ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Intel Socket LGA 1700 ATX Motherboard 90MB1CF0-M0EAY0

Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Intel Socket LGA 1700 ATX Motherboard 90MB1CF0-M0EAY0

A relentless focus on overclocking makes the Maximus Apex Z790 a dream for upper-echelon enthusiasts. Bountiful power delivery and similarly capable cooling stack the odds in your favor for reaching 6 GHz and higher with the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors. PCB trace optimizations allow DDR5 memory to strut timings and frequencies far beyond the capabilities of 4-DIMM-slot designs. A plethora of quality-of-life features and controls afforded by onboard components and software utilities make it all readily accessible for users of all stripes. Get ready for the highest performance numbers... ever.

OVERCLOCKING
ROG Maximus Apex boards are well-known as a record-setting platform for overclocking enthusiasts. From OC-centric components and design choices, to a massive power delivery system, the beast is back to rock new world records in multiple domains.

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.

The ROG Overclocker’s Toolkit is a powerful set of hardware-level controls to enhance your overclocking experience. Some are quick and easy time savers, while others offer masterful functionality to help you smash benchmarks and break records.

Conventional motherboards use single-ended sensing tapped from a location that isn't ideal, leading to a large disparity between the actual voltage fed to the CPU and the value reported to software. The ROG Maximus Z790 Apex features a differential-sensing circuit and delicate IC that simplify overclocking and tuning by allowing you to track voltages more accurately.

CONDENSATION DETECTION
Specialized circuitry allows ROG Maximus Z790 Apex to detect when condensation occurs on the back of the board. Divided into three distinct sections — CPU, DRAM, and PCIe — the feature provides a useful warning when an area may be at risk of short-circuiting.

TEAMED POWER ARCHITECTURE
Today's CPU architectures place incredible demands on motherboard power design by transitioning from deep power-saving modes, going from lower-power mode to full load in an instant. The latest ROG VRM architecture rises to the challenge by utilizing teamed power stages to rapidly swing current, while maintaining exemplary thermal performance.

ASUS became the first manufacturer to implement phase-doublers with the A8N32-SLI Deluxe motherboard, back in 2005. The board's VRM was lauded for elegantly overcoming the power handling capabilities of components that were available at the time while also reducing voltage ripple. Those benefits led to phase-doublers becoming universally accepted in the industry, and they are still used for similar purposes today.

Modern CPUs pack more cores than their predecessors, and the latest instruction sets allow them to crunch computationally dense workloads at an incredible pace. In addition, they consume less power at idle and can transition between load states much more quickly. These improvements necessitate a re-evaluation of power-design priorities because phase-doublers add a propagation delay that hampers transient response.

Fortunately, the latest integrated power components can handle higher currents than the devices of yesteryear, making it possible to implement a simple circuit topology that isn't hamstrung by the processing lag of phase-doublers. That's why the ROG Maximus Z790 Apex utilizes teamed power stages to deliver higher burst current per phase, while maintaining the thermal performance of phase-doubled designs.

Each VRM component serves a specific purpose. PWM controllers and phase-doublers control the circuit, and the power stages do the heavy lifting from an electrical and thermal standpoint. The power stages feature low RDSON to reduce switching and conduction losses, helping to improve overall thermal headroom.

8 + 8 PIN PROCOOL II POWER CONNECTORS
Two ProCool connectors ensure a snug and reliable connection to the EPS 12V power lines.

24 + 0 POWER STAGES
The VRM features 24 + 0 power stages, each rated to handle 105 amps.

MICROFINE ALLOY CHOKES
Each power stage is accompanied by a high-permeability alloy-core choke rated to handle 45 amps.

SMD CAPACITORS
Input and output filtering is provided by solid-polymer capacitors rated to last thousands of hours at high operating temperatures.

MEMORY
Comprehensive memory tuning options are a cornerstone of ROG motherboards. With the ROG Maximus Z790 Apex, you can extract maximum potential out of the highest-performing DDR5 modules.

ROG has a long legacy of flexing the fastest memory performance, and DDR5 is no outlier. Thanks to improved signal routing, now enthusiast-grade kits have been driven as far as 8 GT/s on the Maximus Z790 Apex, and who knows how far future DIMMs can go? Seasoned veterans can test their mettle by tinkering with the extensive array of tuning options in the UEFI.

ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile (AEMP) is an exclusive hardware and firmware solution to overclock generic memory modules. AEMP’s second version allows for automatic tuning of kits during system startup and leverages the PCB trace optimizations of the Maximus Z790 Apex to push frequencies higher than ever before. The vast library of support now extends to nearly every DDR5 module that does not otherwise have XMP support.

COOLING
Massive heatsinks cover the Z790 Apex from top to bottom and across both M.2 expansion cards, giving critical components ample thermal headroom to realize their true potential.

VRM HEATSINK ARRAY
VRM heatsinks on the MOSFETs and chokes are connected by an embedded heatpipe to increase mass and surface area for dissipation.

M.2 HEATSINKS AND BACKPLATES
Both onboard M.2 slots are thoroughly cooled with heatsinks and backplates for maximum cooling performance.

PCIE 5.0 M.2 CARD HEATSINK
The bundled PCIe 5.0 M.2 card wraps its slot in a massive heatsink to ensure adequate cooling for the most performant drives.

EXTENDED VRM AND M.2 HEATSINK
An extended heatsink helps further cool the VRM along with an M.2 drive.

ROG DIMM.2 CARD HEATSINK
Two additional M.2 slots are kept cool with the DIMM.2 card's hefty heatsinks.

THERMAL MANAGEMENT
An extensive array of headers allow for precise cooling control and monitoring.

MULTIPLE TEMPERATURE SOURCES
Each header can be set to monitor and react to three user-configurable thermal sensors for workload-based cooling, and all settings can be easily managed by Fan Xpert 4 or UEFI.

4-PIN FAN HEADERS
Every onboard header supports auto-detection of DC or PWM fans.

AIO PUMP HEADER
A dedicated PWM/DC header for self-contained water-cooling setups.

ROG WATER-COOLING ZONE
Dual water-temperature headers and a flow-rate header feed information straight into Armoury Crate, allowing you to track coolant temperatures and the flow rate of the entire loop.

WATER PUMP+
A dedicated header can supply over 3 amps to a high-performance PWM or DC water pump.

WATER IN/OUT
A dedicated header enables monitoring of temperatures at the input/output points of any component.

WATER FLOW
A dedicated header enables constant monitoring of flow rate throughout the entire loop.

COOLER COMPATIBILITY
The ROG Maximus Z790 Apex bears the same LGA 1700 socket as the Z690 models, so it is backward compatible with all coolers that supported the previous generation, including all AIO offerings from ASUS and ROG.