The Best Z790 Motherboards for Gaming in 2024

When the discussion is about the Z790 chipset, it’s mostly due to its extraordinary capabilities that incorporate overclocking, support for PCI-E Gen 5.0, and excellent compatibility with modern PC hardware. Since the launch of the 13th-generation Intel CPUs, the Z790 chipset motherboards came into existence to provide a refreshed motherboard lineup that excels in functionality over the Z690 boards. Even though the difference between the two is minimal, the Z790 is better at supporting higher RAM speeds.

As we welcome the 14th gen Raptor Lake Refresh CPUs, it’s crucial to identify the best Z790 motherboards that will guarantee uncompromised performance in all areas. After analyzing dozens of Z790 chipset motherboards from popular vendors such as Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte, the Game Rant team compiled a list of the top Z790 motherboards for every budget and need, which will help users build a compelling and more future-proof PC build.

Things to Consider When Buying a Z790 Motherboard

Form Factor: Depending on the size of the chassis, users can choose between four different motherboard sizes: Mini-ITX, M-ATX, ATX, and E-ATX. While E-ATX and ATX form factor motherboards are quite big and provide better component compatibility, they are generally more expensive than the ITX and M-ATX motherboards. However, some ITX motherboards are good enough to support powerful, yet compact PC builds.

VRM: VRM or power delivery on a motherboard is essential for maintaining the stability of the CPU’s voltage and clock speeds. VRM comprises several components like chokes, MOSFETs, capacitors, etc. to regulate the voltage in order to feed the power to the CPU. Users who are into overclocking should look for motherboards that have several power phases and an effective passive cooling solution.

Connectivity: Connectivity includes USB ports for peripherals, audio ports for headsets/speakers/microphones, and wireless/wired internet connectivity. An ideal Z790 motherboard should have at least 6x USB Type-A ports and at least one USB Type Gen 2×2 port for high-bandwidth devices. Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth are also some of the best handy features users should look for.

Aesthetics: While not essential, the overall appearance can matter if users want to show off their assembled system to others. Apart from having a motherboard with PCB that doesn’t show any traces, look for brushed aluminum heatsinks, colored accents, and RGB lighting. Motherboards are also available in different colored PCBs, such as black or white. Everything boils down to the unique taste of individual users and there is nothing a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ choice here.

Game Rant’s Picks for the Best Z790 Motherboards for Intel CPUs

Choosing the best overall Z790 motherboard can be subjective, particularly when there are plenty of choices to go with if there are no budget constraints. However, the best Z790 motherboard should be the one that has no major flaws and can max out the potential of PC components and devices. The Z790 Aorus Master is the one users should be opting for if they want exceptional features but not at the cost of an arm and a leg.

Z790 Aorus Master brings enthusiast-level specifications on an E-ATX form factor. It’s ready to tackle intensive overclocking and can handle even the best of the best Intel processors, including the flagship Core i9s from the three supported generations. Its 20+1+2 power phase design brings incredibly good stability and has dense heatsinks on top to maintain good thermals. On top of the heatsinks, sits the I/O shroud with built-in RGB lighting that improves the aesthetics. RGB lighting can be seen even on the chipset that has a large heatsink extending on the M.2 connectors.

The board provides support for modern hardware out of the box and provides PCI-E Gen 5.0 support for future graphics cards as well. The onboard features are also great, including the Q-Code, a power button, and a reset switch for users who love to experiment with the voltage and clock speeds. Connectivity is also impressive with a total of 11x USB 3.2 Type A ports and multiple Type C ports ranging from 5G to 20G. All in all, it hardly lacks anything and delivers comprehensive features with stunning aesthetics.

For around $300-$350 dollars, the Asus ROG Strix Z790-F looks formidable and is ready to take the system’s performance to new heights. With a potent VRM incorporating 16+1 power phases, the Z790-F Gaming Wi-Fi is ready to overclock processors like Intel Core i7 14700K. The grooved heatsinks takes care of the VRM thermals and the I/O shroud hides and decorates the upper section of the board with a gorgeous RGB-lit Strix logo. It’s an ATX form factor motherboard with 4x DIMM slots and comes with 3x PCI-E x16 and 1x PCI-E x1 slots for expansion cards.

The primary slot uses steel armor to support heavy GPUs and supports Gen 5.0 speeds. However, none of the M.2 connectors support Gen 5.0 bandwidth, but it’s hardly much of a concern since Gen 4.0 and Gen 5.0 SSDs are pretty equivalent in most areas. On the top-right, users can find a big start button to switch on the system from the PCB itself and Q-LEDs to troubleshoot it if the system refuses to boot.

Connectivity is fantastic as well and includes a lot of different generations of USB ports, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth, and a few Type C ports. There are Bios Flashback and Clear CMOS buttons too for resetting or upgrading the BIOS conveniently. Overall, a solid motherboard in the mid-range category with few flaws to speak of.

Gigabyte’s motherboard catalog is generally filled with affordable motherboards that tend to provide better features than its competitors. This is perhaps one of the reasons why Gigabyte is so successful in the motherboard industry. Meet the Z790 Gaming X AX, which is designed to meet the requirements of budget gamers. Supporting Intel’s 12th, 13th, and 14th gen processors out of the box, the Z790 Gaming X AX doesn’t fall behind in overclocking or supporting modern PC hardware.

It boasts a robust 16+2+1 power phase digital VRM to tackle the overclocking challenges. It is perfectly fit for overclocking CPUs, including the Core i5s and i7s, and supports DDR5 memory modules overclocked up to 7600MT/s. There are three PCI-E x16 slots for the GPUs and expansion cards, running at Gen 5.0, Gen 4.0, and Gen 3.0 speeds respectively. Storage support is excellent as well and incorporates four M.2 connectors along with 6x SATA ports for adding multiple drives at the same time.

Unfortunately, there are limited onboard functions, but users will get the debug LEDs for basic troubleshooting. Still, considering that the board costs under $200, this is a bargain for Intel CPU owners and will be perfect for gaming builds that cost around $1000.

The Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero looks absolutely stunning with the Polymo lighting on the I/O shroud. Powered by Aura Sync, users can customize the behavior of LED lighting as per their needs from the Aura Sync app. If that’s not enough, feel free to utilize the Armoury Crate software that provides a centralized control to customize different aspects of the motherboard and peripherals from a single place.

The Maximus Z790 Dark Hero isn’t just limited to a great appearance but packs a punch through its powerful power delivery that incorporates a 20+1+2 power phase VRM with a Teamed power stage design to reduce the delay. Passively cooled by grooved aluminum heatsinks that use an embedded heatpipe, it is ready to break some records in overclocking. The cooling options are plenty and users will get several headers for chassis fans, AIO coolers, and custom water cooling solutions.

Connectivity is next-level with a Wi-Fi 7 adapter, multiple fast USB Gen 3.2 Type-A ports, two Thunderbolt 4 Type C ports that support up to 40 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth, and an onboard USB 20Gbps header that also supports 60W charging. The Maximus Z790 Dark Hero is a no-compromise solution for enthusiast overclockers who prioritize performance over cost.

Designed to break world records in overclocking, the MSI MEG Z790 ACE MAX is an unrivaled solution for its price tag, and is ready to take on the flagship Core i9 processors. It’s very expensive, but is a one-time investment that will last for a good amount of time, competing with the most powerful motherboards on the planet. The ACE MAX is essentially a refreshed version of the MEG Z790 ACE, boasting a Wi-Fi 7 adapter to support incredibly high-speed internet. While achieving 40 Gbps speed is nearly impossible in most parts of the world, it does open the path for such incredible bandwidth in the future.

Coming to its primary selling point, the power delivery, it boasts a 24+1+2 power phase design that is overkill even for the Core i9 CPUs. The motherboard is undoubtedly one of the best in stability and gives plenty of onboard features to experiment with clock speeds. There is a Q-CODE at the top, EZ Debug LEDs, Power and Reset buttons at the bottom, and a few switches for different but handy functions. The I/O is equipped with Flash Bios and Clear CMOS buttons, and a Smart button that can control various functions like resetting the system, switching off/on Mystic Light, Safe Boot, and Turbo Fan.

Along with the latest USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, the I/O also has a single Type C Gen 2 port, and two Thunderbolt 4 40Gbps ports. Largely, it’s pretty similar to the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero in most aspects, but beats it in the VRM department convincingly.

Going small doesn’t necessarily mean slower performance. While it is true that the path to upgradeability on a Mini-ITX motherboard is significantly narrower than on ATX/E-ATX motherboards, they are still on par with them in many areas, particularly when it comes to providing support to high-end bandwidth components and devices. This is why the Gigabyte Z790I Aorus Ultra is the best compact Z790 motherboard, which supports highly overclocked memories, provides high bandwidth internet connectivity, and comes with native PCI-E Gen 5.0 support for the PCI-E x16 slot.

For storage, there are two M.2 connectors and two SATA ports to add up to four total storage drives, which is adequate for most users. The total DIMM slots are two that can support up to 96GB of memory and therefore, it is recommended to go with at least two sticks of 16GB DDR5 per module to suffice for all types of tasks. For CPUs, it’s best to use this motherboard with budget or mid-range processors such as the unlocked Core i5s that can be overclocked pretty satisfactorily on its 10+1+2 power phase VRM.

The heatsinks are large, covering almost half of the PCB, and come with beautiful white-silverish accents. At the right edge, the board exhibits RGB lighting, controllable via RGB Fusion software. Despite its compact size, it doesn’t fall behind in connectivity and gets all the latest USB ports onboard, including a Gen 2×2 Type C port as well. Moreover, there is a Q-Flash Plus button to upgrade the BIOS, and Wi-Fi 6E for wireless internet connectivity.

FAQ

Q: Is a Z790 motherboard good for gaming?

Z790 chipset doesn’t influence gaming performance directly but supports overclocking of CPUs that may result in a noticeable performance boost in games.

Q: Is Z790 better than Z690?

There isn’t much difference between the two. The Z790 is essentially equivalent to the Z690 in most areas but has better support for overclocked memories.

Q: Is it worth getting a Z790?

Absolutely! Z790 unlocks the true potential of overclockable Intel Core processors and has better component support compared to the B760, H760, and H610 chipsets.