Home » Hardware » Intel Z790 Motherboards with PCIe Gen5 M.2 Support (2024 Update)

Intel Z790 Motherboards with PCIe Gen5 M.2 Support (2024 Update)

Jesper Berg February 27, 2024 Hardware, Motherboards

11

Note: Updated in February 2024 with Z790 boards that have been refreshed or released since the article was originally published.

The availability of Gen5 SSDs is steadily improving, but even now they are still quite expensive and based on the same Phison E26 controller. But whether or not you are looking to upgrade to Gen5 storage now or later, it’s great to have a straightforward upgrade path for such a drive when building a new system based on Raptor Lake (13th or 14th-gen Core series) and Z790.

While AMD made a PCI Express 5.0-enabled M.2 slot mandatory on X670 and even budget 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 a premium feature on their Z790 motherboards. Many mainstream and semi-premium models that are usually popular among gamers, such as the Asus Strix-A/F, MSI MAG Tomahawk, and Gigabyte Aorus Elite, all had to make do without.

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 offer a combination of both Gen5 M.2 and DDR4 RAM support. 

Gigabyte Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

Gigabyte refreshed its Z790 boards in mid-2023 with ‘X’ versions of its existing E-ATX lineup and added the previously missing Pro X. These X-branded boards are still the latest models in early 2024. The differences between ‘X’ and original revisions are noted in (brackets):

Gigabyte Z790 w/ Gen5 M.2	Z790 Aorus Xtreme (X)	Z790 Aorus Master (X)	Z790 Aorus Pro X	Z790 Aero G
Form Factor	E-ATX	E-ATX	ATX	ATX
VRM Config	105A 20+1+2 (24+1+2)	105A 20+1+2	18+1+2 (70A?)	16+1+2? (70A?)
RAM Support	DDR5-8000 (DDR5-8266)	DDR5-8000 (DDR5-8266)	DDR5-8266	DDR5-7600
M.2 Slots	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports	4	4		4
LAN	1x Marvell 10Gbps 1x Intel 2.5Gbps	Marvell 10Gbps	Realtek 5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps
WiFi	Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1690 (Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7)	Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1690 (Qualcomm Wi-Fi 7)	MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 MT7927	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) 1x USB 2.0 (C) 4x 3.2 Gen 2 (A) 2x USB 2.0/1.1	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	1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 2x 3.2 Gen 1 4x USB 2.0/1.1
MSRP	N/A	$499	$389	$299
Official Product Page	Link	Link	Link	Link
Price Check	Newegg	Amazon Newegg Amazon UK	Newegg	Newegg

For now, Gigabyte offers Gen5 M.2 slots only with the two E-ATX Aorus models, the Pro X (a standard ATX model), 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.2 SSDs 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 Factor	E-ATX	ATX	ATX	ATX	ITX
VRM Config	24+1 (105A)	24+0 (105A)	20+1 (90A)	18+1 (90A)	10+1 (105A)
RAM Support	DDR5-7800	DDR5-8000	DDR5-7800	DDR5-7800	DDR5-7600
M.2 Slots	1x 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 Ports	6	6	6	4	2
LAN	1x Marvell 10Gbps 1x Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps
WiFi	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-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 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
Official Product Page	Link	Link	Link	Link	Link
Price Check	Newegg	Newegg	Amazon Newegg	Amazon Newegg Amazon UK	Amazon Newegg

As their names imply, the Maximus boards are rather 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). In other words, all PCIe 5.0 bandwidth is on full-length expansion slots, so Asus instead expands 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 regardless of the solution used.

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 (via onboard slots in this case). 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).

More recent updates of Asus’ Z790 lineup include additional variants of the Maximus board and an update of the Strix Z790-E:

Asus Z790 w/ Gen5 M.2 (cont.)	ROG Maximus Z790 Apex Encore	ROG Maximus Z790 Dark Hero	ROG Maximus Z790 Hero BTF	ROG Strix Z790-E II
Form Factor	ATX	ATX	ATX	ATX
VRM Config	24+0 (105A)	20+1 (105A)	20+1+2 (90A)	18+2+1 (110A)
RAM Support	DDR5-8400+	DDR5-8000+	DDR5-8000+	DDR5-8000+
M.2 Slots	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4 (bundled DIMM.2)	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4
LAN	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps
WiFi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7

None of the updated boards are centered around improved M.2 support, but rather on RAM compatibility, WiFi 7 updates, and power delivery. Needless to say, all are fully compatible with the newer 14th-gen Core CPUs out of the box.

MSI Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

In keeping with tradition, MSI has updated its Z790 lineup with ‘Max’ revisions. Differences are noted in (brackets).

MSI Z790 w/ Gen5 M.2	MEG Z790 Godlike (Max)	MEG Z790 Ace (Max)	MPG Z790 Carbon (Max)	MPG Z790 Edge Ti Max	MPG Z790 Tomahawk Max
Form Factor	E-ATX	E-ATX	ATX	ATX	ATX
VRM Config	105A 26+4	105A 24+1+2	105A 19+1+1	90A 16+1+1	90A 16+1+1
RAM Support	DDR5-7800	DDR5-7800+	DDR5-7600 (DDR5-7800)	DDR5-7800	DDR5-7800
M.2 Slots	1x Gen5 x4 5x Gen4 x4 1x Gen3 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 3x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports	6	6	6	8	8
LAN	1x Marvell 10Gbps 1x Intel 2.5Gbps	2x Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps	Intel 2.5Gbps
WiFi	Intel Wi-Fi 6E (Wi-Fi 7)	Intel Wi-Fi 6E (Wi-Fi 7)	Intel Wi-Fi 6E (Wi-Fi 7)	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 7
USB - Rear	2x Thunderbolt 4 7x 3.2 Gen 2 (A) 1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C)	2x Thunderbolt 4 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)	1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C) 1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C) 4x 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 2 (A) 4x 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 (+USB4 AiC)	1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C) 2x 3.2 Gen 1 (A) 4x USB 2.0	1x 3.2 Gen 2 (C) 2x 3.2 Gen 1 (A) 4x USB 2.0
MSRP	$1,199	N/A	$479	N/A	N/A
Official Product Page	Link	Link	Link	Link	Link
Price Check	Newegg	Newegg	Amazon Newegg Amazon UK	N/A	N/A

Note: In addition to the above, MSI has also updated the Z790 Carbon WiFi to a second revision. This version brings WiFi 7 to the table along with out-of-box support for 14th-gen Core, but no changes in the M.2 area.

Like Gigabyte and Asus, MSI reserves PCIe 5.0 SSD support mainly for the enthusiast models. The ultra-premium E-ATX Z790 Godlike, for example, is equipped with no less than seven M.2 slots, but only one of them offers four lanes of Gen5 greatness. MSI’s Z790 Carbon board gets a full set of storage options as well, but also a premium price for this generation.

Along with the other Max revisions, however, MSI has added a Gen5 M.2 slot to the Z790 Edge (Ti Max) and Tomahawk (Max) models. These boards have yet to reach retail at the time of writing, but will hopefully come with more moderate price tags like their non-Max counterparts.

ASRock Z790 Boards with Gen5 M.2

ASRock Z790 w/ Gen5 M.2	Z790 Taichi (Lite)	NEW: Z790 PG Nova	Z790 LiveMixer	Z790 Steel Legend	Z790 PG Riptide
Form Factor	E-ATX	ATX	ATX	ATX	ATX
VRM Config	24+1+2 (105A)	20+1+1 (90A)	14+1+1 (60A)	16+1+1 (60A)	14+1+1 (50A)
RAM Support	DDR5-7200	DDR5-8000+	DDR5-6800	DDR5-6800	DDR5-6800
M.2 Slots	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 5x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4	1x Gen5 x4 4x Gen4 x4
SATA Ports	8	4	4	8	8
LAN	2.5Gbps Killer E3100G (+ 1Gbps)	2.5Gbps (Killer E3100G)	2.5Gbps (RTL8125BG)	2.5Gbps (RTL8125BG)	2.5Gbps (Killer E3100G)
WiFi	Wi-Fi 6E	Wi-Fi 7	N/A	Wi-Fi 6E	N/A
USB - Rear	2x Thunderbolt 4 2x 3.2 Gen 2 (A) 6x 3.2 Gen 1 (A) 2x USB 2.0	1x 3.2 Gen 2x2 (C) 4x 3.2 Gen 2 (A) 3x 3.2 Gen 1 (A) 2x USB 2.0	2x 3.2 Gen 2 (C) 2x 3.2 Gen 2 (A) 4x 3.2 Gen 1 (A) 6x 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) 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	$329	$259	$289	$229
Official Product Page	Link	Link	Link	Link	Link
Price Check	Amazon Newegg Amazon UK	N/A	Newegg	Amazon Newegg Amazon UK	Amazon Newegg Amazon UK

What sets ASRock apart is that even its original 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 is also not a ‘spare-no-expenses’ model like the MSI Godlike but still includes Thunderbolt 4.

Post-launch changes to ASRock’s Z790 lineup include a more affordable revision of the Taichi, labeled Taichi Lite. Most of the key features from the high-end sibling are still there but the heatsink setup and some visual highlights have been trimmed. As of early 2024, ASRock has also added the Z790 PG Nova to the lineup, which offers the most comprehensive feature set so far among the manufacturer’s mid-range offerings. That includes one Gen5 M.2 slot and no less than five Gen4 slots. 

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.

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: