ASUS released a lineup of new and refreshed ROG Z790 motherboards to coincide with the launch of Intel 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh desktop CPUs. We reviewed the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi Motherboard a week ago, and today, we are taking a look at the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula.

The ROG Maximus Z790 Formula is the ultimate motherboard, boasting a stunning Moonlight White design. Beyond its eye-catching appearance, it offers a boatload of features such as the exclusive HybridChill VRM cooling system for 14th-gen Intel processors, and advanced DDR5 settings. You also get multiple PCIe 5.0 slots for graphics cards and storage, rapid Intel Wi-Fi 7 networking, and extensive customisable ARGB lighting, ensuring whatever you build with this thing, is premium.

In terms of specifications, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula maintains its ATX form factor and incorporates a dual 8-pin CPU power connector setup. The VRM Configuration is 20+1+2(Core+GT+VCCIN) and backed up by a 10-phase supply count with 105A and 70A power stages.

The motherboard provides four DDR5 DIMM slots capable of supporting speeds exceeding 8000 MT/s and capacities of up to 192GB. The motherboard features a white shield covering its entire front, which also houses the M.2 heatsinks beneath it. Memory compatibility is a breeze with the Z790 Formula.

All XMP-certified kits can effortlessly reach their advertised speeds, as rigorous internal tests have verified these assertions. ASUS has also introduced a novel feature called DIMM Flex. DIMM Flex utilises an onboard thermal sensor located at the rear of the motherboard, beneath the memory slots, along with a microcontroller to continuously monitor temperature and dynamically optimise the memory refresh rate, providing an on-the-fly performance boost.

Regarding expansion options, the board includes two PCIe x16 slots and a diverse range of I/O ports, such as support for WIFI 7. You also get two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps Type-C port, 5 GbE LAN, numerous USB 3.2 ports, and BIOS Flashback/Clear CMOS switches.

Other features of the motherboard include AI Overclocking, 2-inch Livedash OLED, AI Cooling II, and other bells and whistles. There are dual procool II power connectors, 20+1+2 power stages, and the motherboard comes with the Intel LGA 1700 socket that takes in 14th and 13th Gen Intel Core Processors, 12th Gen Intel Core processors, and Pentium Gold and Celeron processors.

In terms of I/O connectivity, you again get a boatload. The motherboard comes with one HDMI port, four USB 5Gbps Type-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports, a Realtek 5Gb Ethernet port, six USB 10Gbps ports (five Type-A and one USB Type-C), Intel Wi-Fi 7, Optical S/PDIF Out, five gold-plated audio jacks, one USB 20Gbps USB Type-C front panel connector, and four SATA 6GB/S connectors.

Inside the package, in addition to the motherboard, cables, and other accessories, you’ll find an ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna. This antenna is equipped with dual transceivers, which provide support for the 2.4, 5, and 6 GHz bands, enhancing throughput speed. It also offers directional sensitivity to boost signal quality and expand coverage over longer distances.

Undoubtedly, the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula is an exceptional and distinct motherboard. With its remarkable features and capabilities, I believe it will become a top choice for both enthusiasts and gamers in their feature builds. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Formula is currently available at a price of AED 3070.

Price: AED 3070

Intel recently announced the launch of its 14th generation Core processors and in anticipation of this launch, motherboard manufacturers refreshed their LGA-1700 motherboards. As part of this refresh program, ASUS launched three new motherboards that offer support for Intel’s 14th-generation Core CPUs. ASUS’s new motherboard lineup includes the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, the ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II, and ASUS’s new motherboard lineup includes the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, the ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi II, and the TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi. A simple BIOS/UEFI update is all that’s required to make the new CPUs compatible with most 600- or 700-series motherboards.

As part of a design overhaul, ASUS has made some slight adjustments to slot placements in all three models. These updates include enhanced M.2 heatsinks with a more polished appearance. ASUS has also introduced support for USB PD 3.0 and Quick Charge 4+ to the front USB Type-C ports. They’ve even developed an app that displays the power output of the port in use. Furthermore, ASUS has integrated support for AEMP II, simplifying memory performance optimization on these motherboards.

The ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi motherboard reviewed here is also the refreshed variant in an ATX form factor, coming in with the Intel Z790 chipset. Thus, it supports Intel 13th Gen Core and 12th Gen Core processors, Pentium Gold and Celeron processors, and 14th Gen Raptor Lake Refresh processors. In terms of memory, you get 4x DDR5 slots with a max capacity of 192GB and up to DDR5 7800+ (OC) support.

The motherboard also offers Realtek S1220A audio codec, Intel I226-V 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet, and Intel AX211 WIFI 6E module with built-in Bluetooth 5.3. Expansion slots on the motherboard include 1x PCIe 5.0 x16, 1x PCIe 3.0 x16 (x1 mode), 1x PCIe 4.0 x4, 1x PCIe 3.0 x1, and 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4 mode). For storage, you get 4x SATA III, 3x PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 (NVMe drives only), and 1x PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 (NVMe & SATA drives).

Included in the package are the motherboard, an instruction manual, a quality certificate, a set of stickers, racks and screws for M.2 drive installation, a foldable Wi-Fi Q-Antenna with a magnetic base, a driver and software CD, and two black SATA cables with metal latches. It’s worth mentioning that ASUS has revamped the Wi-Fi antenna provided with its motherboards, known as the “Q-Antenna.” Unlike the familiar screw-down connectors, this antenna features female connectors that securely snap into place on the male Wi-Fi antenna connectors located on the rear I/O area of the Z790-PRO WiFi.

The design adheres to the TUF product line’s conventional style, featuring a dark colour scheme with hints of yellow. ASUS has incorporated additional heatsinks into this motherboard, with a primary emphasis on the VRM power delivery system. This results in efficient cooling for your CPU’s power supply, and it also contributes to the motherboard’s aesthetics. The combination of black and brushed metal heatsinks not only enhances the board’s appearance by adding a sense of depth but also plays a role in maintaining optimal thermal conditions.

The RAM slots feature latches on just one side, while the VRM is equipped with two heatsinks secured by screws and connected to the processor power subsystem through thermal pads. The VRM also boasts 18 phases (16+1+1), managed by a Digi+ ASP2100R PWM controller. For power elements, Vishay SiC623 rated at 60 A are used, with one dedicated to AUX out of a total of 17.

The TUF Gaming Z790-PRO WiFi also comes with seven fan headers, including one CPU_FAN, one CPU_OPT, four CHA_FAN, and one AIO_PUMP. Although the TUF Gaming Z790-PRO WiFi lacks built-in Thunderbolt ports, it does feature a Thunderbolt 4 add-on card header. This header is designed to work with a separate add-on card offered by ASUS and it brings Thunderbolt 4 ports and extra DisplayPort connectors to the PC.

The TUF Gaming Z790-Pro WiFi is a new motherboard arriving towards the latter part of the LGA1700 socket’s tenure, designed to accommodate Intel’s 14th-Gen CPU lineup. Positioned as a capable mid-range offering within the Intel Z790 Refresh motherboard category, it boasts a robust VRM configuration, support for PCIe 5.0 for graphics cards, a wealth of USB 3.2 connectivity options, a high-quality audio codec, and more. With its strong feature set, this board delivers solid mid-range performance while remaining competitively priced at AED 1430.

Price: AED 1430

Photography by Ryan Chris

Ever since the pandemic, everyone has turned into a “creator” of sorts. And with that, demand has risen for more powerful and feature-rich tech. Hence, many companies have started innovating and adding new products to their roadmap that focuses on creators. The ASUS ProArt series of devices focus on creators of today, and the ASUS ProArt B760-Creator D4 Motherboard is a new addition to that lineup.

Design-wise, the B760-Creator D4 comes in as a breath of fresh air. The chipset cooler’s transparent IO shield and minimalist design set this motherboard apart from others, creating a significant difference. The ProArt B760-Creator D4 motherboard is specifically crafted to cater to the demanding workloads of content creation, such as virtual production, 3D rendering, and 4K/8K video editing.

It excels in maximising the potential of both 13th and 12th Generation Intel Core processors by employing a robust power delivery system and an efficient cooling design. With its expansive connectivity options, including three M.2 slots, 2.5 Gb and 1 Gb Ethernet ports, a front-panel USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C connector, and a Thunderbolt 4 header, this motherboard provides comprehensive connectivity to fulfil your diverse needs.

The ProArt motherboard features 4+8 pin 12V ATX power inputs for enhanced power delivery. Concealed behind the VRM heatsink are three fan headers, ensuring efficient cooling for your processor, whether it’s a 12th Generation, 13th Generation Intel Core, or even a Pentium/Celeron if you prefer. Located at the top right corner are the initial components of the AURA RGB ecosystem, enabling you to showcase your preferred colour scheme if desired.

The lower section of the motherboard offers a wide range of PCI Express options. The primary slot, featuring armoured protection, is a PCI Express 5.0 x16 slot. Below that, you’ll find a PCI Express 4.0 x16 slot, and beneath it is a smaller PCI Express 3.0 x1 slot. This configuration provides ample room for expansion. In terms of storage, the motherboard includes 4 SATA 6Gb/s ports for traditional storage devices. Additionally, for those seeking faster storage options, there are 3 M.2 slots available. Two of these slots support PCIe 4.0, while one supports PCIe 3.0.

In terms of connectivity, you get a boatload of ports. This includes DisplayPort (8K@60 Hz), HDMI (4K@60 Hz), 4 x USB 2.0 ports, 4 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C, 2.5 Gb and 1 Gb Ethernet, 1 x Optical S/PDIF out, and 5 x Audio jacks on the rear panel. You also get a USB 3.2 Gen 1 front-panel header, a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C front-panel connector, 4 x SATA 6 Gb/s connectors, 1 x M.2 Slot (Key E), 2 x USB 2.0 headers, 3 x Aura addressable Gen 2 headers, and 1 x Aura RGB header.

Audio is handled by a Realtek 7.1 codec, which makes sense given that the 2.5G LAN port is also a Realtek offering. There is a Thunderbolt header here next to the other two RGB LED strip headers, one ARGB and one regular RGB. The package includes various accessories to help you right out of the box. These include a DisplayPort cable, two SATA cables, three M.2 rubber packages, an M.2 screw package, a Q-Connector, a support DVD, a user guide, and an Express Activation key card.

The sleek all-black motherboard proudly displays the ProArt branding, tastefully positioned on the sizable VRM heatsink and the accompanying plastic shroud. The chipset heatsink, designed as a spacious square, also features prominent ProArt branding. The slots and sockets on the motherboard maintain the black colour scheme, except for the primary PCIe slot, which is adorned with silver EMI protection. While the motherboard’s design is quite elegant and it provides the option to incorporate RGB lighting if you would like to.

The ASUS ProArt B760 Creator D4 motherboard is perfectly suited for content creation workflows, offering support for up to 128GB of DDR4 RAM with an XMP profile. This ample memory capacity ensures optimal performance, even when handling resource-intensive projects. The motherboard incorporates OptiMem II technology, which enhances memory stability and compatibility by optimizing trace layout, minimizing signal distance, and reducing crosstalk. Content creators can rely on this advanced technology to deliver consistent and reliable performance, regardless of the demanding nature of their projects.

To check out the overall performance of the motherboard, we put it through a bunch of benchmarks. Cinebench has long been an integral part of our benchmarking routine, effectively assessing both single-threaded performance and the overall thread count of your system, regardless of the specific version you opt to utilize. Witnessing its performance on high-core count CPUs is truly remarkable and awe-inspiring. It scored 6187 points on the Cinebench R15 benchmark and 314 points on Cinebench R15 – Single CPU benchmark.

Time Spy, an integral component of the 3D Mark suite, proves to be highly demanding, particularly in its Extreme form. It thoroughly tests the system’s capabilities, pushing it to its limits. In addition to the graphical performance, we also include the CPU Score as it provides a more comprehensive representation of the system’s overall capabilities, showcasing its prowess beyond just graphic capabilities. This approach aligns with the objective of our reviews, which aim to provide a holistic evaluation of the system’s performance. In our tests, the ASUS ProArt B760-Creator D4 Motherboard scored 12713 points on the Time Spy Extreme benchmark.

For a price of AED 999, the ASUS ProArt B760-Creator D4 motherboard boasts an attractive visual design while also providing a robust VRM (Voltage Regulator Module) to accommodate various CPUs. With its expandable nature, the motherboard offers ample room for customisation and upgrades. Additionally, the inclusion of dual Ethernet ports enhances the system’s security, providing an added layer of connectivity options.

Price: AED 999