Asus rog strix z390

Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming promises to be one of the most interesting motherboards for the new generation of Intel processors. This version includes many of the features of the Maximus XI series, but with a tighter sale price and suitable for all budgets.

Ready to see our in-depth review of this great motherboard? Let's start and let's see what it is capable of offering.

First of all, we thank Asus for the trust placed in us when transferring the product to us for analysis.

Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming technical features

Unboxing and design

The Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board sports the usual gala presentation within the Asus ROG series of motherboards, which means that everything has been taken care of down to the smallest details so that it reaches the end user in the best possible conditions. We came across a box printed in full color and with a great level of detail, as well as the most important features noted.

When opening the box we find the base plate and under it all the accessories in a second department, everything perfectly organized. In total the bundle includes the following:

• 4 x SATA 6Gb / s cables1 x M.2 screw pack1 x Support DVD1 x ASUS 2T2R dual band mobile antennas with Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac compatible) 1 x CABLE TIE BLACK 1 x SLI HB BRIDGE (2-WAY-M) 1 x ROG Strix Sticker 1 x Fans Asistant (40mm) 1 x Auxiliary Fan Screw 1 x ROG Door Hanger 1 x Extension Cable for RGB Strips (80cm) 1 x Extension Cable for addressable LED1 x thermistor cable

We remind you that the range of Asus ROG Strix motherboards is located between the Maximus XI and TUF Gaming ranges, but with a combination of features and characteristics of both ranges to keep prices competitive with the offers of other mid-range providers. These affordable models have good overclocking capabilities, but without the extreme components and, more importantly, without the higher prices associated with the highest rung on the Maximus XI models.

The new Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming is a model that builds on the previous one released with the Z370 chipset, to prepare a review for the arrival of the new ninth-generation Intel processors. This new Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming looks very similar in terms of PCB space. The main differences are visually presented in that it now has mostly black-themed heat sinks, with a customizable RGB ROG logo with the holographic ROG Edge branding towards the bottom of the back panel cover. The heatsink chipset is Strix branded and has a drab black and metallic gray design.

Beneath the heatsinks is a 12-phase power VRM Digi +, built with Super Allow Power 2 components to maximize durability and stability. Thanks to this we can reach very high levels of overclocking and very stable. The motherboard draws power via a 24-pin ATX connector and an 8-pin EPS.

Next to the Intel LGA 1151 socket of the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming there are four RAM slots with official support for up to DDR4-4266, with a total capacity of up to 64 GB and dual chanel configuration. Asus uses its most advanced technologies to avoid interference with RAM, in this way it will be possible to achieve total stability at high frequencies.

At the center of the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming board are three full-length PCIe 3.0 slots that run on x16, x8, and x4, meaning that multiple SLI 2-way and CrossFire 3 graphics card configurations are supported. -way. These slots are reinforced in steel to easily support the heaviest graphics cards, thus preventing the slot from being damaged by weight over the months or years. Asus Strix Z390-E also offers three PCIe 3.0 x1 slots for expansion cards.

As for storage, this Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming has two M.2 slots with one dedicated only to PCIe 3.0 x4 drives and the second one allowing the use of both PCIe 3.0 x4 and SATA drives. Both M.2 slots have built- in heat sinks to prevent overheating of faster and more advanced SSDs. The board also has a total of six SATA ports with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10.

On the back panel of the Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming there is a varied selection of inputs and outputs. USB support consists of three USB 3.1 Gen2 Type A ports, one USB 3.1 Gen2 Type C, two USB 3.0 Type A ports, and two USB 2.0 ports. A pair of video outputs consisting of a DisplayPort and HDMI are also featured, along with a combo PS / 2 port, a Gigabit Intel I219V controlled LAN port, and connectors for the 2T2R 802.11ac Intel 9560 Wi-Fi adapter. Finishing the back panel includes five 3.5mm audio jacks and a single optical S / PDIF output powered by the ROG SupremeFX S1220A HD audio codec.

Its ROG SupremeFX S1220A HD audio codec is based on very high-quality components such as Nichicon 12K capacitors and an isolated PCB section to avoid interference. This achieves great audio quality, so you don't have to spend money on a dedicated sound card. An advanced amplifier is also included, so you can easily use your high-impedance headphones.

The Intel I219V Gigabit Network Controller offers the best experience in motherboard integrated network systems. This network engine will prioritize video game traffic thanks to Asus GameFirst technology, with this you will say goodbye to latency and packet loss problems. The main difference between Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming and the other ATX Z390 Strix based models is the inclusion of the 1.73 Gbps capable Wi-Fi adapter with support for Bluetooth 5 connectivity.

Test bench and tests

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel Core i7-9700k
Base plate:	Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming
Memory:	Corsair Vengeance PRO RGB - 16 GB @ 3600 MHz
Heatsink	Corsair H100i V2
HDD	Kingston UV400 480GB
Graphic card	Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti
Power supply	Corsair AX860i.

To check the stability of the Intel Core i7-9700K processor at stock values ​​and the motherboard we have stressed with Prime 95 Custom and air cooling. The graphics we have used is an Nvidia GTX 1080 Ti, without further delay, let's see the results obtained in our tests with a 1920 x 1080 monitor.

BIOS

As expected, it maintains the aesthetics and all the options of the Asus Maximus motherboards. All a detail by Asus. As many users already know, they have the best conditions for overclocking, since it has a super complete BIOS. We recommend that you take a look at how to overclock the Z370 platform, which in this case is exactly the same.

Among its new options we love the silicon prediction option. It tells us how much speed and voltage the new processor can reach. We really "sneak up" if it is a black leg, if it is a bunch or is lazy.

Final words and conclusion about Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming

We find a motherboard with tremendous quality. The Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming has 10 + 2 power phases spread across the processor and RAM channels. A sober design, along with a black PCB and gray heatsinks.

We really liked that it incorporates cooling in M.2 NVME drives. This helps us to have excellent temperatures in our high performance SSDs. We also liked that the RGB lighting is located on the I / O and is not as intrusive as on other motherboards.

We recommend reading our guide to the best motherboards

In our performance tests we have been able to use an i5-9600k, an i7-9700K and an i9-9900k (this one, in an individual review) with great results. At the level of overclocking and stability.

We have always liked the Strix series and we still like it. But it seems to us a high price that of the Asus Strix Z390-E for the s 269 euros that it costs. Normally for these important we should find an Asus Maximus, but these already start at 316 euros. A fact to consider? Also Very good work from Asus!

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
+ VERY COOL DESIGN	- SOMETHING HIGH PRICE
+ GOOD COMPONENTS
+ EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE FOR I5, I7 AND I9 PROCESSORS
+ PASSIVE COOLING IN M.2 SSD UNITS
+ ENHANCED SOUND AND RGB LIGHTING SYSTEM

The Professional Review team awards you the gold medal and recommended product:

Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming

COMPONENTS - 88%

REFRIGERATION - 85%

BIOS - 82%

EXTRAS - 80%

PRICE - 83%

84%