ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero

Summary

Comparison Table

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero
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Manufacturer ASUS ASUS
Series ROG ROG
Market Gaming Gaming
Price Point Enthusiast Enthusiast
Key Features
  • AI Overclocking
  • AI Cooling
  • PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card
  • IO Zone Polymo Lighting
  • AI Overclocking
Color Scheme Silver -
Form Factor ATX ATX
Height (mm) 244 mm 244 mm
Width (mm) 304 mm 304 mm
Power Stages 24+0+2 105A 20+1+2 90A
VRM Heatsink
Chipset Heatsink
M.2 Heatsinks
CPU
CPU Socket Type LGA1700 LGA1700
CPU Sockets 1 1
Chipset Intel Z790 Intel Z790
Memory
Memory Type DDR5 DDR5
Memory Slots 2 4
Memory Channels 2 2
Max Memory Speed 8000 MHz 8000 MHz
Max Memory Capacity 96 GB 192 GB
Graphics
Supports CPU Integrated Graphics
Audio
Audio Chipset/Codec ROG SupremeFX 7.1 ALC4080 ROG SupremeFX 7.1 ALC4082
Audio Channels 7.1 7.1
Rear Panel Audio Jacks 5 5
Rear Panel SPIDF 1 1
Connectivity
LAN Chipset Intel® 2.5Gbps LAN Intel® 2.5Gbps LAN
LAN Speed 2500 Mbps 2500 Mbps
Wi-Fi Chipset Wi-Fi 6E Intel Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi Gen 6E 7
Bluetooth Vn 5.3 5.4
PCIe Slots
PCIe 5.0 x16 2 2
PCIe 4.0 x4 1 1
PCIe 4.0 x1 1 -
Storage
SATA 6Gbps Ports 6 4
M.2 Slots 5 5
SATA Raid Support RAID 0:1:5:10 RAID 0:1:5:10
M.2 Raid Support RAID 0:1:5:10 RAID 0:1:5:10
USB / Thunderbolt
Rear Panel Ports
Thunderbolt 4 - 2
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 C 1 1
USB 3.2 Gen 2 A 5 5
USB 3.2 Gen 2 A 4 4
Motheboard Headers / Expansion
Thunderbolt Header/Connector 1 -
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Headers 1 1
USB 3.2 Gen 2 Supported Ports 1 1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Headers 2 2
USB 3.2 Gen 1 Supported Ports 4 4
USB 2.0 Headers 2 2
USB 2.0 Supported Ports 4 4
Other USB Info USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support 60W fast charge USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 support 60W fast charge
Motherboard Features / Connections
Power
24 pin ATX Power 1 1
8 pin 12v Power 2 2
8 pin PCIe Power - 1
6 pin PCIe Power 1 -
Fans / LED Headers
4 Pin CPU Fan 2 2
4 Pin Pump Fan 1 1
4 Pin System Fan 5 4
ARGB v2 3 Pin LED 3 3
RGB 4 Pin LED 1 1
Other Features / Headers
Debug LED's
Debug Code Display
CPU Over Voltage Jumper -
Voltage Check Point -
Other Features
  • 1 x W_PUMP+ header
  • 1 x 2-pin Water In header
  • 1 x 2-pin Water Out header
  • 1 x 3-pin Water Flow header
  • 1 x W_PUMP+ header
  • 1 x 2-pin Water In header
  • 1 x 2-pin Water Out header
  • 1 x 3-pin Water Flow header
On Board Buttons / Switches
  • 1 x 80 Light Bar jumper
  • 2 x BCLK button
  • 1 x BIOS Switch button
  • 1 x FlexKey button
  • 1 x Pause switch
  • 1 x ReTry button
  • 1 x Safe Boot button
  • 1 x Slow Mode switch
  • 1 x Start button
  • 1 x V_Latch switch
  • 1 x FlexKey button
  • 1 x ReTry button
  • 1 x Start button
  • 1 x Alternative PCIe mode switch
Rear Panel
HDMI - 1
Audio Jacks 5 5
SPIDF 1 1
Wi-Fi Antennae 2 2
RJ45 1 1
PS/2 2 -
Thunderbolt 4 - 2
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 C 1 1
USB 3.2 Gen 2 A 5 5
USB 3.2 Gen 2 A 4 4
Buttons Clear CMOS BIOS Flashback Clear CMOS BIOS Flashback
In The BOX
Box Contents
  • 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
  • PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card with Heatsink
  • 1 x PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card with heatsink
  • 1 x M.2 screw package for ROG PCIe 5.0 M.2 Card
  • 1 x Thermal pad for M.2
  • 1 x DDR5 Fan holder
  • 1 x DDR5 Fan
  • 1 x DDR5 Fan screw
  • 1 x ASUS Wi-Fi moving antennas
  • 1 x Q-connector
  • 1 x ROG overclocking medal
  • 1 x ROG thank you card
  • 2 x M.2 Q-Latch packages for M.2 backplate
  • 2 x M.2 backplate Rubber Packages
  • 1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers
  • 1 x ARGB RGB extension cable
  • 4 x SATA 6Gb/s cables
  • 1 x Thermal pad for M.2
  • 1 x DDR5 fan holder
  • 1 x ASUS WiFi Q-Antenna
  • 3 x M.2 backplate Q-Latch packages
  • 3 x M.2 backplate Rubber Packages
  • 1 x Q-connector
  • 1 x ROG stickers
  • 1 x ROG key chain
  • 1 x M.2 rubber package
  • 1 x ROG VIP card
  • 1 x USB drive with utilities and drivers
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