
Intel Z890 Motherboard Roundup: 50 Boards Tested
Table Of Content
- Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi
- Asus Prime Z890-P WiFi
- Asus Z890 AYW Gaming WiFi W
- Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Pro WiFi
- Asus TUF Gaming Z890 Plus WiFi
- Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi
- Asus ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi
- Asus ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
- Asus ProArt Z890 Creator WiFi
- Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
- Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Apex
- Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme
- Asus ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming
- MSI Pro Z890-P WiFi
- MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi
- MSI Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
- MSI Pro Z890-A WiFi
- MSI Z890 Edge Ti WiFi
- MSI Z890 Carbon WiFi
- MSI Z890 Ace
- MSI Z890 Unify-X
- MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi
- Gigabyte Z890 UD WiFi6E
- Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7
- Gigabyte Z890 Eagle WiFi7
- Gigabyte Z890 Gaming X WiFi7
- Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7
- Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite X Ice
- Gigabyte Z890 Aero G
- Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Pro Ice
- Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master
- Gigabyte Z890 AI Top
- Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master AI Top
- Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top
- Gigabyte Z890I Aorus Ultra
- Asrock Z890 Pro-A
- Asrock Z890 Pro RS
- Asrock Z890 Pro RS WiFi White
- Asrock Z890 LiveMixer WiFi
- Asrock Z890M Riptide WiFi
- Asrock Z890 Lightning WiFi
- Asrock Z890 Steel Legend WiFi
- Asrock Z890 Riptide WiFi
- Asrock Z890 Nova WiFi
- Asrock Z890 Taichi Lite
- Asrock Z890 Taichi
- Asrock Z890 Taichi OCF
- Asrock Z890 Taichi Aqua
- Asrock Z890I Nova WiFi
- Colorful iGame Z890 Flow V20
- Maxsun iCraft Z890 Arctic
- Benchmarks
- VRM Temps
- Operating Frequency
- EPS12V Rails
- Chipset Temp
- Cinebench 2024
- Boot Times
- DDR5-8800 EXPO Validation, Gear 2
- Our Favorite Boards, What We Learned
Over the past few months, we’ve spent an unimaginable amount of time testing Z890 motherboards for latest-gen Intel CPUs, which, in hindsight, might not have been the best use of our time. We’re not even sure how many of you actually want an Intel Z890 motherboard. But for those who do – you’re welcome…
For testing, we’ve managed to acquire a total of 50 Z890 motherboards – actually, we might have a few more than that, but some are just WiFi and non-WiFi versions of the same board. Either way, we have way too many Z890 motherboards, and because we’re not exactly sane, we’ve tested all of them. This involved installing each motherboard into a case with thermal probes attached to the rear side, installing all the necessary hardware, and running a series of tests – each taking about a day to complete.
It’s been a lot of work, but now it’s time to present all the data – which is also going to take quite some time. Given the sheer number of products we’re covering in this single roundup, we’ll only briefly go over each model before diving into the testing data we gathered. By the end, we’ll be ready to highlight a few standout models. So, let’s get into it…
Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi
The most affordable Asus Z890 motherboard is the Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi, coming in at $230 – a high price tag for what is essentially a very basic board. That said, it has all the essentials: ten 80A power stages for the vCore, large VRM heatsinks, a pre-installed I/O shield, four PCIe slots on an mATX board, three M.2 slots, WiFi 7, 2.5 Gbit LAN, 20 Gbps USB, and eight USB ports on the rear I/O.
Asus Prime Z890-P WiFi
The most affordable ATX Z890 motherboard from Asus is the Prime Z890-P WiFi, which is essentially a beefed-up version of the Z890M-Plus. For just $10 more, it includes some worthwhile upgrades: the VRM now features fourteen 80A power stages, there’s an additional M.2 slot (bringing the total to four), the primary M.2 gets a heatsink, and the primary PCIe x16 slot has an easy-release mechanism. However, there are two fewer USB 5 Gbps ports on the rear I/O, making the rear connectivity disappointing given the price.
Asus Z890 AYW Gaming WiFi W
For an additional $10, bringing the price to $250, there’s the Z890 AYW Gaming WiFi W. The name is odd, and we’re not exactly sure what the deal is there, but that doesn’t really matter. This board looks great with a mostly white theme. However, note that the VRM is slightly downgraded from the Z890-P WiFi, featuring twelve 80A power stages for the vCore, and it only includes WiFi 6. On the plus side, all M.2 slots now feature heatsinks, and the rear I/O has been upgraded with two additional 10 Gbps USB ports, making for an unusual configuration overall.
Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Pro WiFi
The Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Pro WiFi looks like a serious motherboard, and it also comes with a serious price tag of $290. It features a silver/white design and jumps up to sixteen 80A power stages for the vCore, with extensive heatsinks covering most of the board. It offers five PCIe slots, four M.2 slots, WiFi 7, and 2.5 Gbit LAN. The I/O panel is more in line with what you’d expect from a flagship chipset – no USB 2.0 ports, just half a dozen 10 Gbps USB ports, plus two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C ports.
Asus TUF Gaming Z890 Plus WiFi
The black version of the TUF Gaming model is the Plus edition. It removes the massive heatsink covering the M.2 ports, leaving the second port exposed while ports 3 and 4 get a long heatsink, and the chipset gets its own heatsink. Other than that, it’s the same motherboard, and both cost $290.
Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi
Now, we’re stepping up to the most affordable ROG Strix model, the $370 Z890-A Gaming WiFi – almost a 30% jump in price. For that extra money, you’re getting a cooler-looking board – not that looks are everything, but it does look cool, so there’s that. The VRM has been upgraded with 90A power stages, but there are still sixteen of them, providing plenty of power delivery. The board also includes five M.2 slots, two PCIe x16 expansion slots, WiFi 7, and 2.5 Gbit LAN. The rear I/O has eight 10 Gbps USB ports, three of which are Type-C, with two supporting Thunderbolt. Additionally, the board features various easy-release mechanisms for M.2 ports, the WiFi antenna, and PCIe slots.
Asus ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi
Jumping into the $400 price range, the ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi costs $430. This model upgrades the sixteen vCore power stages to 110A models, pushing power delivery into overkill territory. The I/O is also upgraded with four additional USB ports – two USB 2.0 and two USB 5 Gbps – while an additional 10 Gbps port is converted to Type-C, bringing the total Type-C count to four. Other than that, the F and A Gaming models are very similar, making the $50 premium for the F variant questionable.
Asus ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi
For an additional $40, the ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi comes in at $470, and this is a hefty motherboard. It features eighteen 110A power stages, an insane seven M.2 slots (three of which are PCIe 5.0 compliant), and two PCIe slots. Compared to the F Gaming, the I/O has been upgraded with three additional 10 Gbps ports, replacing the USB 2.0 ports while maintaining a total of 14 ports.
Asus ProArt Z890 Creator WiFi
Asus also offers a productivity-focused board, the ProArt Z890 Creator WiFi, priced at $490. The VRM setup consists of sixteen 90A power stages with ample heatsinking. Onboard, there are five M.2 slots (one PCIe 5.0 compliant), three spaced-out PCIe x16 slots, and a reasonable amount of rear I/O connectivity, with ten USB ports in total. However, the standout feature here is the 10 Gbit LAN, which is a must-have for most professional users. The board also features two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots that can run in an x8/x8 configuration for dual GPUs.
Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Hero
Now things get crazy with the ROG Maximus range. Starting with the Z890 Hero at $660, it features twenty-two 110A power stages for the vCore, 5 Gbit LAN, 2.5 Gbit LAN, and WiFi 7. Compared to the ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi, it has one fewer M.2 slot but offers six PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots.
However, the rear I/O USB support is actually downgraded, with just three Type-C ports and four 10 Gbps Type-A ports – down from seven on the Strix model. Based on that, justifying the $170 premium over the E-Gaming is difficult, as it doesn’t add much for the extra 35%.
Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Apex
The ROG Maximus Z890 Apex is an extreme overclocking-focused motherboard with just two DIMM slots, allowing for the highest possible memory speeds. There are six M.2 slots in total, two of which are found on the ROG DIMM.2 card. The same 22-phase 110A power stage VRM found on the Hero has been used.
While it includes 5 Gbit LAN and WiFi 7, overall connectivity on the rear I/O isn’t particularly impressive, with 11 USB ports. However, this is an overclocking-focused product. If you’re looking to push a Core Ultra processor to its absolute limits and budget isn’t a concern, the Apex is an excellent choice at $715.
Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme
Speaking of money, if you have extra to burn, the ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme is the $970 motherboard you’re looking for. If 22-phase 110A power stages weren’t enough, the Extreme packs 24. It includes six M.2 slots, three of which are PCIe 5.0 compliant, as well as two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots – one wired for x16 and the other for x4 bandwidth. Additionally, it features WiFi 7, 2.5 Gbit and 10 Gbit LAN.
The I/O configuration isn’t particularly extravagant, with ten USB ports in total – five of which are Type-C. However, two of them support Thunderbolt 5, offering 80 Gbps throughput for Thunderbolt 5 devices and 40 Gbps for USB4 devices. If Thunderbolt 5 support is a priority, the Maximus Z890 Extreme makes sense at nearly $1,000.
Asus ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming
Finally, the ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming is a high-performance Mini-ITX motherboard priced at $450. The VRM features ten 110A power stages, and the VRM heatsink incorporates active cooling via a small fan. Naturally, there is only a single PCIe 5.0 x16 slot, but Asus has managed to include two M.2 slots along with two SATA ports.
Connectivity includes WiFi 7, 2.5 Gbit LAN, and nine USB ports on the I/O panel, with three additional ports accessible via front connectors, three on the ROG FPS card, and two on the ROG Strix Hive II.
MSI Pro Z890-P WiFi
The most affordable MSI Z890 motherboard is the Pro Z890-P WiFi, and at $240, it competes directly with the Asus Prime Z890-P WiFi. The VRM is considerably weaker despite also using fourteen power stages because, instead of 80A models, MSI has used lower-capacity 55A-rated power stages. It will be interesting to see how they compare in our testing.
Apart from that, they are very similar, as the Pro Z890-P WiFi includes four M.2 slots, four PCIe slots, and WiFi 7. However, MSI has upgraded from 2.5 to 5 Gbit LAN. The rear I/O configuration is almost identical, with MSI including an additional USB Type-C port. If MSI’s VRM is up to the task, the Pro Z890-P WiFi could prove to be the better board, though overall, they are very similar.
MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi
For those willing to spend a little more, MSI offers the Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi for $270. However, for that extra $30, there aren’t many upgrades. For example, the vcore VRM remains the same with fourteen 55A power stages. The PCIe slot and M.2 configuration remain the same, though the M.2 slots now have much more cooling.
The board still features 5 Gbit LAN and WiFi 7, though both have been upgraded from Realtek to Killer controllers. The USB and rear I/O configuration remain exactly the same, so the primary differences are a more aggressive-looking motherboard and a few extra heatsinks. For most, the upgrade won’t be worth it.
MSI Z890 Tomahawk WiFi
Next is the Z890 Tomahawk WiFi. MSI does an excellent job with motherboard names – they are quite distinct from one another – though the MAG, MPG, and MEG acronyms can be a bit confusing. The Tomahawk is a great-looking board, featuring sixteen 90A power stages for the vcore, putting it back into overkill territory for the VRM. It also includes massive heatsinks.
Other features include WiFi 7, 5 Gbit LAN, three PCIe slots, four M.2 slots, dual Thunderbolt 40 Gbps ports, and ten USB ports on the rear I/O, all of which are 5 Gbps or better. This well-stocked board should compete well at this price point.
MSI Pro Z890-A WiFi
The Pro Z890-A WiFi is an unexpected find at the same $290 price point as the Tomahawk, but this appears to be how MSI has positioned it. Spec-wise, it makes sense – you get the same sixteen 90A vcore VRM, three PCIe x16 slots, four M.2 slots, dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, 5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, and ten USB ports on the rear I/O, all of which are 5 Gbps or better.
MSI Z890 Edge Ti WiFi
Jumping from $290 to $370, we find the Z890 Edge Ti WiFi, a white-themed motherboard with a massive tool-free heatsink covering multiple M.2 slots and the chipset. MSI has once again gone with a sixteen 90A power stage vcore and added a massive heatsink for good measure.
This board includes three PCIe slots and five M.2 slots, though only one is PCIe 5.0 compliant. It also features WiFi 7 and 5 Gbit LAN. The rear I/O gains two additional USB ports, though one is USB 2.0. For an extra $80, there aren’t many additional features – mostly improved heatsinks and LED lighting.
MSI Z890 Carbon WiFi
Pricing goes to the moon with the Z890 Carbon WiFi, coming in at $500. So, what do you get for the money? MSI has packed the vcore VRM with twenty 110A power stages – again, overkill. The board has three PCIe x16 slots wired for x16, x8, and x4 bandwidth, configurable as x8, x4, x4 when all three are in use. There are five M.2 slots, though only one is PCIe 5.0 compliant.
MSI has also packed out the rear I/O, which is great to see. There are thirteen USB ports, all 10 Gbps or better, as well as 2.5 and 5 Gbit LAN, along with BIOS Flashback, Clear CMOS, and Smart buttons.
However, this model costs $210 more than the Tomahawk while offering a very similar PCIe configuration and the same audio solution. The biggest upgrade is the USB support on the I/O panel, so you really have to be in desperate need of many USB 10 Gbps ports for the Carbon WiFi to make sense.
MSI Z890 Ace
Now we reach $650 with the Z890 Ace – another $150 over the already arguably overpriced Carbon WiFi. This model features twenty-four 110A power stages powering the vcore, so sure, why not. The Ace supports three PCIe x16 slots and can run in an x8/x8 configuration or the same x8, x4, x4 setup as the Carbon when all three slots are used. The audio has been upgraded to the ALC4082 Codec with the ESS9219Q Combo DAC. There are still five M.2 slots, but now two support the PCIe 5.0 spec. The big upgrade is 10 Gbit LAN support.
The rear I/O now features fifteen USB ports, all 10 Gbps or better. The main justification for this board would be the 10 Gbit LAN, though adding this feature to the Carbon via a PCIe card – which can be purchased for as little as $60 and easily found for $100 – might be a better deal since you also retain the 2.5 and 5 Gbit LAN connections already present on the Carbon.
MSI Z890 Unify-X
Next is the Z890 Unify-X, MSI’s answer to the ROG Maximus Z890 Apex. It’s slightly cheaper at $700. As an overclocking-focused board, it has just two DIMM slots. While Asus went with twenty-two 110A power stages for the vcore, MSI opted for twenty, a small difference. MSI has also added a backplate, though the cooling configurations are otherwise quite similar.
Overall, the Unify-X is a more well-rounded board. The I/O configuration, for example, is better – not only does it offer more USB ports, but it also includes more high-speed ports. MSI has also included legacy PS/2 ports for both the keyboard and mouse, whereas Asus only offers a single combo port. The PCIe and M.2 slot configurations are very similar. Ultimately, the choice will come down to which board overclocks best or which design – Asus’s white theme or MSI’s black theme – is more appealing.
MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi
Finally, we have the Z890I Edge Ti WiFi, a Mini-ITX motherboard priced at $370, making it significantly more affordable than Asus’s Mini-ITX offering. Interestingly, it features the same vcore VRM as the Asus board, with ten 110A power stages. MSI has managed to fit a decent-sized heatsink with active cooling.
MSI has managed to blow Asus out of the water is with M.2 support, offering twice as many slots with four. This is crucial on a Mini-ITX board since there is typically only one PCIe slot, which is often occupied by a graphics card. This alone makes the MSI model a more compelling choice.
MSI also offers a significantly better I/O configuration, with no USB 2.0 or even 5 Gbps ports. Instead, it provides eight 10 Gbps ports and two Thunderbolt ports. Additionally, while Asus’s $450 ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming only includes 2.5 Gbit LAN, MSI provides 5 Gbit LAN – another feature that cannot be easily upgraded on a Mini-ITX motherboard. For these reasons, the Z890I Edge Ti WiFi stands out as a significantly better product at a much lower price.
Gigabyte Z890 UD WiFi6E
Time for the Gigabyte range, and we’ll start with the most affordable option and the cheapest Z890 board yet, the Z890 UD WiFi6E, which can be had for $210. As the name suggests, this model drops WiFi 7 in favor of WiFi 6E, though it does include 2.5 Gbit LAN. There are three M.2 slots, four SATA ports, and four PCIe x16 slots wired for x16, x4, x4, x1 bandwidth.
The VRM is quite basic but should be adequate, featuring a dozen 60A power stages on the vcore. Unfortunately, this board does not include a pre-installed I/O shield, though the I/O configuration itself is decent, with ten USB ports in total, four of which are the older 2.0 spec.
Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7
For $240, there’s the Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7, a MicroATX motherboard that, despite its entry-level price tag, looks reasonably high-end – especially when compared to the similarly priced Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi. Gigabyte has opted for a dozen 60A power stages for the vcore portion of the VRM, and there are plenty of heatsinks on this model, not just covering the VRM but also all three M.2 slots.
The M.2 heatsinks feature tool-free designs, and the primary PCIe x16 slot includes an easy-release button, neither of which can be found on the Asus model. The I/O shield is pre-installed, and the configuration is fairly standard for this price point, with ten USB ports in total.
Gigabyte Z890 Eagle WiFi7
Also priced at $240, the Z890 Eagle WiFi7 is an ATX model that upgrades to fourteen 60A power stages for the vcore. Once again, Gigabyte includes heatsinks for all four M.2 slots – tool-free ones at that – whereas MSI and Asus only provide a single heatsink on the primary slot.
The rear I/O includes ten USB ports, one of which is a USB4 port rather than Thunderbolt 4. This is preferable, as USB4 devices can reach speeds of up to 40 Gbps, whereas the Thunderbolt 4 port on the MSI Pro Z890-P WiFi limits USB4 devices to 20 Gbps. More PC users are likely to adopt USB4 devices, making this a valuable addition at the $240 price point.
Gigabyte Z890 Gaming X WiFi7
For an additional $20, the Z890 Gaming X WiFi7 comes in at $260. This model upgrades the vcore to sixteen 60A power stages and also features a more visually appealing design with an enhanced heatsink and LED lighting, if that’s important. Other than that, it is nearly identical to the Eagle model, featuring the same audio and networking setup with 2.5 Gbit LAN and WiFi 7, four M.2 slots, the same PCIe configuration, and a nearly identical rear I/O. The only difference is that the Gaming X replaces one of the 3.5mm audio jacks with optical out.
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7
Adding another $20 to the budget brings the Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 to $280. This model upgrades the vcore portion of the VRM to sixteen 80A power stages. Like the $240 MicroATX version, the Aorus Elite WiFi7 has a high-end appearance and competes closely with MSI’s Tomahawk.
It features four M.2 slots, all covered by tool-free heatsinks, along with an easy-access mechanism for the primary PCIe slot. However, the rear I/O configuration is less impressive than the Tomahawk, offering just a single Thunderbolt 4 port, two 10 Gbps ports, three 5 Gbps ports, and four USB 2.0 ports – a significant downgrade. The Tomahawk is the more well-rounded option.
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite X Ice
For an extra $50, the Z890 Aorus Elite X Ice is available at $330, placing it in a unique price range. As an ‘Ice’ model, it features an all-white/silver design – including onboard connectors – which looks amazing. Gigabyte has once again used sixteen 80A power stages for the vcore, and the board is covered in heatsinks.
There are five M.2 slots and three PCIe slots. The rear I/O includes eleven USB ports but only a single Thunderbolt 4 port and no other Type-C connectors. This configuration is somewhat underwhelming, especially compared to what MSI offers on its cheaper Tomahawk model.
Gigabyte Z890 Aero G
Gigabyte’s productivity and creativity-focused model, the Aero G, is priced at $350 – significantly less than the nearly $500 Asus ProArt Z890 Creator. It features sixteen 80A power stages for the vcore, five M.2 slots, and three PCIe x16 slots, running in an x8/x8 configuration when both slots are occupied.
The Aero G is cheaper than the ProArt Creator because it lacks 10 Gbit LAN and even 5 Gbit LAN, offering only dual 2.5 Gbit LAN. The rear I/O is also disappointing, with just nine USB ports, including a single Thunderbolt 4 port – the only Type-C connector. While much cheaper than the Asus model, the I/O is still lacking compared to more affordable options like MSI’s Tomahawk.
Gigabyte is planning a higher-end creator-focused Z890 motherboard called the Aero D, which will include better USB support, dual Thunderbolt 5 connectors, and two 10 Gbit LAN connections. However, this model is not yet available for testing.
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Pro Ice
At $400, the Z890 Aorus Pro Ice is another white/silver model using a sixteen 80A power stage configuration for the vcore VRM – identical to the Elite X but $70 more expensive. The key upgrades include an improvement in wired networking from 2.5 to 5 Gbit and a switch to an Intel WiFi 7 chip instead of a MediaTek one.
The M.2 and PCIe slot configurations remain the same, with the only other notable upgrade being an additional Thunderbolt 4 port on the I/O panel. Essentially, for an extra $70, you get faster wired networking, possibly better-quality WiFi, and one more Thunderbolt 4 port – not a particularly compelling upgrade.
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master
Jumping up in price, the Z890 Aorus Master is available for $560, positioning itself between MSI’s Carbon and Ace models. It features eighteen 110A power stages for the vcore and massive heatsinks. There are five M.2 slots, two of which are PCIe 5.0 compliant, along with three PCIe slots.
The rear I/O includes fourteen USB ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, four 10 Gbps ports, four 5 Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. While not as impressive as the MSI Carbon, it remains a solid configuration. Where the Master truly stands out is its 10 Gbit LAN, aligning it with the significantly more expensive MSI Ace.
Gigabyte Z890 AI Top
Things get out of hand with the Z890 AI Top, a $1,000 motherboard featuring sixteen 80A power stages for the vcore, three PCIe x16 slots, four M.2 slots, dual 10 Gbit LAN, and dual Thunderbolt 5. Measuring 30.5cm x 28.5cm, it is an extended ATX board with massive heatsinks covering nearly everything.
The I/O, however, is not as packed as expected, offering just ten USB ports and two audio jacks. Two USB ports are limited to 5 Gbps, but the Thunderbolt 5 ports provide 80 Gbps for Thunderbolt devices and 40 Gbps for USB4 devices. The Ai Top is certainly a unique board, and while insanely expensive, if you want dual 10 Gbit LAN and Thunderbolt 5, it’s one of the few boards offering these features.
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master AI Top
If the AI Top is of interest but the workstation look isn’t appealing, we introduce the Z890 Aorus Master AI Top for $1,300. This model features twenty 110A power stages for the vcore but, alarmingly, drops Thunderbolt 5 support in favor of Thunderbolt 4, effectively halving the available bandwidth. Fortunately, the dual 10 Gbit LAN functionality remains. The PCIe configuration is very similar, and there are still four M.2 slots, just one of which is PCIe 5.0 compliant.
On the rear I/O, there are two additional USB ports, and now the slowest port is 10 Gbps. However, Thunderbolt 5 has been replaced with Thunderbolt 4. It is unclear why this board costs an additional $300, so the more affordable and simpler AI Top model appears to be the better choice.
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top
But wait there’s more. For those willing to spend more, the Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top is available at an insane $1,900. This is the “I want all the things” model, and all the things you shall have. It features twenty-two 110A vcore power stages, dual Thunderbolt 5 on the I/O plus a Thunderbolt 4 single-port header onboard, dual 10 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, and dual PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for multi-GPU setups.
Insane onboard audio and heatsinks for days – there are a lot of heatsinks here. Your memory even gets its own active cooling, with RGB effects of course. The I/O is stacked with high-speed USB, the board is insane.
Gigabyte Z890I Aorus Ultra
Finally getting back down to earth, we have the last Gigabyte motherboard: the Mini-ITX Z890I Aorus Ultra, priced at $350 – $20 less than the excellent MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi. Gigabyte has the weakest power delivery of the three, though the eight 105A power stage vcore should still be sufficient for even the Core Ultra 285K. Unfortunately, like Asus, Gigabyte has only managed to include two M.2 slots, whereas MSI found a way to fit four.
Additionally, Gigabyte has only included 2.5 Gbit LAN, while MSI upgraded to 5 Gbit. Both boards feature WiFi 7 support. The rear I/O is also disappointing, with just six USB ports, including a single Thunderbolt 4 port, whereas MSI offers ten ports with two Thunderbolt 4 connections. While the Z890I Aorus Ultra is better value than the Asus Mini-ITX board, it does not compare favorably to MSI’s model for only $20 more.
Asrock Z890 Pro-A
As is often the case, Asrock outbid MSI, Gigabyte, and Asus for the most affordable motherboard, as the Z890 Pro-A comes in at just $190, $20 less than Gigabyte’s Z890 UD WiFi 6E. Asrock achieved this by removing wireless networking altogether, but it still includes 2.5 Gbit LAN. The board also features a solid sixteen 60A power stage vcore VRM.
There are three PCIe slots, four M.2 slots, and four SATA ports. On the I/O panel, there’s a very basic configuration, which is expected at this price. Included is a Thunderbolt 4 port, which supports 40 Gbps using either USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 devices. There is also a single 20 Gbps port, a single 10 Gbps port, two 5 Gbps ports, and four USB 2.0 ports. Given the price, this is quite good. For those looking at a Z890 motherboard and who don’t need WiFi, the Z890 Pro-A is hard to beat.
Asrock Z890 Pro RS
There are a few versions of the Asrock Z890 Pro RS, and we have them all. There is the base model for $220 and the Asrock Z890 Pro RS WiFi for $230, available in either black or white. The $220 non-WiFi model includes a sixteen 60A power stage vcore VRM and features the same audio and wired networking as the Pro-A, the same PCIe configuration, the same storage setup with four M.2 slots and four SATA ports, and the same I/O configuration.
However, the Pro RS comes with a pre-installed I/O shield. The primary upgrades include larger VRM heatsinks, heatsinks for three of the four M.2 slots, basic RGB lighting, and a pre-installed I/O shield. Whether this is worth the extra $30 depends on individual needs.
Asrock Z890 Pro RS WiFi White
For an additional $10, the Z890 Pro RS WiFi includes a WiFi 6E module, with an optional white version available for the same price. Compared to the Gigabyte Z890 UD WiFi 6E, the Pro RS WiFi features a more powerful VRM, an extra M.2 slot, and cooling for three of the four M.2 slots, whereas the Gigabyte board only provides cooling for a single slot. The Pro RS WiFi also features two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the rear I/O, whereas the Gigabyte board includes just one. For an extra $20, the Pro RS WiFi makes sense, but its value depends on the features needed.
Asrock Z890 LiveMixer WiFi
Things start to get serious with the Z890 LiveMixer WiFi at $240. This model includes eighteen 80A power stages for the vcore, making it the most powerful VRM available at this price point. Asrock also includes 2.5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, three PCIe slots, and four M.2 slots. However, the standout feature is the rear I/O panel, which offers fourteen USB ports, none of which are USB 2.0.
There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports supporting 40 Gbps via USB4 or Thunderbolt 4 devices, two 10 Gbps ports, and ten 5 Gbps ports. This configuration surpasses all other $240 boards, making the LiveMixer the most compelling Z890 board in this price range.
Asrock Z890M Riptide WiFi
The most affordable MicroATX Z890 motherboard from Asrock is the Z890M Riptide WiFi at $260. This model uses sixteen 80A power stages to power the vcore portion of the VRM, with cooling provided by two large heatsinks. It includes 2.5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 6E, and just a single PCIe slot, which is worth noting.
There are also three M.2 slots and four SATA ports. The rear I/O features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two 10 Gbps ports, four 5 Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, making for a decent configuration. Depending on individual needs, it could be a better fit than the Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi 7.
Asrock Z890 Lightning WiFi
The Z890 Lightning WiFi, priced at $270, includes eighteen 80A power stages for the vcore, cooled by large heatsinks. Most M.2 slots also have heatsinks. This model features four M.2 slots, four SATA ports, 2.5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, and three PCIe slots. The rear I/O is fairly basic, featuring two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two 10 Gbps ports, four 5 Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.
Asrock Z890 Steel Legend WiFi
At $290, the Z890 Steel Legend WiFi features a mostly white/silver design with some black connectors. It includes an eighteen 80A vcore VRM, 2.5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, three PCIe slots, four M.2 slots, and four SATA ports.
The I/O panel has ten USB ports, following the same configuration as the Lightning WiFi. In most aspects, the Lightning and Steel Legend are identical, with the primary difference being color. It is difficult to justify paying a $50 premium for the Steel Legend over the LiveMixer.
Asrock Z890 Riptide WiFi
At $300, the Riptide WiFi is a strong competitor to MSI’s Tomahawk. It features an eighteen 80A vcore VRM, 2.5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, three PCIe slots, and five M.2 slots. The I/O panel includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two 10 Gbps ports, four 5 Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports, making it similarly specced to the Tomahawk.
Asrock Z890 Nova WiFi
At $350, the Z890 Nova WiFi includes full heatsink coverage for all M.2 slots and a VRM with twenty 110A power stages for the vcore. It has two wired LAN connections (2.5 Gbit and 5 Gbit), WiFi 7, two PCIe slots, and six M.2 slots. The rear I/O panel features two Thunderbolt 4 ports, four 10 Gbps ports, four 5 Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports.
Asrock Z890 Taichi Lite
Now jumping up to $400, we have the Z890 Taichi Lite, a no-frills high-end offering that packs a twenty 110A power stage vcore VRM, dual wired LAN with 2.5 and 5 Gbit connections, WiFi 7, two PCIe slots, and six M.2 slots. Around the I/O panel, there are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, four 10 Gbps ports, four 5 Gbps ports, and two USB 2.0 ports – the same configuration as the Nova. In fact, the Taichi Lite and Nova are essentially the same board, but the Taichi Lite is a downgraded version, so the pricing here doesn’t make much sense.
The rear I/O is identical on both boards. However, whereas the Nova features a single large tool-free heatsink over the M.2 slots, the Taichi Lite’s heatsink is smaller, covering just three of the M.2 slots and leaving two exposed, and it lacks a tool-free design. The Nova also features an easy-release mechanism for the primary PCIe slot, whereas the Taichi Lite uses the traditional, more difficult-to-reach release mechanism. So we really can’t justify why the Taichi Lite costs $50 more than the Nova.
Asrock Z890 Taichi
But things get even more confusing because the standard Z890 Taichi costs another $100 at $500. In terms of specifications, it’s the same board as the Taichi Lite, just with a few extra RGB effects and tool-free design elements. Realistically, the Taichi and Nova are basically the same product – the Taichi just costs over 40% more.
Asrock Z890 Taichi OCF
Like Asus and MSI, Asrock has its own overclocking-focused motherboard called the Taichi OCF, which costs $600 – at least $100 cheaper than competing boards. Asrock has included twenty-two 110A power stages for the vcore, a slight upgrade over the Taichi. Of course, this is a dual DIMM board, which significantly helps with memory overclocking. The I/O is fairly basic given that this is an OC-focused product, and along with eight USB ports, there are two PS/2 ports.
Asrock Z890 Taichi Aqua
Then there’s the insane Z890 Taichi Aqua for $1,000, a very cool-looking board with a few unique features. As the name suggests, the board supports water cooling, with water blocks for both the VRM and the primary M.2 slot, using a detachable heatsink design. Powering the vcore VRM are twenty-eight 110A power stages, so like all high-end Z890 motherboards, power delivery has been taken to the extreme.
Asrock has also thrown in 10 Gbit LAN, 5 Gbit LAN, WiFi 7, two PCIe x16 slots, and six M.2 slots. One of the most unique aspects of the Taichi Aqua is the rear I/O, where there isn’t a single Type-A USB port. Instead, there are eight USB Type-C ports, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with four 10 Gbps ports and four 5 Gbps ports. It’s a shame they couldn’t make 10 Gbps the minimum spec here. It’s also worth noting that Asrock includes a USB 2.0 bracket for connecting basic USB devices such as keyboards and mice.
Asrock Z890I Nova WiFi
Finally, from Asrock, we have the Z890I Nova WiFi for $300, which is $70 less than MSI’s Z890I Edge Ti WiFi. Asrock has managed to include a more powerful VRM, packing a dozen 110A power stages for the vcore – two more than the MSI model. You’re also getting 5 Gbit LAN and WiFi 7, and thankfully, Asrock was able to include three M.2 slots – one less than MSI, but one more than Gigabyte and Asus. The rear I/O isn’t quite as feature-packed as the MSI model, but for $70 less, what we’re getting here is great: dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and six 10 Gbps ports. While the Z890I Nova WiFi isn’t quite as well-equipped as the MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi, in terms of value, it’s just as good.
Colorful iGame Z890 Flow V20
Randomly, we ended up with a single Colorful motherboard – the iGame Z890 Flow V20. This is a white/silver motherboard with the waviest heatsink design we’ve probably ever seen on a motherboard. We guess you could say the design “flows.” Anyway, we have no idea how much it costs, but we can confirm that it uses twenty 90A power stages for the vcore.
There are also two PCIe x16 slots, with the second slot wired for x4 bandwidth, along with WiFi 7, 2.5 Gbit LAN, and five M.2 slots – though only the primary slot is PCIe 5.0 compliant. Around the I/O, we find four USB 2.0 ports, four 10 Gbps USB ports, and two USB4 Type-C 40 Gbps ports. There’s no Thunderbolt on this board, but you are getting USB4.
Maxsun iCraft Z890 Arctic
We also acquired a single Maxsun motherboard – the iCraft Z890 Arctic. This is a mostly white/silver board, though it has some random black highlights, making the design direction a bit unclear. Once again, we have no pricing information for this model, but it is an interesting-looking board.
The vcore is powered by sixteen 50A power stages, which is a reasonable configuration for a Z890 motherboard. The most interesting aspect of this board is that it includes four PCIe x16 slots with support for lane splitting, allowing configurations of x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4. There are also four M.2 slots, WiFi 7, and 5 Gbit LAN. Maxsun has opted for USB4 support over Thunderbolt, and on the rear I/O, you’re getting an impressive nine USB 10 Gbps ports along with two USB4 40 Gbps ports.
Benchmarks
Now it’s time for some testing, and given that we had 50 motherboards to evaluate for this big roundup review, it was going to take a lot of time. To speed up the process, we decided to create two test systems, cutting the workload in half. Thermaltake came to the rescue, supplying us with the necessary parts to build two identical test systems.
For testing, we used the Thermaltake CTE E550 TG mid-tower case, Toughpower iRGB PLUS 1650W Titanium power supply, TH420 V2 ARGB Sync all-in-one liquid cooler, and a 32GB kit of ToughRAM XG RGB D5 memory. Both test systems were cross-referenced to ensure they provided consistent data, and a pair of retail 285K CPUs were used.
To record temperatures, we used a digital thermometer with K-Type thermocouples and reported the peak PCB temperature. Instead of reporting Delta T over Ambient, we maintained a room temperature of 21°C and ensured a consistent ambient temperature, with a thermocouple positioned next to the test system.
For the stress test, we used the Intel Core Ultra 9 285K, running Cinebench 2024 in a loop for one hour. At the end of the test, we recorded the maximum PCB temperature using K-Type thermocouples.
VRM Temps
The primary goal of this testing was to determine whether any boards throttled the Core Ultra 9’s frequency (which we will examine shortly) or ran excessively hot – over 100°C. Fortunately, all Z890 boards tested remained well within safe temperature limits. This isn’t surprising considering all boards featured rather beefy VRMs and many were well within ‘overkill’ territory.
It’s also worth noting that if one board runs at 52°C and another at 70°C, for example, both temperatures are well within safe operating limits and shouldn’t result in noticeable differences for users. Feel free to pause for a closer look at the data, but the key takeaway here is that all boards performed well, and there are no VRM thermal concerns when running the 285K.
Operating Frequency
Here’s a look at the average operating frequency for the P-cores, measured during the one-hour stress test. The good news is that all boards performed consistently, with only a 3% variance between the lowest and highest sustained clock speeds. This means performance differences should be minimal, which we will explore shortly.
EPS12V Rails
Before moving on, here’s a look at EPS12V rail power consumption. Please note that the Asus models do not receive all CPU power via the EPS12V rails – a few power stages are fed via the 24-pin ATX power cable, which explains the lower EPS12V readings for those boards.
For most boards, the 285K consumed between 239W and 262W, representing a 23W difference or up to 10% fluctuation. However, the Gigabyte Eagle averaged 268W, while the MSI Z890I Edge Ti pushed consumption to 289W, which likely explains its higher-than-expected VRM temperatures. It’s unclear why this was the case for the MSI board, as we used the latest BIOS available at the time of testing (7E33v1A11).
Chipset Temp
While this data isn’t particularly important or even relevant, we collected it across all boards, so we’re sharing it in case anyone is interested. The temperatures reported reflect the peak operating temperature of the chipset after the one-hour stress test.
Be aware that this data was not collected using K-Type thermocouples – instead, we retrieved it from HWinfo, so accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Cinebench 2024
After completing the one-hour stress test and logging all relevant data, we immediately ran a 10-minute Cinebench 2024 loop test three times and recorded the average result.
When looking at motherboard performance with VRMs running at peak temperature, there was a 6% performance variance from lowest to highest scores. However, if we exclude the Gigabyte UD, which was a small outlier, the margin narrows to 5%, indicating a very tight grouping of results.
Boot Times
Boot time performance is important to some users, and once initial memory training was completed, all Z890 boards booted quickly. This data is based on a three-run average, with boot times ranging from 18 to 21 seconds to reach the Windows desktop from power-on.
DDR5-8800 EXPO Validation, Gear 2
Memory validation took a long time due to the sheer number of boards – 50 in total – and we conducted only a one-hour stress test per board. All boards passed Gear 2 validation at 8200 MT/s and 8400 MT/s, but 8800 MT/s proved to be more challenging. Only 15 boards successfully passed the hour-long stress test, while 19 failed to POST. The remaining boards either crashed when loading into Windows or failed during stress testing.
Pass | Booted | Booted | Failed POST |
---|---|---|---|
Asrock Z890 Taichi OCF | Asrock Z890 Taichi Aqua | Maxsun iCraft Z890 Arctic | Colorful iGame Z890 Flow V20 |
Asrock Z890I Nova WiFi | Asrock Z890 Lighting WiFi | Asrock Z890 Taichi | Asrock Z890 Pro-A |
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite X Ice | Gigabyte Z890 Aero G | Asrock Z890 Taichi Lite | Asrock Z890 Pro RS |
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master | Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 | Asrock Z890 Steel Legend WiFi | Asrock Z890 Pro RS WiFi White |
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Master AI Top | Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Pro Ice | Asrock Z890M Riptide WiFi | |
Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top | Gigabyte Z890 AI Top | Asrock Z890 Riptide WiFi | |
MSI Z890 Unify-X | MSI Z890 Ace | Asrock Z890 Nova WiFi | |
MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi | MSI Z890 Carbon WiFi | Asrock Z890 LiveMixer WiFi | |
Asus ProArt Z890 Creator WiFi | MSI Z890 Edge Ti WiFi | Gigabyte Z890 UD WiFi6E | |
Asus TUF Gaming Z890-Pro WiFi | MSI Z890 Tomahawk WiFi | Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7 | |
Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Apex | Asus TUF Gaming Z890 Plus WiFi | Gigabyte Z890M Gaming X | |
Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Hero | Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme | Gigabyte Z890 Eagle WiFi7 | |
Asus ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi | Asus Z890 AYW Gaming WiFi W | Gigabyte Z890I Aorus Ultra | |
Asus ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming | Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi | Gigabyte Z890 Gaming X WiFi7 | |
Asus ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming WiFi | MSI Pro Z890-P WiFi7 | ||
MSI Pro Z890-A WiFi7 | |||
MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WiFi | |||
Asus Prime Z890-P WiFi | |||
Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi |
It’s worth mentioning that both Core Ultra 285K processors were able to run for multiple hours in Gear 2 mode with 8800 MT/s memory, provided that the motherboard was capable of supporting it.
Our Favorite Boards, What We Learned
That was a quick individual look at each one of the 50 boards we tested, along with all the benchmark data confirming that all Z890 boards perform at a satisfactory level. This is a nice peace of mind, as we have seen some truly awful motherboards featuring Z-series Intel chipsets in the past.
But which models should you be on the lookout for?
$200+
For budget builders interested in a Z890 motherboard, the Asrock Z890 Pro-A is hard to pass up, assuming you don’t want WiFi support out of the box. At $190, it’s the cheapest Z890 board, and aside from lacking WiFi, it has all the basics covered. The Asrock Z890 Pro RS is also a solid option, with the WiFi version costing just $10 more, and it is available in both black and white models. Gigabyte’s Z890 UD WiFi6E is another compelling choice, as is the Gigabyte Z890 Eagle WiFi7, which is priced similarly to MSI’s Pro Z890-P WiFi.
The MSI Pro Z890-P WiFi is a solid board, but at $240, it’s not the most competitively priced. However, we do appreciate that it offers 5 Gbit networking at this price point. Still, the best value board has to be the Asrock Z890 Pro-A, followed by the Asrock Z890 Pro RS WiFi, which includes two Thunderbolt 4 ports on the rear I/O and a strong overall feature set.
$300+
For those spending around $300, there are several good options, with MSI’s Z890 Tomahawk WiFi standing out as one of the best. The Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 is also a decent choice, but the Tomahawk edges it out overall. Asus’ TUF Gaming models are available, but they fall short compared to the Tomahawk, with only a single Thunderbolt port and 2.5 Gbit LAN. The best mid-range, $300-ish model is clearly the MSI Z890 Tomahawk WiFi.
MicroATX
The best value MicroATX model is an easy pick – the Gigabyte Z890M Aorus Elite WiFi7, which is significantly better than the Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi for about the same price. Features like tool-free M.2 heatsinks and a PCIe easy-release mechanism add convenience, and the board has a much more premium look overall.
Mini-ITX
The best Mini-ITX motherboard is the MSI Z890I Edge Ti WiFi, but the Asrock Z890I Nova WiFi is a close second. The Asus ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming is certainly a nice high-end ITX board, but it costs way too much and just two M.2 slots is very disappointing.
Extreme (Pricey) Motherboards
As for extreme motherboards, the MSI Z890 Godlike is disqualified as it was not ready for testing, leaving MSI out of the running in this category. Choosing a winner is tough, as there are several excellent extreme options, such as the Asrock Z890 Taichi Aqua, Asus ROG Maximus Z890 Extreme, Gigabyte Z890 AI Top, and Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top.
It’s difficult to pick just one. The Asrock Z890 Taichi Aqua stands out for its liquid-cooled VRM and M.2 design, along with its exclusive USB Type-C rear I/O configuration. However, the Gigabyte Z890 AI Top is also impressive, and the Gigabyte Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top is just nuts.
The most extreme, over-the-top, and absurd Intel Z890 board is clearly the Z890 Aorus Xtreme AI Top. However, our favorite option in this category is the more understated Z890 AI Top. For $1,000, it truly has everything – except RGB lighting, which we can certainly do without.
Ultimately, there are plenty of great Z890 motherboards available. We just wish Intel’s latest Core Ultra series of processors were more impressive – significantly more impressive, in fact. That would have helped justify the enormous amount of time and effort put into this content.
If you enjoyed all the testing we put into this big roundup, please share it, subscribe to our newsletter to receive news of future articles like this one, and check out our TechSpot Elite subscription option for ad-free browsing and additional perks.