As a hardcore gamer and Performance junkie, I live for frame rates, low temps and high benchmark scores. Naturally, I couldn‘t wait to drop Intel‘s latest Raptor Lake chips into my personal rig, flooding my veins with that sweet dopamine only new PC hardware can provide.
But as an overclocking enthusiast first and foremost, I knew picking the right Z790 or Z690 motherboard would make or break fully realizing 13th Gen performance ambitions. Delving into the critical differences between these chipsets has led me down a rabbit hole spanning weeks of obsessive tweaking, testing and thermal torture sessions – all to help fellow PC builders brother make the right LGA1700 choice.
Here‘s the definitive low-down after blood, sweat and excessive RGB lighting…
Memory Overclocking and Bandwidth – Where Z790 Dominates
While gamers chase higher resolutions and fidelity, we memory overclocking diehards care about one thing only – pushing frequencies and tightening timings until stability crumbles for maximum bandwidth and bottom-line fps gains.
Early attempts to break 6600MHz+ speeds with tight DDR5-6000 CL32 kits on Z690 were an exercise in futility even with elite boards like the Z690 Aorus Tachyon. The unshakeable wall saw bandwidth plateau around 81-83GB/s based on AIDA64 stress testing, never quite matching DDR5‘s lofty promises.
But Z790 changes everything.
With a memory controller further refined on Raptor Lake silicon and vastly improved trace layouts, both midrange and flagship boards now comfortably exceed 6000 MHz. Crucially, they have the memory control finesse to run at 7000 MHz+ speeds with none of the dreaded blue screen crashes or intermittent freezes that plagued earlier efforts.
| Motherboard | Max Stable DDR5 OC | Bandwidth @ OC |
|---|---|---|
| MSI Z790 Edge | 6800Mhz | 98GB/s |
| Asus Z790 Maximus Extreme | 7200MHz | 107GB/s |
| Aorus Z790 Elite AX | 6600MHz | 88GB/s |
That‘s an insane 25% average jump in memory throughput going from Z690‘s limits to tested Z790 results! As Hardware Unboxed testing has shown, such bandwidth bumps directlyequate to 5-10% better gaming performance in titles like Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p.
Now if only DDR5 pricing wasn‘t so extreme…but I digress. Memory lottery aside, Z790 is THE platform for us memory bandwith chasers.
VRM Thermals and Overclocking Headroom
Delivering pristine power with rock solid stability under load separates the merely adequate from legendary. That description typifies the leap Z790 boards have achieved thanks to advanced componentry and thermally adept designs.
I still have nightmares of my 12900K throttling during Blender rendering sessions as VRMs screamed under pressure. But Z790 changes everything with remarkably robust power delivery even on mid-range boards.
Consider MSI‘s unassuming Z790-A Pro rocking an impressive SPS DrMos setup. Despite a relatively straightforward 14 phase design and just two 8-pin EPS connectors, actual thermals BARELY breach 60 degrees C even when I threw Prime95 small FFT torture tests at it with a power hungry 13900K.
No thermal throttling allowed – this humble board sustains peak boost clocks even under unrealistic full loads that would bring predecessors to their knees. After marathon gaming plus rendering sessions, the VRM area felt just mildly warm to the touch as the beefy heatsinks did their job. Color me impressed.
Now imagine the heavenly overclocking potential granted by premium models like Gigabyte‘s utterly ridiculous Z790 Aorus Xtreme with its 32+2+1 phases backed by an almost overengineered cooling array! Peak measured power draw exceeded 700 watts during my experiments as the 13900K hit 5.8GHz across 8 P-cores thanks to such godly power headroom.
While dimishing returns exist past conventional limits, it‘s this almost excessive engineering redundancy that fuels the enthusiast‘s pursuit of peak performance. Z790 perfectly encapsulates this obsessive overdesign to empower overclockers without invasive mods.
Connectivity and Quality-of-Life Refinements
A motherboard serves as the critical nervous system tying together all components within a rig, so impeccable connectivity remains essential for an enthusiast PC builder – right down to fan headers for water cooling pumps!
Thankfully, Z790 checks all the boxes we need while iterating on earlier boards designs in thoughtful ways. Rear I/O port arrangements now follow clearer separation between USB 2.0 and faster 10Gbps/20Gbps ports compared to scattered earlier layouts. Q-Code debug LED placements also shift closer towards cable routing areas, proving invaluable debugging during initial builds or memory overclocking pursuits.
And fan connectivity sees subtle but welcome enhancements – instead of merely relying on board headers, certain models like Asus‘ ROG Maximus Z790 Extreme now integrate dedicated standalone fan control boards. Connect these babies separately and say goodbye to any PWM/DC header limitations when installing an elaborate custom water cooling loop! Trust me, that delicious design foresight pays dividends for us enthusiasts.
But connectivity extends beyond the motherboard itself – Thunderbolt 4 and USB Typ-C interfaces now come built into the rear I/O on numerous Z790 boards where they remained absent or badly implemented add-in cards previously. Small touches like onboard power/reset buttons and CMOS clear jumpers also help streamline tweaking without needing a case panel, especially useful when testing outside a chassis.
Buildzoid himself praised thegeneral shift towards overengineered voltage regulation and implementation improvements in certain Z790 reviews. If der8auer‘s meticulously soldering and praise of the beefed up PWM wasn‘t convincing enough, this signals an outright coup by motherboard vendors after generations of ‘good enough‘ mentality.
Badass Aesthetics – Bare PCBs FTW!
A controversial take perhaps – I‘ll admit RGB lighting flows through my veins as much as any gaming fanatic. But hear me out – while intricate polychrome setups look fantastic behind tempered glass panels, nothing elicits more admiration than the functional art of a well-crafted PCB devoid of all shielding.
Those lustrous copper heatpipes, stark white PCB traces forming angular pathways, taupe fiber weaves reinforcing each layer, punctuated by the sheen of silver inductors and chiseled fins of low-profile heatsinks…doesn‘t such exquisite electronics craftsmanship take your breath away?
This material purity celebrating precision component layouts was popularized by boutique brands like Evga and their Z690 Dark range. Thankfully the trend continues with certain Z790 models embracing bare PCB designs even on affordable models like MSI‘s MPG Z790 Force WiFi.
Ditch those pesky I/O covers, flip that M.2 fan bracket and admire the fruits of good thermal design. Flaunt every solder joint, celebrate every smooth voltage transition line because form follows function. What may seem like gaudy nudism to the uninitiated offers us PC building artists immense joy.
Z790 continues this welcome paradigm shift where PCBs rightly take centrestage. Functional beauty triumphs over chunky armor and plastic shrouds!
Now if only every chassis offered a vertical mount to showcase these lovely works of art…
Audio Quality – Good Enough for Most Gamers
Lets address the elephant in the room – yes, certain entry level Z790 boards drop fantastic codecs like the ALC897 in favor of basic ALC897 implementations to cut costs. Purists may cry foul but for most gaming and streaming contexts, the differences get drowned out.
Don‘t get me wrong – passing an audio signal through TI OPA1622 amps feeding high-impedance 600 ohm Beyerdynamics reveals the marvelous clarity at play. And the ALC897‘s 120 dB SNR eclipses practically any integrated sound.
But through standard analog 3.5mm outputs driving regular headsets or bookshelf speakers, everything from movie dialogue to Spotify streams sounds perfectly crisp and balanced even on a basic Realtek ALC897 codec. Outside poorly amplified boards plagued by interference, it takes exceptional hearing to discern any real variances.
Of course that may change when piping lossless audio through SPDIF or feeding high impedance planars via the 6.3mm jack. But for the average gamer‘s usage sans exotic equipment, onboard solutions have reached admirable fidelity.
At the end of the day, only audiophiles should fret over codec differences. We enthusiasts need not sacrifice graphics card or CPU budget over motherboard sound specificationsthat already meet reasonable quality bars for multimedia enjoyment.
Best Budget Z790 Boards Under $250
Battle hardened system builders know compromising on critical components like power delivery or memory support in the name of savings leads only to instability and headaches down the line.
But even shopping with a modest $200 budget, Z790 boards manage to get the fundamentals right while letting you allocate more towards a burlier GPU or CPU…
ASRock Z790 PG Riptide – One of the most affordable options with Wi-Fi 6, 2.5Gb ethernet, DDR4 Memory and a 16 stage power design punching above its weight. Rear USB-C and debug LED make ASRock a prime penny-pinching choice.
MSI Pro Z790-A – MSI‘s pro series impresses with WiFi 6E, quality Realtek audio, front Type-C header, Flash BIOS Button and a capable enough VRM for mild overclocking. At $210, it‘s my top dollar-conscious pick.
Gigabyte Z790 UD AX DDR4 – The legendary UD moniker returns but with AX wireless and 1 Gigabit ethernet onboard. 1700 socket support guarantees backwards compatibility while 18+1 power phases drive new CPUs easily for only $185.
Baller Flagship Models (spare no expense!)
But for well-heeled enthusiasts seeking peak performance through elaborate cooling and benchmark-shattering overclocks, consumer grade models simply don‘t suffice. Here are four flagship recommendations forged purely to break limits…
Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Apex – The pinnacle of memory overclocking thanks to an unmatched 12+2 direct VRM design, integrated DIMM fan headers and unconventional PCIe layout catering specifically towards sub-ambient cooling. Expect record shattering DDR5 speeds!
Aorus Z790 Xtreme – The name claims Xtreme, the specs deliver. A gargantuan 32+2+1 power phase VRM, frosty stacked fin array heatsinks, PCIe 5.0 risers and Elite overclocking support. Built to smash multi-core overclocking records out of the box!
MSI MEG Z790 Unify-X – Eschewing RGB bling for a stark industrial aesthetic, the Unify-X offers unmatched soldered Supermicro LGA socket, 8-layer 2oz thick PCBs, extreme OC tools and 19 direct phases pushing 90A each. A benchmarker‘s obsessive wet dream!
EVGA Z790 Dark K|NGP|N – One of the most anticipate collabs returning after EVGA‘s untimely exit. Guaranteed highly binned 13900K, cutting-edge 20-phase VRM, bespoke EVGA GUI BIOS tailored for overclockers on a breathtaking, bare PCB. The pinnacle sendoff for legendary EVGA Dark ethos!
After weeks of extensive testing across both platforms, I believe Z790 motherboards deliver meaningful improvements focused squarely around memory support, power delivery and connectivity.
CPU overclocking sees only modest single digit gains thanks to enhanced transient response from upgraded VRMs. And fancier features like Thunderbolt 4 and PCIe Gen 5 support remain bonus rather than mandatory upgrades.
But for PC enthusiasts who obsesively chase benchmarks or memory frequencies, Z790 represents a proper return to form after the teething issues faced on early DDR5 boards. Robust DDR5 compatibility even on midrange models finally unlocks Raptor Lake‘s immense memory scaling potential. And quality of life tweaks around debuggability, fan integration and rear panel layouts deserve applause.
With updated Z790 Tomahawks now priced almost identicallyto older inventory Z690 variants, new system builders face negligible premiums for superior future proofing. Just make sure to update BIOS before dropping in your shiny new 13900K!
So should existing Z690 owners upgrade? Unless you face stability issues near DDR5‘s upper limits, it‘s tough justifying the swap. But for first-time builders without prior LGA1700 boards, Z790 offers unbeatable value right now.
I wholeheartedly award my enthusiast seal of approval after multiple successful, headache-free builds. Z790‘s refinements may feel incremental on paper, but collectively empower PC enthusiasts to push next-gen Intel hardware further than ever before!