ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi Motherboard (Hardware) – Review

Building a smaller gaming PC can be incredibly satisfying, but squeezing everything into a compact case usually means accepting a few compromises. The ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi motherboard tries to minimise those sacrifices, packing Intel’s Z890 chipset, PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7 and plenty of high-speed connectivity onto a Mini-ITX board measuring just 17cm x 17cm.

At the centre of the ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi motherboard is the LGA1851 socket, supporting Intel Core Ultra Series 2 processors, with a 10+1+2+1 power design helping provide a solid foundation for more demanding hardware.

Despite fitting all of this into a compact Mini-ITX layout, the board stays fairly understated, with a deep black PCB, metallic heatsinks, and an L-shaped rear backplate that adds rigidity while helping protect the edges.

Two DIMM slots sit alongside the processor, supporting up to 128GB of DDR5 memory. Speeds can reach 9200+MT/s through overclocking depending on the processor and memory configuration, with Intel XMP, ASUS AEMP III, DIMM Fit and DIMM Flex providing plenty of options for tuning compatible kits.

With so much packed into a 17cm x 17cm footprint, cooling support becomes especially important. ASUS has still found room for dedicated CPU and AIO pump headers, a chassis fan header and another connection for additional airflow, alongside two Addressable Gen 2 headers for anyone wanting to add more colour through Aura Sync.

Storage is also surprisingly capable considering the size, with two M.2 slots that support PCIe 5.0 x4 drives. Heatsinks also protect them, and ASUS’s M.2 Q-Release Duo makes installation easier. One compromise to keep in mind: installing an SSD in the second M.2 slot reduces the primary PCIe 5.0 x16 slot to x8 operation.

The board has room for only one full-sized expansion slot, but that’s exactly what most compact gaming builds need for a graphics card. ASUS uses its reinforced SafeSlot design alongside PCIe Slot Q-Release Slim, making it easier to remove a large GPU once everything has been squeezed into place.

ASUS has found a clever way to move some of the other connections away from the crowded motherboard through the included ROG FPS Card. This vertically mounted expansion adds two SATA 6Gb/s connections, additional USB 2.0 headers, the front panel connection and a Clear CMOS header without taking up valuable space across the main PCB.

The included ROG Strix Hive II takes a similar approach externally, moving several useful controls onto a separate desktop module. It connects over USB-C and adds USB Type-A and Type-C ports, a headphone and microphone connection, volume control, power and FlexKey buttons, and Q-LED indicators for quickly checking CPU, memory, graphics, and boot status.

Even without the Hive II, rear connectivity is generous. It offers nine USB connections, including two Thunderbolt 4 Type-C ports, another 20Gbps Type-C connection, three 10Gbps Type-A ports, a 5Gbps Type-A port, and two USB 2.0 connections. HDMI is also available for processors with supported integrated graphics.

Intel 2.5Gb Ethernet handles networking, alongside Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. The wireless connection supports 320MHz bandwidth, while ASUS’s Q-Antenna makes attaching the supplied antenna considerably less fiddly than traditional screw-on connections.

The ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi motherboard also includes plenty of ASUS’s familiar software features. Armoury Crate provides access to Aura Sync and Fan Xpert 4 with AI Cooling II, while AI Overclocking can analyse the processor and cooling setup to help determine suitable performance settings. AI Networking II and NPU Boost are also available for compatible hardware.

The ROG Strix Z890-I Gaming WiFi motherboard squeezes an impressive amount of hardware into a very small footprint. Dual PCIe 5.0 M.2 storage, fast DDR5 support, Thunderbolt 4, Wi-Fi 7, and the included Hive II and FPS Card help work around many of the usual Mini-ITX limitations, making it a strong foundation for anyone who wants a powerful gaming system without building another enormous tower.