ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore

The ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore boasts a sleek all-black design, robust appearance, upgraded power solution and an onboard PCIe^® 5.0 M.2 slot for lightning-fast storage. Meanwhile, the ROG Memory Fan Kit offers active cooling to let tinkerers push DDR5 to the limit. And support for Intel^® Core™ 14^th generation processors lets users set new benchmarks for the wealth of activities that demand peak performance. This motherboard is the ultimate choice for enthusiasts and overclockers seeking style and power in their gaming setup. This platform delivers the power and connectivity that advanced AI PC applications demand.

• EXTENSIVE GEN 5  x1 onboard M.2 slot, and x2 PCIe 5.0 x16 slots
• MAX. 96GB, DIMM FLEX, AEMP II
• ROG MEMORY FAN KIT
• WIFI 7
• ROG DIMM.2 Adds x2 M.2 slots in a DIY-friendly shell
• AI OVERCLOCKING Effortless performance boost
• AI COOLING II One-click fan tuning
• TEAMED POWER SOLUTION
• DIY-FRIENDLY DESIGN

Extreme Power & Performance

• DUAL PROCOOL II POWER CONNECTORS
• 24+0+2 POWER STAGES
• EXPANSION SLOTS

1.  2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Safeslots (x16, x8/x8)
2. 2 x PCIe 4.0 x4 Slots

• INTEL^® SOCKET LGA 1700 For 14^th & 13^th Gen Intel^® Core^™ Processors, and 12^th Gen Intel^® Core^™, Pentium^® Gold, and Celeron^® Processors
• DDR5, 2 X DIMM 

1. Max. 96GB
2. Dual Channel

• 5 X M.2 SLOTS

1. 1 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 5.0 x4)
2. 1 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4)
3. 1 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4 & SATA)
4. 2 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 4.0 x4) (via ROG DIMM.2 Card)

ROG OVERCLOCKING TECHNOLOGIES

Tried and tested OC features offer extensive control over system performance for seasoned veterans and new recruits alike. Leverage onboard intelligence to automatically adapt CPU performance, or get a headstart on manual tuning and then utilize advanced tools and utilities to stay on the pulse and push boundaries.

• 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.

• OVERCLOCKER’S TOOLKIT

The ROG Overclocker’s Toolkit is a powerful set of hardware-level controls to enhance your overclocking experience. Some are quick and easy time savers, while others offer masterful functionality to help you smash benchmarks and break records.

1. SAFE BOOT BUTTON Instantly reset the PC and boot directly into Safe mode.
2. BCLK BUTTONS Adjust the BCLK frequency to improve system performance.
3. PROBEIT Includes twelve integrated measurement points for advanced tuning.
4. RETRY BUTTON Instantly initiates a hard reset with just a press.
5. SLOW MODE SWITCH Reduces the CPU ratio to 8X to keep the system stable during setup for extreme overclocking.
6. PAUSE SWITCH Pause the system and fine-tune OC parameters mid-benchmark.
7. RSVD SWITCH Helps the system boot under extreme temperatures (≤ -120°C)
8. LN2 MODE Jumper to enable special options and functions for liquid-nitrogen (LN2) overclocking.
9. BIOS SWITCH Switches between BIOS 1 and 2.

• DIFFERENTIAL SENSING

Conventional motherboards use single-ended sensing tapped from a location that isn’t ideal, leading to a large disparity between the actual voltage fed to the CPU and the value reported to software. The ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore features a differential-sensing circuit and delicate IC that simplify overclocking and tuning by allowing you to track voltages more accurately.

• CONDENSATION DETECTION

Specialized circuitry allows ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore to detect when condensation occurs on the back of the board. Divided into three distinct sections — CPU, DRAM, and PCIe — the feature provides a useful warning when an area may be at risk of short-circuiting.

1. CPU LED Flashes when condensation is detected near the CPU
2. DRAM LED Flashes when condensation is detected near the DRAM
3. PCIe LED Flashes when condensation is detected near the PCIe slot

Cooler by Design

• VRM HEATSINK ARRAY

VRM heatsinks on the MOSFETs and chokes are connected by an embedded heatpipe to increase mass and surface area for dissipation.

• M.2 HEATSINKS AND BACKPLATES

Three onboard M.2 slots are thoroughly cooled with heatsinks and backplates for maximum cooling performance.

• ROG DIMM.2 CARD HEATSINK

Two additional M.2 slots are kept cool with the DIMM.2 card’s hefty heatsinks.

• EXTENDED VRM AND M.2 HEATSINK

An extended heatsink helps further cool the VRM along with an M.2 drive.

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.

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

Dual transceivers support the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands to enable faster throughput, with directional sensitivity to improve signal quality and cover greater distances.

Wireless Signal Reception Improvement Versus previous-generation antenna

1. Up to +6% 6GHz
2. Up to +18% 5/2.4 GHz

• Fast Check

Armoury Crate’s Fast Check empowers users to rapidly detect WiFi signal strength.

• Direction Finder

Armoury Crate’s Direction Finder* helps users detect the optimal antenna orientation for achieving the best WiFi signal strength.

DIY-FRIENDLY FEATURES

• PCIE® SLOT Q-RELEASE

A physical button unlocks the first PCIe slot’s security latch with one tap, greatly simplifying the process of detaching a PCIe card from the motherboard when it’s time to upgrade to a new GPU or other compatible device.

• M.2 Q-LATCH

The innovative Q-Latch makes it easy to install or remove an M.2 SSD without the need for specific tools. The design employs a simple locking mechanism to secure the drive and neatly eliminate traditional screws.

• Q-ANTENNA

With Q-Antenna, attaching a WiFi antenna to your PC is now easy and fast. Instead of slowly rotating two fasteners until they finally lock in, they just snap into place. Less hassle, and more consistent performance.

• Q-CODE

The on-board LED panel shows 2-digit diagnostic codes, providing a valuable reference for troubleshooting common boot problems and hardware issues.

• Q-LED

The on-board Q-LED troubleshooting lights give PC builders a quick indicator to confirm that key components ― CPU, RAM, graphics card, storage devices ― are functioning normally during startup. Builders can use the Q-LED feature to correct power delivery issues affecting their motherboard, and it can also alert them when memory modules have not been properly installed–even before attempting to boot a newly built PC.

• BIOS FLASHBACK™ & CLEAR CMOS

1. BIOS FLASHBACK™ BIOS FlashBack™ is a safe and simple way to update BIOS. Just drop the (UEFI) BIOS file onto a FAT32-formatted USB stick, plug it into the USB BIOS FlashBack port, and press the button. Updates can even be performed without having memory or a CPU installed.
2. CLEAR CMOS The Clear CMOS button quickly resets BIOS settings to factory default. It can also be used to reboot the PC if incorrect BIOS settings have been selected.

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.

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.

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.

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.