Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi review

 Pros

Overall, one of the best Mini-ITX motherboards available

Two integrated M.2 slots, Thunderbolt 4, PCIe 16x Gen 5

Solid networking and great audio options with the included Strix Hive

ROG aesthetics and enthusiast-approved functional design features like Q-Latch for M.2 drives

Disadvantages

The MSRP of $469 will put off some shoppers

Mini-ITX has some limitations due to its size

Gamers may find some features unnecessary, such as Thunderbolt 4

Our verdict

If you want to build the absolute best Mini-ITX system, then the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is certainly the motherboard to choose. It's expensive and some of its features will seem unnecessary to those who don't need them, but for the builder who wants it all in a compact package, this little beauty has it.

Mini-ITX, or small form factor, has been all the rage in PC building in recent years. Who wouldn't want to pack a ridiculous amount of power into a small computer case? One could even argue that part of the appeal is the challenge of maximizing performance within these constraints. Plus, these motherboards are so damn cute!

If that sounds like your cup of tea, you'll be wondering what the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi brings to the table. With support for 13th generation Intel processors, it offers a higher level of "mini" performance. It also tips the scales on pricing – but in return you get a rich feature set and enthusiast-level chops.

We take a look at the features, design and performance of this motherboard. Mini-ITX has a few drawbacks that don't affect larger ATX boards, but does this unit make up for it with its generous offerings? Let's find out!

What are the specifications of the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi?

Mini-ITX format (170 x 170 mm or 6.7 x 6.7 inches)

Supports 12th and 13th generation Intel processors

Power stage 10+1 with 105 amp

DDR5 RAM, dual-channel up to 2 DIMMs (up to 64 GB)

2x integrated M.2 slot (1x PCIe Gen 5 and 1x PCIe Gen 4)

1x PCIe 16x slot (PCIe Gen 5)

HDMI port

2x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports (supports DisplayPort)

7x additional rear USB ports

Intel 2.5GbE LAN

Wi-Fi 6E with Bluetooth 5.3

Aura Sync header for RGB

2 SATA 6Gb/s ports

3 PWM fan headers

Clear CMOS

Pre-installed I/O shield

ROG Strix Hive external audio device

ROG High Definition ALC4050 Codec

ROG FPS II card

MSRP $469

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi carries an MSRP of $469. This is pushing into the territory of high-end ATX motherboards, so it should be really great for its size. You can't expect to get the same amount of I/O or PCIe slots as the bigger brothers, but there are plenty of features you do get. In other words, you'll be paying a premium to have so many features crammed into a small design. But this board offers everything you'll need for a monster (err, Mini-monster) gaming PC build!

Starting with unpacking, you will discover a rich treasury of included accessories. You get standard SATA cables, NVMe goodies, and even ROG-branded magnifiers.

What you don't usually see with any motherboard is an external audio/USB combo bundled in. ROG Strix Hive attempts to solve the small space problem by offering features outside the case. It has everything from an audio codec to a volume control and even an extra USB. It even includes some nifty diagnostic features. We appreciate this effort to offer additional functionality while leaving the board free to maximize performance features. The device pairs well with this enthusiast motherboard.

Additionally, you will also get a "ROG FPS II" card. This plugs directly into the motherboard and expands its capabilities with two SATA ports and a collection of headers. Another smart way to keep the main motherboard focused on providing essential performance and complemented by such additional features.

What CPUs are supported?

The Z790 chipset allows you to use both 12th and 13th generation Intel, giving you flexibility in your CPU. This particular motherboard is a powerful mini-enthusiast, so there's a good chance you'll want to pair it with a door-pounding Intel i7 or i9 processor like the 13900K. Even the mighty 13900KS with its 6GHz speeds should work well here if your cooling solution can keep up.

Does it support DDR5 RAM and PCIe Gen 5?

DDR5 support is here and you can use some mighty fast kits that surpass even what AMD currently offers on AM5. However, you'll be limited to just 64GB of RAM and two separate slots. This is due to the small size of the board. We think this is more than fine for a gaming build, and technically two RAM slots often offer more stability and performance compared to four.

What about PCIe Gen 5? Does a small motherboard like this mean you're not fully covered here? Not at all! Like the Z790, you have a PCIe Gen 5 16x slot - only one due to space constraints. That's for your GPU, which will have more than enough room for future releases compared to PCIe Gen 4.

Storage support

The NVMe slot is also PCIe Gen 5. In this respect, the motherboard differs from many others that cover NVMe slots on PCIe Gen 4, even though the board supports Gen 5. This will be a nice feature going forward. as more PCIe Gen 5 NVMe drives become available, allowing you to take full advantage of the 13th Gen Z790 platform with all the bells and whistles.

You'll also have a second integrated NVMe slot, but this one is PCIe Gen 4. Considering most drives can barely saturate even this, you'll be ahead of the game here.

As mentioned, the ROG FPS II card includes two SATA ports, which, while modest compared to the ATX format offerings, should meet the needs of small builds.

USB ports

Continuing with the surprising level of features, you get a total of nine rear USB ports. This alone is as good if not better than many ATX motherboards.

Added to this is another enthusiast feature – two of those ports are Thunderbolt 4. At a super-fast 40Gbps, Thunderbolt is probably one of the most flexible I/O offerings out there. You can use it to connect displays, as it supports video over DisplayPort, or to connect the range of available Thunderbolt peripherals and storage drives. Of course, you still have standard HDMI output if your processor supports iGPU functionality.

networking

WiFi 6E and Intel 2.5GbE LAN are both here along with Bluetooth 5.3. This is about as fully featured as they come - apart from some motherboards for 10GbE LAN enthusiasts.

Sound

The sound is great, especially considering the included external Strix Hive unit. This gives you great connections at arm's length, not just the rear I/O of the motherboard. A handy volume wheel lets you quickly adjust audio levels even when you're in the middle of a gaming session.

Other features to note

It's always commendable to see an integrated I/O shield on a motherboard, so kudos. You also get Asus' "Q-Design" feature set, which includes Q-DIMMs, Q-Release for easy GPU access, and Q-Latch for screwless M.2 installations.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi design

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi impresses at first sight. Its small size already attracts attention. When you start looking at how detailed the design is here, it's impressive how the compact size has been maximized. Sadly, this beauty will likely be buried in a smaller, cramped Mini-ITX case that has minimal, if any, windowing.

Every bit of the board surface is functional and aesthetically pleasing. Starting with the I/O shield area, you'll see Strix branding in a monochrome theme. To highlight this, you have a very tasteful "pop of color" with an elegant RGB design that almost seems to reflect off different surfaces. The PCIe slot area continues in the same vein, with functional M.2 armor looking elegant.

If you need more RGB, you can add it via the 3-pin or 4-pin Aura Sync headers. This addition of external features, while not as useful as the sleek Strix Hive and FPS II cards, is still nice to have. While small form factor cases don't offer the same opportunities for RGB quality as larger cases, you'll still likely need headers to power things like CPU and GPU waterblocks, or even RGB fans.

You also get great quality-of-life design inclusions – with M.2 Q-Latch, GPU Q-Release, etc. These make build and maintenance second to none. It's even more important in small builds where the approach can be much stricter for internal changes later.

Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi performance, software and BIOS

The Asus ROG Strix Z790-i Gaming WiFi has a 10+1 VRM Power Stage with 105 amps. This means it can easily take care of even the powerful Intel i9 13900KS if your CPU cooling solution is up to the task. You may not get the same theoretical VRM cooling level as some ATX motherboards like the Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. In practice, however, this board offers top CPU performance in a small package and comes very close to many larger enthusiast motherboards.

The motherboard will cool thanks to its impressive VRM solution. Your bigger challenge will be properly cooling some i9 processors in a small case, as many prefer 360mm AIO liquid coolers that can only be "tailored" to most small PC cases.

To add to your fast processor, you'll be able to take advantage of the fast performance of DDR5 RAM with an excellent integrated memory controller.

PCIe Gen 5 is for GPU 16x slot and for NVMe M.2 slot. The hyper-fast Gen 5 drives are just hitting the market, which means this little motherboard will be among the smallest to offer such speeds. While you'll be fine with a second integrated Gen 4 slot, it's nice to know that this premium motherboard takes advantage of what the platform has to offer. You will cool these drives using a layered M.2 armor cover and thermal pads.

As this is an enthusiast motherboard, you will find the BIOS to be a great experience. The Asus BIOS continues to be one of the best in the business, with clear navigation and plenty of points to tinker with.

BIOS updates can be done through the BIOS itself, which is quite simple. It's also loaded with "AI" or automatic overclocking tools for the CPU and the usual XMP profiles. AI overclocking tools can even detect the cooling performance of your CPU cooler and adjust the optimal overclock accordingly.

But users beware: It's always best to know exactly what your settings are doing and carefully monitor CPU temperatures for abnormalities. Even "AI" tools, as good as they've gotten, can still sometimes fall short of getting everything set up perfectly. For everyone else, you can leave it on "Auto" and it will take care of the rest.

If you'd rather stick with Windows for most other tasks after setting up basic XMP settings, you've got Asus Armory Crate software.

Motherboard software has been much more stable and feature-rich over the past few generations, and this one is no exception. It has a lot of feature-rich options that you can engage with. Some of these include "Fan Xpert" for fan profiles, "Aura Sync" for RGB customization and even driver updates.

The brute force of motherboard performance is covered, how about I/O speed? Thunderbolt 4, a rarity on any motherboard, is here with two slots. This is a big advantage for users who need attached peripherals or just super fast storage. 40Gbps is fast - in fact, the fastest you can get for USB-level transfers right now.

Are there any performance drawbacks? While Asus has done a stellar job as far as possible, it's still a small form factor unit. This has its own physical limitations, all while maintaining a premium price. For example, you will find more powerful VRMs and more DDR5 slots on comparable ATX motherboards.

If you're willing to live with a few small compromises, the performance on offer is absolutely top-notch with very little downside.

Is the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi worth it?

So you've fallen in love with small builds and want to build the absolute best system you can? Lucky for you – the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is the best and most complete Mini-ITX motherboard you can buy.

It offers a dizzying array of features like Thunderbolt 4, a PCIe Gen 5 NVMe slot, and cool accessories like the Strix Hive external card. It also offers great performance for its size in terms of VRM and DDR5, allowing you to pair it with an i9 processor.

However, it is expensive at $469. While this is technically the best, there are some users who can get by with a less feature-rich Mini-ITX motherboard and save some money. For example, not everyone needs Thunderbolt 4 or the massive performance of an i9 processor. (The Asus ROG Strix B760-I Gaming WiFi would be one such example of a $219 MSRP alternative for those who don't need overclocking or those extra features.)

If you want the best money can buy in the Mini-ITX space, the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is an excellent choice.