Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi motherboard review: Snazzy snow owl

Our first Asus board on the Z890 platform, the ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi, is an upper mid-range class offering designed for gamers. For under $400, you get a slew of features, including all of Asus’ AI technology (for Overclocking, Cooling, and Networking), a DIY-friendly design, a high-quality audio solution, ample storage options, a white aesthetic, and more.

Asus’ Z890 product stack consists of 18 motherboards at the time of this writing. All of the names you’re familiar with are there, including the high-end Maximus boards (Extreme and Hero), the wide-ranging Strix lineup (E/F/I Gaming), the more budget-oriented TUF and Prime boards, ProArt series for Creators, and finally the entry-level Pro series on this, the enthusiast chipset. Prices range from $999.99 (Z890 Extreme) to the Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi at just under $230. Sizes range from E-ATX down to MicroATX and Mini-ITX, so Asus offers something for everyone.

Another quintessential ROG board, the Strix Z890-A Gaming, offers users an updated but still decidedly midrange appearance that keeps some of the dot-matrix design from the last generation. In addition to the facelift, you get robust power delivery to support flagship-class processors, five M.2 sockets, native Thunderbolt 4 ports, Wi-Fi 7, and more. There are very few things you’ll find missing on this board.

In our testing, the Z890-A Gaming performed well overall compared to the other boards we’ve covered. It was a competent gamer, performed well in productivity applications, and didn’t use a lot of power while doing so. Like all of these boards in most of our tests, it will be hard to distinguish between them without looking at frame counters, timers, or scores.

Below, we’ll examine the board's details and determine whether it deserves a spot on our Best Motherboards list. But before we share test results and discuss details, we’ll list the specifications from Asus’ website.

Specifications of the Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi

Inside the Box of the Asus ROG Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi

Asus includes several accessories to help ease your building experience. From SATA cables to Wi-Fi antennas, it should be enough to get you going without a trip to the store. Below is a complete list of the extras.

• Thermal pad for M.2 22110
• (2) SATA 6Gb/s cables
• ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
• Cable ties package
• (2) M.2 Q-Latch package
• (5) M.2 rubbers
• ROG stickers/key chain
• Quick start guide

Design of the Z890-A Gaming

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The Strix Z890-A Gaming WiFi looks markedly different than the Z790 version. Where the previous iteration used a black PCB and light gray heatsinks/shrouds, the Z890 uses the light gray/white PCB to match the heatsinks and shrouds for a much more cohesive look. Asus brought the polarizing dot-matrix design to the front here, but this time around, it doesn’t take away from its good looks. On top of the VRM heatsink is the subtle Polymo lighting area with the Strix branding and the Asus ROG symbol prominently featured. Asus’ Aura Sync software controls the integrated feature and any RGB attached through the headers. Overall, we like the new look as it’s decidedly better than the previous version and should blend in with many build themes, particularly white ones.

In the left corner, we first encounter the two ProCool II (for a better fit and more reliable connection) 8-pin EPS connectors to power the processor. The large VRM heatsinks surrounding them do a good job of keeping the power bits below running within spec. You can also get a better look at the Polymo lighting feature, which is sufficient for illuminating the inside of your chassis by itself.

Moving right and past the socket area, the next thing is the four DRAM slots with the locking mechanism at the top. The Z890-A Gaming supports RAM capacity of up to 192GB with speeds listed to DDR5-9066. The capacity and speeds should satisfy an overwhelming majority of users. We had no issues running our in-house kits, including the GSkill and Kingston 48GB DDR5-8200 CUDIMMs. As always, stick to the memory QVL list for the best results if you're looking to push the limits, though most systems should run without issue at these speeds. The Z890-A Gaming also offers Asus’ DIMM Fit (to improve overclocking success, especially with higher frequency kits) and DIMM Flex (to mitigate instability - most applicable with high-speed DDR5 kits and non-binary DDR5 kits) features, and the AEMP III technology to enhance CUDIMM memory.

The first three (of eight) 4-pin fan headers are just above that, with the other five along the bottom edge. Each header supports PWM- and DC-controlled devices but doesn’t output much power. Each header supports up to 1A/12W. While that is sufficient for most configurations, other boards offer more power on some headers. The Armory Crate software suite controls these attached devices, as does the BIOS in the Q-Fan section.

Heading down the right edge, we run into the four Q-LEDs that light up during the POST process. If there is a problem in one of the areas (CPU, DRAM, VGA, and Boot), the corresponding LED remains lit, giving you an idea of where the problem is. Below that is the Start button and the 24-pin ATX connector to power the board. Just below that is the front panel USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C connector that doubles as your quick charge port, up to 30W on this board. Below that is a 19-pin front panel USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) connection.

The VRMs on the Z890-A Gaming consist of 21 phases, 16 of which are dedicated to Vcore. Power comes from the EPS connector(s) to a Digi+ ASP2432 PWM controller. Next, it moves to the 16 Monolithic Power Systems MPS2330 90A MOSFETs in the familiar “teamed” power configuration. The 1,4400 Amps available will easily handle overclocked flagship-class processors. As is usual for most higher-end motherboards, you’re limited only by your CPU cooling. This board will not stifle your ambient overclocking adventures.

On the bottom half of the board, starting on the left, we see a mostly exposed audio section. Hiding under the Supreme FX labeled Faraday cage is a Realtek ALC4080 codec. Visible to all are the five yellow audio capacitors, the Savitech SV3H712 Amp, and the familiar audio separation line. Control over the audio section is managed through the Dolby Atmos software. This is a superb audio configuration.

The middle of the board holds two full-length PCIe slots. The top slot connects through the CPU and runs to PCIe 5.0 x16. It also uses Asus’ Safeslot for additional protection and the buttonless Q-Release Slim to secure the card and allow easy removal. The bottom slot connects via the chipset and offers PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds.

Above the primary PCIe slot is the first of five M.2 sockets. This socket, M.2_1 (and M.2_2) connect through the CPU. The top slot under the beefy heatsink with the M.2 Q-Release latch and M.2 Q-Slide to lock your module down supports 110mm devices and is your sole PCIe 5.0 x4 (128 Gbps). The second, under more simple plate heatsinks, runs at PCIe 4.0 x4 (64 Gbps) speeds. Under these same heatsinks are three other M.2 sockets, all running up to PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds and using M.2 Q-latch, but these connect through the chipset. Anyone looking to RAID these and the SATA ports are in luck. The CPU-connected sockets support RAID 0/1/5 modes, while the SATA ports (found along the right edge) and chipset-connected devices each support RAID 0/1/5/10 modes. If you’re concerned about lane sharing and ports dropping, do not as the configuration doesn’t change no matter what is connected, according to the specs page and manual.

Across the bottom of the board are several exposed headers. You’ll find the typical stuff here, including additional USB ports, RGB headers, and more. Below is a complete list from left to right.

• Front panel audio
• (3) 3-pin ARGB headers
• (4) System fan headers
• (2) USB 2.0 headers
• Thunderbolt 4 header
• 2-pin temperature sensor
• 2-pin chassis intrusion header

The preinstalled rear IO plate on the Z890-A Gaming Wifi has a lot of ports and buttons, but each port has easy-to-read labels against a white background. On the left, we see the HDMI and DisplayPort video outputs, while small Clear CMOS and BIOS Flashback buttons are next to them. The Intel-based 2.5 GbE and 10 USB ports are in the middle. You get three Type-C ports (2x TB4/40 Gbps, 1x 10 Gbps), five 10 Gbps Type-A ports (red - one of those the BIOS Flashback port), along with two 5 Gbps Type-A (blue). On the right are the Q-antenna connectors that simply click in, while to the right of that is the simple 2-plug audio stack (microphone and output) and SPDIF output.

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