ASUS ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi: Hands-On Hardware & Features

The ASUS ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi motherboard sits near the top of ASUS’ motherboard stack for gamers with every bell and whistle one could want in a high end gaming PC with an ATX sized case. This article focuses on the physical design, build quality, layout, and feature set of the ASUS ROG Strix Z890‑F Gaming WiFi, based on hands‑on inspection.

If you first want to know more about what a motherboard is and how it works, check out our “What is a motherboard?” article.

What’s in the box?

The motherboard is one of the best PC parts to unbox, and the ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi is no different with a solid feeling board, plenty of desirable accessories and importantly, some stickers, the whole experience feels premium.

Included in the box is the following:

• ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi motherboard
• WiFi antenna
• Quick start guide
• Sata cables (2)
• M.2 accessories
• Cable ties
• ROG key chain
• ROG Strix stickers

Unfortunately, no full manual in the box but it is easily accessible on the ASUS website here.

Design and build quality

The moment you pick up the Strix Z890-F Gaming motherboard and proceed to remove it from the anti-static bag you can feel the premium weight and build quality. As this is a ROG motherboard, ASUS’ premium gaming brand, the more you dive into this board, the more that sense of no corners cut comes through.

The things that instantly stand out are the sheer amount of internal and external I/O support available, the fact that every M.2 slot is covered by a heat sync & of course, the area dedicated to RGB lighting off the I/O shroud to give it that full gamer feel.

After a few years of using the ROG Strix B760-F motherboard, the one thing I personally wish it had more of than anything else is USB-C ports on the back I/O panel, and maybe some more M.2 bays. This Z890-F board certainly addresses these desires with four external USB-C ports and five M.2 slots, and is hopefully the direction boards continue to go in as more devices use USB-C. To be clear, we still need a good count of classic USB-A ports and it’s good to see some SATA ports too! There is also an internal USB-C header for the front of the case which has become pretty much standard now.

The quick locking mechanisms ASUS call “Q-Release”, “Q-Slide” and “Q-Latch” all allow quick, accurate and tool free installation (and removal) of hardware such as Graphic Cards and M.2 Drives. In particular, the main PCIe slot at the top, doesn’t even require the pressing down of a button to remove a card thanks to “Q-Release”, you can simply tilt the card towards the back of the board and it will become releasable. This in incredibly thoughtful in the world we now live in where 2 and 2.5 slot Graphic Cards are standard issue and depending on your CPU cooler, it can be challenging to get to the quick release button. This board has certainly been built with ease of use in mind.

Technical Features

It feels like no space has been left free on the Strix Z890-F Gaming motherboard, with every square millimetre dedicated to more IO, even the little things like an on/off button, an extra USB 3 front header, plenty of chassis fan ports and even a bump up to 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet.

Whilst it has come down in price since launching a couple of years ago, the board is currently around $570 AUD, which does align to the feature set available on the board, the question around whether you will take advantage of enough of the board may be worth asking yourself. It is worth noting that this board is very unlikely to be compatible with the next round of Intel CPUs due to a CPU socket change, so putting as much budget as possible into the CPU would be a good call for any PC builders looking to build in the next few months. Interestingly, it does appear Intel has heard the feedback that the socket changes too frequently so this may become less of a concern further down the line.

Technical Specifications

• CPU socket:
  • Intel LGA1851
• Chipset:
  • Intel Z890
• Memory support:
  • 4 x DIMM up to 256 GB DDR5
• PCIe slots:
  • 1 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (via CPU)
  • 1 x PCIe 4.0 x16 slot (via Chipset)
• Storage support:
  • 1 x PCIe 5.0 x4 (via CPU) type 2242/2260/2280/22110
  • 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 (via CPU) type 2280
  • 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 (via Chipset) type 2280
  • 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 (vai Chipset) type 2280/22110
  • 1 x PCIe 4.0 x4 or SATA (via chipset) type 2242/2260/2280
  • 4 x SATA ports
• Networking:
  • 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet
  • WiFi 7 (802.11be)
  • Bluetooth v5.4

• External (back panel) I/O:
  • 4 x USB C (2 x 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt 4), 2 x 10 Gbps)
  • 10 x USB A (4 x 10 Gbps, 4 x 5 Gbps, 2 x USB 2)
  • 1 x Display Port, 1 x HDMI
  • 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet & WiFi Antenna Connections
  • 2 x 3.5 mm (1 x audio out, 1 x mic in)
  • 1 x S/PDIF out
  • 1 x Bios Flash Back button
  • 1 x Clear CMOS button
  • I/O shield pre-installed
• Internal I/O:
  • 1 x USB (C) 20 Gbps header
  • 2 x USB (3) 5 Gbps header
  • 2 x USB 2 header
  • 1 x Thunderbolt USB 4 header
  • 1 x 24 pin Main power connection
  • 2 x 8-pin +12V CPU power connections
  • 1 x 4 pin CPU fan header
  • 1 x 4 pin CPU OPT fan header
  • 1 x 4 pin AIO Pump header
  • 5 x 4 pin case fan headers
  • 1 x 10 pin front case panel header
  • 1 x front case audio header
  • 3 x Addressable Gen2 headers (RGB / Aura Sync)
  • 1 x start button
  • 1 x Thermal sensor header
  • 1 x Chassis Intrusion header
  • 1 x CPU Over voltage jumper

Putting the “Gamer” in Motherboard

ASUS offer a wide range of motherboards for a whole range of customer types but there is no mistaking that their ROG products are for a core gaming audience, and they have gone all out on the ROG Strix Z890-F. This board is built for a case with a window!

From the LEDs on the board, to the three addressable RGB headers and the use of black and white contrast to bring the ROG branding through, the board is covered in Gamer language that I think fits the price point and will suit the type of computers that builders would put this motherboard into.

Conclusion

The ASUS ROG Strix Z890-F Gaming WiFi is a feature rich motherboard that would be suitable for almost any build and at worst, would be overkill but on the flip side of that, would cover any future upgrades and expansions. ASUS do have a higher tier motherboard if absolute cutting edge over-clocking is you goal but otherwise, the Strix Z890-F is going to handle anything thrown at it.