Asus, EVGA, MSI, Gigabyte and NZXT unveil Intel Z790 motherboards

A new generation of Intel processors is upon us, and with it, there are a ton of new motherboards ready to be paired with the latest CPUs. MSI, Asus, Gigabyte, NZXT, and EVGA have introduced new products, giving plenty of options for choosing the perfect motherboard for your system.

All motherboard partners have introduced at least two models. MSI and Asus, however, went into full throttle mode, each launching over ten models, including ITX motherboards for SFF fans and E-ATX boards for those looking for a vast feature set. At the moment, only Asus has introduced an M-ATX motherboard.

Starting with MSI, the company's MEG series will include the E-ATX Z790 Godlike and ATX Z790 Ace models. Featuring up to 26+2 power phase design with 105A SPS, MSI beefed up its VRM cooling system with an all-aluminium cover under a Wavy Fin Array-design and a U-Shape VRM heatsink with direct touch heat pipes and 7W/MK thermal pads. The Godlike model also features Lightning Gen 5.0 PCIe slots and Gen 5 M.2 support, and a new M-Vision dashboard with a 4.5-inch screen.

MSI's MPG series will include four models: MPG Z790 Carbon WIFI, MPG Z790 Edge WIFI, MPG Z790 Edge WIFI DDR4 and Mini-ITX MPG Z790I Edge WIFI. With up to 19+1+1 power phases, extended heatsinks with heat pipes, and Lightning Gen 5.0 PCIe connectivity, The ATX motherboards will have five M.2 slots, while the Mini-ITX models only have three M.2 slots.

For now, the Z790 Tomahawk WIFI DDR5 and DDR4 models are the only MSI MAG series board. Packing 16+1+1 DRPS power phase design with 90A SPS and dual-8 pin CPU power connectors, the Tomahawk boards have all it needs to become the go-to solution for most gamers. Lightning Gen 5.0 PCIe slot, 2.5G LAN and WiFi 6E solution are also supported.

The MSI PRO series will be at the lower bottom tier, but don't let that fool you. They'll still feature up to 16+1+1 DRPS power phase VRM design, Lightning Gen 5.0 PCIe slot, M.2 Shield Frozr heatsinks, 2.5G LAN, WiFi 6E, and Lightning USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C support. Initially, MSI will launch over six PRO series boards, including DDR5 and DDR4 versions, as well as WiFi and non-Wi-Fi models.

Like MSI's line-up, Asus also has a lot of options for anyone planning to get a 13th Gen core chip. At the top of the hierarchy, we have the E-ATX ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme and the ATX Maximus Z790 Hero. A quick look at the former shows that it stands a cut above the rest, featuring massive heatsinks, 24+1 power phase design, full cover design and a display on top of the VRM heatsink. However, the Z790 Hero doesn't stray too much from the Extreme model, with its RGB lighting in the PMMA nameplate placed on top of the VRM heatsink, bundled ROG Hyper M.2 add-in card capable of supporting two additional M.2 SSDs (one PCIe 5.0 and one PCIe 4.0), and a 20+1 teamed power stage configuration.

Just below the ROG Maximus, we have the ROG Strix gaming boards. Overall, they're intended to be cut-down versions of the flagship models, with PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots and PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, WiFi 6E connectivity, sizable heatsinks, Thunderbolt 4 support, and 2.5G LAN ports. There will be four Strix models, including the ROG Strix Z790-E Gaming WiFi, ROG Strix Z790-F Gaming WiFi, ROG Strix Z790-A Gaming WiFi D4, and ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi (mini-ITX).

The TUF Gaming series will likely remain a popular solution amongst PC builders, thanks to its comprehensive feature set and lower price point. The 16+1 DrMOS power stages should be enough to handle even the most power-demanding 13th Gen Core chips, but the lack of DDR5 memory suggests you won't likely pair a Core i9-13900K with such boards. The TFU Gaming series will only have two models, both only supporting DDR4 memory. These models are the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus WiFi D4 and the TUF Gaming Z790-Plus D4 boards.

The Prime series is once again the entry-level for Asus, but the Prime Z790-A WiFi may prove to be quite interesting. Supporting DDR5 memory, WiFi 6E, 2.5G LAN, and every other essential you expect from a mid-range board, the Z790-A could be seen as the DDR5 alternative to the TUF Gaming DDR4 models. In addition to this model, there will also be the M-ATX Prime Z790M-Plus D4 (only M-ATX board introduced) and four Prime Z790-P (D4 WiFi and non-WiFi and D5 WiFi and non-WiFi).

Gigabyte is also preparing a set of motherboards for the 13th Gen Core chips. The Aorus series will include the Z790 AORUS XTREME, Z790 AORUS MASTER, Z790 AORUS ELITE, and Z790 AORUS TACHYON. Similar to other high-end motherboards, these will have VRM designs with up to 20+1+2 phases, a complex cooling system, and various advanced connectivity options. Moreover, they will also feature SMD memory slots with a metal shielding mask to avoid interferences and 8-layer PCBs with +2oz copper, 12W/mK thermal pads, and up to DDR5-7600 memory support.

Besides the Aorus gaming motherboards, Gigabyte will also launch the creator-oriented Z790 Aero motherboard. Gigabyte hasn't given any details about this specific motherboard, but considering its target, expect a comprehensive set of connectivity options matching even the higher-end boards. However, don't expect it to have the same level of VRM topology or cooling system as the flagship boards. All these Gigabyte boards are scheduled to launch on October 20th.

NZXT has also unveiled the new N7 Z790 motherboard. The 16+1+2 DrMOS Power Phase Design with 2oz Copper PCB  should be enough for most cases, but what makes this motherboard stand out from the rest are its looks (black or white) and integration with NZXT CAM software. NZXT's new motherboard also supports WiFi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, but DDR5 memory support is limited to DDR5-6000. The NZXT motherboard will come out sometime in Q4 2022 for $299.99.

Lastly, we have two high-end EVGA motherboards. The EVGA Z790 Classified has the same layout as its predecessor, which gave a 90º turn to the left, placing the memory slots above the CPU socket. Supporting up to 128GB of DDR5-6800 memory, PCIe Gen5 and PCIe Gen4 M.2 NVMe SSDs, 10G LAN, WiFi 6E, BT 5.2, and multiple USB options, EVGA's new Classified is no slouch. The 19-phase VRM design and 12-layer PCB are also nice additions but still overkill for most users out there.

Then, there's the EVGA Z790 DARK K|NGP|N with a 14-layer low-loss PCB and a 21-phase VRM configuration. Targeted at the most-demanding enthusiasts, it supports up to 64GB (2x slots) DDR5-7000MHz+ and packs multiple USB interfaces, 8x SATA 6Gb/s ports, and 10Gbps and 2.5Gbps NICs supporting WiFi 6E and BT 5.2. Like the Z790 Classified, it has the same rotated socket design, reducing memory latency and improving cable management options.

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