Z390 10 sata: Z390 GAMING X (rev. 1.0) Key Features | Motherboard

Prime series motherboards are engineered with industry-leading 5X Protection III, employing the finest components, excellent circuit design, and exacting standards to guarantee the quality and long-term durability of your motherboard.

SafeSlot Core

Fortified PCIe slot prevents damage

SafeSlot Core is the ASUS-exclusive PCIe slot. Featuring a fortified design that’s anchored to the motherboard by a special hook, Safeslot Core provides 1.6X-stronger retention and 1.3X-greater shearing resistance than standard expansion slots.

ASUS Prime motherboards have strengthened solder points around both the PCIe and DIMM pins.

LANGuard

Pumped-up throughput, 2.5X-higher surge tolerance

ASUS LANGuard is hardware-level networking protection that employs signal-coupling technology and premium anti-EMI surface-mounted capacitors to ensure a more reliable connection and better throughput.

Overvoltage Protection

World-class circuit-protecting power design

An exclusive circuit design with built-in voltage regulators to protect your motherboard from damage caused by unexpected high-level voltages from unstable or inferior power supplies.

DIGI+ VRM

Precision control for stable power

ASUS-exclusive DIGI+ VRM intelligently delivers power to the processor based on real-time demands, reducing energy waste and improving system stability.

DRAM Overcurrent Protection

Short-circuit damage prevention

Onboard resettable fuses prevent overcurrent and short-circuit damage. This extends beyond I/O ports to DRAM to safeguard the lifespan of your system and connected devices.

Stainless-Steel Back I/O

3X corrosion-resistance for greater durability

Corrosion-resistant stainless-steel back I/O panels bonded with chromium oxide have a lifespan that’s three times longer than ordinary panels.

ESD Guards

Electrostatic discharge protection

ASUS ESD Guards prevent damage from electrostatic discharge, up to +/- 10kV for air discharge and +/- 6kV for contact discharge, arranged in an active-protective-circuit design that prolongs the life of components

1000+

Compatible devices and components

The Prime Z390 series provides superior compatibility with thousands of components and our Qualified Vendor List (QVL) identifies memory compatibility, giving you more choices for worry-free PC-building experiences.

8000+

VALIDATION HOURS

Every ASUS motherboards is subjected to more than 8,000 hours of stringent tests, including burn-in, environmental, compatibility, software and safety tests to confirm their durability. ASUS reliability surpasses industry standards, ensuring that every component is designed to function flawlessly in any environment.

Temperature and humidity tests

Ensures components withstand extreme conditions.

Thermal measurement tests

Ensures that the system remains cool and stable under the heaviest loads.

Insertion tests

Every port and connector is put through repeated installation cycles.

Aging tests

Up to 48-hour aging test ensures reliability.

Power-consumption tests

Checked for world-class energy efficiency.

Temperature and DC margin tests

Ensures that the motherboard is capable of coping with voltages fluctuations caused by varying temperatures.

Thermal-shock tests

Ensures ability to survive temperature changes during transportation.

Non-operation shock tests

Built to withstand jolts that may occur during shipping.

Burn-in tests

Every component is checked to ensure flawless operation.

Installation tests

Connector placement is double-checked to ensure hassle-free installation.

Drop tests

Drop tests from various heights ensure durability.

Salt and spray tests

Tested for I/O reliability, prolonged lifespan and rust-resistance.

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Ultrafast connectivity

M.2

Speed up with onboard M.2 up to 32Gbps

With x4 PCI Express 3.0/2.0 bandwidth, M.2 supports up to 32Gbps data-transfer speeds. It’s the perfect choice for an operating system or application drive, providing fast access to data.

IRST

Upgrade your RAID

Use the CPU’s PCIe lanes to unleash the Intel^® Rapid Storage (IRST) feature with the addition of an ASUS Hyper M.2 X16 Card V2* that allows you to attach up to three PCIe^® 3.0 x16 M.2 drives — for a total bandwidth of up to 96Gbps.

*ASUS Hyper M.2 x16 Card V2 sold separately

Intel® Optane™ Memory h20 with Solid State Storage

PRIME Z390-A/h20/h20 comes bundled with Intel® Optane™

Memory h20 with Solid State Storage (32GB + 512GB, M.2 80mm PCIe 3.0, 3D XPoint™, QLC), an M.2 SSD that combines the advantages of Intel Optane memory and Intel QLC 3D NAND storage to deliver boosted system performance plus high-capacity storage. It also features a UEFI BIOS profile that’s ready for Intel Optane Memory h20, eliminating the need to switch storage configurations manually for quick and easy setup.

Learn more >

USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A & Type-C

Ultimate-speed 10Gbps with USB 3.1 Gen 2 onboard

With backward-compatible USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-A™ and reversible USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C™ ports, you’ll experience ultimate connection flexibility and blazing data-transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps.

ThunderboltEX 3 Card

Experience blistering ThunderboltTM 3 speeds and any-way-up connectivity

PRIME Z390-A/h20 supports ThunderboltEX 3, an Intel-certified Thunderbolt™ 3 add-on card that enables bi-directional speeds of up to 40Gbps through a single cable. Thunderbolt 3 also supports daisy-chaining up to six devices, has a reversible USB-C connector for USB 3.1 compatibility, and supports USB Power Delivery for fast, high-power charging of up to 36W.

*ThunderboltEX 3 card available separately for purchase.

Learn more >

Intel Ethernet

Faster data transfers, lower CPU usage

PRIME Z390-A/h20 features the very latest Intel Ethernet. Intel’s LAN has the advantage of reducing CPU overhead and offering exceptionally high TCP and UDP throughput for faster, smoother data transfer.

Lower CPU workload

High TCP & UDP throughput

Turbo LAN

Network-optimization software for customizable packet prioritization

Turbo LAN with cFosSpeed traffic-shaping technology allows you to configure application priority via an intuitive interface, and reduces network lag.

Visual beauty

Aura Sync

Outshine the competition

A well-tuned enthusiast system deserves a matching aesthetic. ASUS Aura offers full RGB lighting control with a variety of functional presets for the built-in RGB LEDs as well as strips connected to the onboard RGB headers.* And it can all be synced with an ever-growing portfolio of Aura-capable ASUS hardware.

Learn more >

Static

Breathing

Strobing

Rainbow

Color cycle

Comet

Flash &
dash

Wave

Glowing
Yo Yo

Starry
night

Music
effect

CPU
temperature

* The Aura RGB-strip header supports 5050 RGB LED strips with a max power rating of 3A (12V). For maximum brightness, strip length should not exceed 3m. 
** RGB LED Extension cables are included. LED Strips and Aura-compatible devices are sold separately. 

Upgrade to unrivalled audio

Outstanding audio

Realtek codec and unique design features for pristine, powerful audio

PRIME Z390-A/h20 utilizes a unique audio codec designed in close collaboration with Realtek — the Realtek S1220A. It also features an unprecedented 120dB signal-to-noise ratio for the stereo line-out and a 113dB SNR for the line-in, providing pristine audio quality. Additionally, a new impedance-sensing circuit automatically adjusts gain to ensure the optimal volume range for your headphones.

DTS Headphone:X^TM
Surround sound

Immersive 3D surround-sound technology provides incredible audio experiences.

Crystal Sound 3

Flawless audio that immerses you in the game

Power pre-regulator

Reduces power-input noise to ensure consistent performance.

Audio shielding

Separates analog/digital signal domains, significantly reducing multi-lateral interference.

Separate layer for left and right tracks

Ensures minimal crosstalk between audio paths.

Integrated amplifier

Capable of driving high-impedance headphones, without rolling-off high or low frequencies.

De-pop circuit

Reduces start-up popping noise to all audio outputs.

Premium Japanese audio capacitors

Premium parts provide an immersive sound signature, with exceptional fidelity.

Intel Z390 chipset
The Intel^® Z390 is a single-chipset design that supports Socket 1151 for 9th Gen and 8th Gen Intel^® Core™, Pentium^® Gold and Celeron^® processors. It provides improved performance by utilizing serial point-to-point links, allowing increased bandwidth and stability. Additionally, the chipset provides a maximum of six USB 3.1 Gen 2 ports, four USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, and 32Gbps M.2 and PCIe 3.0 lane speed support, for faster data retrieval. Intel Z390 also supports integrated-graphics, so you’ll enjoy the very latest in graphics performance.

Ready for Socket 1151 for 9th / 8th Gen Intel^® Core™, Pentium^® Gold and Celeron^® processors
This motherboard supports Socket 1151 for 9th Gen and 8th Gen Intel^® Core™, Pentium^® Gold and Celeron^® processors, with integrated graphics, memory and PCI Express controllers to support onboard graphics output with dedicated chipsets, dual-channel (4-DIMM) DDR4 memory and 16 PCI Express 3. 0/2.0 lanes for great performance.

ASROCK Z390 EXTREME4 – Laurent’s Choice

• 10 CPU phases  for better Over-Clocking
• Premium Chocks, and MOSFETs
• Advanced Custom Water cooling support
• Big START/ RESET soldered buttons
• Looks great
• Robust design
• Best possible price at this level of make and performances.

• not enough fan connectors to support the water-pump connectors
• no IO integrated shield
• no EZ Debugger

• 2 SATA cables
• IO Shield
• M.2 SSD screws and screw raisers
• 2 way SLI Bridge
• ASROCK carton postcard
• Manual
• DVD driver & Software

The ASROCK Z390 EXTREME4

First and foremost, it is an ATX motherboard.

It will fit in virtually any case you can throw at it.

The Z390 chipset

The big difference in this new series is, of course, the chipset: The Z390.

What you need to know here is that the Z390 is in all and for all identical to its predecessor, the Z370. The only noticeable differences are the addition of 2 features (marked in red below) :

Intel Z370 versus Z390
Intel Chipset	Z390	Z370
Overclocking Support	Yes	Yes
On-CPU PCI Express* 3.0 Configurations	1X16 or 2X8 or 1×8+2X4	1×16 or 2×8 or 1×8+2×4
Independent Display Ports / Pipes Support	3/3	3/3
Memory Channels / DIMMs per Channel	2/2	2/2
Processor Overclocking	Yes	Yes
Integrated Intel Wireless-AC Support (CNVi)	Yes	No
Intel Optane Memory Support	Yes	Yes
Maximum High Speed I/O Lanes	30?	30
Maximum USB 3. 1 Ports: Gen 2 / Gen 1	6 / 10	0 / 10
Maximum SATA 6Gb/s Ports	6	6
Maximum PCI Express* 3.0 lanes	24 (v3.0)	24 (v3.0)
Intel Rapid Storage Technology	Yes	Yes
Maximum Intel RST for PCIe Storage Ports (x2 M.2 or x4 M.2)	3	3
Intel RST PCIe RAID 0, 1, 5	Yes	Yes
Intel RST SATA RAID 0, 1, 5, 10	Yes	Yes
Intel RST for CPU-attached Intel PCIe Storage	Yes	Yes

Other than that, they are the very same chipset, which is a good thing since both the Z370 and Z390 can support the same processors:

• 8th Generation Intel Processors (Coffee Lake)
• 9th Generation Intel Processors (Coffee Lake refresh)

Socket

Luckily for all of us, this board still uses the highly compatible 1151 LGA CPU socket. Therefore, if you have installed any Intel CPU in the past decade, you should feel right at home.

And, as previously stated, the CPU socket will support both the 8th and 9th generation of Intel’s Core CPUs.

VRM

The ASROCK Z390 EXTREME4  comes with 12 phases, 10 of which are dedicated to your CPU!

Obviously, this means a superior overclocking experience with ANY supported CPU. Yes! Including the massive i9-9900K!

Note on Overcloking:

After a 6 hours CPU stress-test on an Over-clocked (5.0Ghz) i9-9900K, I did notice over-heating (above 90 Celsius) on the VRMs.

It did not result in any noticeable thermo-throttling or loss of performances.

RAM

RAM wise, we have the usual quad slot dual channel.

It can support up-to 64 GB of DDR4 RAM at a stable 4,300 MgHZ.

M.2 SSD

Storage wise, we have a dual M.2 SSD configuration in a 8cm and 11cm long configuration. Of course, the Z390 chipset is Optane ready. This will allow our M.2 SSD sticks to swap data up to 32 Gbps.

With this kind of theoretical transfers, do not be surprised to see your M.2 SSDs sticks overheating, and thermo-throttling.

And that is why all of our longer (therefore hotter) M.2 SSD has been equipped with the padded thermo-shield

SATA 3.0

ROG MAXIMUS XI APEX SATA connectors

For more classical storage solutions, we have our usual SATA 3.0 plugs. 6 in total, with a transfer rate of 6 Gbps each. They can be configured to run into a 0,1,5 or 10 RAID configuration.

PCIe Lanes

The Z390 EXTREME4 has six 3rd Generation PCI expresses.:

• 3 16 lanes with different BUS speeds
• 3 single lanes , single speeds

Only the closest 16 lanes PCIe slot can operate up to 16 full BUS speed. Therefore, your unique video card should be here for optimal performances.

In a 2 way GPU configuration, we have a descent 8 by 8 BUS speed, which is plenty to a run a well-performing SLI or CrossFire dual GPU configuration.

But evidently, the Z390/Core combination does not provide enough PCIe lanes to say the same about a 3 way GPU configuration, which will only provide 4 BUS speed in 2nd and 3rd position.

BACK IO

First, let me note that we have an integrated I/O shield. Which is ALWAYS a good start.

Starting from the left, we have :

• 2 PS2 plugs for keyboard and mouse
• x4 USB 3.1 1st Gen. RX/TX 5 Gbps
• x2 USB 3.1 2nd Gen. ( 1 type A + 1 type C) RX/TX 10 Gbps
• x1 Gigabit  LAN
• Realtek ALC1220, 7.1 channels

M.2 WiFi connector

Front Panel connectors

We have one USB 3.1 2nd gen type C front panel connector (capped at 5 Gb/s) as well as two USB 3.1 1st gen type A (classical) front panel connector.

In addition, we have 2 USB 2.0 front panel connectors. Worth noting, these are not only relevant for data transfer, but they are also very useful for All-In-One water pumps energy supply and PWM abilities, or for Intelligent PSUs for in and out wattage readout / monitoring.

Fan & Pump Connectors

We got 5 PWM connectors. 4 of which are water pump compatible. In essence, you can run a dual custom water cooling configuration, but you’ll find yourself with only 3 remaining fan connectors. And that obviously won’t cut it.

So here is the thing…

You will need fan splinters in order to fully setup a single or dual custom water cooling system, which is somewhat paradoxical with such an abundance of water pump connectors.

Polychrome Sync Effect

RGB wise, ASROCK did make some improvements compared to its predecessor, the Z370 Extreme4.

We start with 3 nested RGB strips.

IO

One under the IO roof.

PCB

One under the chipset heat-shield.

PCB

And one right next to our sound capacitors.

But if that is not enough, you can add up to 3 additional RGB strips :

2 standard 12V RGB connector and 1 addressable RGB connector.

Conclusion

The ASROCK Z390 EXTREME4 will cost you anywhere from 160 to 200 bucks.

ASROCK has finally decided to take a new direction in terms of aesthetics on their new board series… and it works. The lines are smoother and simpler. We have more RGB nested on the board and simpler, clearer layout compared to the previous Extreme 4 models!

But of course the absolute star of this review is its VRM: 10 cpu-centric phases which re-define the all price segment. You usually need to spend 80 to 100 bucks more to get there.

And despite some heat detected, when Overclocking an i9 9900k, it is an absolute pleasure to Over clock with. Stable as a rock, easy as peasy.

I got a couple of regrets as usual, first the fact we do not have any integrated IO shield… something which does not cost much more but make an absolute difference for first rime builders!

And the fact that we do not have more fan connectors to support the amazing custom water cooling potential of this board.

But these are details and obviously not deal breakers. Truth is the Asrock Z390 Extreme 4, for once over delivers and went beyond my expectations.

At this price  range, we are looking at a singularity event which deserves a better brand recognition.

It can serves quite a wide spectrum, from the first time builder to the hard core enthusiast, the Extreme 4 has u in mind!

I got to say… well done ASROCK. I am curious to see what’s coming next from you!

QUICK OVERVIEW

CPU & northbridge support

Supported Processor

8th & 9th Gen. Intel Core Processors

Chipset

Z390

CPU socket

LGA1151

Memory

Slots

4 (dual channel)

Max System Memory (Gigabytes)

64

Memory Technology

DDR4

Maximum Clock (MgHz)

4,300

Connectors

USB 2.0

2 on-board

USB 3.1 (1st Gen)

4 on back IO + 2 on-board

USB 3.1 (2nd Gen)

1 Type A/C on back IO + 1 Type C on board.

LAN

1 Gb/s

WiFi

M.2 SSD WIFI connector for upgrade 

Tags

ASROCK motherboardASROCK Z390 EXTREME4

Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming motherboard review based on the Intel Z390 chipset

Simultaneously with the announcement of the new Intel Z390 chipset, Asus introduced almost its entire range of motherboards based on this chipset, which consists of five series: ROG Maximus XI, ROG Strix, Prime , TUF Gaming and WS. We have already reviewed the ROG Maximus XI and Prime series boards, and in this article we will get acquainted with the representative of the ROG Strix series: the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming model.

Equipment and packaging

The Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming comes in a medium-sized box with the usual ROG Strix styling.

Package includes two SATA cables (all connectors with latches, one cable with an angled connector on one side), user manual, DVD with software and drivers, SLI HB bridge for two video cards, built-in Wi-Fi antenna , two cables for connecting LED strips, a 40mm fan and, of course, various stickers. nine0003

Configuration and features of the board

The summary table of Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board characteristics is given below, and further in the text we will consider all its features and functionality.

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connector

Processors supported	8th Gen Intel Core, 9th Gen Intel Core
Processor socket	LGA1151
Chipset	Intel Z390
Memory	4 × DDR4 (up to 64 GB)
Audio subsystem	Realtek ALC1220
Network controller	1 × Intel i219-V 1 × Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (Intel CNVi) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac + Bluetooth 5.0
Expansion slots	1 x PCI Express 3.0 x16 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x8 (in PCI Express 3.0 x16 form factor) 1 x PCI Express 3.0 x4 (in PCI Express 3.0 x16 form factor) 3 x PCI Express 3.0 x1 2 x M.2
SATA connectors	6 × SATA 6Gb/s
USB ports	3 × USB 3. 1 (Type-A) 1 × USB 3.1 (Type-C) 1 × USB 3.1 vertical type 4 × USB 3.0 (Type-A) 6 × USB 2.0
Rear connectors	1 x HDMI 1 x DisplayPort 1 x USB 3.1 (Type-C) 3 x USB 3.1 (Type-A) 2 x USB 3.0 2 x USB 2.0 1 × RJ-45 1 × PS/2 1 × S/PDIF (optical, out) 5 audio mini-jacks 2 antennas
Internal connectors	24-pin ATX power connector 8-pin ATX 12V power connector 6 × SATA 6Gb/s 2 × M.2 7 x 4-pin fan headers 1 x Asus Extension Fan header 1 vertical connector for connecting front USB 3.1 ports 1 USB 3.0 connector 2 USB 2.0 connectors 1 thermal sensor connector 2 non-addressable RGB ribbon connectors 1 addressable RGB ribbon connector 1 COM connector 1 Node
Form factor	ATX (305×244 mm)
Average price	ask prices
Retail offers	ask price

Form factor

The Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board is made in the ATX form factor (305×244 mm) and nine standard holes are provided for mounting it into the case.

Chipset and processor socket

The Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board is based on the Intel Z390 chipset and supports 8th generation Intel Core processors and the new 9th generation Intel Core processors with LGA1151 socket. nine0003

Memory

The board has four DIMM slots for installing memory modules. The board supports unbuffered DDR4 (non-ECC) memory, and the maximum memory capacity is 64 GB (using 16 GB modules).

Expansion Slots, M.2 Connectors

For graphics cards, expansion cards, and drives, the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming motherboard has three PCI Express x16 slots, three PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots, and two M. 2. nine0003

The first two slots (counting from the processor socket) with the PCI Express x16 form factor are based on 16 PCIe 3.0 processor lanes.

The first slot is switchable and can run at x16/x8 speeds. That is, it is a PCI Express 3.0 x16/x8 slot. To switch the operating modes of this slot, four PCIe 3. 0 ASMedia ASM1480 multiplexer / demultiplexer lines are used.

Second PCI Express x16 slot always runs at x8 speed. That is, it is a PCI Express 3.0 x8 slot, but in the PCI Express x16 form factor. nine0003

Accordingly, the operating modes of these two slots can be either x16/– or x8/x8. If only the first slot is used, then it will work at x16 speed, if both slots are used, then they will work at x8 speed.

The third PCI Express x16 slot is x4 speed only and is a PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot in the PCI Express x16 form factor. This slot is based on four PCIe 3.0 chipset lines.

Note that the board supports Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossFireX technologies and allows installation of two Nvidia video cards and up to three AMD video cards. nine0003

Three PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots are also implemented via the Intel Z390 chipset.

M.2 slots for SSD storage. One socket (M.2_1) closest to the processor socket supports PCIe 3.0 x4/x2 or SATA devices and can accommodate 2242/2260/2280 drives.

The second M.2_2 slot only supports PCIe 3.0 x4/x2 2242/2260/2280/22110 devices.

Both M.2 connectors are implemented via the chipset. Heatsinks are provided for drives installed in these slots. nine0003

Video connectors

Since the 8th and 9th generation Intel Core processors have an integrated graphics core, HDMI 1.4 and DisplayPort 1.2 video outputs are available on the back of the board for connecting a monitor.

SATA ports

To connect drives or optical drives, the board provides six SATA 6 Gb / s ports, which are implemented on the basis of the controller integrated into the Intel Z390 chipset. These ports support the ability to create RAID levels 0, 1, 5, 10.

USB connectors

The board provides four USB 3.0 ports, six USB 2.0 ports, and five USB 3.1 ports for connecting a variety of peripheral devices.

All USB ports implemented via the Intel Z390 chipset. Two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports and four USB 3. 1 ports are located on the rear panel of the board. Of the four USB 3.1 ports, three are Type-A and one is Type-C. To connect four more USB 2.0 ports and two USB 3.0 ports, the board has two USB 2.0 port headers and one USB 3.0 port header (two ports per header). In addition, the board has a vertical-type connector for connecting a front USB 3.1 (Type-C) port. nine0003

Network interface

For networking, the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board has a traditional gigabit network interface based on the Intel i219-V physical layer controller (used in combination with the chipset MAC layer controller).

In addition, the Intel Wireless-AC 9560 Wi-Fi controller, which uses the CNVi chipset interface, is installed in a separate (third) M.2 slot on the board. Recall that the CNVi (Connectivity Integration) interface provides Wi-Fi (802.11ac, up to 1733 Mbps) and Bluetooth 5.0 connections. However, the CNVi controller is not a full-fledged network controller, but a MAC controller. For a full-fledged controller, you need another card (for example, Intel Wireless-AC 9560, as in this case) with an M.2 connector (E-type key) that supports the CNVi interface.

How it works

Recall that the Z390 chipset has 30 HSIO ports, of which there can be up to 24 PCIe 3.0 ports, up to 6 SATA 6 Gb / s ports and up to 10 USB 3.0 / 3.1 ports, of which up to 6 ports may be USB 3.1. And in total there can be no more than 14 USB 3.1/3.0/2.0 ports.

The following PCIe 3.0 x4 slots, three PCI Express 3.0 x1 slots, two M.2 connectors, and one network controller are implemented through the PCIe chipset ports on the board (the Wi-Fi controller does not require a PCIe 3.0 port). All this combined requires 16 PCIe 3.0 ports. The board has six SATA ports, four USB 3.0 ports, and five USB 3.1 ports, for a total of 15 more HSIO ports. That is, in total, 31 HSIO ports are obtained. Something must be shared with something. nine0003

In addition, we recall that the Intel Z390 chipset supports no more than 14 USB ports in total, and no more than 10 USB 3. 0 / 3.1 ports, of which up to 6 ports can be USB 3.1 ports. The Asus ROG Strix Z390-E board has 15 USB ports (5 USB 3.1, 4 USB 3.0 and 6 USB 2.0).

The lack of USB ports is solved by using the USB 2.0 hub (GL582), which turns two USB 2.0 ports into four.

As for the other divisions, everything is simple. The PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot is shared with two SATA ports (SATA_5 and SATA_6). That is, the PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot can work in x4 mode, but in this case the SATA_5 and SATA_6 ports will not be available, or the ports will be available, but in this case the PCI Express 3.0 x4 slot will work in x2 mode. This division saves two HSIO ports. nine0003

Further, if the M.2_1 connector is used in SATA mode, then the SATA_2 port will be unavailable (there is an error in the user manual regarding the mode of operation of the M.2_1 connector). Given the specified division, 29 HSIO ports are required in total. The block diagram of the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board is shown in the figure.

Additional features

Asus ROG Strix series boards don’t have many additional features compared to ROG Maximus XI series boards, but they are there. nine0003

Let’s start with the fact that, like all new Asus boards, there is a MemOK! II (previously there was a MemOK! button). However, with regard to working with memory, the point, of course, is not that the button was replaced by a switch. All new Asus boards use Asus OptiMem II technology. Due to the use of a grounding plate on the reverse side of the board in the area where the tracks from the memory modules are located and the use of a ground loop, it was possible to reduce crosstalk from adjacent contact tracks when transmitting high-frequency signals. As a result, you can increase the frequency of the memory. nine0003

Among the innovations, one can also note the presence of a special Node connector for connecting a compatible power supply (you can find a list of such power supplies on the Asus website), which allows you to control the speed of the power supply fan, input and output voltages.

Another feature is the implementation of RGB lighting. Here, the shroud on the back of the connectors is illuminated. Naturally, the backlight can be controlled using the Aura Sync utility. You can set the highlight color and various color effects. nine0003

The board also has two special four-pin (12V/G/R/B) connectors for connecting a conventional LED strip, as well as one three-pin connector for connecting an addressable (digital) LED strip.

There is also a special connector for connecting a COM port.

Power System

Like most boards, the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming model has 24-pin and 8-pin power supply connectors.

The processor voltage regulator on the board is 10-channel and is controlled by a controller labeled ASP1400TB. Each power channel uses one NCP302045 chip from On Semiconductor, which combines two MOSFET transistors (High and Low), as well as a MOSFET driver. nine0003

Cooling system

The cooling system of the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board consists of several heatsinks. Two heat sinks connected by a heat pipe are located on two adjacent sides of the processor socket and are designed to remove heat from the elements of the processor voltage regulator. Another heatsink is designed to cool the chipset.

There are also two heatsinks for M.2 SSDs.

In addition, the board provides seven four-pin fan connectors to create an efficient heat dissipation system. Two connectors are for the CPU cooler, two more are for additional case fans, two more are for the water cooling system, and the last connector is for the drive cooling fan installed in the M.2 slot. Note that the connector for connecting the water cooling pump supports current up to 3 A (36 W). nine0003

In addition, there is a connector for connecting a thermal sensor (not included in the kit) and a five-pin Ext_Fan connector that allows you to connect a Fan Extension board (also not included in the kit), to which you can connect additional fans and thermal sensors. The trick here is that the fans connected to the Fan Extension board are controlled through the UEFI BIOS of the motherboard.

Audio subsystem

The audio subsystem of the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board is based on the Realtek ALC1220 codec. All elements of the audio path are isolated at the level of PCB layers from other components of the board and allocated to a separate zone. nine0003

The back panel of the board has five minijack audio connectors (3.5 mm) and one optical S/PDIF connector (output).

To test the output sound path intended for connecting headphones or external acoustics, we used an external Creative E-MU 0204 USB sound card in combination with the RightMark Audio Analyzer 6.3.0 utility. Testing was conducted for stereo mode, 24-bit/44.1 kHz. According to the test results, the audio path on the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board received a «Good» rating. nine0003

Full report with test results in RMAA 6.3.0

UEFI BIOS

The UEFI BIOS interface of all ROG Strix series boards is the same as the UEFI BIOS interface of the top ROG Maximus XI series boards. Moreover, there are few differences in terms of customization options.

As before, there are two display modes: EZ Mode Mode and Advanced Mode. In the simplified EZ Mode, you can only see the main parameters of the system, and the Advanced mode is designed for fine tuning. nine0003

In Advanced Mode, eight traditional tabs are available to the user.

All the most interesting settings are collected on the Extreme Tweaker tab. It is here that the settings for overclocking the system are collected.

Let’s make a reservation right away that we tested the board with the 9th generation Intel Core i9-9900K processor.

So, in order to open all options for overclocking the processor, you need to select Manual or XMP I / II for the Ai Overclocker Tuner parameter.

After that, it will be possible to change the BCLK frequency and adjust the operating mode of the CPU Core Ratio processor cores. Moreover, in addition to the traditional options Auto, Sync All Cores and Per Core, there is also an AI Optimized option (now this option is available on all Asus motherboards with the Intel Z39 chipset0).

AI Optimized uses a dynamic machine learning algorithm to determine the best settings based on CPU and thermal performance.

The maximum multiplier that can be set for a 9th generation processor with an unlocked multiplier is 120, that is, formally, at a BCLK frequency of 100 MHz, the processor can be overclocked by changing the multiplier to 12 GHz. However, such values ​​are unattainable even with extreme overclocking with liquid nitrogen cooling. nine0003

There is one more interesting new item (it is also available on all boards with the Intel Z390 chipset) — this is SVID Behavior, for which the following set of possible values ​​is provided: Auto, Best-Case Scenario, Typical Scenario, Worst-Case Scenario and Intel’s failsafe. Recall that SVID is a protocol by which the processor interacts with the supply voltage regulator, requesting the required voltage. There was a similar parameter in the UEFI BIOS before, but there were no such options for it, everything was limited to two options — Enable and Disable. nine0003

What’s more, there’s even a user manual for intelligent system overclocking.

Of course, everything that was implemented in the UEFI BIOS before (memory settings, voltage regulator settings, etc.) has not disappeared either.

For example, you can use the profile to overclock the processor to 5 GHz.

Conclusions

Overall, the ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming is a great board with a lot of features. By the set of slots, connectors and ports, and even by their implementation, it does not differ at all from the top model ROG Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi). The difference between these boards is only in the configuration and that the ROG Maximus XI Hero (Wi-Fi) has a few more additional features. Plus, in the top model, the backlight is a little more interesting. But if these nuances are not fundamental, then ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming is a great choice.

PRIME Z390-P｜Motherboard｜ASUS CIS

Tune it your way

Cool and Reliable

Ultrafast connectivity

Visual Beauty

Upgrade to unrivaled audio

1
PS/2 KB & MS

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display port

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2 x USB 3. 1 Gen2

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HDMI port

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4 x USB 3.1 Gen1

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LAN
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8-ch Audio

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PCI Express 3.0

• CrossFireX™ ​​Support
• ASUS SafeSlot Core Support

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Audio Features

• LED-illuminated design
• Audio Shielding
• Dedicated audio PCB layers
• Premium Japanese audio capacitors

10
DIGI+VRM & EPU

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DDR4 4266 (O. C.) MHz ASUS OptiMem II
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Support 9th Gen Intel ^® Core™ / 8th Gen Intel ^® Core™, Pentium ^® Gold and Celeron ^® processors Intel ^® LGA 1151 Socket

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2 x Front USB 3.1 Gen 1 Headers

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M.2 x4 dual mode Intel ^® Optane™ Memory Ready

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Intel ^® Z390 Chipset

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1 x M.2 Socket (Key E), supports type 2230 Wi-Fi/BT and Intel ^® CNVi (Integrated Wi-Fi/BT) module

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M. 2 x2 dual mode Intel ^® Optane™ Memory Ready

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4 x SATA 6Gb/s

Dressed in professional attire, the Prime Z390 series caters to daily users and content creators with well-rounded specs and features. Combining the benefits of the latest processors with essential ASUS design and engineering, Prime Z390 provides a wealth of options for performance tuning via intuitive software and firmware features. nine0003

Tune it your way

Prime Z390 simplifies CPU overclocking with software and extensive tweaking options that give beginners and seasoned overclockers alike the tools to build well-tuned machines. A new memory trace layout provides stability and compatibility for both traditional DIMMs and RGB-infused memory, letting you pair a broad choice of DRAM kits with your build.

EPU & Fan Xpert 4

UEFI BIOS

Memory Enhancements

All-round energy efficiency

With the Energy Processing Unit (EPU) you’ll enjoy system-wide power savings. The EPU automatically optimizes power consumption and maximizes savings with Away mode. — a smart setting that creates an extreme energy-saving scenario by shutting down unused I/O controllers.

Flexible cooling controls for air or liquid

With Prime Z390-P you have comprehensive control over fans via Fan Xpert 4 or our media-acclaimed UEFI. Whether you’re cooling with air or water, Auto-Tuning mode intelligently configures all parameters with a single click. There’s also an Extreme Quiet mode, which reduces all fan speeds to below the default minimum — keeping your system whisper-quiet when performing light tasks. nine0003

Media-acclaimed UEFI BIOS

The UEFI BIOS is an early waypoint on any PC-building journey, and Prime Z390-P offers one of the best in the business.

EZ Tuning Wizard
Quickly apply a CPU overclock to improve system performance, or configure a RAID array for faster data retrieval and backups.

My Favorites
Quickly discover tuning options and add preferred tools to the list.
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