With the Micro ATX form factor having been relegated to the budget end of the market, Mini-ITX is the go-to for building high-end small form factor systems. But creating such a board with a premium feature set is not easy; it certainly presents some engineering challenges. The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi overcomes these challenges with some clever innovations, resulting in a pack of features that can only be matched by high-end ATX motherboards.
It comes with an array of features that can only be matched by high-end ATX motherboards.
The ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is more of an Intel version of the ROG Strix X670E-I Gaming WiFi that I reviewed recently. Both are positioned as the ultimate MINI-ITX solutions for the LGA 1700 and AM5 sockets, at least for now. The X670E-I has long upgrade potential, while the LGA 1700 is nearing the end of its lifespan. With Z890 motherboards and Arrow Lake processors coming in late 2024, this is a product you can buy right now.
It’s impossible to cram high-end features onto a 17cm x 17cm PCB, so Asus went 3D to get around that. They moved some of the ROG Strix Z790-I’s functionality onto a riser card, and even moved the audio section onto an external USB-connected device that essentially acts as an external dock. The Z790-I is a truly impressive and innovative showcase of engineering, with very few of the compromises inherent in Mini-ITX.
All this R&D effort and feature set comes at a cost – at $429 / £369 / AU$699 it’s pricey, but not without competition from higher end ATX options. This board isn’t meant to compete with ATX boards though – it’s positioned as the ultimate Intel LGA 1700 SFF board and there is virtually no competition at this level.
Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi Specifications
socket: Intel LGA 1700
CPU Compatibility: Intel 12th, 13th, and 14th generation 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 USB 2.0
screen: 1 x HDMI 2.1, 2 x TB4
networking: Intel 2.5G LAN, Intel WiFi 6E
audio: Realtek ALC4050
price: $429 / £369 / AU$699
Starting with an overview of the VRM, the Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi features a 10+1+1 phase VRM with 105A per stage, which is more than enough for the Core i9 14900K. The heatsink is necessarily compact and has a small fan built in. Temperatures peaked at 72°C, which is not bad, but higher than you’d expect from a comparable ATX board. If you want to push your i9 CPU hard for long periods of time, you’ll need a case with good airflow.
It’s also worth noting that the socket area is very tight, so Cooler Master AIO coolers will only fit one way so the tubing will fit. This can be an issue with larger air coolers that have heatpipes protruding from them; you’ll need to check the manufacturer’s compatibility list to see if your cooler will fit.
The two memory slots support speeds up to DDR5-7600, a figure associated with 13th Gen processors. 14th Gen CPUs usually have improved memory controllers, and after a BIOS update that supports 14th Gen, the ROG Strix Z790I will likely be able to achieve higher speeds than that. The board can accommodate up to 96GB of memory, which is more than enough for a gaming system.
The board has both a PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and a primary M.2 slot, as well as a second slot that supports Gen4 drives. These are stacked on top of each other. There is a small built-in fan that cools the whole assembly, but it didn’t get in the way during testing. This stacked section of the board is really impressive.
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There’s no room for four or five M.2 slots on a Mini-ITX board, and the Z790-I’s two M.2 drives connect only via two SATA ports. You can add external drives via Thunderbolt 4 or 20Gbps USB ports, but you’ll have to make do with a maximum of four internal drives.
The two SATA ports are housed on a daughter board that Asus calls the FPS-II card, which connects to the board via a pair of USB Type-C connectors and also houses the aforementioned SATA ports, case headers, USB 2.0 headers, etc. This is just one of the ways Asus has overcome the limitations of the Mini-ITX PCB.
The really important innovation is an external USB device called the ROG Hive. It’s an external sound card based on the Realtek ALC 4050 codec, but also features an ESS Sabre 9260Q DAC. It does more than just provide high-quality audio though. It has an AI OC button, a programmable flex button, plus a 10Gbps Type-C port and another Type-A port that allows for BIOS flashback. It’s an impressive and particularly well-built little device.
Unlike most Mini-ITX motherboards, the rear I/O on the ROG Strix Z790-I is downright impressive. Highlights include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, both of which support DisplayPort alt mode. There’s also an HDMI 2.1 port. The TB4 ports are joined by one 20 Gbps Type-C port, three 10 Gbps ports, one 5 Gbps port, and two USB 2.0 ports. Impressive! But there’s more than just nine ports. There’s another 20 Gbps case header, and when you add in the other headers and ports from the ROG Hive, the USB complement is excellent.
Networking functions are handled by Intel WiFi 6E and 2.5G LAN, and while 5G LAN and WiFi 7 would be nice to have, the latter isn’t essential at the moment until routers that support WiFi 7 become more affordable.
System Performance
Gaming Performance
Test Equipment
CPU: Intel Core i9 14900K
graphic: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 Founders Edition
Ram: 2x 16GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6000 C36
Storage: 2TB Kingston KC3000
cooling: Cooler Master PL360 Flux 360mm AIO
Power supply: Corsair HX1000i
Performance-wise, I often say that comparing the performance of boards with the same components doesn’t mean much. All things being equal, the differences are usually within the margin of error, especially at this stage in the LGA 1700 life cycle. Intel’s Thread Director, the underlying BIOS microcode, Windows support, etc. have all matured over the last 3 years.
What’s clear is that the ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi will run an i9 14900K, even an RTX 4090 with plenty of fast RAM. As with all Mini-ITX systems, if you choose components like this you’ll want to ensure there’s plenty of airflow, or the VRM will get very hot. We think chips like the i7 or i5 14600K are a more natural fit for an Intel Mini-ITX gaming system that doesn’t require the ultimate power-hungry multi-threading support.
…then buy it
✅You want a Mini-ITX board with fewer compromises: With support for Gen5 GPUs and SSDs, Thunderbolt 4 and high-quality audio, the Z790-I is a great choice for a Mini-ITX motherboard.
✅ You need lots of high speed USB ports: Most Mini-ITX boards have weak USB support, but not the ROG Strix Z790-I. A TB4 port can drive an external monitor or connect a fast external SSD, and there are plenty of USB 3.x ports for all your other devices.
Do not purchase if…
❌ If you are installing 4 or more internal drives: It’s a shame there are only two M.2 slots and two SATA ports, so anyone storing a lot of files will need to look elsewhere, unless they’re happy with an external USB drive.
❌ If you have a cooler with a large footprint: The socket area is quite narrow, so AIO coolers with protruding tubes may only be able to be mounted one way. Mounting coolers with large heatpipes may also be difficult.
I was just as impressed with the ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi as I was with its equivalent X670E-I Gaming WiFi. This is a Mini-ITX board with very few compromises – there’s no Intel-based competitor that ticks all the boxes.
The list of notable features is long: there are dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, PCIe 5.0 SSD and GPU support, and the board’s audio is noticeably better than other LGA 1700 Mini-ITX offerings.
Audio is provided by the ROG Hive. Moving the space-hogging audio circuitry from the PCB to an external device is a great idea. But rather than simply designating this as an external sound card, Asus has added some extra useful functionality and a USB port. Speaking of USB ports, if you need lots of high-speed USB ports for external SSDs, docks, hubs, etc., the ROG Strix Z790-I is an excellent choice.
There are few weak spots, one of which is the board’s internal storage complement. It would have been nice to see a third chipset-connected M.2 slot on the back of the board, or one SATA port in addition to the two. At the very least, 20Gbps and 40Gbps USB ports would allow for ample external storage.
Another important thing to be aware of is that your cooler may not be compatible. It is important to check with the cooling manufacturer to see if your cooler will fit. In most cases it will, but you may have to position the cooler in a direction that doesn’t suit your build layout.
Considering what it offers, this is in a league of its own.
The Asus ROG Strix Z790-I Gaming WiFi is pricey at $429 / £369 / AU$699, but it’s in a class of its own when you consider the features on offer – and in fairness, it’s cheaper now than it was when it was launched – and its premium price is not entirely unjustified given its feature set and the engineering involved.
This is the perfect board for the ultimate Intel Mini-ITX high-end system. Although a BIOS update is required to support 14th Gen, this is a board that will keep your next-gen GPU-equipped gaming rig running smoothly for years to come. We’re confident in recommending this board to anyone looking for the best Intel Mini-ITX board available today.
