Intel Z890 Motherboard Roundup: 50 Boards Tested

This was a very detailed and well-written review, nicely done!

I have to admit, I’m a bit surprised at where ASUS stands in the rankings here. I was expecting stronger performance from them, considering their reputation. That said, it’s good to see that most boards did a solid job overall.

I’m planning a new build this year, though I’m still torn between Intel and AMD. Since productivity for work takes priority over gaming, I want to make sure I choose the best option for my needs.

This review really helped answer a lot of questions I had. I appreciate the time and effort that went into it, thank you!

Either way, I’m planning to go with an MSI Tomahawk motherboard. Between the X870 Tomahawk for AMD and the Z890 Tomahawk for Intel, I think they offer the best value since I’m not spending more than $250 on a board...both are currently around $200.

I’m leaning toward Intel with the 265K. I know the AMD crowd might give me some grief, but I’ve had my fair share of small but frustrating issues with AMD, especially around USB-C connectivity. Those kinds of problems are a no-go for me when I’m working, as they slow me down, and a complete rebuild after the fact isn’t an option.

On top of that, AMD’s offerings are generally more expensive right now. The 265K is $330 and readily available. Since gaming isn’t a priority for me, as long as I can hit 120fps at 1440p, I’m happy.

Hysc84 said:

Bravo, nice roundup. How about AMD ?

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Thanks! I appreciate your time and effort for this extensive review.

I appreciate the industrial, minimalistic design that some of these motherboards are adopting. While there’s still a touch of unnecessary marketing flair, it’s a significant improvement over the flashy, multicolored “gamer” aesthetic that has dominated the market for years and often feels tailored for a younger audience. I hope manufacturers continue moving in this direction. Unfortunately, many of the latest AMD boards still lean heavily into that over-the-top "gamer" branding, which is disappointing given the potential for more refined designs.

I just need lots of USBa Ports. 10 will be fine.

As for USBc, 2 or 3 will be OK.

Glad to see some boards with more USBc than USBa. I literally dont own anything with a USBa connector anymore.

Take note of metal covers around PCIe on some motherboards. You might be lucky to get a mobo that is almost impossible to remove a gpu due to a PCIe latch being covered from the top by the video card's heatsink, and from the mobo side by those metal covers rising above the motherboard, making it almost impossible to put a finger on PCIe latch.
My mb is Aero D, and GPU gigabyte 3070 gaming. It is extremely inconvenient, and I do not recommend motherboards that create this problem.
Last time, I spent 10 minutes trying to remove my GPU without breaking something.

What will you do with all these boards now ?

Nice article, you should add prices to the graphs next to the names so we can see where the boards land and their prices without endless scrolling.

Great review, I enjoyed every section of it. Motherboard market is getting competitive.

From 200...

Dang, that's an HEROIC article.