Introduction
While Intel’s Arrow Lake Core Ultra 200 processors didn’t offer the Ryzen-beating performance we’d hoped for, both processors and motherboards have seen price cuts in recent weeks that at least mean the bang for your buck has improved. The ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Pro Wi-Fi originally retailed for well over $320, but now can be regularly found for less than $280. Given its specification, that means it could well end up on the shortlist of anyone wanting to build a reasonably powerful Core Ultra 200 system.
There are plenty of perks added as you approach $300 on LGA1851 boards. Thunderbolt 4 becomes commonplace, as does Wi-Fi 7, decent audio, and power delivery enough to handle the current flagship Core Ultra 9 285K. You’d also be within your rights to expect decent cooling for SSDs and VRMs and various premium build-aids such as tool-free M.2 ports and heatsinks and easy-release GPU mechanisms.
With no previous generations of chipsets available for LGA1851, cheaper boards will likely mean fewer features. The question is, if you’re planning to keep your motherboard for a good few years, for the price, will the ASUS TUF Gaming Z890-Pro Wi-Fi offer a specification that matches its imposing design while still feeling modern at the end of the decade?
Specifications
| Specifications | |
|---|---|
| CPU Support: | Intel Core Ultra Series 2 (Arrow Lake) |
| Power Design: | CPU Power: 16-phase iGPU Power: 1-phase VCCSA Power: 2-phase VNNAON Power: 1-phase |
| Chipset: | Intel Z890 |
| Integrated Graphics: | Supported 1x HDMI 1x DisplayPort 2x DisplayPort via USB-C |
| Memory: | 4x DIMM, Support up to 256 GB 2x Single Rank DDR5-9066 (OC) |
| BIOS: | 256 Mbit AMI UEFI |
| Expansion Slots: | 1x PCIe Gen 5 x16 slot (x16, x8/x8, x8/x4/x4) 1x PCIe Gen 4 x16 slot (x4) 1x PCIe Gen 4 x4 slot 2x PCIe Gen 4 x1 slot |
| Storage: | 4x SATA 6 Gb/s 1x M.2 (PCIe Gen 5 x4) 3x M.2 (PCIe Gen 4 x4) |
| Networking: | 1x Intel 2.5 Gbps Ethernet 1x Wi-Fi 7 |
| Rear Ports: | USB BIOS Flashback button 1x HDMI 1x 2.5 Gbps Ethernet 2x Thunderbolt 4 40 Gbps (Type-C) 6x USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps (Type-A) 2x Wi-Fi antenna connectors 5x Audio jacks 1x Optical S/PDIF Out port |
| Audio: | 1x Realtek ALC1220 Codec |
| Fan / Thermistor headers: | 7x 4-pin / 1 |
| Form Factor: | ATX Form Factor 12 x 9.6 in. / 30.5 x 24.4 cm |
| Exclusive Features: |
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