount board within the $300-ish worth band. One thing lots of the photographs on-line, and lots of of our photographs might deceive the attention on is that this isn’t white heatsinks. As an alternative, the ornamentation across the black PCB motherboard is manufactured from metallic so these are literally a bit extra silver than they might seem in photographs.
The brand new motherboard is designed for the LGA1700 socket CPUs together with Alder Lake (twelfth Gen Core) and Raptor Lake (thirteenth Gen Core) processors.
Right here is one other look that can assist you decide clearances for coolers.
We’re utilizing these for our thirteenth Gen Intel Core check platform. As an alternative of creating a desk, with the preliminary launch SKUs, right here is the desk in paperweight kind alongside the Intel Core i9-13900K and Core i5-13600K.
Right here is the Intel Core i9-13900K put in within the socket. This motherboard can help Alder Lake as effectively, however we simply needed to point out this platform off with the brand new CPU.
Just like the AMD Ryzen 7000 sequence platforms we have now seen, the PRIME Z790-A WiFi is a DDR5 platform.
We’re utilizing Corsair Vengeance DDR5 modules within the check system.
Right here is one other view that reveals the peak subsequent to the motherboard heatsinks.
For these upgrading from older CPU generations, this new platform requires two 8-pin CPU energy inputs. The brand new generations of desktop components can use extra energy than twin Intel Xeon E5 V1 CPUs so what was widespread 10 years in the past on twin server-class processor techniques is now commonplace on desktop-class techniques. Just like the PCIe Gen5 connector, the motherboard energy connectors want a re-design to simplify the net of lower-density cables fashionable techniques want. Alas, ATX energy provides are onerous to alter.
Additionally alongside the highest of the motherboard are headers for a CPU fan, AIO pump, and a second CPU fan if wanted.
ASUS has its Aura Sync header after which the ATX energy connector on the facet. Under these are the entrance panel USB connectors for USB 3.2 Gen1 and Gen2 connections.
The underside portion of the motherboard is the place the true motion is. For a desktop-class motherboard, there’s a lot right here. There’s a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for a GPU. The opposite slots come from the Intel Z790 chipset with a PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (x4 electrical), a PCIe 4.0 x4 slot, and two PCIe 3.0 x1 slots. One of many huge modifications with the Z790 from the Z690 is that eight of the chipset PCIe Gen3 lanes have turn out to be Gen4 lanes.
Eradicating the heatsinks, we discover 4 M.2 slots.
The M.2 array is clearly large, however we observed one thing fascinating when putting in the Essential P5 Plus 2TB drive. First, we have now the toolless M.2 set up that could be very easy and works nice. We want this was on extra techniques.
In the event you tighten the ASUS heatsink with the thermal pad, you’ll be able to pretty simply get the M.2 SSD to bend. This isn’t superb.
As an alternative, leaving the M.2 heatsink gently tightened will hold the SSD straight. The torque spec appears to be very completely different in comparison with the opposite gadgets in a system.
For PCIe, one thing that ASUS has been doing, that we actually like, is including a GPU launch button for the PCIe Gen5 x16 slot. You probably have ever tried to get round a big GPU to unlatch an x16 slot’s lock, you’ll perceive why that is welcome.
On the subject of storage, there are two SATA connectors on the facet of the motherboard and two on backside. SATA is slowly being phased out. That is an ATX shopper motherboard that has as many M.2 slots because it has SATA ports.
A small quality-of-life function is that we get the entrance panel header connector. These little gadgets are easy and tremendous helpful. Sadly, that is one other space the place we want the trade simply standardized on since this little system is simply making it simpler to work on a Nineties function on fashionable motherboards.
Sounds is being pushed by “Crystal Sound” and is on an remoted portion of the motherboard. That is pretty commonplace for this class of system.
A couple of miscellaneous options we needed to point out. One is that this motherboard has a bodily energy button subsequent to the House 2049 PCH heatsink/ cowl.
Here’s a shot wanting beneath the heatsink/ cowl to the Intel Z790 PCH.
There may be additionally a transparent window across the rear I/O space. We’re not positive why that is right here, however maybe it’s to let one see that this has a WiFi 6E module. This appears to be an aesthetically pushed function.
On the rear I/O, this motherboard has a set I/O protect. Right here we will see the audio connections, however apparently solely three audio jacks and no optical out. We then have the WiFi antenna headers and a 2.5GbE community port. USB is offered by way of 4 USB 3 5Gbps Kind-A ports, and two USB 3 10Gbps Kind-A ports. There are two USB Kind-C ports. One is 10Gbps and one is 20Gbps.
There are additionally HDMI and DisplayPorts onboard for video out.
The system additionally comes with a WiFi antenna.
That is definitely a bit completely different than lots of the motherboards we have now seen beforehand on this worth vary.
Last Phrases
A couple of notes right here. First, the thirteenth Era Core CPUs will work in Z690 (with BIOS updates) or Z790 motherboards, and the Z790 can take thirteenth and twelfth gen components. The Z790 with additional PCIe Gen4 lanes over the Z690 is an improve, however in all probability not one which we’d improve a motherboard for.
The ASUS Prime Z790-A WiFi has a lot of good options, however additionally it is clear that this can be a extra midrange providing. The port loadouts on higher-end motherboard sequence, as we noticed with the ASUS STRIX Z690-E Gaming WiFi are extra sturdy. We might have most well-liked a second onboard NIC as a substitute of a PCIe x1 slot that may probably be coated by a GPU anyway.
General although, the ASUS Prime Z790-A WiFi was simple to construct a system upon for our testing and labored out-of-the-box for us to date. That’s what we actually search for since there are such a lot of motherboards as of late with barely completely different worth factors and options.
