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ASUS · LGA 1851 · Z890

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 APEX

ATX · DDR5 · 2 DIMMs · 22-phase VRM · 7 (802.11be)

Quality
104
VRM
110
Value
49
Amazon
$399
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 APEX
View ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 APEX Gallery in high resolution
$399
Available Updated 3 days, 18 hours ago Prime FBA
Overall103.6
VRM110.0
Chipset97.0
Expansion / storage110.0
Connectivity110.0
Audio91.0
Quality / price49.3
$399 on Amazon Motherboard table Compare this motherboard

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Written analysis

ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 APEX at a glance

The ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 APEX uses the ATX form factor, LGA 1851 socket, and Intel ® Z890 chipset. This is a high-end platform with the feature headroom expected in an enthusiast gaming or productivity build.

Memory support is DDR5 across 2 DIMM slots, with up to 128 GB and rated overclocked speeds up to 9600 MT/s. XMP / EXPO memory-profile support is recorded for easier tuning.

Best fit: a premium gaming or creator build that will use the stronger VRM, storage, and I/O rather than simply needing a compatible socket.

Power delivery

The calculated VRM score is 110.0, placing the power delivery in the ultra high-end class. The board lists 22 CPU power phases, 110 A power stages in a 22(110A)+1(90A)+2(90A)+2(80A) layout. CPU power input is listed as 2. That is appropriate for sustained high-power CPUs and aggressive tuning when case airflow and VRM cooling are also adequate.

Expansion and storage

The expansion and storage score is 110.0: exceptionally well equipped . The platform supports PCIe 5.0. Physical expansion includes 2 ×16 slots, 2 ×4.

On-board storage consists of 6 M.2 slots and 4 SATA ports. Supported M.2 lengths are listed as 22110, 2280, 2260, 2242, 2230. That is enough NVMe capacity for a multi-drive gaming or creator setup without immediately relying on an add-in card.

Connectivity and rear I/O

The connectivity score is 110.0, rated premium . Wireless networking is Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) ; wired networking is 1 x Realtek 5Gb EthernetASUS LANGuard at up to 5000 Mbps. Bluetooth 5.4 is included. The recorded USB provision is 11 rear connections; a front-panel total is not recorded. USB4 Type-C is available at the rear. The specification sheet below separates every USB speed and connector type.

Display connectivity includes USB-C DisplayPort. These motherboard outputs require a processor with integrated graphics.

Audio

The audio score is 91.0. This is an ultra-premium onboard implementation based on ALC4080, aimed at users who want strong analogue output without immediately adding a USB DAC. The rear panel has 2 analogue jacks, with gold-plated contacts. Optical S/PDIF is present for digital audio equipment.

Buying verdict

Overall quality is 103.60, placing this board in the specialist flagship class. Its appeal is breadth—power delivery, expansion, I/O, and onboard features—not merely socket compatibility.

At the recorded Amazon price, the quality-to-price score is 49.3—a balanced value for its feature class.

Board data

Full specifications

Platform, expansion, storage, rear I/O, internal headers, networking, audio, and board controls in one sheet.

General

Manufacturer
ASUS
Motherboard
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS Z890 APEX
Chipset / socket
Intel ® Z890 / LGA 1851
Form factor
ATX
Launch price
—
Amazon price
$399
Availability
In stock
Price updated
3 days, 18 hours ago

VRM

CPU phases
22 (110 A)
Power design
22(110A)+1(90A)+2(90A)+2(80A)
EPS connector
2

Memory

Type / slots
DDR5 / 2 DIMMs
Max capacity / OC
128 GB / 9600 MT/s
Per DIMM
64 GB
XMP / EXPO
Yes

PCIe

Supported version
PCIe 5.0
x16 physical
2
x16 Gen 5
2
x4 physical
2
x4 Gen 4
2

Storage

M.2 slots
6
M.2 lengths
22110, 2280, 2260, 2242, 2230
SATA ports
4

Display outputs

HDMI
No
DisplayPort
No
USB-C DisplayPort
Yes · 2.1 · 8K@60Hz

USB

Rear USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
4
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
4
Rear USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20 Gbps
1
Rear USB4 Type-C
2
Front USB-C PD
60 W
Header USB 2.0
4
Header USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A 5 Gbps
4
Header USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A 10 Gbps
1
Header USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C 20 Gbps
1
Header USB4 Type-C
1
USB4
Type-C · rear

Networking

Ethernet
1 x Realtek 5Gb EthernetASUS LANGuard
LAN ports
1
LAN speed
5000 Mbps
Wi-Fi
7 (802.11be)
Wi-Fi bandwidth
320MHz
Bands
2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz
Antenna connectors
2
Bluetooth
5.4

Audio

Chipset
ALC4080
Analog jacks
2
Gold-plated jacks
Yes
Optical S/PDIF
Yes
Spatial audio
No

Buttons

BIOS flashback
Yes
Clear CMOS
Yes
Q-Flash Plus
No
Smart button
No
Onboard start / reset
Start

Additional information

CPU support
Support Intel ® Core™ Ultra Processors(Series 2) , LGA1851 Supports Intel ® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Intel ® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0** * Refer to https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/ for CPU support list. ** Intel ® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 support depends on the CPU types.
OS support
Windows 11  (22H2 & later)
Memory notes
Supports Un-buffered and Clocked Unbuffered DIMM (CUDIMM). Features include DIMM Fit, DIMM Flex, and ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile III (AEMP III). Supported memory types, data rate, and number of DRAM modules vary depending on the CPU and memory configuration. Non-ECC, un-buffered DDR5 memory supports the On-Die ECC function.
Display notes
Features 2 Intel Thunderbolt 4 ports (USB Type-C) that support DisplayPort and Thunderbolt video outputs. In Thunderbolt 4 mode, it supports up to 8K@60Hz with DSC or two 4K@60Hz displays. In DP alt mode, only one USB Type-C port supports up to UHBR20 at a time. Graphics specifications may vary between CPU types. The manufacturer recommends connecting the monitor to a discrete graphics card during OS installation.
Expansion notes
The two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots support x16, x8/x8, or x8/x4/x4 modes. M.2_3 & M.2_4 share bandwidth with the second PCIe 5.0 x16 slot (PCIEX16(G5)_2). When M.2_3 is enabled, the first slot (PCIEX16(G5)_1) runs at x8 and the second slot runs at x4. When both M.2_3 & M.2_4 are enabled, the first slot runs at x8 and the second slot is disabled. Please check the PCIe bifurcation table on the support site for more details.
M.2_1
5.0 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 · CPU
M.2_2
4.0 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280 · CPU
M.2_3
5.0 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280 · CPU — Shares bandwidth with M.2_4 and PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_3 is enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will run x4. When M.2_3 & M.2_4 are enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will be disabled.
M.2_4
5.0 4 · 2242, 2260, 2280 · CPU — Shares bandwidth with M.2_3 and PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_3 & M.2_4 are enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will be disabled.
DIMM.2_1
4.0 4 · 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 · Chipset
DIMM.2_2
4.0 4 · 2230, 2242, 2260, 2280, 22110 · Chipset
RAID
SATA / PCIe (['0', '1', '5', '10'])
Storage notes
Intel Rapid Storage Technology supports PCIe RAID 0/1/5/10 and SATA RAID 0/1/5/10. M.2 slots from the CPU only support RAID 0/1/5.
USB notes
Front USB 20Gbps Type-C connector supports up to 60W Power Delivery (5/9/15/20V max. 3A, PPS:3.3–21V max. 3A) and Quick Charge 4+. An internal Thunderbolt (USB4) header is available for an add-in card, which must be installed in the PCIEX4(G4)_2 slot.
Audio notes
ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound. Features Savitech SV3H712 AMP, SupremeFX Shielding Technology, and premium audio capacitors. Supports impedance sensing for front and rear outputs, 120 dB SNR playback, and 110 dB SNR recording. 32-Bit/384 kHz playback is supported via the front panel. The LINE OUT port on the rear panel does not support spatial audio.
Networking notes
ASUS LANGuard. Wi-Fi transfer rate up to 5.8Gbps. Wi-Fi features may vary depending on the operating system: For Windows 11, Wi-Fi 7 requires 24H2 or later; older versions only support Wi-Fi 6E. For Windows 10, only Wi-Fi 6 is supported. Wi-Fi 6GHz frequency band and bandwidth regulations may vary between countries. The Bluetooth version may vary; refer to the Wi-Fi module manufacturer's website.
Button notes
The motherboard includes several miscellaneous buttons and switches: an Alteration PCIe mode switch, 4 BCLK buttons, a BIOS Switch button, a FlexKey button, a Pause switch, a ReTry button, a Safe Boot button, a Slow Mode switch, and a Start button.
Fan / RGB headers
1 CPU · 1 OPT · 1 AIO · 2 chassis · 3 ARGB · — RGB
Thermal sensors
1
Other headers
Front audio · System panel · Thunderbolt
Accessories
ROG DIMM.2 with Heatsink 1 x ROG DIMM.2 with heatsink 1 x M.2 pad for ROG DIMM.2 2 x M.2 screw package for ROG DIMM.2 Additional Cooling Kit 1 x Thermal pad for M.2 22110 1 x ROG Memory Fan Kit Miscellaneous 1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna 1 x Q-connector 1 x ROG VIP card 3 x M.2 Q-Slide package 5 x M.2 backplate rubber packages 1 x ROG Bottle Opener Installation Media 1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers Documentation 1 x Quick start guide
Dimensions
ATX Form Factor: 12 inch x 9.6 inch ( 30.5 cm x 24.4 cm )

Extracted notes sit here. Official manufacturer copy is at the bottom of the page.

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Nearby quality

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VRM fit

VRM-appropriate CPUs

LGA 1851 processors whose TDP sits in this board’s VRM window. Socket match is required; chipset extras still matter on sTR5. This is a power-delivery filter, not a ranked CPU guide.

Open LGA 1851 CPUs in the CPU table

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Vendor copy

Official manufacturer data

Raw manufacturer text kept for reference. Structured specs above are extracted from this copy and are the source for scores and tables.

CPU support

Support Intel ® Core™ Ultra Processors(Series 2) , LGA1851
Supports Intel ® Turbo Boost Technology 2.0 and Intel ® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0**
* Refer to https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/ for CPU support list.
** Intel ® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 support depends on the CPU types.

Memory

2 x DIMM slots, max. 128GB, DDR5
Supports up to 9600+ MT/s (OC), Non-ECC, Un-buffered ,Clocked Unbuffered DIMM (CUDIMM)*
Dual Channel Memory Architecture
DIMM Fit
Supports Intel ® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) memory module
Supports DIMM Flex
ASUS Enhanced Memory Profile III (AEMP III)
* Supported memory types, data rate (speed), and number of DRAM modules vary depending on the CPU and memory configuration, for more information please refer to CPU/Memory Support list under the Support tab of product information site or visit https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/. Adjustments will be made based on the specifications of mass-produced memory products available on the market.
* Non-ECC, un-buffered DDR5 memory supports On-Die ECC function.

Graphics

2 x Intel ® Thunderbolt™ 4 ports (USB Type-C ® ) support DisplayPort and Thunderbolt™ video outputs****
* Graphics specifications may vary between CPU types. Please refer to www.intel.com for any updates.
**In Thunderbolt4TM  mode, supports up to 8K@60Hz x1 with DSC or 4K@60Hz x 2, maximum total bandwidth up to 23.8Gbps or 16Gbps/16Gbps, for resolution support please check DisplayPort 2.1 specs.
***In DP alt mode, Only one USB Type-C ® port supports up to UHBR20 at a time.
**** VGA resolution support depends on processors' or graphic cards' resolution.
*****While installing the operating system, please ensure that your monitor is connected to a discrete graphics card.

Expansion slots

Support Intel ® Core™ Ultra Processors(Series 2) *
2 x PCIe 5.0 x16 slots (supports x16 or x8/x8 or x8/x4/x4 modes)**
Intel ® Z890 Chipset
2 x PCIe 4.0 x4 slots
* Please check the PCIe bifurcation table on the support site (https://www.asus.com/support/FAQ/1037507/).
** M.2_3 & M.2_4 share bandwidth with PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_3 is enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will run x4. When M.2_3 & M.2_4 are enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will disabled.
- To ensure compatibility of the device installed, please refer to https://www.asus.com/support/download-center/ for the list of supported peripherals.

Storage

Total supports 6 x M.2 slots and 4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports*
Support Intel ® Core™ Ultra Processors(Series 2) *
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)
M.2_3 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 modes)**
M.2_4 slot (Key M), type 2242/2260/2280 (supports PCIe 5.0 x4 modes)**
Intel ® Z890 Chipset
DIMM.2_1 slot (Key M) via ROG DIMM.2, type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 (supports PCIe 4.0 x4 mode)
DIMM.2_2 slot (Key M) via ROG DIMM.2, type 2230/2242/2260/2280/22110 (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 slot from CPU only supports RAID 0/1/5.
**M.2_3 & M.2_4 share bandwidth with PCIEX16(G5)_2. When M.2_3 is enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will run x4. When M.2_3 & M.2_4 are enabled, PCIEX16(G5)_1 will run x8 & PCIEX16(G5)_2 will disabled.

USB

Rear USB (Total 11 ports)
2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 ports (2 x USB Type-C ® )
1 x USB 20Gbps port (1 x USB Type-C ® )
4 x USB 10Gbps ports (4 x Type-A)
4 x USB 5Gbps ports (4 x Type-A)
Front USB (Total 10 ports)
1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C ® with up to 60W PD/QC4+)*
1 x USB 10Gbps 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
USB Type-C ® power delivery output: max. 5V/3A
*USB Type-C ® power delivery output: 5/9/15/20V max. 3A, PPS:3.3–21V max. 3A

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
2 x 4-pin Chassis Fan headers
2 x 4-pin Full Speed Fan headers
1 x W_PUMP+ header
1 x Extra Flow Fan 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
4 x M.2 slots (Key M)
1 x DIMM.2 slot supports 2 x M.2 slots (Key M)
4 x SATA 6Gb/s ports
USB
1 x USB 20Gbps connector (supports USB Type-C ® )
1 x USB 10Gbps 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
1 x 80 Light Bar jumper
3 x Addressable Gen 2 headers
1 x Alteration PCIe mode switch
4 x BCLK button
1 x BIOS Switch button
1 x FlexKey button
1 x Front Panel Audio header (F_AUDIO)
1 x LN2 Mode jumper
1 x Pause switch
18 x ProbeIt Measurement Points
1 x ReTry button
2 x RSVD switches
1 x RSVD header
1 x Safe Boot button
1 x Slow Mode switch
1 x Start button
1 x 10-1 pin System Panel header
1 x Thermal Sensor header
1 x Thunderbolt™ (USB4 ® ) header*
*The Thunderbolt™ card can only be used when installed to the PCIEX4(G4)_2 slot.
Ensure to install your Thunderbolt™ card to the PCIEX4(G4)_2 slot.

Rear I/O

2 x Thunderbolt™ 4 ports (USB Type-C ® )
1 x USB 20Gbps port (1 x USB Type-C ® )
4 x USB 10Gbps ports (4 x Type-A)
4 x USB 5Gbps ports (4 x Type-A)
1 x Wi-Fi Module
1 x Realtek 5Gb Ethernet port
2 x Gold-plated audio jacks
1 x Optical S/PDIF out port
1 x BIOS FlashBack™  button
1 x Clear CMOS button
1 x PS/2 keyboard/mouse combo port

Wireless

Wi-Fi 7*
2x2 Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Supports 2.4/5/6GHz frequency band**
Supports Wi-Fi 7 320MHz bandwidth, up to 5.8Gbps transfer rate.
Bluetooth ® v5.4***

*Wi-Fi features may vary depending on the operating system
For Windows 11, Wi-Fi 7 will require 24H2 or later version for full functions, Windows 11 21H2/22H2/23H2 only supports Wi-Fi 6E.
For Windows 10, only Wi-Fi 6 is supported.
** 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.

Audio

"ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound High Definition Audio CODEC ALC4080*
- Impedance sense for front and rear headphone outputs
- Supports: Jack-detection, Multi-streaming, Front Panel MIC Jack-retasking
- High quality 120 dB SNR stereo playback output and 110 dB SNR recording input
- Supports up to 32-Bit/384 kHz playback on front panel"
Audio Features
- SupremeFX Shielding Technology
- Savitech SV3H712 AMP
- Gold-plated audio jacks
- Rear optical S/PDIF out port
- Premium audio capacitors
- Audio cover
* A chassis with an HD audio module in the front panel is required to support 7.1 Surround Sound audio output.
** The LINE OUT port on the rear panel does not support spatial audio. If you wish to use spatial audio, make sure to connect your audio output device to the audio jack on the front panel of your chassis or use a USB interface audio device.

Special features

Extreme OC Kit
- FlexKey button
- LN2 Mode
- ProbeIt
- ReTry button
- Safe boot button
- Start button
- Slow Mode
Extreme Engine Digi+
- SMD Capacitor
- MicroFine Alloy Choke
ASUS Q-Design
- M.2 Q-Latch
- M.2 Q-Release
- M.2 Q-Slide
- PCIe Slot Q-Release Slim (with PCIe SafeSlot)
- Q-Antenna
- Q-Code
- Q-Dashboard
- Q-Connector
- Q-DIMM
- Q-LED (CPU [red], DRAM [yellow], VGA [white], Boot Device [yellow green])
- Q-Slot
ASUS Thermal Solution
- M.2 heatsink backplate
- M.2 heatsink
- VRM heatsink design
ASUS EZ DIY
- BIOS FlashBack™ button
- Clear CMOS button
- CPU Socket lever protector
- ProCool II
- Pre-mounted I/O shield
- SafeSlot
- SafeDIMM
Aura Sync
- Addressable Gen 2 headers
Dual BIOS
Front Panel USB 20Gbps with Quick Charge 4+ Support
- Support: up to 60W fast charging and USB Wattage Watcher*
- Output: 5/9/15/20V max. 3A, PPS:3.3–21V max. 3A
- Compatible with PD3.0 and PPS
* To support 60W, please install the power cable to the 8-pin PCIe power connector or else only 27W will be supported.

Accessories

ROG DIMM.2 with Heatsink
1 x ROG DIMM.2 with heatsink
1 x M.2 pad for ROG DIMM.2
2 x M.2 screw package for ROG DIMM.2
Additional Cooling Kit
1 x Thermal pad for M.2 22110
1 x ROG Memory Fan Kit
Miscellaneous
1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
1 x Q-connector
1 x ROG VIP card
3 x M.2 Q-Slide package
5 x M.2 backplate rubber packages
1 x ROG Bottle Opener
Installation Media
1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers
Documentation
1 x Quick start guide

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