With 14 models, Asus is starting the round of the new Z790 mainboards that accompany the market launch of the new Intel Core i-13000 aka Raptor Lake. The palette ranges from the Prime Z790M-Plus D4 for 280 euros to the ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme for a whopping 1,400 euros.
The Maximus Z790 Extreme is the best the spearhead
The Maximus Z790 Extreme is the largest (E-ATX), most expensive (1,399 euros) and best-equipped model in the series. It offers almost a full fairing through which two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots and one PCIe 4.0 x4 slot look through. A 2 inch (about 5 cm) diagonal OLED panel is used to display system parameters, the ROG logo or individual graphics (GIF).
-
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
Image 1 of 7
figure>
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
The lavish power supply with 24+1 phases, which sit under towering heat sinks, is already obligatory in the upper class. As with the Maximus Z690 Extreme, overclockers can use the ROG True Voltician as a gadget, which displays and records voltage curves in real time via the associated software. Asus wants to appeal to professional overclockers in particular.
There are already eight fan connections on the mainboard and six more can be added using a fan controller card. An M.2 2110 slot with PCIe 5.0, 10 Gbit Ethernet and various connections for RGB accessories are also included.
For the Mini-ITX model, there's the Strix Hive
The smallest model is the ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming Wifi, which is the only one that uses the Mini-ITX format with an edge length of just 17 cm. For 574 euros, the equipment is correspondingly high, although limited in some places due to the small space. For example, there are only two M.2 slots for SSDs and a single PCIe x16 slot. There are also only two DDR5 slots. The pre-installed I/O shield and a small daughter board with front panel headers and SATA ports are intended to facilitate installation in compact cases.
-
ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
Image 1 of 5
ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
The “Strix Hive” introduced with the Asus Strix X670E-I Gaming Wifi outsources various functions to an external USB device. This offers additional USB-C ports, headset jacks, a volume control and the BIOS Flashback button.
The Asus ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi DownloadEntry level means mATX for 280 euros
The price entry point for “only” 279 euros is the Prime Z790M-Plus D4, the only model in the mATX format as a compromise between ATX and Mini-ITX. There is also PCIe 5.0 x16 here, but only PCIe 4.0 for the three M.2 slots. The wired Ethernet is limited to gigabit speeds and the voltage regulators only offer 10+1 phases. The audio solution is more standard fare with the Realtek ALC897. USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 (20 Gbit/s) with connector type C is represented on the back panel, for example, and there are also RGB headers.
PRIME Z790M-PLUS D4 (Picture: Asus)
All Asus Z790 mainboards at a glance
The following series of images and table provide an overview of the fourteen Z790 mainboards from Asus, six of which still work with DDR4. The link in the list leads to the manufacturer's respective product page with further details.
The official start of sales is October 20, 2022. At the same time, the appropriate CPUs for the new Raptor Lake family aka Core i-13000 will be available and first tests appear.
-
PRIME Z790-A WIFI (Image: Asus)
Image 1 of 63
PRIME Z790-A WIFI (Image: Asus) 
PRIME Z790-A WIFI (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-A WIFI (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790M-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790M-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790M-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790M-PLUS D4 (Picture: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P (Picture: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P (Picture: Asus) 
PRIME Z790-P (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI (image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI (image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI (Picture: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI D4 ( Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790-P WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
PRIME Z790- P WIFI D4 (image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (image : Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 EXTREME (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO (Image: Asus)
ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)< figure class="thumbs__figure thumbs__figure--has-caption"> 
ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-A GAMING WIFI D4 (Picture: Asus)
ROG ROG STRIX. ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-E GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WIFI (Picture: Asus)
ROG STRIX ROG STRIX Z790- I GAMING WIFI (Picture: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
ROG STRIX Z790-I GAMING WIFI (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)
TUF GAMING Z790-PLUS WIFI D4 (Image: Asus)Z790 is not a must for Raptor Lake
If you want to use a new Core i-13000, you don't necessarily have to use the new Z790 chipset, which is opposite r the Z690 also only offers eight more PCIe 4.0 lanes (8 × fewer PCIe 3.0) and once more USB 3.2 Gen 2×2.
To the previous Z690 mainboards Intel Raptor Lake is also compatible, provided a corresponding BIOS update is available.