Many consider the most important parts of the PC to be the CPU and the GPU, while these are incredibly important, we consider an often overlooked component to be the most integral. The motherboard is the component that ties everything in your system together and allows it to communicate. Not only that, but it's physically the building base of your entire system. 

The ASUS Prime Z790 is the bleeding edge chipset-wise, but it stands as a more budget option for those who don't want to compromise on the chipset but aren't too bothered about having all the latest and greatest features. I don't think we're too far off the X870 chipset, but for now, this is the best you can get for Intel. 

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ASUS PRIME Z790-A WIFI

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• Socket: LGA 1700
• Chipset: Z790
• Form Factor : ATX
• PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
• Memory speed : DDR5 7200+(OC)
• Memory capacity : 192GB

What We Think

The ASUS Prime Z790 is a no-thrills motherboard that can give you the best price to performance ratio of any Z790 on the market. It’ll allow your CPU to stretch it’s wings, and the design fits almost any build aesthetic.

Reasons to Buy

• Inexpensive
• Offers a lot for the price
• Great design and aesthetics

Reasons to Avoid

• Other boards offer more features
• No pre-installed I/O shield
• Lacks extensive OC support

• Shop on Amazon

✓ Editor’s Note

Why we gave this motherboard a 4.5

The ASUS Prime Z790 is pretty much everything a motherboard should be, it doesn’t break the bank, it looks the part, and it plays it too. The only thing I’d have liked on this motherboard with being a tester, are some troubleshooting ,mechanisms, but they won’t ,matter to the average user. This motherboard is very good and we highly recommend it.

Design 

The ASUS Prime Z790 is simple in design, with its white thermal plating and I/O shields and its black PCB, making it able to integrate seamlessly into most builds and aesthetics. It's white enough to be at home in a white build, but not too white as to look out of place in a black one. The RGB is a nice touch too around the I/O shield, but you can turn that off if you feel it makes the motherboard a bit too “gamery”. 

This board is ATX, meaning you won't be fitting this in any case smaller than the ATX format, so it's probably not ideal for the ultra-low power portable rigs that are very much in fashion right now. The Prime is built well, not the best motherboard, but well. It isn't as sturdy as say the X670E Hero from ASUS, but that's due to the lack of a backplate, so look out for those case shorts. Because of this, it's a great deal lighter and easy to handle, so that's a plus. 

Specifications

Here we will list all the important specifications of the ASUS Prime Z790. Understanding the specs is half the battle when choosing a suitable motherboard for you, or any component for that matter. The second half is to figure out your specific use case to avoid over, or under-spending. 

Socket	LGA 1700
Chipset	Z790
Form Factor	ATX
RAM	4 x DIMM, Max. 192GB, DDR5 7200+(OC)
VRM	DIGI+ VRM (14+1 Digital power design with DrMOS)
PCIe	1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot 3 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slots (support x4 mode)
Storage	3 x M.2 slot Key M (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
Fan Headers	6 x 4-Pin (CPU, CPU OPT, AIO Pump, Chassis, W_Pump)
Connectivity	1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port (1 x USB Type-C®) 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (1 x Type-A) 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (2 x Type-A) 4 x USB 2.0 ports (4 x Type-A) 1 x DisplayPort 1 x HDMI® port 1 x Wi-Fi Module 1 x Realtek 2.5Gb Ethernet port 3 x Audio jacks 1 x PS/2 Keyboard/Mouse combo port

We have condensed the list into all the specs you probably care about. We do encourage you to go and have a look, however, just to see the full list of what the Prime has to offer. 

Power delivery 

While most of the specifications are straightforward, the power delivery mechanism isn't so simple. We have explained roughly how the power delivery system in most motherboards works before, you can check out that explanation in our review of the X670 Crosshair Hero. 

This ASUS motherboard has a 14 + 1 DrMOS power delivery system that essentially cleans and filters the power before it reaches the CPU. CPUs love stable and clean power, especially if you’re going to take advantage of features such as overclocking your CPU, which this motherboard is fully capable of. 

PCIe and GPU connectivity 

The ASUS prime has a massive 4 PCIe slots, the top most being a reinforced PCIe Gen 5 X16 slot, the rest are X8's and don't offer the metal support like the top one does. This top slot is intended for use with a GPU, as the extra reinforcement is intended to help support the heavier GPUs of modern times. Still a pretty good idea to install a sag bracket though. 

The number of PCIe lanes corresponds to the number of data channels connecting the slot to the GPU, facilitating better bandwidth. X16 is the best you can get right now, meaning their CPU reserves a full 16 lanes to transfer data to and from the GPU, the more lanes the CPU dedicates to the CPU, the faster the GPU can work. 

Performance and efficiency 

We are measuring the performance effect on the CPUs that motherboards have, not necessarily the CPUs themselves – with that being said we are using the Intel Core i5-14600K as our workhorse for Intel motherboard testing. 

We want to take a look at the efficiency of the motherboard, as well as how it handles temperature. But first, we need to outline the components used in our testing, as we keep these constant throughout all of the Intel motherboard testing. Here are the components that we used to test the ASUS Prime Z790: 

Component	Name
GPU	RTX 4070 Ti Super
Memory	Corsair Dominator platinum DDR5 @ 6800MHz
CPU	Core i5-14600K
CPU cooler	ASUS ROG Ryujin III 240
Power supply	ASUS ROG Thor 1000W
Case	Cooler Master Masterframe

As you can see, we spared no expense when testing the Z790 Prime from ASUS. We wanted to use all relevant components and a test bench that we could keep consistent for a few years. If you want to know how we test motherboards, you can check out our page on it. This is part of our PC Guide Testing Labs, which encompasses all of the tests we do here using our in-house experts.

Now, lets see how the Z790 Prime performed in our benchmarks

Metric	Blender Monster	Blender Junkyard	Blender Classroom	CB R23 Multi	Geekbench 6 Multi
Score	142 spm	100 spm	68 spm	24,314 points	18,195 points
Max power from the wall	271.2W	281.4W	281.7W	281.3W	137.3W
Max Package Power (Watts)	151.46W	149.08W	151.26W	159.34	136.16W
Max VRM Temp (°C)	38°C	40°C	44°C	44°C	42°C
Max Mobo Temp (°C)	29°C	29°C	29°C	30°C	31°C

As you can see, the Prime facilitated the 14600K in doing its job. What we mean by that is that Prime allowed a platform that didn’t hinder the performance of the 14600K too much. All of the performance data you see here is within normal limits. It seems the Prime didn’t allow the CPU to hit PL1 though, as we see a total package power of around 150W across the board on average, quite the way off from the 181W of the PL1. As long as it doesn’t affect performance, it can’t be a bad thing, right?

Overclocking relies heavily on extra power, it seems as though, without disabling or upping the PPT, you’re going to struggle for stability when overclocking this Intel CPU. It seems like the motherboard is just barely giving the CPU what it needs. As long as this power ceiling is automatically adjusted when trying to get more juice out of your 14600K, all is well.

We usually measure the PPT of the CPUs we test when performing motherboard reviews, however, we couldn’t find a relative sensor this time. To solve this, we measured the power from the plug drawn by the whole system and compared it with the package power of the CPU. This gives us an idea of how much total power the motherboard is directing to the CPU, a larger percentage may be an indicator of inefficiency when the motherboards are all compared.

The ASUS Prime is a very efficient motherboard, and it’s pretty simple but not quite bare bones, it still has plenty to offer any user that seeks to buy it. As always, make sure that you analyze your own use case first, to see if it aligns with this motherboard.

Installation 

Installation is a breeze with this motherboard, and doesn't differ form any other in practical terms. All of the connectors are in the right place, and there are plenty of them. There are a lot of fan connectors around the CPU fan connector, the ASUS Prime also has a CPU fan opt, and an AIO pump connector, in case you're using a custom loop. 

Because of the lack of a back plate, the board does flex a bit if you don't support it properly, and it will be short if you don’t have it on standoffs. However, the motherboard is very light due to the lack of a backplate, so there's no reason to strain yourself upon installation. 

The Prime comes with an I/O shield that is decently high quality, this prevents shredding your fingers on those cheap metal ones that are razor-sharp, which is always nice. Sadly the motherboard does not come equipped with any Q-code indicator like some of the more premium motherboards, this makes troubleshooting installation issues super easy, but good ol' trial and error work too, just takes a little longer. 

BIOS usability and features 

The BIOS on the Prime is very easy to use, it encompasses all that we love about simple BIOS while giving you the advanced features of a convoluted one. Think ROG BIOS but a little easier, with a few fewer features. 

The Very user-friendly “Easy Mode” which can be accessed by pressing F7, displays all the simple tweaks that you'll probably want to make, such as setting the memory profile and monitoring the CPU fan speeds. You can also monitor temperatures from this screen. 

BIOS updates

Updating the BIOS with the Prime is basically the same as any other ASUS motherboard as it uses the same utility. The difference is that you cannot flash the BIOS on the Prime Z790. The difference between updating and flashing is that flashing can get you out of a bind, as it can be done with a PC non-functional. Regarding updating, the PC needs to be able to boot into the BIOS. Flashing is a fantastic feature but you have to pay for it. 

Updating the BIOS is simple though, just navigate to the tools section and look for the easy flash utility. There you can select the BIOS files on any source connected to the motherboard. Best to use the Root of a USB drive. Once selected, the motherboard handles the rest, and don't worry about bricking your PC, the motherboard won't allow you to install any BIOS files that it wasn't meant to receive. 

Memory stability 

We faced no issues with the Prime when running at the advertised memory speed of 6800 MT/s, so the stability gets a big thumbs up from us. We didn't need to do any manual tweaking to make the memory stable while running the 14600K, which can sometimes be a pain. 

Sometimes motherboards just don't like the memory profile that sets when you enable XMP, it's usually an issue with Ryzen CPUs, however, less so with Intel but it can still happen. 

Features that are nice to have 

The ASUS Prime is pretty bare bones but in a good way, one thing I do like is the reinforced X16 slot, keeping your GPU from sheering off your X16 PCIe slot at the solder. Another is the RGB, which allows this motherboard to feel more premium than it actually is. It's not a dazzling display of addressable LEDs, don’t get me wrong, but it's a little extra something.

It’s also nice to have WiFi built right onto the motherboard, especially at this price point. One of the things I personally hate when building a new PC is having to buy or find WiFi adapters for it. All of that is taken care of with the ASUS Prime, as you get an antenna with it.

CPUs that go well with this motherboard

We wanted to outline a list of CPUs that pair perfectly with the ASUS Prime Z790 motherboard, obviously one of those CPUs is the 14600K, as we used this CPU to test the motherboard. However, with this being a Z790, the sky is the limit in terms of CPUs you can pair with this motherboard. You can go all the way up to the 14900K if you like, any CPU from the 12600 will work a dream on the Z790 prime.  

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  Intel Core i5 14600K

  • Cores: 14 (6P-8E)
  • Threads: 20
  • Boost clock speed: P-Core 5.3GHz / E-Core 4.0GHz
  • Base clock speed: P-Core 2.6GHz / E-Core 3.5GHz
  • L3 Cache : 24 MB
  • TDP : 125W

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  Hands-on Review

  Intel Core i9-14900K

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Conclusion

The ASUS Prime is a no-nonsense, efficient, elegant beast, what more could you ask for? It gets the job done and paired with our 14600K, it spat out performance numbers on par with motherboards 3x times as expensive. If you want a no-thrills pick that will facilitate the day-to-day operation of your CPYU, then look no further than this marvelous beast. Thanks to its white aesthetic, it’ll genuinely fit in almost any build.

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ASUS PRIME Z790-A WIFI

4.5 /5

Editor’s Rating

How We Review

Specifications

• Socket: LGA 1700
• Chipset: Z790
• Form Factor : ATX
• PCIe Version : PCIe Gen 4 Storage – PCIe Gen 5 GPU
• Memory speed : DDR5 7200+(OC)
• Memory capacity : 192GB

What We Think

The ASUS Prime Z790 is a no-thrills motherboard that can give you the best price to performance ratio of any Z790 on the market. It’ll allow your CPU to stretch its wings, and the design fits almost any build aesthetic.

Reasons to Buy

• Inexpensive
• Offers a lot for the price
• Great design and aesthetics

Reasons to Avoid

• Other boards offer more features
• No pre-installed I/O shield
• Lacks extensive OC support

• Shop on Amazon

The quality is good, and the BIOS is easy to use, which are both big talking points when it comes to assessing a motherboard’s worthiness. You can go all the way up to the 14900K with this bad boy, thanks to the chipset being the best you can get right now. Not only that, but you get a nice little sprinkle of RGB In there, to make the whole thing feel a little more premium.