Intel Z790 Motherboards with PCIe Gen5 M.2 Support

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z790 m2 gen5 motherboardsAlthough there are zero Gen5 SSDs in the market at this point, you may still want a straightforward upgrade path for such a drive when building a new system based on Raptor Lake and Z790 in early 2023. SSDs that can utilize the additional bandwidth are just around the corner, after all.

While AMD made a PCI Express 5.0-enabled M.2 slot mandatory on X670 and even B650 motherboards, Intel’s high-end Z790 chipset only brings Gen5 PCIe lanes to the graphics card slot by default. Adding Gen5 M.2 support is still possible by having it share bandwidth with the GPU, but whether or not to do so is ultimately up to the motherboard manufacturers.

You will probably not be surprised to learn that most manufacturers have opted to treat the Gen5 M.2 slot as something of a premium feature in the first batches of Z790 motherboards. Many mainstream and semi-premium models that tend to be popular among gamers, such as the Asus Strix-A/F, MSI MAG Tomahawk, and Gigabyte Aorus Elite, are notably lacking this feature/compromise.

ASRock is a bit more generous, however, and there are a few other exceptions. So, if this feature is at least somewhat important to you – but not worth burning through most of your budget on – you still have options. That said, there are no particularly cheap Z790 boards (it is the high-end chipset after all), and no boards with a combination of both Gen5 M.2 and DDR4 support. 

Gigabyte Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

Gigabyte Z790
w/ Gen5 M.2
Z790 Aorus
Xtreme
Z790 Aorus
Master
Z790
Aero G
Form FactorE-ATXE-ATXATX
VRM Config20+1+2
(105A)
20+1+2
(105A)
16+1+2?
(70A?)
RAM SupportDDR5-8000DDR5-8000DDR5-7600
M.2 Slots1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports444
LAN1x Marvell 10Gbps
1x Intel 2.5Gbps
Marvell 10GbpsIntel 2.5Gbps
WiFiIntel Killer
Wi-Fi 6E AX1690
Intel Killer
Wi-Fi 6E AX1690
Intel
Wi-Fi 6E AX211
USB -
Rear
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
10x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
2x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 1 (C)
7x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x USB 2.0/1.1
USB -
Header
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
4x 3.2 Gen 1
4x USB 2.0/1.1
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
4x 3.2 Gen 1
4x USB 2.0/1.1
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
2x 3.2 Gen 1
4x USB 2.0/1.1
MSRPN/A$499$299
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Product Page
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For now, Gigabyte offers Gen5 M.2 slots only with the two E-ATX Aorus models, and the creator-oriented Aero G model. The more mainstream Aorus Elite and Gaming X varieties use the standard configuration with PCIe 4.0 M.2s and one PCIe 5.0 x16 GPU slot.

Asus Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

Asus Z790
w/ Gen5 M.2
ROG Maximus
Z790 Extreme
ROG Maximus
Z790 Apex
ROG Maximus
Z790 Hero
ROG Strix
Z790-E Gaming
ROG Strix
Z790-I Gaming
Form FactorE-ATXATXATXATXITX
VRM Config24+1
(105A)
24+0
(105A)
20+1
(90A)
18+1
(90A)
10+1
(105A)
RAM SupportDDR5-7800DDR5-8000DDR5-7800DDR5-7800DDR5-7600
M.2 Slots1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
(bundled AiC)
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
1x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports66642
LAN1x Marvell 10Gbps
1x Intel 2.5Gbps
Intel 2.5GbpsIntel 2.5GbpsIntel 2.5GbpsIntel 2.5Gbps
WiFiWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6EWi-Fi 6E
USB -
Rear
1x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
8x 3.2 Gen 2 (A/C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
5x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
6x 3.2 Gen 2 (A/C)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
7x 3.2 Gen 2 (A/C)
4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
3x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
1x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x USB 2.0
USB -
Header
1x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
4x 3.2 Gen 2x2
(60W PD)
2x 3.2 Gen 1
2x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
(60W PD)
2x 3.2 Gen 1
2x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
(60W PD)
2x 3.2 Gen 1
2x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
(30W PD)
2x 3.2 Gen 1
2x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2
1x 3.2 Gen 1
MSRP$999$699$629$499$469
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Product Page
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Price
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As their names imply, the Maximus boards are pretty much maxed out as far as connectivity goes. They come with two full-length PCIe 5.0 slots (running at x8/x8 if both are used) and also expand the M.2 storage options via a bundled add-in card and/or DIMM-to-M.2 module. Nevertheless, due to the chipset limitations, there’s just one PCIe Gen5 M.2 slot.

The popular RoG Strix lineup also tends to be full-featured, but only the Z790-E and the mITX model Z790-I have the option to add a Gen5 SSD. Unfortunately, the Z790-F and Z790-A are lacking in that department and the same goes for all TUF- and Prime-series boards (and the single ProArt) released so far.

MSI Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

MSI Z790
w/ Gen5 M.2
MEG Z790
Godlike
MEG Z790
Ace
MPG Z790
Carbon WiFi
Form FactorE-ATXE-ATXATX
VRM Config26+4
(105A)
24+1+2
(105A)
19+1+1
(105A)
RAM SupportDDR5-7800DDR5-7800DDR5-7600
M.2 Slots1x Gen5 x4
5x Gen4 x4
1x Gen3 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports666
LAN1x Marvell 10Gbps
1x Intel 2.5Gbps
Intel 2.5GbpsIntel 2.5Gbps
WiFiIntel Wi-Fi 6EIntel Wi-Fi 6EIntel Wi-Fi 6E
USB -
Rear
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
7x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C)
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
7x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C)
6x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
2x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
USB -
Header
2x 3.2 Gen 2x2
(60W PD)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
4x USB 2.0
2x 3.2 Gen 2x2
(60W PD)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
4x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
2x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
4x USB 2.0
MSRP$1,199N/A$479
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MSI also reserves PCIe 5.0 SSD support for mainly the enthusiast models, but the traditionally more mainstream MPG Carbon board also gets a full set of storage options. On the other hand, the Z790 Carbon WiFi seems to be more geared toward the premium end of this generation, which is not least reflected in the price tag.

Notably, the ultra-premium E-ATX Z790 Godlike is equipped with no less than seven M.2 slots, but only one of them offers four lanes of Gen5 greatness.

ASRock Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

ASRock Z790
w/ Gen5 M.2
Z790 Taichi
(Carrara)
Z790
LiveMixer
Z790
Steel Legend
Z790
PG Riptide
Form FactorE-ATXATXATXATX
VRM Config24+1+2
(105A)
14+1+1
(60A)
16+1+1
(60A)
14+1+1
(50A)
RAM SupportDDR5-7000DDR5-6800DDR5-6800DDR5-6800
M.2 Slots1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
1x Gen5 x4
4x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports8488
LAN2.5Gbps
(Killer E3100G)
2.5Gbps
(RTL8125BG)
2.5Gbps
(RTL8125BG)
2.5Gbps
(Killer E3100G)
WiFiWi-Fi 6EN/AWi-Fi 6EN/A
USB -
Rear
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
2x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
6x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x USB 2.0
2x Thunderbolt 4 (C)
2x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
6x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C)
1x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
8x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x 3.2 Gen 2 (A)
1x 3.2 Gen 1 (C)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
2x USB 2.0
USB -
Header
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
4x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
4x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
3x USB 2.0
1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C)
2x 3.2 Gen 1 (A)
4x USB 2.0
MSRP$479$259$289$229
Official
Product Page
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Price
Check
Amazon
Newegg
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What sets ASRock apart is that even its first mainstream Z790 motherboards include a Gen5 M.2 slot. Of course, this is not without some compromises in other areas such as a lack of wireless LAN and seemingly less powerful power delivery solutions. ASRock’s E-ATX Taichi (and nearly identical Taichi Carrera) is also not a ‘spare-no-expenses’ model like the MSI Godlike but still includes Thunderbolt 4. Interestingly, the latter is also true for the comparatively inexpensive Z790 LiveMixer. 

What are the tradeoffs?

Leading up to the launch of Raptor Lake and the Z790 chipset, there were rumors back and forth about support for Gen5 SSDs. It was eventually revealed that the new platform would indeed not offer PCIe 5.0 bandwidth for anything but the full-length primary slot, which normally houses the GPU. This is arguably an odd design choice, seeing as no graphics card today or in the near future is likely to require 16 lanes of PCI-Express 5.0 bandwidth.

Intel Z790 Diagram

To enable Gen5 bandwidth for an M.2 SSD slot (PCIe 5.0 x4), the apparent solution is therefore to split the lanes of the full-length x16 slot and reduce it to PCIe 5.0 x8. This is still more than enough bandwidth for any current-gen GPU.

However, for the same reason, there are no PCIe 5.0-enabled graphics cards on the market – not even the RTX 4090 or RX 7900 XTX use the new interface. The potential problem this poses is that current-gen GPUs will have to make do with PCIe 4.0 x8, which is equal to PCIe 3.0 x16. Fortunately, this still seems to be enough even for high-end GPUs of this generation – at least in a vast majority of cases, as demonstrated here by GamersNexus:

 

Jesper Berg

As a PC gaming enthusiast since the 3dfx Voodoo era, Jesper has had time to experiment with a fair few FPS-improving PC parts over the years. His job at GPCB is to test and evaluate hardware, mainly focusing on GPUs and storage devices.

4 Comments
  1. Great list, thank you so much! I think you should also mention which motherboards share bandwidth with the GFX slots if there is an M.2 Drive in the PCIE5 M.2 slot. It would add much more context when choosing which board to select.

    For example, I checked Z790 AERO G by Gigabyte and in their spec sheet it says

    1 x PCI Express x16 slot, supporting PCIe 5.0 and running at x16 (PCIEX16)
    * The PCIEX16 slot shares bandwidth with the M2C_CPU connector. The PCIEX16 slot operates at up to x8 mode when a device is installed in the M2C_CPU connector
    * For optimum performance, if only one PCI Express graphics card is to be installed, be sure to install it in the PCIEX16 slot.

    This is a very severe limitation for people like me who are planning on making our setups a little future-proof than normal.

    • Thanks Siddharth! And sorry about the late reply… To clarify, this is what must be done with all Z790 boards as the chipset is originally specified for one x16 Gen5 slot (full-size), so adding a Gen5 M.2 slot is always a compromise.
      This doesn’t seem to matter much at this point, but it’s of course possible that it becomes a limitation at some point in the future.

  2. I want to build an audio production PC with the Asus ProArtZ790 creator. I understand that main PCIe 5 slot is shared with the graphics card. Since I’m not using a graphics card but using the integrated graphics on the i7-13700k, is that PCIe slot fully functional for a PCIe gen 4 SSD? from everything I’ve heard it is supposed to be fully functional.
    I also intend on using DDR5 ram at 5600Mxfers with CL28 and limiting the speed in the bios to 5200 (or more but < 5600?). Is this a good setting for these choices and the 13700K? Do you have any other suggestions? Thanks. Great videos.

    • Hi Mark. Good luck with your build! The ProArt is a bit unusual with 2x full-size PCIe 5 slots (1x 16-lane or 2x 8-lane config). These slots are presumably intended for rendering with dual graphics cards running at Gen5 x8. That would be next-gen cards, though, as the current ones are all Gen4.

      There are also four Gen4 M.2 SSD slots. If you need more than that, you could use an x16/x8 M.2 adapter. Theoretically even for Gen5 SSDs with something like this: https://videocardz.com/newz/msi-shows-off-pcie-gen5-m-2-expander-z-card-for-next-gen-storage-up-to-128gb-s

      Not sure what you mean with the RAM? If you have a 5600/CL28 kit, why limit it to 5200 MT/s? Or is it not CL28-spec but you want to tweak the timings?

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