ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO

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ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO

Intel® Z790 LGA 1700 ATX motherboard with 20+1+2 power stages, DDR5 support with AEMP II & DIMM Flex, Intel® Wi-Fi 7 with ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna, five M.2 slots, PCIe® 5.0 NVMe® SSD slot onboard, PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots with PCIe Slot Q-Release, two Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, USB 20Gbps Type-C® front-panel connector with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W, 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™ 14th & 13th Gen processors, Intel® Core™ 12th Gen, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors
  • 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 substantial cooling solutions
  • Abundant Connectivity: Dual Thunderbolt™ 4 USB Type-C® ports, USB 20Gbps Type-C® front-panel connector with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W and USB Wattage Watcher, six additional USB 10Gbps ports, two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots, 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, 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 9-month Intel® Unison™ subscription, bundled 1-year AIDA64 Extreme trial subscription and intuitive UEFI BIOS dashboard with integrated MemTest86

Awards

DARK HERO

ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero

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 14th Gen 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.

Click to check our Z790 Motherboard Guide


ROG
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The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero is the ultimate partner for any Intel 13th Gen processor.
  • x1 onboard M.2 slot, and x2 PCIe 5.0 x16 slots

  • Effortless performance boost

  • One-click fan tuning

  • 20+1+2 Power Stages

SPEC OVERVIEW

  • Cooling
  • Gaming Immersion
  • Connectivity

Extreme Power & Performance

Performance specs of the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero Performance specs of the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
  1. DUAL PROCOOL II POWER
    CONNECTORS
  2. 20+1+2 POWER STAGES
  3. EXPANSION SLOTS

    ・ 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Safeslots (x16, x8/x8)

    ・ 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 Slot

  4. INTEL® SOCKET LGA 1700

    For 14th Gen & 13th Gen Intel Core™ Processors, and 12th Gen Intel Core, Pentium® Gold, and Celeron® Processors

  5. DDR5, 4 X DIMM

    ・ Max. 192GB

    ・ Dual Channel

  6. 5 X M.2 SLOTS

    ・ 1 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 5.0 x4)

    ・ 4 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4)

PERFORMANCE

  • Power Design
  • Memory

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.

  • Differential Sensing

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.

AI Overclocking lets you automatically optimize performance.

COOLING

  • Headers
  • ROG Water-Cooling Zone
  • Compatibility

Cooler by Design

The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero features an upgraded cooling solution.
  1. VRM and aluminum I/O heatsink

    A VRM heatsink on the MOSFETs and chokes is connected to the aluminum I/O cover via an embedded heatpipe to increase mass and surface area for dissipation.

  2. M.2 heatsinks and backplates

    Large aluminum heatsinks provide extensive surface area to cool mounted M.2 drives, and each of the three onboard slots has a dedicated backplate for additional heat dissipation.

  3. High-conductivity thermal pads

    Each thermal pad improves overall heat transfer from the system by bridging the heat generated by the power stages to the heatsink. For future maintenance, a replacement thermal pad can also be found in the package.

  4. Metal backplate

    A metal plate spans the underside of the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, establishing a reinforced platform for smoother DIY PC building.

  5. Chipset heatsink

    A dedicated heatsink draws heat away from the chipset to maintain optimum operating temperature.

CONNECTIVITY

  • USB Ports
  • Audio
  • WIFI 7

    Next-gen WiFi 7* chipset introduces all-new ultrawide 320 MHz channel bandwidth in the 6 GHz band and 4096 QAM, delivering up to 2.4X ultra-fast WiFi speeds**. The revolutionary Multi-Link Operation (MLO) provides a more stable WiFi connection and lower latency, unlocking the realms of the unknown in gaming, streaming, and industrial IoT.

    Learn more about Multi-link Operation (MLO) and WiFi 7 technology.

    *WiFi 7 features require onboard WiFi chipset, WiFi AP, and WiFi 7-supported operating systems to support the corresponding features. The 320 Mhz in the 6 GHz band may be unavailable in some regions / countries due to regulatory restrictions. Expected support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO) will be available later this year (October 2023). Please visit the ASUS support page for more information.
    **Compared to WiFi 6E
  • 2.5Gb ETHERNET

    Low-latency gaming, speedy file transfers, and high-resolution video streaming are among the many perks of onboard Intel® 2.5 Gbps Ethernet.

  • ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna

  • Fast Check

  • Direction Finder

USB Wattage Watcher

USB Wattage Watcher allows users to monitor the current wattage delivered to a device connected to the USB 20Gbps Type-C front-panel connector. With USB Wattage Watcher, users can glance at their device's charging wattage in real-time and check on their device’s Fast-Charging status.

The UI picture of USB Wattage Watcher

DIY-FRIENDLY FEATURES

  • PCIE® SLOT Q-RELEASE

  • M.2 Q-Latch

  • Q-Antenna

  • Q-CODE

  • Q-LED

  • BIOS FLASHBACK™ & CLEAR CMOS

OPTIMIZATION

  • AI Cooling II
  • TWO-WAY AI NOISE CANCELATION
  • AI Networking
ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero AI Cooling II user interface

AI COOLING II

Balance the thermals and acoustics of any build with a single click. A proprietary ASUS algorithm slashes unnecessary noise while running a quick stress test, and then monitors CPU temperatures to dynamically adjust fans to optimal speeds.

A gaming scenario showcases two-way AI noise cancelation

TWO-WAY AI NOISE CANCELATION

This utility leverages a massive deep-learning database to reduce over 5 million types of background noise from incoming or outgoing audio, helping ensure crystal-clear communication in games or calls.

Hear the difference

AI ON

AI OFF

AI networking can be used to improve network performance

AI NETWORKING

GameFirst is now integrated into Armoury Crate for an even better user experience. GameFirst optimizes networking performance by allocating bandwidth in real time, based on intelligent algorithms designed for various application customizable usage scenarios and corresponding learning algorithms. The latest update includes dedicated support for NVIDIA® GeForce NOW to ensure the lowest latency possible during intense game streaming cloud gaming sessions. To provide a better user’s experience, GameFirst is now integrated into Armoury Crate.

PERSONALIZATION

  • Gaming Audio

GROW YOUR GAMING WORLD WITH AURA SYNC

Up your game with complementary Aura Sync enhanced aesthetics, featuring preset lighting effects that can be easily synchronized across compatible ROG graphics cards, monitors, keyboards, and mice to give your setup a unified look.

Learn more about Aura Sync

  • Static
  • Breathing
  • Strobing
  • Rainbow
  • Color cycle
  • Starry night
  • Music effect
  • Smart
  • Adaptive color
  • Dark
The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero features Aura Sync.
Addressable Gen 2 RGB Header

ADDRESSABLE GEN 2 RGB HEADERS

ARGB GEN2, POWERED BY AURA SYNC

The addressable Gen 2 RGB headers can be controlled with Aura software, which automatically tailors your preferred lighting effects to the number of LEDs present in the connected gear or strip. The new headers also offer backward-compatibility with existing Aura RGB components.

A tree with the ROG logo in the background A tree with the ROG logo in the background

Dare to Be Green

We at the Republic of Gamers are on a mission to create a sustainable future where all gamers can flourish on the planet we call home.

Every step counts, and as part of ROG’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future, ROG has begun to utilize post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and paper materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC™) in the packaging of motherboard.

Intel® Unison™

Our latest ROG and ROG Strix Z790 WiFi 7 motherboards help you unify your tech life with a free 9-month subscription to Intel Unison.

Intel Unison lets you use a compatible tablet as a second display, wirelessly transfer content between your phone, computer and tablet, and to do thing like accessing your smartphone’s picture photos while you’re working from on your PC. You can also keep an eye on your text messages and notifications while you’re working on your PC to stay connected without losing your flow, and you can even make phone calls without touching your phone.

Learn more
Note: Certain functions are expected to be operational in Q4 2023; however, the actual support will be contingent upon Intel's preparedness.
a laptop, tablet and mobile phone with Intel Unison UI

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

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ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO EVA-02 EDITION

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ROG MAXIMUS Z790 FORMULA

Intel® Z790 LGA 1700 ATX motherboard with 20+1+2 power stages, Advanced AI PC ready, DDR5 support with AEMP II and DIMM Flex, Intel® Wi-Fi 7 with ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna, five M.2 slots, PCIe® 5.0 NVMe® SSD slot onboard, PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots with PCIe Slot Q-Release, two Thunderbolt™ 4 ports, USB 20Gbps Type-C® front-panel connector with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W, AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking, Two-way AI Noise Cancelation, and Aura Sync RGB lighting.

ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO BTF

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