Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
The ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-I Gaming WiFi is the top contender for the Best Mini-ITX Z790 Motherboard thanks to its top-notch performance, with clever space-saving VRM heatsink architecture and the fastest DDR5 memory specification, which makes it a top priority for users looking for a Mini-ITX Z790 motherboard. Performance: 8.5/10 You want an exceptional feature set: The ROG Maximus Z790 HERO has support for 2 PCIe 5.0 x16 slots parallel to a PCIe 5.0 M.2 card slot, a feat that even most high-end motherboards fail to achieve. Don’t Buy It If: The ROG STRIX Z790-I Gaming Wi-Fi motherboard cuts down on size, not features. You get 2x DIMM slots with support for a maximum of 64GB DDR5 memory up to 7600MHz, a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for your graphics card, one M.2 slot with PCIe Gen 5 speeds, another M.2 with PCIe Gen 4 speeds, 2x SATA ports, and 2x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports for dual bidirectional fast data transfer. Oh, and there’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 built right into the board, with support for 2.5GbE LAN.
The MSI MAG Z790 Tomahawk WiFi is a midrange Z790 motherboard that punches above its weight class. It's loaded with high-end features, like support for the latest PCIe 5.0 graphics cards and DDR5 RAM, allowing you to build a powerful PC that can match the performance of flagship Z790 motherboards at a much more reasonable price.The board also misses out on 10GbE LAN but makes up for it by giving you onboard Wi-Fi 6E (it’s baked-in, so you don’t have to buy a Wi-Fi card separately), which is nice to have. And while there’s no Thunderbolt or USB 4.0 action, there are a handful of USB 3.2 Gen 2 (and a Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2×2) ports for your connectivity needs.
The board also shines in the looks department (literally) with tasteful lighting and an industrial aesthetic. It’s definitely an eye-catcher! So overall, a highly recommended motherboard! You want more expansion slots:Of course, the Z790-I does have limited potential for future expansion due to its compact frame. What Makes It The Best Mini-ITX Z790 Motherboard? How about PCIe Gen 5? Does a small motherboard like this mean you’re not fully covered here? Not at all! Being Z790, you’re given a PCIe Gen 5 16x slot—only one due to the space constraints. That’s for your GPU, which will have more than enough headroom for even future releases compared to PCIe Gen 4. Storage support Form factor: The form factor of a motherboard is its size and shape. The most common form factors for desktop computers are ATX, microATX, and mini-ITX. Immersive Gaming Audio: ALC4050 with ESS ® SABRE 9260Q DAC, along with DTS ® Sound Unbound and Sonic Studio IIIHigh-Performance Networking: On-board Intel Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) and Intel 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard If you want a well-rounded motherboard that doesn’t break the bank, the Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX makes a ton of sense for your latest 13th-Gen Intel CPU. It features 4x DIMM DDR5 slots rated for a maximum capacity of 128GB and speeds of 7600MT/s. There’s one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot for the GPU, 2x M.2 slots running at PCIe 4.0 speeds, six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, plenty of USB ports and headers (up to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2), 2.5GbE LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3.
However, DDR5 fails to match or surpass DDR4 in terms of CAS Latencies and RAM Timings. Even high-end DDR5 Kits struggle to achieve CL numbers below 30, while mainstream DDR4 RAM often achieves CAS Latencies between CL 14-18.If you're considering a compact build but want more connectivity options, this micro ATX motherboard from ASUS is an excellent option. It's more affordable than most Z790 motherboards and still offers DDR5 and PCIe 5.0 support. It also features more USB ports, RAM slots, and PCIe expansion slots than ITX boards, which is great if you want to upgrade your PC down the road. The NVMe slot is also PCIe Gen 5. In this regard, the motherboard stands out from the many others that cap the NVMe slots at PCIe Gen 4 even if the board supports Gen 5. This will be a nice-to-have feature going forward as more PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives are released, letting you take full advantage of the 13th-gen Z790 platform with all of the bells and whistles. Here, connectivity options are solid too. You get 2.5GbE LAN, onboard Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, six SATA connectors, Type-C ports (front and rear I/O), and multiple USB ports up to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 speeds.
Great Deal 
New Comment