ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO : The First HERO I liked in a long time!

ASUS just released a refreshed Z790 powered HERO for the brand new 14th generation of Intel Core processors and does a rather good job at making it much more interesting, and desirable!
Enjoy! 😊
BUY THE ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO : amzn.to/3N07r8T
BUY THE EK-QUANTUM MOMENTUM² MONOBLOCK: amzn.to/3sNGGO3
NOTE: the EKWB EK-QUANTUM MOMENTUM² MONOBLOCK was originally designed for the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 HERO. After testing it I found that it gave similar thermal results on its DARK HERO variants. Nevertheless, the RGB OLED screen found on the DARK HERO is NOT compatible with the MOMENTUM² MONOBLOCK IO roof.
These are my findings and apply to my build only. Please confirm my findings with the EKWB support team before coupling the ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO and the EK-Quantum Momentum² ROG Maximus Z790 Hero D-RGB - Plexi.
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
01:31 The PCB
01:46 Design
02:12 RGB
02:32 CPU socket
02:45 VRM
05:39 RAM
06:34 PCIE expansion
07:35 Storage
10:39 Back IO
12:49 Front Panel Connectors
13:01 Cooling
13:24 Troubleshooting
13:59 Conclusion

[@vincentvega3093]

Yes. Laurent is back! Have a good start into the new week and thank you for the review. I love me a new motherboard review.

[@techman8336]

I have been so waiting for your review on this mobo! As usual another outstanding job! Thanks man👌👌

[@krazymantoast]

In the video you inserted 2 RAM into DIMM slots A1 & B1 but in the manual and even in your video right after you inserted the RAM you zoom in on the board and it shows A2 & B2 with an arrow saying "First". Just a heads up for anyone else with this board, I do think it is odd, but Asus recommends A2 & B2 for the first 2 DIMM slots to be used for RAM.

[@swizzler8053]

My favorite motherboard reviewer back at it again. You are the best bro. Keep up the great work and stay safe.

[@Laurentschoice]

Oh god ... I'm toying with the formula tonight..... And that can't be safe !

[@truth2life_]

hey bro, I like your channel and just subscribed, BECAUSE YOU actually explained the ONE thing Ive been looking for on the z790 DH that im going to purchase. so thank you again for such a comprehensive review of this MB and i will be tuning in from now on!

[@Laurentschoice]

Welcome to the channel brother :::))

[@gatfatf]

​@@LaurentschoiceHey man I'll second this, I was curious about that M.2 slot cutting the bandwidth of the PCIe x16 slot in half. Very glad you touched on it before I invested in a beefier SSD. Is this issue universal across the chipset or would switching to a different brand this generation help get the best out of both my SSD and all of my GPU's lanes in the future?

[@brianhoward9217]

Top review, as usual Laurent, on a top motherboard. Never cease to be impressed by the detail in your reports presented in an enthusiastic and fun way. Thanks!

[@Laurentschoice]

Brian is back and in the HOUUUUUUUUUSE

[@brianhoward9217]

@@Laurentschoice Never too far away from my fave reviewer ;-) I'm inexorably drawn back by your reviewing excellence! 🙂

[@Laurentschoice]

@brianhoward9217 join the channel ?!! I need the support of my top fans and sending a bunch of stuff on the channel this month for the members !

[@brianhoward9217]

@@Laurentschoice I

[@PizzlesTechTime]

Wow you are the guy that I wish I would have talked to and watched before I bought this motherboard. I bought ram that wasn't on the qvl list at 192 gb. I also went out and bought a Gen 5 nvme. I only have a 3080 right now but I'm not sure if I should use the M. 2 slot that is gen5

[@SoloGamerChile]

Incidentally, your reviews are very good... I need to save a video of the ROG STRIXX670E-F Gaming Wifi, that is, the -E with some cuts jajajaj

[@kaanaslan_tr]

Oh my god! This is the board that I just bought and brought home with me about 1 hour ago and now I'm seeing this video :)

[@Laurentschoice]

Ahaha perfect timing !

[@kaanaslan_tr]

I waited for this board to be in stocks for 3 weeks. Now I can build my system :) This was the only missing piece :)@@Laurentschoice

[@Sadhansaarshorts24]

What a seo of your video man 🎉

[@iamrenebi]

Good review! Only a slight correction/addendum: During the storage segment, you talk about when M.2_1 is populated, it disables PCIEX16(G5)_2 and limits PCIEX16(G5)_1 to PCIe 4.0 8x. This is true, however, I think it's important to note and consider that M.2_2 also offers direct CPU lanes while not interfering with either of the PCIe slots. Obviously, you can't then fully utilize the benefits of a PCIe 5.0 NVMe, but considering that said SSDs are not widely commercially available to home consumers and that the everyday use performance improvements of PCIe 5.0 seem negligible, it changes my stance at least on the value of the board in the positive. TL:DR For optimal performance, just use the second M.2 slot from the top (the one under the first PCIe slot). You get the benefits of having direct CPU lanes for a SSD and the benefits of PCIe 4.0 16x for your GPU.

[@gladosadoree]

Yeah, but NOT the benefits of the large heatsink.

[@ronniekregar3482]

​@@gladosadoreeexactly!

[@zazo..]

great review, actually prefer the screws than a plastic clip.

[@Karm1kal]

How's this Motherboard for 8000Mhz DDR5 ? Planning on upgrading to this Motherboard along with 2 sets of F5-8000J4048F24GX2-TZ5RK RAM (it's G.Skill Trident Z5). I wonder if it would require some manual tweaking for the voltage and if it would be stable for i9-14900KS.

[@karymwillemsen5564]

I just Bought the board main reason was the thunderbolt. I switched from amd over to intel for thunderbolt support with my Universal audio apollo's. the board looks amzing and is pretty heavy. i am happy I saw this video before I installed the m.2 ssd's i will not use the first slot now 😅. thnak you for the review

[@MeharKingxGaming]

You Deserve Much More

[@Laurentschoice]

I got you... And that's all I need. ;)

[@MeharKingxGaming]

@@Laurentschoice i.m your oldest subscriber from pakistan ❤️🇵🇰.. Keep Working.. I hope your channel will be huge in future..

[@alejandrososa3472]

Hey do you have to connect the second power connector to the dark hero? the one underneath the mainconectoer 6 way connector because I don't have it in and my cpu turns up without end in battlefield 2042 temperature fluctuations of 70 - 95 degrees with the game

[@agrailag]

Hi, nice review. Between this mb and Giga aorus master x - what would you pick? Aorus has better vrm, 10gb network, but pcie looks worse (2 pcie3 slot), also no tb4

[@Laurentschoice]

So reviewing the Master X right now. Will be published in 4 days

[@mohandtem]

Good morning, with this wonderful video, I want to ask you, which do you prefer, for approximately the same price, the Asus TUF 3090 OC, or the SAPPHIRE Toxic RX 6950 XT? ** I am also looking forward to reviewing the Asus x670e-a gaming wifi board, and reviewing the soon-to-be-released Aorus x670e pro x board.

[@Laurentschoice]

3090 OC for some DLSS 2.0 YUMMINESS :)))))))

[@mohandtem]

@@Laurentschoice Thanks for your response, I appreciate your efforts

[@Gppandv]

I'm having trouble enabling Gen 5 speeds on my m.2 slot one. My last BIOS was gigabyte and it was pretty easy to understand. This one is a little more tricky. Anyone have any tips for me

[@dirtyredwitdacat7074]

So I’m looking to build an PC and this motherboard is the one I want to use. I keep hearing bad things about this board and ROG boards in general. Which motherboard is best from ROG for 14700 chipset?

[@FritschiTV]

does it only use half the lanes when you use a gen 5 ssd in the top slot or when you use the top slot at all no matter if you have a gen4 or gen5 ssd plugged into it ?

[@digitalQ33]

I have the same question. I’m going to use my.2 slicker 2 & 3 with my SSD’s and my 4090 as the top pcie

[@vpryt18]

@@digitalQ33 chatgpt says this info is not true. Those lanes have dedicated bandwidths. Anyone to confirm they are shared?

[@sedatgokberk6711]

What is the best ram I can buy for ROG MAXIMUS Z790 DARK HERO? (I don't know English, I would appreciate it if you could write the brand and model.)

[@elavarasanprabu8743]

@Laurent's Choice Please review MSI X670E ACE Motherboard.....!!!

[@shadowr2d2]

I’m looking 👀 at buy this motherboard. Trying to choose between. The *(Dark Hero, & The Formula) motherboard. Both offer the same thing. The Formula is a white motherboard. Plus some videos have discussed. That the water 💧 block is not from EQ. So to have you. Cover this motherboard is awesome 😎 hands down..

[@Laurentschoice]

I'm starting the formula tomorrow!

[@chrisayon1829]

If I insert a PCIe 5.0 speed M.2 SSD, will it occupy the bandwidth of the x16 PCIe 5.0 slot for the graphics card? What should I do?

[@vpryt18]

Yes that is a question I also ask. Could someone recommend a board where there is no such limitation. I want to use my SSD and GPU bandwidth at max.

[@vpryt18]

BTW I asked chatgpt, and it insists that this is not true. SSD and PCI 5 slot has dedicated buses, it says...

[@roythunderplump]

Way out of my price range. Still great to watch to see potentially what features could go to the lower / mid range boards in the next generations.

[@Joe-jw9jy]

So I bought this board and plan to watercool it, does the EKWB really take up too much space like I see in the video to where the plate is removed completely?

[@Laurentschoice]

Well it doesn't only cover the CPU . It also cools the Power stages and chokes. This is a monoblock . It's a pretty intense water cooling solution .

[@Joe-jw9jy]

@@Laurentschoice does this mean I have to get rid of the screen that displays ROG?

[@superghetto420]

@@Joe-jw9jy I would love an answer as well

[@vpryt18]

10:03 can you please provide a source for this info? Are you sure M2 SSD bus lane and PCI 5 bus lane are shared?

[@Laurentschoice]

Hey there :) That's the same PCIe bifurcation you LL find all ove the Z790 powered boards. Just not enough pcie 5 lanes to entertain a full 16 lane GPU export AND a x4 m.2 SSD . Obviously I tested this as well ;) Hope this helps .

[@DigitalNerds7]

Why is this channel so underrated? I literally buy mobos only after watching his reviews

[@Laurentschoice]

U r pure love

[@kilzo8370]

1st thanks , so no Mb right now that don't share bandwidth between pcie16 gen 5 and m.2 gen5 ?

[@Laurentschoice]

Yes. Correct. :(

[@kilzo8370]

thanks @@Laurentschoice

[@AveryMGlass]

Just before anyone decides to purchase this board. FYI it WILL NOT do the advertised ddr5 8000. My first board came DOA. My second board is having audio issues (cracking and popping through my computer monitors), and I am now going on my third replacement in a month. Other than that it is feature packed and looks amazing.

[@lawrenceandrews4367]

Who need all that speed

[@itsprod.472]

Just in general I would say don’t go with Asus this generation with the whole drama going on with them. But damn do they make good looking boards probably the best on the market alongside those high end MSI ones

[@AlexSetolin]

Many peoples complain about the memory, not reaching 8000mhz. Is that true?

[@KillingTheMost]

oh damn I almost wrote you off because that board can't do anywhere near its advertised RAM speeds, Frame Chasers just today tried it out and it crapped out. a 4 DIMM board is already limited just because of the slots existing.

[@AMGPerformanceChannel]

I have a Dark Hero Rig sitting beside me right now. Been through about 7 different RAM kits and two 14900K's. Frame Chasers is correct. Best I can get is 7400 stable also. The rig i am typing this on is an Apex Encore, 14900K, plugged in Corsair Titanium 8000 at XMP 1, bumped it up to 8200 without changing anything and it runs perfect.

[@darkjp]

We all know who the TRUE hero is for uploading great motherboard reviews on a boring Monday morning :p What a mobo though, way too overkill for me. My poor B550 one looks like an ultra budget board now 😅

[@Laurentschoice]

Oooooh now that's a nice thing to say :))))) DARK is in the houuuuuuuse!

[@pritidipmondal5539]

My PC spec is Ryzen 5 5600, Rx6750xt, Corsair vengeance lpx 8gb 3200mhz, Corsair cv650, 500gb SSD, Asrock B550m steel legend. I watched games benchmark on KZbin video of 1080 all settings, which fsp was provided on KZbin video's benchmark sadly my PC give less than half fps of KZbin benchmark. What is problem in my new PC? Less than half fps really shit!

[@Laurentschoice]

The SSD..... MIGHT be the issue. Go m.2ssd

[@pritidipmondal5539]

@@Laurentschoice it is m.2 SSD bro

[@darkman237]

Which would you choose? The GB Elite X or this one?

[@Laurentschoice]

Depending what is the focus of ur board. What CPU / GPU ???

[@darkman237]

@@Laurentschoice cpu- intel 14th gen i9, gpu- rtx 4070

[@Laurentschoice]

The elite will do perfectly fine

[@darkman237]

@@LaurentschoiceThank you!

[@rare6499]

Pretty board but with zero upgrade potential it’s a tough sale to me.

[@Laurentschoice]

Yeah... Last Gen CPU socket... Last year on the Chipset.... It's always difficult for manufacturers to make a sell

[@joyofphysics5383]

That is anya's hodie 😃😃😃😃

[@Tpecep]

Why have you put your ram into 1 and 3 slots on 5:52?

[@Laurentschoice]

To activate both channel 1 and 2 ( making sure they both operate). The both are master dimms placement activating each channel.

[@mrrose6411]

I checked the manual and the second and fourth slot are the master dimms

[@digitalQ33]

I believe they did this to move the dimms farther from the CPU heat

[@SuperNapolitanka]

Bonnie Tyler would buy this mobo!

[@Laurentschoice]

Baba ... Napoli IN THE HOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUSE!

[@Laurentschoice]

Everyone take an instant and bow in reverence to the LC OG!

[@davidjames4583]

👍 !!! 👍 !!! 👍 !!!

[@Laurentschoice]

U worried me. I was about to call the police !

[@davidjames4583]

@@Laurentschoice 😅

[@husseinjuma5997]

Here we go again !! Todays motherboard's prices are not good for the health!

[@Laurentschoice]

Specially the Maximus one... Lord ,!!!

[@gladosadoree]

So, even a PCI-e 4.0 SSD under that huge heatsink will already reduce yur GPU speed to x8? If so, that is extremely bad design.

[@vladsta3833]

moar reviews plz

[@Laurentschoice]

Comming !!!

[@jaswanth27_90]

Breh is he french?

[@user-nf8mr1wp2n]

Big downgrade in expansion department compared to last year Hero. I would like to say one step forward two steps back. Sadly, don't see the step forward. Wifi 7 maybe? A chance to spend my money on $1000 wifi 7 router and devices that will show up en masse when this platform is dead and intel has moved on. They reduced SATA from 6 to 4 and last year's 3 + 2 x4 nvme arrangement seems much better when sticking with 4.0 m.2 , due to x16/x8/x8 expansion slots (last slot bifurcates to x4 x4 with included m.2 card). This leaves main cpu lanes in x4 (4.0 m.2)/x16 (5.0) arrangement, or x4/x8/x8 alternatively for dual gpu for example. You would lose one m.2 4.0 if you want m.2 5.0 on expansion m.3 card, but this choice makes the older one way more versatile. These maximus boards and premium boards from others were supposed to bridge gap between general gamer consumer and workstation hefty 'buy in'. Sadly with every iteration they are inching closer and closer to general consumer level while still charging big premium over strix mid range. For what? Based on led's on vrm cover (not impressed btw) i suppose???? Your reviews are detailed and always fun to watch

[@SimKadesh]

Yeah and the hero of the highest price! Lol. Better get a Gigabyte Master (X) the price difference will get you a Firecuda 540 M2 for instance.

[@def-po8tu]

I just sent back that board it was terrible. I have the dark hero coming tomorrow. Hopefully all goes well

[@philindeblanc]

Laurent, as a general rule, I would advise anyone under 27 not to watch your video introductions, and force a 15-30 second FFWD...LOL!

[@kishona69]

Fun Fact 😂😂😂😂

[@Laurentschoice]

I am no porcupine....

[@gt1man931]

An editorial commentary is not a review. It's just blather. Do actual reviews with product in hand with test results, or again, it is just blather.

[@Laurentschoice]

Hmmm seems like u missed the thermal tests, the CPU benchmarking , the product comparison, the monoblock testing , the VRM analysis , The PCIe bifurcations table, the .... Wait .. did you watch any part of the video .... Or are you just blathering ? You'll get there ;) eventually

[@Tpecep]

This shit not cost that much with 4 dimms and 8 layers lol. And 7800mhz is very hardly achievable compared to 2 dimm boards Basically same as 790-e but 300$ more expensive just for thunderbolt if I correct, screen and wi-fi 7. Same as simple Hero but with wi-fi 7 and still cost 150$ more. Asus is a joke

[@markmcmillan6254]

You're paying a $200 premium just for looks. Look, I have a Ferrari and you don't. Burning excess cash shouldn't be a hobby.

[@carlovictor4845]

so you bought ferrari by saving 200$ from that motherboard.

[@youryella]

Burning excess cash is other people's hobby and that should not concern you whatsoever. Mind your own business

[@Whitefox1331]

Where u gone bro

[@Laurentschoice]

Right here :) but yeah had to deal with some health issue in the family.... not fun

[@Whitefox1331]

Sorry to hear hope they are well now bro

[@shadowr2d2]

I hope that everything is ok 👍 now. I really do enjoy your videos. You have an awesome way. To educate us on Tech gear ⚙️.

[@MeharKingxGaming]

@@Laurentschoice Understandable