At Computex 2024, leading companies Asus, MSI and Biostar showcased their prototypes of motherboards built on the Intel Z890 chipset. These motherboards are designed for the upcoming desktop processors, the Intel Core Ultra 200—commonly known as Arrow Lake-S, due for release later this year.
These Arrow Lake-S compatible boards feature the new processor socket, LGA 1851. Importantly, they remain compatible with the contemporary cooling systems for LGA 1700, thus enabling owners to avoid additional expenditure on cooling upgrades when transitioning to the new platform.
Asus Exhibits the ROG Maximus Z890 Hero BTF
Asus unveiled the new ROG Maximus Z890 Hero BTF at Computex 2024. A notable feature of this motherboard is the power connectors being relocated to the back. It also includes a special PCIe power connector for cable-free graphics card installation. A standard version of this motherboard is expected, where all connectors will be located on the front side.
Although specific details are yet to be disclosed, the Arrow Lake-S platform supports the PCIe 5.0 interface. Therefore, this motherboard is expected to support this interface for both graphics cards and SSDs. Additionally, with the advent of Arrow Lake-S, Intel will transition entirely to DDR5 RAM.
It is likely that the ROG Maximus Z890 Hero BTF will come with various overclocking features, characteristic of the series. Known offerings include support for Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, USB4, a 5-gigabit LAN, and the new-generation SupremeFX audio codec.
MSI Showcases their Intel Z890 and Z790 Chipset Motherboards
The Computex exhibition was not only an opportunity for MSI to display motherboards built on the Intel Z890 chipset, but also an interesting Z790 chipset motherboard.
For the Arrow Lake-S, MSI released the Z890 EDGE and Z890 PRO boards. The EDGE variant is expected to be a part of the MSI MPG series. It includes one PCIe 5.0 x16 and one PCIe 4.0 connector, with four M.2 slots for SSDs. The motherboard also features three 8-pin power connectors: two for the processor located at the top right (rather than the usual left), and one for PCIe power located near the internal USB connectors.
The Z890 EDGE also features five USB 3.2 Gen2 (10 Gbps) ports, two USB4 (Type-C) ports, and supports Wi-Fi 7.
The Z890 PRO model exhibits a design akin to the black-and-white aesthetics of the Gigabyte AERO G boards. Like the EDGE model, the dual 8-pin power connectors for the processor are now located on the right, with the third connector positioned at the bottom.
The MSI Z890 PRO comprises four M.2 slots, three of PCIe 4.0 standard and one of PCIe 5.0. The motherboard also includes a new mechanism for SSD installation—called the EZ M.2 Clip II—and supports Wi-Fi 7.
Besides the Z890, MSI also introduced the Z790 MPOWER motherboard. Its distinguishing feature is the inclusion of Mini_CUDIMM slots for RAM, developed by MSI in conjunction with Intel. It is reported that this memory standard ensures optimal signal transmission from the RAM modules to the processor.
The Z790 MPOWER model also features a 14-phase VRM power subsystem with a DRPS 12+1+1 phase scheme and two 8-pin power connectors for the processor.
Biostar Presents the Z890 Valkyrie and Z890A-Silver
Biostar introduced the Z890 Valkyrie and Z890A-Silver ATX chipset motherboards. Both models are equipped with four DDR5 slots, DisplayPort and HDMI connectors, Realtek ALC 1220 audio codecs, one 12V RGB connector, and four 5V ARGB LED connectors.
The Z890 Valkyrie model boasts a 23-phase VRM power subsystem with three PCIe 5.0 x16 slots, USB4 (Type-C 40 Gbps) ports, six M.2 SSD connectors (one PCIe 5.0 and five PCIe 4.0), and two LAN connectors—one 5 Gbps and another 2.5 Gbps.
The more straightforward Z890A-Silver model features a 15-phase VRM power subsystem. It is equipped with one PCIe 5.0 x16, one PCIe 4.0 x16, two PCIe x1 as well as a variety of USB 3.2 Gen2 and Gen1, and USB 2.0, but lacks USB4 support. This model also includes a 2.5-gigabit network controller and supports Wi-Fi.
