After Asus, ASRock has introduced two new motherboards to accompany the launch of Raptor Lake Refresh. The model is providing us its Z790 Nova WiFi and Z790 Lightning WiFi. Two boards at reverse ends of the spectrum!
Z790 Nova WiFi: the top-of-the-range mannequin!
With this motherboard, we’re coping with a mid-range and even high-end reference. As you possibly can see, the design is meticulous, with quite a few heatsinks and a sexy NOVA emblem between the 2 PCIe slots. There are quite a few markings and logos, and it’s fairly clear.
Connectivity stays fairly in depth, with 4 DDR5 reminiscence slots adopted by two PCIe x16 (5.0 x16 4.0 x4) and accomplished by a single PCIe x1 3.0. The storage part can be well-stocked, with at least 4 SATA and 6 M.2 connectors. Of these, just one is PCIe 5.0 x4, whereas the remainder are PCIe 4.0 x4.
The cooling side is kind of substantial, because the 20 1 1 energy provide phases profit from imposing heatsinks linked by a warmth pipe. In addition, lively dissipation is offered by a small fan mounted on the I/O cache.
Finally, this mannequin affords beneficiant connectivity with HDMI and DisplayPort outputs. There are additionally 9 USB-A ports of various requirements, whereas USB-C can be current. The audio half is entrusted to an ALC4082 chip, whereas for networking, we have now Wi-Fi 7 and Killer E3100G in 2.5 GbE for Ethernet.
Z790 Lightning WiFi: a streamlined mannequin!
With this mannequin, we’re clearly transferring down a variety, and it’s clear from the visuals alone. The board is extra streamlined, with fewer heatsinks and fewer connectivity.
The board options 4 reminiscence slots and a PCIe 5.0 x16. This will probably be complemented by a PCIe x16 x4 4.0 and two smaller PCIe x1 3.0. The storage part has been lowered from six M.2 to 3 M.2 in PCIe 4.0 x4. These are complemented by six SATA III.
On the rear, connectivity can be lowered, with simply seven USB-A ports of various requirements. For the keyboard/mouse, we’re handled to an outdated PS2 combo, whereas video outputs are lowered to a single HDMI. Wi-Fi 7 has been changed by Wi-Fi 6E, however the Killer E3100G Ethernet is retained. Audio can be down a notch, with an ALC897.
Finally, the board additionally loses its buttons for straightforward start-up outdoors the case, in addition to the debug LED.
