ROG Maximus Z890 Hero impressions: A beautiful companion for the new Intel Core Ultra 200S series

Note: This article was first published on 24 October 2024, and has been republished as a follow-up to our Intel Core Ultra 200S reviews.

Intel is finally launching its much-anticipated Core Ultra 200S series processors (read about it here). These new chips will only run on the new LGA1851 socket and that means it won’t be compatible with the LGA1700 socket on existing Z790 motherboards and those that precede it. In short, you’ll have to buy a new motherboard in order to play nice with a new Core Ultra CPU – the new Z890.

The first of such motherboards that landed on our lap is the ROG Maximus Z890 Hero. ROG really needs no introduction by now; we know they make some of the best-looking motherboards around and the new Hero board carries on that tradition and more. The Maximus Z890 Hero sits just below the flagship Maximus Z890 Extreme, but don’t let it fool you because unless you’re into custom water-cooling, the Hero is every bit just as good as the Extreme.

Let’s take a look.

ROG has maintained a consistent design DNA across all of its motherboards – AMD and Intel ones – and at a glance, the Z890 Hero can almost be mistaken for its AMD Hero counterpart, the ROG Crosshair X870E Hero (read our impressions here). But there are a couple of subtle differences.

For instance, the Z890 Hero sports a flatter and angular design and its “Hero” branding is plastered more unabashedly on the primary SSD heatsink – which by the way, features a very nice latch design compared to the X870E Hero’s in my opinion. You simply push the latch down or up to unlock/lock the heatsink in place.

Lifting the heatsink panel also reveals five additional M.2 2280 slots for add enough SSD to your heart’s content.

The memory slot has also been redesigned with ASUS's NitroPath DRAM technology, originally introduced on the X870E Hero. This innovation involves physically shortening the slot contacts to reduce signal interference, thereby allowing for higher RAM clock speeds. Additionally, the double-sided slot lock mechanism has been upgraded, enhancing the retention force to ensure greater stability and reliability when in use. The Z890 Hero can also support memory overclocking up to 9,200+ MT/s.

I also like the new PCI-e quick release mechanism. Previous generations of ROG boards will have you pressing a button to unlock the graphics card. But with the Z890 Hero, you simply tilt the card slightly to the right to release it. It’s convenient and it’s brilliant, and it boggles the mind why no manufacturer (ASUS included) has implemented or thought about this feature until now.

Over at the rear I/O is a gamut of ports. This includes the usual BIOS flashback and clear CMOS buttons, which are helpful during overclocking sessions. There’s also an HDMI-out (for Core Ultra processors that has an integrated GPU), four USB 5Gbps ports and five USB 10Gbps (four Type-A and one Type-C, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports (Type-C). Lastly, there are two ethernet ports, 2.5Gb and 5Gb, and a Wi-Fi 7 module.

The ROG Maximus Z890 Hero is arguably one of the best companions for the new Intel Core Ultra processors (we’re using this motherboard to review the CPUs too), with its great looks and features. It does not come cheap though. A quick scan around Lazada and Shopee shows various online retailers selling it for S$1,235 at the lowest.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.