THE 13th generation Intel Core processors are now on the market and, to take full advantage of them, ASUS ROG (Republic of Gamers) has launched various motherboards suitable for all users and budgets. For those aiming for the high end, the new ROG Maximus Z790 Hero it can be the ideal choice for creating powerful configurations and for those who need maximum operational stability, even in overclocking. As the name suggests, ROG Maximus Z790 Hero is based on Z790 chipset and allows the installation of processors intel architecture-based Alder Lake And Rocket Lake.
Technical characteristics and connectivity
The ROG Maximus Z790 Hero card, with ATX form factorpresents, in addition to the LGA 1700 socketsalso two PCI Express 5.0 x16 slots with SafeSlot technology (connected to the CPU) and a PCIe 4.0 x14 slot (the latter managed by the chipset). As for storage, there are three M.2 slots on the motherboard (one M.2 22110 PCIe 4.0 x4, one M.2280 PCIe 4.0 x4 and one M.2 2280 PCI4.0 x4/SATA), to which two more M.2 22110 slots are added via the card ROG Hyper M.2while for the RAM we find four DDR4 7800+ MT/s slotswith technology support Dual Channel. Also, the functionality ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP extension) it allows for automatic kit tuning during system startup and takes advantage of motherboard PCB trace optimizations to push frequencies higher than ever before. AEMP II can also overclock mixed kits in a quad-DIMM arrangement, and the extensive support library now extends to nearly all DDR5 modules that otherwise lack XMP support.
Connectivity is pretty good, including on the rear I/O panel an HDMI video output, BIOS Flashback button, a CMOS Clear button, four USB 3.2 Gen1 ports, two Thunderbolt ports, four USB Type-C, six USB 3.2 Gen 2 ( of which 5 Type-A and 1 Type-C), a 2.5Gb/s Ethernet, two connectors for the antennas connected to the WiFi 6E network card, an optical audio output and five 3.5mm audio jacks. There is also a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 header and six SATA 6Gb/s ports. It is not missing therePolymo Zoned Lighting which covers the section of rear I / O ports, already seen on other boards of the ASUS ROG family.
Operational stability is ensured by a power subsystem with 20+1 power stages with high components qualitylike the 10K black metallic capacitors they MicroFine alloy inductors. In addition, the card offers dual 8+8 pin ProCool II power connectorsprecision engineered to ensure flush contact with the power supply feed lines.
The cooling system also includes generous aluminum heat sinks for the VRM and I/O connectors, heatsinks for M.2 slots it’s a chipset heat sink, while for the chassis there are various four-pin PWM fan connectors. Moreover, two water temperature sensors and one flow sensor feed information directly to the AI Suite utilityallowing for monitor the temperatures of the coolant and the flow rate of the internal circuit. Thanks to built-in LED sets (Q-LED), you will be able to identify at a glance the presence of any problems with the CPU, memory, graphics card or boot device, so as to make a quick diagnosis.
The ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard makes use of a Multilayer PCBto rapidly dissipate heat around the voltage regulators to improve overall system stability and provide the CPU with more overclocking headroom. Being a product intended for the public of gamers, support for technology could not be missing Aura Syncwhich allows you to have complete lighting control and a variety of presets for both built-in RGB LEDs and third-party accessories.
The card also features a chip ALC4082 for audio management, with functionality support supremefx, which offers up to 32-bit/384kHz high-resolution playback on all channels. The output from the front panel is transmitted through the ESS ES9218 Quad DAC, capable of driving high-fidelity acoustics to a wide range of loudspeakers and headphones. Also, thanks to technology DTS Sound Unbound and the software Sonic Radar III you will enjoy extremely immersive spatial audio, both with external speakers and headphones.
Software and overclocking
The ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard features advanced overclocking technologies. Thanks to the software control panel AI Suite 3 you can fine-tune almost every aspect of your system, choosing the right compromise between performance, cooling, stability, efficiency and aesthetics. The functionality ASUS AI Overclocking helps you get the most out of your build by automatically profiling the CPU and cooling system so you can evaluate the optimal settings and push your PC to the limit
The UEFI BIOS provides everything you need to configure, tweak and optimize your build and features two distinct modes (an advanced one that allows you to have complete control and a simplified one that displays the most important settings and information and offers wizards, drag-and-drop functionality). To carry out in-depth memory tests, the BIOS also integrates MemTest86allowing you to carry out the necessary tests to identify any problems with a single click, without the need to use a USB stick and start the operating system.
Moving on to the software, the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero motherboard takes advantage of the program Armory Crate which, through a single intuitive interface, allows you to customize RGB lighting for all compatible devices and connect them to Aura Sync for unique lighting. Plus, it delivers information and control over the various componentsas well as gives you access to all proprietary utilities, such as AI Cooling IIwhich allows you to balance temperatures and noise immediately, start the two-way noise cancellation with the help of AI or use Game First VI to optimize network performance by allocating bandwidth in real time.
Besides that, a sixty-day AIDA64 Extreme subscriptionwhich allows you to obtain all the information related to your system, as well as perform various benchmarks to measure the performance of the entire configuration or of individual components.
Who is it recommended for?
The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero has, at the time of writing, a price of about 750 Euros, lower than the 839 Euro list price. Despite the approximately 10% discount currently available, the amount requested is undoubtedly very high and makes this motherboard a niche product, addressed only to those who are really capable of making the most of all its features. If you are passionate about overclocking and want to push your new Intel Core Raptor Lake processor to the max, then this ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero could be for you. If, on the other hand, you simply want a motherboard with the Z790 chipset for your new gaming PC, but you have no particular interest in overclocking and the advanced functions offered by the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero, then we advise you to focus on lower-end solutions, more suitable for your type of use and also cheaper.
