Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi Hands-on

The Asus TUF Gaming Z790-Pro Wi-Fi is a cost-effective Intel Z790 motherboard designed for gamers, emphasizing durability and performance. Engineered with military-grade components and an effective cooling system, it’s built for prolonged use. It boasts features like four M.2 sockets, strong power delivery, premium audio, fast Wi-Fi 6E, and multiple USB ports, including a 20Gbps USB-C port on the rear I/O panel.

Packaging

As part of the TUF Gaming motherboard series, the TUF Gaming Z790-PRO WIFI falls between ASUS’s value-oriented PRIME series and the high-end ROG Maximus and ROG STRIX series. It holds a mid-tier position within ASUS’s Z790 Refresh product lineup. The board comes with the following accessories:

• WIFI Q-Antenna
• 2x SATA III cables
• M.2 drive screw and standoff pack
• 2x packs of M.2. drive rubber pads (adds height clearance for single-sided M.2 SSDs)
• Quick start guide
• DVD driver disc
• TUF Gaming Certificate of Reliability
• ASUS WebStorage promotional leaflet
• TUF Gaming sticker sheet

Design

Design-wise, the TUF Gaming Z790-PRO WIFI from ASUS introduces the “Q-Antenna,” a novel WiFi antenna with snap-on connectors instead of screws. Aesthetically, it adopts a black, grey, and silver color scheme with hints of yellow, in line with the TUF Gaming brand identity.

This mid-range Intel Z790 motherboard boasts an integrated I/O shield with gaming-themed embellishments, including a raised rubber “ULTIMATE FORCE” section. An illuminated “TUF” logo adorns the top-right corner, and it offers RGB headers.

View full specifications here.

Under the hood, it features 16+1+1 power stages, four DDR5 slots supporting up to 192GB of RAM and DDR5 7800+ when overclocked. The single-tabbed “Q-DIMM” design simplifies memory module removal when using long graphics cards.

Front panel connectivity includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C header with Power Delivery 3.0, fast charging (30W), and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A header. Additionally, there are two USB 2.0 headers supporting up to four USB 2.0 Type-A ports.

The motherboard offers a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot with ASUS SafeSlot and Q-Release features for secure and hassle-free graphics card installation and removal. It also includes several other PCIe slots.

Storage-wise, there are four SATA III ports, including two in a right-angled configuration for improved cable management. It features four PCIe 4.0 x4 M.2 slots with Q-Latch for tool-less M.2 drive installation and removal.

Audio & Connectivity

The TUF Gaming Z790-PRO WIFI features Realtek’s S1220A audio codec, offering premium audio quality. For internet connectivity, it utilizes Intel’s I226-V controller, providing support for the 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet standard. ASUS has also integrated Intel’s AX211 module, enabling support for WIFI 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

In terms of fan headers, the motherboard offers a total of seven. It includes three addressable RGB headers and a single 12V standard RGB header for lighting customization.

While Thunderbolt ports aren’t built-in, there is a Thunderbolt 4 add-on card header for use with a separate ASUS add-on card, adding Thunderbolt 4 ports and additional DisplayPort connectors.

To aid in troubleshooting, Q-LEDs are placed near the top edge of the board, assisting users in diagnosing Power On Self Test issues.

The rear I/O ports include:

• 1x DisplayPort 1.4 (max 4K resolution @ 60Hz)
• 1x HDMI 2.1 (max 4K resolution @ 60Hz)
• 4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A (5Gbps)
• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (10Gbps)
• 1x 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port
• 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10Gbps)
• 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20Gbps)
• WIFI Q-Antenna connectors
• Audio jacks

Conclusion

In conclusion, the ASUS TUF Gaming Z790-PRO WIFI offers a solid mid-range Intel Z790 Refresh motherboard with notable features such as a robust VRM setup, PCIe 5.0 support for graphics cards, abundant USB 3.2 connectivity options, and a premium audio codec.

However, it would have been a stronger contender had ASUS included WIFI 7, considering that other Z790 Refresh motherboards from competing manufacturers typically offer this feature.

When compared to its predecessor, the Z790-PRO WIFI does bring improvements, including support for faster DDR5 memory, a revised PCIe slot layout, a front panel USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port with 30W fast charging support, and ASUS’s new Q-Antenna.