Our Verdict
Pros
- Capable cooling
- ROG Hive II external hub
- Dual Thunderbolt 4
- Strong VRM
- BIOS design and functionality
Cons
- Pricey versus the competition
- No upgrade path
- 2.5G LAN only
- Only two M.2 slots
- M.2 lane sharing
Should you buy it?
Introduction, Specifications, and Pricing
I'm a big fan of cool 'n quiet Mini-ITX systems. While the sun is setting on Intel's Z890 chipset and Arrow Lake CPUs, the performance and price of the 250K Plus and 270K Plus refresh CPUs and the features of the platform are still totally relevant for a 2026 SFF build. And few boards offer the unique features of the ASUS ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi.
The Strix Z890-I isn't new. However, given the relative scarcity of high-end Mini-ITX boards, it's still sought after by users looking for a high-quality feature set that's hard to fit into the Mini-ITX form factor. Its headline feature set is good. You get 320MHz Wi-Fi 7, plenty of fast USB ports including dual Thunderbolt 4, external audio, excellent cooling (for an ITX board), and a typically refined and feature-rich ASUS BIOS.
Popular Now: Xbox Series X can now run PS5 games thanks to a new emulator| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Model | ASUS ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi |
| CPU Socket | LGA 1851 |
| Chipset | Intel Z890 |
| CPU Support | Intel Core Ultra 200S series |
| Memory | 2x DDR5 DIMM slots, up to 128GB, up to 9200+ MT/s (OC), Non-ECC, Clocked Unbuffered DIMM (CUDIMM) |
| Expansion slots | 1x PCIe 5.0 x16 |
| Storage | 2x M.2, 2x SATA |
| Ethernet | Intel I226V 2.5G |
| Wireless & Bluetooth | Intel BE200 Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4 |
| USB | Up to 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x 20Gbps, 5x 10Gbps, 3x 5Gbps, 5x USB 2.0 |
| Audio | Realtek ALC4050, ESS SABRE9260Q DAC |
| Form Factor | Mini-ITX |
| MSRP | $405 |
Other key features include a powerful 10-phase VRM with a large heatsink, DDR5-9200+ support, two PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, and an appealing ROG aesthetic.
The ASUS ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi is available for $405. It goes up against the GIGABYTE Z890I AORUS Ultra, MSI MPG Z890I Edge Ti, and ASRock Z890I Nova. All of these models are becoming harder to buy, which isn't a surprise given the platform is nearing the end of its life. That's a shame as the platform still offers leading-edge features that compare well to X870 competitors.
Packaging, Accessories, and Overview
ASUS box designs and fonts haven't changed in many years. The ROG brand is instantly recognizable. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Best Deals: ASUS ROG STRIX X870-I GAMING WIFI
Price Trend:
Prices last scanned 21 hours and 4 minutes ago
7 days ago: $349.99 USD30 days ago: $415.99 USD
7 days ago: $379.99 USD
7 days ago: $523.43 CAD
7 days ago: $639.97 CAD30 days ago: $609.99 CAD
7 days ago: £407.94
7 days ago: $689
As with all motherboard boxes, the back highlights the key features and provides a detailed spec rundown.
The board comes with a comprehensive set of accessories, including some you won't find with larger-form-factor ASUS motherboards. In this picture, you'll see an ASUS ROG Keychain, WebStorage flyer, a set of stickers, and a quick-start guide. The Wi-Fi antenna is adjustable and well-built.
Our Latest Socket LGA 1851 Review Coverage
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- MSI Z890 Gaming Plus WIFI6E Review - Z890 for under $200
- ASRock Z890 Taichi Aqua Motherboard Review - Flagship features without the flagship price
- GIGABYTE Z890I AORUS Ultra Motherboard Review - Mini-ITX with surprisingly good thermals
Next up are a USB 2.0 splitter cable, a pair of SATA cables, a set of cable ties, and a front panel cable. The USB-C cable connects to the ROG Strix Hive II, which is up next. And what a lovely piece of engineering it is.
Frequently Asked Questions
Open a question for an answer from TweakTown's coverage of this review, or ask your own below.
Which CPU coolers fit the ASUS ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi socket area without clearance issues?
What kind of RAM kits and overclocking setup does the Z890-I support best with its dual-DIMM design?
What BIOS tools does ASUS include for troubleshooting and fan control on the ROG Strix Z890-I?
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The Hive II is essentially an external USB dock with an integrated sound card: a Realtek ALC 4050 codec and ESS Saber 9260Q DAC. The large dial on the top is a volume control. But it does more than provide sound. It features a programmable flex button that can reset the PC, boot into safe mode, or toggle Aura Sync ARGB lighting. It's got a power button and a set of debug LEDs. It also has Type-A and Type-C 10Gbps USB ports. It's a well-built little device with a magnetic base so that you can attach it to a metal case.
Mini-ITX boards are inherently limited by PCB space, at least in two dimensions. So why not go 3D? The ROG FPS II card is a small daughterboard that adds features that can't all fit on a Mini-ITX PCB. It includes two SATA ports, two USB 2.0 headers (curiously supporting only three ports in total), a front panel connector, a PCIe mode switch, and a CPU overvoltage jumper.
It's functional, if inelegant. A backside connector Mini-ITX board would negate the need for this. Now that's an interesting idea for a next-generation ITX board...
Motherboard Overview
There isn't much room for excessive branding and silk screening on a Mini-ITX board, so the Strix Z890-I looks quite restrained compared to some ROG boards.
A backplate covers about a third of the board. I would have liked to see another M.2 slot here, but alas, it's not to be.
The board lacks integrated RGB, but two addressable headers are available underneath the M.2 card. This daughter card also includes an additional fan header, giving the board four in total. That's a respectable amount for a Mini-ITX board.
The USB header complement is excellent. The main PCB includes headers providing Type-C 20Gbps and a pair of 5Gbps Type-A ports. Two more USB 2.0 headers provide three ports. In addition to the ports on the ROG Hive and the rear panel, the board supports a total of 17 USB ports. Excellent indeed!
The single x16 slot supports PCIe 5.0. Note that it shares bandwidth with the M.2_2 slot.
The Strix Z890-I's two DIMM slots support speeds of up to DDR5-9200 and up to 128GB. I'm quite sure the board will run higher than that with a capable memory controller and CUDIMM kit. Does it really matter when such a kit will cost you a kidney or some other critical organ?
The connectors on the left connect the ROG FPS daughter card.
Here's a look at the M.2 card and heatsink. It connects to a dedicated slot on the right. The metal flap lets you install an optional fan for extra cooling. However, it isn't really necessary, as an integrated fan already blows air along the length of the heatsink. It pulls air in the rear I/O. You might want to install an additional fan if you do use a pair of hot-running PCIe 5.0 SSDs, though.
The fan was very quiet in operation, and it's also effective.
This is the M.2 module that houses the board's dual M.2 slots. It's a kind of sandwich-style (Big Mac?) design with a central shared heatsink and a pair of outer heatsinks. It's very well designed. It's easy to remove. It has dual-sided pads, and the fan effectively cools it by bringing in air from the rear I/O.
Both slots support PCIe 5.0 SSDs. The problem is the second slot shares bandwidth with the x16 slot. This is surely a design limitation of the slot used to connect both to the main PCB. I really wish there was a third PCIe 4.0 slot on the rear of the board, especially given there are enough lanes to support one.
Thankfully, the ROG FPS card has a pair of SATA ports.
Space limitations prevent the use of an extreme VRM subsystem, but the board's 10(110A)+1(90A)+2(90A)+1(80A) design is impressive for a Mini-ITX board. It's more than capable of handling a fully loaded 285K or 270K Plus.
ASUS also did an admirable job with the board's cooling. In our test, we saw a load temperature of 61 degrees. Again, that's impressive for a Mini-ITX board. There is a small embedded fan, but like its SSD counterpart, it didn't need to spin up to unreasonable levels. You can tune it in the BIOS or via software, which might be needed if you use a cramped case with poor airflow.
The ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi is not the first ASUS board we've seen with a cramped socket. You might run into issues with some AIOs that have protruding pipes. I'd recommend confirming with your cooler manufacturer to ensure compatibility.
Many Mini-ITX boards come with just six USB ports, so seeing nine on the rear of the Strix Z890-I is impressive. Dual Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports are the highlight. A 20Gbps Type-C port joins them, along with three 10Gbps Type-A ports, a single 5Gbps Type-A port, and a pair of USB 2.0 ports. That's a notably well-rounded port complement.
An Intel I226-V controller provides 2.5G LAN. That's where the board shows its age a little, as I'm sure a refreshed version would include 5G. The Intel BE200 Wi-Fi 7 controller supports 320MHz connections with up to 5.8Gbps of bandwidth. It also supports Bluetooth 5.4.
It has a single HDMI port and a BIOS flashback button. It's odd not to see a CMOS clear button, though. Also, note the lack of audio ports, as they are found on the external ROG Hive II.
Finally, the vent on the right is an air intake for the embedded M.2 cooling fan, while the middle one is for the embedded VRM cooling fan.
UEFI and Test System
UEFI
ASUS BIOS tends to have a steeper learning curve than some, but with the number of settings available, it's impossible to avoid. That's only for users navigating the advanced section, though. Most set-and-forget users will find what they need on the EZ-Mode page. ASUS hasn't refreshed this board's BIOS as it has with its 800 series NEO boards, though we can expect some tweaks when next-gen Intel boards launch.
Memory tweakers in particular will find a lot to like, as the board's dual-DIMM design lends itself to some crazy RAM overclocking potential.
Like most ASUS boards, the fan control page is top-notch, while the Q-Dashboard page helps with troubleshooting. It lists the important headers and ports, which show a green light if they're populated. It's an easy way to troubleshoot a problematic component or peripheral.
Test System
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 270K Plus - Buy from Amazon
- GPU: MSI GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super Ventus 3X - Buy from Amazon
- RAM: G.Skill Trident Z Neo RGB 2x16GB DDR5-6000 CL30 - Buy from Amazon
- Cooler: Cooler Master MasterLiquid PL360 Flux - Buy from Amazon
- OS Storage: Teamgroup T-Force Z540 2TB - Buy from Amazon
- Power Supply: Super Flower Leadex Titanium 850W - Buy from Amazon
- OS: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro - Buy from Amazon
Benchmarks - Rendering and Encoding
Cinebench 2024
Cinebench 2024 is a reliable, widely used benchmark that measures both single- and multi-threaded performance. Note that all our benchmark testing used the latest available Windows updates.
We've switched over to the Core Ultra 7 270K Plus for ongoing Z890 motherboard reviews. The Strix Z890-I takes top spot. ASUS has consistently updated the board's BIOS, keeping security, stability, and performance up to date.
Blender
Intel's Core Ultra CPUs perform well in this test thanks to their high core count. We use the Whitelands demo file and record how long it takes to render the image.
Blender is all about CPU grunt, but it's still two for two for the ASUS.
Handbrake
HandBrake is a simple-to-use video encoding and transcoding application. Here, we convert a 4K movie trailer to 1080p. The results below show the average FPS, with higher values indicating the task will take less time to complete.
HandBrake is more sensitive to memory performance. It's not quite three out of three, but it's close enough.
Benchmarks - File Compression and Memory Latency
7Zip
7Zip is a commonly used free file compression and decompression app. It's very sensitive to changes in memory speed and latency, and scales with the number of CPU threads.
This decent result reflects the Strix Z890-I's memory performance. Also, note the significant uplift the 270K Plus achieves over the 285K.
AIDA64 Memory Latency
Memory latency has been an area where Intel has traditionally held an advantage. Chiplet architectures inevitably add some latency compared to monolithic chips. The real-world benefits aren't that important, though.
Just look at how the boards with a 270K all destroy the 285K.
Benchmarks - 3DMark
3DMark Storage
UL's newest 3DMark SSD Gaming Test is the most comprehensive SSD gaming test ever devised. It is superior to testing against games themselves because, as a trace, it is much more consistent than variations that will occur between runs of the actual game.
Not much separates all the boards in this test.
3DMark Time Spy Extreme
Time Spy Extreme has lost favor as a graphics benchmark to Speed Way and Steel Nomad, but its CPU test is still a good measure of multi-core performance.
It's another strong result for the Strix Z890-I, though only a couple of hundred points separate the boards by CPU score.
Benchmarks - Gaming
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is brutal on graphics cards, but when features like ray tracing are disabled, it becomes more sensitive to differences in CPU and memory performance.
Gaming was a weakness of the 285K, and it's impressive to see the uplift the 270K Plus achieves, particularly in minimum FPS. It's still GPU-limited with these settings, though.
Horizon Zero Dawn
When using the 'favor performance' preset, Horizon Zero Dawn can achieve high frame rates with powerful graphics cards.
The differences here are negligible.
Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition
Metro Exodus received an update that added improved DLSS support, enhanced ray tracing features, and variable rate shading, among other things. Still, with a powerful graphics card, it is affected by CPU and memory performance at 1080p, though less so with a card like the RTX 4070 Ti Super.
Just six frames cover the 270K-equipped boards in this test.
VRM and SSD Temperatures
These tests highlight the differences among each motherboard's cooling assemblies. Each board is subjected to a 20-minute Cinebench loop, while the SSD test records the peak temperature during the lengthy 3DMark Storage test.
Though the bottom-ranked score doesn't look impressive, it really is a good result for a Mini-ITX board. A peak temperature of 61 degrees is impressive. Note that we're using an open test bench, and the cramped confines of an SFF case will raise this number. If you have some airflow, though, VRM temperatures will never be a problem.
Maybe I expected a touch better than 57 degrees given the board has active cooling and a chunky metal heatsink design. You can always add an auxiliary fan if you consistently thrash a PCIe 5.0 SSD.
Final Thoughts
ASUS has a long history of innovation with its Mini-ITX boards. A lot of engineering effort goes into making daughter boards and devices like the ROG Hive II, and that's reflected in its price, which hasn't dropped as much as many of its Z890 ATX counterparts. $405 isn't a bad price, and it's one ITX fans will be happy to pay, but it's a niche product compared to a board like the Maximus Z890 Hero, which you can find for the same price or less.
But that's comparing apples and oranges. More relevant is a board like the MSI Z890I Edge Ti Wi-Fi, which can be found for as low as $280, making it a compelling option. It's got an impressive four M.2 slots and 5G LAN. But it doesn't let you run dual PCIe 5.0 SSDs if that is something you require.
Some people don't mind paying a bit extra for an ASUS ROG board, but if the gap were $50 instead of $120, it'd be much more appealing. That said, the ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi is a fine board. It's very mature, with high-speed RAM support, high-quality external audio with a DAC, dual PCIe 5.0 SSD support, lots of fast USB ports, and impressive cooling.
It's a real shame the LGA 1851 platform lasted just one generation. But thanks to the impressive Core Ultra 200S Plus series CPUs, a Z890 system still has a lot to offer, and it won't become obsolete overnight. Generational improvements such as DDR6 and PCIe 6.0 are years away, and a compact little system with the Strix Z890-I has a lot of life left in it - apart from a lack of CPU upgrades. There's always the X870-I Gaming Wi-Fi if you fancy an AMD-flavored system.
In the end, the ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi will have its share of buyers. It's a board that's hard to find a game-changing fault apart from its inflated price. Maybe end-of-year sales will make it much more compelling. But if you are a hardcore ASUS fan and don't mind paying a bit more, it'll serve you well; though as we move deep into 2026, holding out a few more months might be the wiser option for small-form-factor fans.
I'm a huge Mini-ITX fan, though, and that alone elevates it in my personal opinion. I'm not alone, and I really like the ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming Wi-Fi and its innovative approach.
