Electronic Components

The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero boasts robust cooling, WiFi 7 and ample PCIe 5.0 slot for unmatched performance, and it offers full compatibility with 14^thGen Intel Core processors. Meanwhile, its stealthy design is accentuated by new Polymo lighting, which illuminates the I/O shroud with a microstructural array of dual-layer RGB and adds a personalized touch of style to your gaming setup.

ROG OVERCLOCKING TECHNOLOGIES

Psyche up and engage the Dark Hero overclocker in you, with onboard intelligence to scan, predict, and adapt CPU performance parameters, and tools to command and track system vitals.

AI OVERCLOCKING

Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before. ASUS AI Overclocking profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration and push the system to its limits. Predicted values can be engaged automatically or used as a launching ground for further experimentation.

DIFFERENTIAL SENSING

Conventional motherboards use single-ended sensing tapped from a location that isn't ideal, leading to a large disparity between the actual voltage fed to the CPU and the value reported to software. The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero features a differential-sensing circuit and delicate IC that simplify overclocking and tuning by allowing you to track voltages more accurately.

TEAMED POWER ARCHITECTURE

Today's CPU architectures place incredible demands on motherboard power design by transitioning from deep power-saving modes, going from lower-power mode to full load in an instant. The latest ROG VRM architecture rises to the challenge by utilizing teamed power stages to rapidly swing current, while maintaining exemplary thermal performance.

ASUS became the first manufacturer to implement phase-doublers with the A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard, back in 2005. The board's VRM was lauded for elegantly overcoming the power handling capabilities of components that were available at the time while also reducing voltage ripple. Those benefits led to phase-doublers becoming universally accepted in the industry, and they are still used for similar purposes today.

Modern CPUs pack more cores than their predecessors, and the latest instruction sets allow them to crunch computationally dense workloads at an incredible pace. In addition, they consume less power at idle and can transition between load states much more quickly. These improvements necessitate a re-evaluation of power-design priorities because phase-doublers add a propagation delay that hampers transient response.

Fortunately, the latest integrated power components can handle higher currents than the devices of yesteryear, making it possible to implement a simple circuit topology that isn't hamstrung by the processing lag of phase-doublers. That's why the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero utilizes teamed power stages to deliver higher burst current per phase, while maintaining the thermal performance of phase-doubled designs.

Each VRM component serves a specific purpose. PWM controllers and phase-doublers control the circuit, and the power stages do the heavy lifting from an electrical and thermal standpoint. The power stages feature low RDSON to reduce switching and conduction losses, helping to improve overall thermal headroom.

MEMORY

Comprehensive memory tuning options are the cornerstone of ROG motherboards. With the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, you can extract all of the potential out of your DDR5 modules, regardless of if they're from an extreme-speed kit or an entry-level set that would otherwise be locked.

Intel^®Z790 LGA 1700 ATX motherboard with hidden-connector design and graphics card high-power slot for clean cable management, 20+1+2 power stages, DDR5 support with AEMP II & DIMM Flex, five M.2 slots, PCIe^®5.0 NVMe^®SSD slot onboard, PCIe^®5.0 x16 SafeSlot with PCIe^®Slot Q-Release Slim, Intel^®Wi-Fi 7 with ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna, two Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking, Two-way AI Noise Cancelation, and Aura Sync RGB lighting

• Intel^®LGA 1700 socket: Ready for Intel^®Core™ 14^th& 13^thGen processors, Intel^®Core™ 12^thGen, Pentium^®Gold and Celeron^®Processors
• Hidden-Connector Design:Delivers an unprecedented level of cable management to PC DIY enthusiasts
• Graphics Card High-Power Slot: Compatible with the PCIe^®high-power connector on the graphics card, delivering up to 600 watts through the motherboard
• Robust Power Solution: 20+1+2 power stages with dual ProCool II power connectors, high-quality alloy chokes, and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors
• Optimized VRM Thermals: Massive heatsinks integrated with the I/O cover, joined by an L-shaped heatpipe, and connected to the power stages with high-conductivity thermal pads
• Latest M.2 Support:Onboard PCIe^®5.0 M.2 slot, and four PCIe^®4.0 M.2 slots all with premium cooling solutions
• Abundant Connectivity: Dual Thunderbolt™ 4 USB Type-C^®ports, USB 20Gbps Type-C^®front-panel connector, six additional USB 10Gbps ports, PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlot, HDMI™ 2.1
• High-Performance Networking: On-board Intel^®Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Intel^®2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
• Intelligent Control:ASUS-exclusive AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking, Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation, AEMP II, and DIMM Flex to simplify setup and improve performance
• Immersive Audio: ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 codec with ESS^®ES9218 Quad DAC for up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback
• Unmatched Personalization: I/O cover with Polymo Lighting, three addressable Gen 2 headers and one RGB header, all configurable with ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting
• DIY Friendly Design:PCIe^®Slot Q-Release Slim, M.2 Q-Latch, Q-Antenna, pre-mounted I/O shield, Q-Code, Q-LED, FlexKey button, Start button, BIOS FlashBack™ button, and Clear CMOS button
• Renowned Software:Bundled 1-year AIDA64 Extreme trial subscription and intuitive UEFI BIOS dashboard with integrated MemTest86

ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF

ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF is the first ROG motherboard with a hidden-connector design and graphics card high-power slot that delivers up to 600 watts of power for BTF graphics cards through the motherboard, providing an unprecedented level of cable management to PC DIY enthusiasts. It also boasts robust cooling, WiFi 7 and ample PCIe^®5.0 slots for unmatched performance, plus full compatibility with 14^thGen Intel^®Core™ processors.

ADVANCED BTF DESIGN

With the combination of a BTF graphics card, motherboard and chassis, you can enjoy a full hidden-connector experience. This Advanced BTF approach is achieved through the new graphics card high-power slot available on BTF motherboards, which can deliver up to 600 watts to BTF graphics cards. With a full set of BTF components, builders can eliminate visible cables for an

AI NETWORKING II

AI Networking II combines intelligent technologies to continuously optimize network performance, provide trustworthy and seamless connectivity, and unleash the full speed of WiFi 7.

ai OVERCLOCKING

Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before.

AI COOLING II

Balance the thermals and acoustics of any build with a single click.

ASUS AI ADVISOR

Using AI technology to understand natural-language questions or scenario descriptions, ASUS AI Advisor allows users to explore the functionality and advanced features of ASUS motherboards in a simple andstraightforward way.

Performance

OVERCLOCKING

NPU BOOST

The integrated NPU in Intel^®Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) efficiently accelerates AI workflows - and NPU Boost lets you do more with it. This BIOS feature overclocks the NPU with just one click, increasing performance by up to 24%.

AI NETWORKING II

AI Networking II combines intelligent technologies to continuously optimize network performance, provide trustworthy and seamless connectivity, and unleash the full speed ofWiFi 7*

ai OVERCLOCKING

Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before.

AI COOLING II

Balance the thermals and acoustics of any build with a single click.

ASUS AI ADVISOR

Using AI technology to understand natural-language questions or scenario descriptions, ASUS AI Advisor allows users to explore the functionality and advanced features of ASUS motherboards in a simple andstraightforward way

Performance

OVERCLOCKING

NPU BOOST

The integrated NPU in Intel^®Core™ Ultra Processors (Series 2) efficiently accelerates AI workflows - and NPU Boost lets you do more with it. This BIOS feature overclocks the NPU with just one click, increasing performance by up to 24%.

The ROG Maximus Z890 Hero unleashes the performance of Intel^®Core™ Ultra processors(Series 2)via exclusive AI PC technologies, robust power delivery, optimized thermal management, extensive PCIe^®5.0 support, DDR5 slots and WiFi 7. Meanwhile, angular design elements and Polymo II Lighting accents around the ROG logo deliver a signature aesthetic that elevates system design.

AI NETWORKING II

AI Networking II combines intelligent technologies to continuously optimize network performance, provide trustworthy and seamless connectivity, and unleash the full speed ofWiFi 7

ai OVERCLOCKING

Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before.

AI COOLING II

Balance the thermals and acoustics of any build with a single click

ASUS AI ADVISOR

Using AI technology to understand natural-language questions or scenario descriptions, ASUS AI Advisor allows users to explore the functionality and advanced features of ASUS motherboards in a simple andstraightforward way.