ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi. Asus’s take on LGA 1851

We are expanding our motherboard tests with the Asus ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi. This one is priced between the Gigabyte (Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7) and MSI (MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi) models, which we’ve already analyzed in depth. This is also a board designed for Intel Core 200S CPUs (Arrow Lake). More towards the more powerful CPU classes, as the tested ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi has a robust VRM, among other things.

In the context of tests of motherboards built on the Intel LGA 1851 platform, we also come to Asus – the ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi model. Upper mid-range? In terms of price, it is around there and the equipment is… certainly adequate. Some of the features you’d expect might not be found here, but that’s because Asus was looking in a different (better?) direction.

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Asus ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi

Categorically, the motherboard falls under the Strix (ROG Strix) line, where it sits between the cheaper Z890-A Gaming WiFi and the more expensive (and more feature-rich) Z890-E Gaming WiFi models. Then there’s the Z890-I Gaming WiFi, but that’s already a motherboard in the smaller Mini-ITX format.

The ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi has a PCB that meets the ATX standard, measuring 305 × 244 mm. The PCI Express ×16 slots are here only in the less usual configuration of two (we’ll get to that one later…), but again, there are as many as 5 M.2 connectors for SSDs.

   

Two M.2 slots (for SSDs) are brought out of the processor, with the first supporting PCIe 5.0. Above it is also a heavier (120g) and longer (approx. 133mm), 24mm tall SSD cooler. The latter allows for more powerful SSDs (PCIe 5.0), which have a higher power consumption at maximum performance, because of which they heat up more intensively and thus there is a greater need for their cooling. What is unique here is the (de)mounting mechanism working on the basis of a buckle with hinges in the substrate (with a thermal pad, by the way). You simply slide this to the right to remove the cooler and apply the opposite procedure to secure it. An elegant solution.

The supported SSD formats in this first slot (and also in the fourth, but only with PCIe 4.0 support) are up to 110 mm (42–110 mm). The remaining four M.2 slots are already “only” with PCIe 4.0 support, but they always connect (to the CPU – the second slot or to the Z890 South Bridge – the third to fifth slots) fully, with four PCIe lanes. The last, fifth slot is the only one that also supports SATA SSDs, the other slots are for NVMe SSDs only.

For SATA SSDs, but already inch-type, four slots (SATA) are then reserved for traditional cable connection. For some, this number (4) may be insufficient, another will evaluate it as redundant. The latter will probably be the majority viewpoint as well, or rather few of the target user group require more slots for SATA inch-type storage (typically for HDDs). That’s why Asus isn’t “overdoing it” with them either, and there’s more for internal storage in the M.2 format, which is more prevalent in the mainstream.

And now to the PCI Express ×16 slots. There are two instead of the usual three. This is also at the expense of the aforementioned larger number of M.2 slots (the Z890 Aorus Elite WiFi7 has only four, for example). There is no sharing of PCIe lanes either. The distance between the PCIe ×16 slots is up to 100 mm, which is also suitable for installing a thick graphics card in the first slot (PCIe ×16) and cooling it efficiently, because even when using an expansion card in the second slot, there will always be more space for air intake (by the fans of the graphics card cooler). Only the first slot (PCIe ×16) has the fast PCIe 5.0 interface, the second one is only of the 4.0 standard with the fact that it no longer has 16, but only 4 PCI Express lanes. However, for simpler expansion cards with USB or LAN ports this will not be a limitation and such an interface is plenty sufficient. This also applies to sound cards, which would also be a good fit in the second PCIe slot (×16 physically, but with only 4 PCIe lanes).

A nice touch is the pair of 19-pin USB 3.2 gen. 1 headers. Often we only see one such connector on motherboards, but on the ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi motherboard they are in a pair, allowing all four 5-gigabit USB ports to work on more feature-rich cases.

The power delivery around the processor is 20-phase (16+1+2+2), with 16 Vcore phases. An interesting aspect of the design (and of several Asus Z890 boards) is that one phase is powered from a 24-pin ATX connector. This is rather unusual and when studying power consumption measured on only 8+8-pin EPS cables, take this into account. In other words, the idle power consumption will not be as low as what you measure on cables that usually power the processor completely.

   

Underneath the metal shielding with “SupremeFX” written on it is a Realtek ALC4080 sound chip. In terms of sound, Asus highlights a more powerful amplifier with 120 dB output and 110 dB input (for microphone).

External USB connectors abound on the rear panel, 14 in total. There are four Type-C connectors – two with Thunderbolt 4 support, and one of the remaining two slower (3.2 gen. 1 standard) connectors supports 30-watt PD fast charge.

One element that is lighted is the cover between the VRM and the connectors of the rear I/O panel. It’s a Strix text logo with RGB graphics in different colors (RGB) with different effects. Customizing the lighting (including brightness) is traditionally possible via the Armoury Crate app.

Please note: The article continues in the following chapters.