Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi review

Now that the Micro ATX form factor has all-but been relegated to the budget end of the market, Mini-ITX is where it's at if you want to build a high-end small form factor system. But creating such a board with a premium feature set is not easy. It really does present some engineering challenges. The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi solves these challenges with some clever innovations, and as a result it manages to pack in a set of features only high-end ATX motherboards can beat. 

Packs in a set of features that only high-end ATX motherboards can beat.

The ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is more or less an Intel version of the ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi I recently reviewed. Both are positioned as the ultimate MIni-ITX solutions for the LGA 1700 and AM5 sockets—at least for now. Whereas the X670E-I has a long potential upgrade path ahead of it, LGA 1700 is nearing the end of its life. With Z890 motherboards and Arrow Lake processors coming later in 2024, it's one for buyers in the here and now. 

It's just not possible to cram high-end features into a 17cm x 17cm PCB. To get around that, Asus went 3D. It moved several of the the ROG Strix Z790-I's features onto riser cards, and it also moved the audio section to an external USB-connected device that essentially functions as an external dock. The Z790-I really is an impressive and innovative engineering showcase that leaves few of the inherent Mini-ITX compromises.

That R&D effort and feature set comes at a price. At $429 / £369 / AU$699, it's an expensive proposition, but it's not uncompetitive with high-end ATX options. But this board isn't expected to compete with ATX boards; it's positioned as the ultimate Intel LGA 1700 SFF board, and it effectively has no competition at this level.

Socket: Intel LGA 1700
CPU compatibility: Intel 12th, 13th & 14th Gen processors
Form factor: Mini-ITX
Memory support: DDR5-7600+(OC), up to 96GB
Storage: 2x M.2, 2x SATA
USB: Up to 2x TB4, 2x USB 20Gbps, 4x USB 10Gbps, 3x USB 5Gbps, 6x