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 14^th 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. 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. 192GB, DIMM FLEX, AEMP II
• WIFI 7
• AI OVERCLOCKING Effortless performance boost
• AI COOLING II One-click fan tuning
• TEAMED POWER SOLUTION
• DIY-FRIENDLY DESIGN
• POLYMO LIGHTING
• THUNDERBOLT™ 4

Extreme Power & Performance

• DUAL PROCOOL II POWER CONNECTORS
• 20+1+2 POWER STAGES
• EXPANSION SLOTS

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

• INTEL^® SOCKET LGA 1700

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

• DDR5, 4 X DIMM

1. Max. 192GB
2. Dual Channel

• 5 X M.2 SLOTS

1. 1 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 5.0 x4)
2. 4 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4)

Teamed Power Architecture

Today’s CPU architectures place incredible demands on motherboard power design by transitioning from deep power-saving modes, going from lower-power mode to full load in an instant. The latest ROG VRM architecture rises to the challenge by utilizing teamed power stages to rapidly swing current, while maintaining exemplary thermal performance.

• A brief history

ASUS became the first manufacturer to implement phase-doublers with the A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard, back in 2005. The board’s VRM was lauded for elegantly overcoming the power handling capabilities of components that were available at the time while also reducing voltage ripple. Those benefits led to phase-doublers becoming universally accepted in the industry, and they are still used for similar purposes today.

• A shift in CPU demands

Modern CPUs pack more cores than their predecessors, and the latest instruction sets allow them to crunch computationally dense workloads at an incredible pace. In addition, they consume less power at idle and can transition between load states much more quickly. These improvements necessitate a re-evaluation of power-design priorities because phase-doublers add a propagation delay that hampers transient response.

• Bucking the trend

Fortunately, the latest integrated power components can handle higher currents than the devices of yesteryear, making it possible to implement a simple circuit topology that isn’t hamstrung by the processing lag of phase-doublers. That’s why the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero utilizes teamed power stages to deliver higher burst current per phase, while maintaining the thermal performance of phase-doubled designs.

• Thermal performance

Each VRM component serves a specific purpose. PWM controllers and phase-doublers control the circuit, and the power stages do the heavy lifting from an electrical and thermal standpoint. The power stages feature low RDSON to reduce switching and conduction losses, helping to improve overall thermal headroom.

• High-quality components

1. 8 + 8-pin ProCool II power connectors Dual ProCool connectors ensure a snug and reliable connection to the EPS 12V power lines.
2. 10K black metallic capacitors Input and output filtering is provided by solid-polymer capacitors rated to last thousands of hours at high operating temperatures.
3. MicroFine alloy chokes Each power stage is accompanied by a high-permeability alloy-core choke rated to handle 45 amps.
4. 20+1+2 Power Stages The VRM features 20+1+2 power stages, each rated to handle up to 90 amps ( 20 Core Power 90A, SPS | 1 GT Power 90A, SPS | AUX Power )

Cooler by Design

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Metal backplate

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

• Chipset heatsink

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

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

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

*The Direction Finder is only compatible with connections in the 5GHz and 6GHz bands

• Fast Check

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

• Direction Finder

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

*The Direction Finder is only compatible with connections in the 5GHz and 6GHz bands

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™

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.

• 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.