Asus ROG Maximus Z790Dark Hero

ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero 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 Next-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

• Intel® LGA 1700 socket: Ready for Intel® Core™ 13th Gen processors, Intel Core™ 12th Gen, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors
• Robust Power Solution: 20+1+2 power stages with dual ProCool II power connectors, high-quality alloy chokes, and durable capacitors to support multi-core processors
• Optimized VRM Thermals: Massive heatsinks integrated with the I/O cover, joined by an L-shaped heatpipe, and connected to the power stages with high-conductivity thermal pads
• Latest M.2 Support: Onboard PCIe® 5.0 M.2 slot, and four PCIe 4.0 M.2 slots all with substantial cooling solutions
• Abundant Connectivity: Dual Thunderbolt™ 4 USB Type-C® ports, USB 20Gbps Type-C front-panel connector with Quick Charge 4+ up to 60W and USB Wattage Watcher, six additional USB 10Gbps ports, two PCIe 5.0 x16 SafeSlots, HDMI™ 2.1
• High-Performance Networking: On-board Intel® Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) and Intel® 2.5 Gb Ethernet with ASUS LANGuard
• Intelligent Control: ASUS-exclusive AI Overclocking, AI Cooling II, AI Networking, and Two-Way AI Noise Cancelation to simplify setup and improve performance
• Immersive Audio: ROG SupremeFX ALC4082 codec with ESS® ES9218 Quad DAC for up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback
• Unmatched Personalization: I/O cover with Polymo Lighting, three addressable Gen 2 headers, and one RGB header, all configurable with ASUS-exclusive Aura Sync RGB lighting
• DIY Friendly Design: PCIe Slot Q-Release, M.2 Q-Latch, Q-Antenna, pre-mounted I/O shield, Q-Code, Q-LED, FlexKey button, Start button, BIOS FlashBack™ button, and Clear CMOS button
• Renowned Software: Bundled 9-month Intel® Unison™ subscription, bundled 1-year AIDA64 Extreme trial subscription and intuitive UEFI BIOS dashboard with integrated MemTest86

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
  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.
• DIFFERENTIAL SENSING
  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 Dark Hero features a differential-sensing circuit and delicate IC that simplify overclocking and tuning by allowing you to track voltages more accurately.

MEMORY

Comprehensive memory tuning options are the cornerstone of ROG motherboards. With the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, you can extract all of the potential out of your DDR5 modules, regardless of if they're from an extreme-speed kit or an entry-level set that would otherwise be locked.

• DDR5 DOMINATION
  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 far beyond the 8 GT/s mark on the Maximus Z790 Dark Hero, 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.
• DIMM FLEX
  DIMM Flex provides enthusiasts with a powerful new way to overclock their DDR5 memory modules. It employs specialized circuitry that can boost performance or address potential stability issues, depending on temperature readings. When temperatures are nominal, it can use the extra headroom to increase speeds and efficiency. And when temperatures increase, it can adjust memory behavior downward to maintain stability.
• AEMP II
  ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile II (AEMP II) is an exclusive firmware feature that allows users to achieve supreme memory performance and compatibility with optimized clock speeds, even when they're using PMIC-restricted memory modules that do not provide an XMP or EXPO profile. Developed through a flexible training method, AEMP II simplifies the process of fine-tuning memory settings beyond the baseline configuration, all whil

COOLING

ASUS AIO coolers offer robust performance, high overclocking potential, bold aesthetics and customizable functionality for new Z790 m

• THERMAL MANAGEMENT
  An extensive array of headers line the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero for precise cooling control and monitoring.
• 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.
• COOLER COMPATIBILITY
  ASUS AIO coolers offer robust performance, high overclocking potential, bold aesthetics and customizable functionality for new Z790 motherboards, empowering you to build your dream gaming rig.

CONNECTIVITY

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.

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.

PCIE 5.0

Fully embracing the new standard, the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero offers abundant Gen 5 support to give unfettered bandwidth to the fastest SSDs and graphics cards available.

TWO THUNDERBOLT 4 TYPE-C® PORTS

Each port delivers up to 40 Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth for the latest super-speed devices and drives. Both ports can be employed for up to two external 4K displays, and PCIe bandwidth extends to up to 32 Gbps.

USB 20Gbps TYPE-C FRONT-PANEL CONNECTOR WITH QUICK CHARGE 4+

USB 20Gbps Type-C front-panel connector features Quick Charge 4+ technology that can rapidly charge devices up to 60W*.

SUPREME FX

ROG SupremeFX audio technology delivers an exceptional 110 dB signal-to-noise ratio to the line-in jack for pristine recording quality. There's also a low-dropout regulator for cleaner power delivery to the SupremeFX ALC4082 codec and an integrated ESS® ES9218 Quad DAC capable of reaching -115dB THD+N for superior front-panel output. This combined solution allows for end-to-end 32-bit 384 kHz resolution playback that conveys all the subtlety and nuances of each audio trac

DIY-FRIENDLY FEATURES

• 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.

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.

TWO-WAY AI NOISE CANCELATION

This utility leverages a massive deep-learning database to reduce over 5 million types of background noise from incoming or outgoing audio, helping ensure crystal-clear communication in games or calls.

AI NETWORKING

GameFirst is now integrated into Armoury Crate for an even better user experience. GameFirst optimizes networking performance by allocating bandwidth in real time, based on intelligent algorithms designed for various application customizable usage scenarios and corresponding learning algorithms. The latest update includes dedicated support for NVIDIA® GeForce NOW to ensure the lowest latency possible during intense game streaming cloud gaming sessions. To provide a better user's experience, GameFirst is now integrated into Armoury Crate.

UEFI BIOS

The renowned ROG UEFI (BIOS) provides everything you need to configure, tweak, and tune your rig. It offers intelligently simplified options for newcomers to PC DIY, as well as more comprehensive features for seasoned veterans.

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 loo

SONIC STUDIO

Sonic Studio supports HRTF-based (head-related transfer function*) virtual surround for headsets, casting an immersive aural landscape that draws you deeper into the action. The intuitive Sonic Studio interface also offers a range of EQ options and one-click presets, allowing you to tailor acoustics to suit personal preferences or the characteristics of your headset.

DTS SOUND UNBOUND

Through the pre-loaded DTS® Sound Unbound™ app, the ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero envelops you in rich audio, conjuring whole new levels of immersion for extraordinary gaming and entertainment experiences. By exploiting Microsoft spatial sound technology, DTS Sound Unbound creates an audial 3D space — putting you right in the middle of the soundscape, where you can sense the location and direction of every gunshot, footstep, or other sound in your virtual env

ARMOURY CRATE

Armoury Crate is a software utility designed to give you centralized control of supported gaming products, making it easy to tune the look and feel of your system. From a single intuitive interface, Armoury Crate helps you customize RGB lighting and effects for compatible devices and synchronize them with Aura Sync to create a unified lighting scheme across your system. In addition, Armoury Crate's Fan Xpert4 tool provides comprehensive control over fans, water pumps, and all-in-one (AIO) coolers.

AIDA64 EXTREME

The ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero includes a one-year AIDA64 Extreme subscription, a tool that provides detailed information about hardware and software, as well as benchmarks to measure the performance of the entire system or individual components. AIDA64 Extreme includes a monitoring and diagnostics feature to detect and prevent hardware issues. All vital system sensors can be tracked in real time, allowing voltage readings, fan speeds, and temperature information to be displayed on the desktop or sent to dedicated displays or to the LCD panels of ROG AIO liquid coolers

Dare to Be Green

We at the Republic of Gamers are on a mission to create a sustainable future where all gamers can flourish on the planet we call home. Every step counts, and as part of ROG's commitment to creating a more sustainable future, ROG has begun to utilize post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and paper materials certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC™) in the packaging of motherboard.

INTEL® UNISON™

Our latest ROG and ROG Strix Z790 WiFi 7 motherboards help you unify your tech life with a free 9-month subscription to Intel Unison.

Intel Unison lets you use a compatible tablet as a second display, wirelessly transfer content between your phone, computer and tablet, and to do thing like accessing your smartphone's picture photos while you're working from on your PC. You can also keep an eye on your text messages and notifications while you're working on your PC to stay connected without losing your flow, and you can even make phone calls without touching your phone. Learn More

Additional Information:

Visit the Manufacturer Product Web Page for Full Details

Intel® Processor Support:

This ASUS Motherboard supports Intel® Series Desktop Processors for LGA1700 Socket.

Operating System Support:

Windows® 11, 10

Make and Model	ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO ATX Motherboard
Part Number	ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO
Color	Black
CPU Support	Intel® Socket LGA1700 for 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors & 12th Gen Intel® Core™, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors Supports Intel® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0** * Refer to www.asus.com for CPU support list. ** Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 support depends on the CPU types.
Chipset	Intel® Z790 Chipset
Memory	4 x DIMM slots, max. 192GB, DDR5 8000+(OC)/7800+(OC)/7600(OC)/7400(OC)/7200(OC)/7000(OC)/6800(OC)/6600(OC)/6400(OC)/ 6200(OC)/ 6000(OC)/ 5800(OC)/ 5600/ 5400/ 5200/ 5000/ 4800MHz Non-ECC, Un-buffered Memory* Dual channel memory architecture Supports Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory module ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile II (AEMP II) * Supported memory types, data rate(Speed), and number of DRAM modules vary depending on the CPU and memory configuration, for more information refer to www.asus.com for memory support list.
Graphics	1 x HDMI** 2 x Intel® Thunderbolt™ 4 ports (USB Type-C) support DisplayPort 1.4 and Thunderbolt™ video outputs*** * Graphics specifications may vary between CPU types. Please refer to www.intel.com for any updates. ** Support 4K@60Hz as specified in HDMI 2.1. *** VGA resolution support depends on processors' or graphic cards' resolution.
Storage	Total supports 5 x M.2 slots and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports* Intel® CoreTM Processors (Next-Gen & 13th & 12th Gen) M.2_1 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 mode.)** M.2_2 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode.) Intel® Z790 Chipset** M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode) M.2_4 slot (Key M), type 2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode) M.2_5 slot (Key M), type 2280 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports * Intel® Rapid Storage Technology supports PCIe RAID 0/1/5/10, SATA RAID 0/1/5/10. **M.2_1 shares bandwidth with PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_1 is enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_2 will be disabled.
Expansion Slots	Intel® CoreTM Processors (Next-Gen & 13th & 12th Gen)* 2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots (support x16 or x8/x8 modes)** Intel® Z790 Chipset 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 slot * Please check the PCIe bifurcation table on the support site (https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1037507/). ** M.2_1 shares bandwidth with PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_1 is enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_2 will be disabled. - To ensure compatibility of the device installed, please refer to https://www.asus.com/support/ for the list of supported peripherals.
Multi-GPU Support	N/A
USB Ports	Rear USB (Total 12 ports) 2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 ports (2 x USB Type-C®) 6 x USB 10Gbps ports (5 x Type-A + 1 x USB Type-C®) 4 x USB 5Gbps ports (4 x Type-A) Front USB (Total 9 ports) 1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C® with up to 60W PD/QC4+) 2 x USB 5Gbps headers support 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports 2 x USB 2.0 headers support 4 additional USB 2.0 ports
LAN	1 x Intel® 2.5Gb Ethernet ASUS LANGuard
Wireless	Wi-Fi 7 2x2 Wi-Fi 7 (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) Supports 2.4/5/6GHz frequency band* Support Wi-Fi 7 320MHz bandwidth, up to 5.8Gbps transfer rate. Bluetooth® v5.4** * Wi-Fi 6GHz frequency band and bandwidth regulatory may vary between countries. ** The Bluetooth version may vary, please refer to the Wi-Fi module manufacturer's website for the latest specifications.
Bluetooth	Bluetooth v5.2
Audio	ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC ALC4082 - Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs - Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel Jack-retasking - High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 113 dB SNR recording input - Supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback Audio Features: - SupremeFX Shielding Technology - ESS® ES9218 QUAD DAC - Gold-plated audio jacks - Rear optical S/PDIF out port - Premium audio capacitors - Audio cover
Back Panel I/O Ports	2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB Type-C ports 6 x USB 10Gbps ports (5 x Type-A + 1 x USB Type-C®) 4 x USB 5Gbps ports (4 x Type-A) 1 x HDMI port 1 x Wi-Fi Module 1 x Intel® 2.5Gb Ethernet port 5 x Gold-plated audio jacks 1 x Optical S/PDIF out port 1 x BIOS FlashBack™ button 1 x Clear CMOS button
Internal I/O	Fan and Cooling related 1 x 4-pin CPU Fan header 1 x 4-pin CPU OPT Fan header 1 x 4-pin AIO Pump header 4 x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers 1 x W_PUMP+ header 1 x 2-pin Water In header 1 x 2-pin Water Out header 1 x 3-pin Water Flow header Power related 1 x 24-pin main power connector 2 x 8-pin +12V power connector 1 x 8-pin PCIe power connector Storage related 5 x M.2 slots (Key M) 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports USB 1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C®) 2 x USB 5Gbps headers support 4 additional USB 5Gbps ports 2 x USB 2.0 headers support 4 additional USB 2.0 ports Miscellaneous 3 x Addressable Gen 2 headers 1 x AURA RGB header 1 x FlexKey button 1 x Front panel audio header (F_AUDIO) 1 x Start button 1 x ReTry button 1 x 10-1 pin system panel header 1 x Thermal sensor header 1 x CPU over voltage jumper 1 x Alternative PCIe mode switch
BIOS	256 Mb Flash ROM, UEFI AMI BIOS
Manageability	WOL by PME, PXE
Operating System	Windows® 11 / 10, 64-bit
Form Factor	ATX Form Factor: 30.5 x 24.4 cm (12" x 9.6")

• ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO ATX Motherboard
• 1 x ARGB RGB extension cable
• 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cables
• 1 x Thermal pad for M.2
• 1 x DDR5 fan holder
• 1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
• 3 x M.2 backplate Q-Latch packages
• 3 x M.2 backplate Rubber Packages
• 1 x Q-connector
• 1 x ROG stickers
• 1 x ROG key chain
• 1 x M.2 rubber package
• 1 x ROG VIP card
• 1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers
• 1 x Quick start guide