Introduction

It's quite obvious that most motherboard manufacturers bet on Intel being top dog when it launched its Arrow Lake CPUs back in 2024. As a result, we've often seen lavishly-equipped Z890 motherboards compared to their X870E counterparts and in many instances, no AMD equivalent at all. The ASUS ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming Wi-Fi is certainly a beast of a motherboard and easily matches or even surpasses the visual prowess of the latest ASUS refresh models on Socket AM5.

With Intel's likely final CPU releases on its LGA1851 socket already behind us, opting for this platform is perhaps a bit unwise, even with upgrade cycles significantly stretched due to high hardware prices. It's simply tricky to recommend even with an otherwise great motherboard and CPU. Still, if you're dead-set on a Core Ultra 7 270K Plus, which is a fantastic CPU after all, then the likes of the ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming Wi-Fi will no doubt be on your radar.



On AMD's platform, this board would likely not see you with any change from $500 if it were a recent refresh model, and even a first generation high-end ROG Strix model on Socket AM5 will set you back $400, such as the ROG Strix X870E-E Gaming Wi-Fi. The ROG Strix Z890-E Gaming Wi-Fi? Just $330. Value is clearly a strong point if you want a high-end motherboard for less than $350, but aside from currently non-existent Socket Longevity, are there any other catches? Let's find out.

Specifications