Asus Rog Maximus Z790 Dark Hero Motherboard

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 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.

x1 onboard M.2 slot, and x2 PCIe 5.0 x16 slots

Effortless performance boost

One-click fan tuning

DIY-FRIENDLY DESIGN

PERFORMANCE

COOLING

GAMING IMMERSION

CONNECTIVITY

EXTREME POWER & PERFORMANCE

DUAL PROCOOL II POWER

CONNECTORS

20+1+2 POWER STAGES

EXPANSION SLOTS

 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 Safeslots (x16, x8/x8)

 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 Slot

INTEL SOCKET LGA 1700

For 14 Gen & 13 Gen Intel Core Processors, and 12 Gen Intel Core, Pentium Gold, and Celeron Processors

DDR5, 4 X DIMM

Max. 192GB

Dual Channel

5 X M.2 SLOTS

 1 x M.2 22110 (PCIe 5.0 x4)

 4 x M.2 2280 (PCIe 4.0 x4)

PERFORMANCE

OVERCLOCKING

POWER DESIGN

MEMORY

ROG OVERCLOCKING TECHNOLOGIES

Psyche up and engage the Dark Hero overclocker in you, with onboard intelligence to scan, predict, and adapt CPU performance parameters, and tools to command and track system vitals.

AI OVERCLOCKING

DIFFERENTIAL SENSING

AI OVERCLOCKING

Tuning is now faster and smarter than ever before. ASUS AI Overclocking profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration and push the system to its limits. Predicted values can be engaged automatically or used as a launching ground for further experimentation.

COOLING

HEATSINKS

HEADERS

ROG WATER-COOLING ZONE

COMPATIBILITY

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.

CONNECTIVITY

NETWORKING

PCIE 5.0

USB PORTS

AUDIO

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.

WiFi 7 features require onboard WiFi chipset, WiFi AP, and WiFi 7-supported operating systems to support the corresponding features. The 320 Mhz in the 6 GHz band may be unavailable in some regions / countries due to regulatory restrictions. Expected support for Multi-Link Operation (MLO) will be available later this year (October 2023). Please visit the ASUS support page for more information.
Compared to WiFi 6E

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

FAST CHECK

DIRECTION FINDER

Dual transceivers support the 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz bands to enable faster throughput, with directional sensitivity to improve signal quality and cover greater distances.


Wireless Signal Reception Improvement

Versus previous-generation antenna

Up to +6%
6GHz

Up to +18%
5/2.4 GHz

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

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

DIY-FRIENDLY FEATURES

PCIE SLOT Q-RELEASE

M.2 Q-LATCH

Q-ANTENNA

Q-CODE

Q-LED

BIOS FLASHBACK & CLEAR CMOS

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.

OPTIMIZATION

INTELLIGENT CONTROL

AI SUITE 3

BIOS

AI COOLING II

TWO-WAY AI NOISE CANCELATION

AI NETWORKING

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.

PERSONALIZATION

AURA SYNC

GAMING AUDIO

ARMOURY CRATE

AIDA64 EXTREME

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.

Static

Breathing

Strobing

Rainbow

Color cycle

Starry night

Music effect

Smart

Adaptive color

Dark