ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Review

Professional gamers looking to have a good playing system know that performance is the key. And nothing determines performance more than the motherboard. If you have a good motherboard along with a nice PC, you can enjoy your favorite games. The ASUS brand of motherboards has featured some of the best motherboard models in the market. This time, we will be looking at one of the ASUS Prime Series – the ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard.

This motherboard is specifically designed to offer new users an introduction into the sophisticated gaming world. It provides some basic features but still has to overclock features as well. The fact that the motherboard is affordable even makes it an exciting option to choose from. Let’s cover the features and specifications of the motherboard to see whether it is right for you.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Review

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ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Compatibility

The memory capacity is high enough and compatible with different types of Pcs and processors. It has 4 RAM slots with a maximum capacity of 64GB, and support for DDR4-4266. There are good storage options, too, including M.2 slots that support SATA drives as well as six other SATA ports that operate RAID from 0 to 10 arrays.

The ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard comes with about seven USB ports, including two  USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 type-A, a USB 3.1 type-C, and three USB 3.1Type-A (Gen2) ports. It has a LAN port that is controlled by the Intel Gigabyte networking controller. At the rear panel, there are the mouse combo port, a PS/2 keyboard port, and the HDMI and DisplayPort.

ASUS Prime Z390-A is equipped with six audio ports, powered by Realtek’s HD audio codec. These features will come in handy to make your gaming activities an exciting one. It supports two of the latest Intel processors (8th and 9th generations), so you will be having the newest support for performance.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard AI overclocking feature

Although the Z390motherboard does not come with comprehensive features, the fact that it support AI overclocking is a huge plus for professional gamers and other users. The software is an essential feature in the motherboard because of the intelligent work it does.

It can determine the installed processor’s quality and find the perfect voltage frequency for your rig. With this feature, you will not be bothered about frying your computer or under-powering it. The overclocking feature is a significant safety feature that can protect your system from damage. Thankfully, this motherboard, despite its affordability, comes with the function.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Design

ASUS Prime Z390-A comes with a black, silver, and white design. There is a white rear panel covering the heatsink, with a built-in RGB and support for AURA Sync. There is a white patterning design of the PCB, which adds a bit of aesthetics and makes it look finer than other Z390 options.

This motherboard comes with a lot of connecting options, as well. It has three complete PCIe 3.0 slots that operate at x4, x8, and x16. With this feature, this motherboard offers support for three-way multi-graphic card configurations in addition to the two-way SL support.

The design of the motherboard and the features make it an ideal system for day-to-day users. However, gamers can also benefit from certain features like overclocking capabilities. As a motherboard that supports both the 8th gen and 9th gen processors, you will not have issues regarding speed or fast connectivity.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard: A well-made motherboard for beginners

Beginner gamers can see motherboards as intimidating components. That is because of the number of tools and components built into the boards. But this model has a very simple design, with few critical parts.

And if you already have a STRIX graphics card, it will be effortless to pair the card with the motherboard. It will unlock more features for you. Although other graphics cards will work well, the STRIX card with this motherboard offers you an affordable option with top-performance.

Prime Z390-A offers dynamic fan calibration with synchronized addressable headers. It is one of the least complex motherboards you will see. Everything looks basic, but there are enough compatibility features.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard 5-Way Optimization

This feature is not present in some motherboards. You will only get this in high-end models with lots of components. Well, Prime Z390-A has something to prove by adding the feature. The 5-Way optimization has been upgraded for the Z390-A platform.

Also, there is the reversed back-end, which is built to overclock CPU based on thermal telemetry and smart prediction. The benefit of this feature is the shorter time it takes for overclocking. It delivers fast overclocking results, which would require days to do if you’re using manual tuning.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Ultrafast Connectivity

When you have a motherboard with support for up to 32Gps data transfer rate, you won’t have issues when gaming or multitasking. Also, you can experience unmatched connectivity speed with its reversible USB 3.1 Type-C and backward compatible USB 3.1 type A drives.

With these connections, you can experience a high level of data speeds of about 10Gps. The x4 PCI 2.0/3.0 bandwidth is ideal for an application drive or an operating system, especially when you want fast data transfer speeds.

Prime Z390-A makes use of audio codec that works in collaboration with Realtek. It equally comes with an impressive 120dB signal-to-noise ratio for improved output. This adds clear and resounding audio quality. Also, there is a circuit that independently senses hindrances to the audio performance. The software can automatically adjust the gain for the optimal volume level for headphones. You can easily upgrade the features to universal audio.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Robust design with a matching Aesthetics

A properly built system surely needs matching aesthetics. And the ASUS Prime Z390 did not disappoint in this area.  Just like other versions in this ASUS motherboard line, this model provides complete RGB lighting control with a wide range of functional presets. There are also connected strips to the RGB headers, which gives it an impressive appearance. But the fun part of all is the fact that it syncs well with the ASUS Prime Z390 hardware. That is the beauty of having a very simple motherboard with all the features you will ever need to play your favorite games and do a lot of things quickly and efficiently.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Other specifications

The ASUS Prime Z390 also features OptiMem II and MEMOK, with the latter an exclusive feature in the ASUS motherboard hardware. It enables users to repair system failures related to DRAM easily. OptiMen, on the other hand, will allow the system to maintain signal integrity to get a better memory overclocking.

The Optimem II is a built-in T-topology platform that offers time-aligning signaling. As we mentioned earlier, it is the brain behind the top efficiency of the overclocking configurations. The Optimem platform checks out the memory pathways in all the PCB layers to add shielding zones and reduce vias.

The motherboard also comes with the Fan Xpert 4 feature. It’s another safety feature that keeps the system working in perfect condition. Its primary role is to adjust the speed of the fan anytime it finds out that the graphic card is beginning to overheat.  With Fan Xpert 4, you are assured your system components will be doing their job while staying relatively cool.

If you want to enjoy your games without any issues, the temperature level should be in order. Fortunately, this Fan Xpert 4 helps a great deal to make it possible.

ASUS Prime Z390-A Motherboard Review Conclusion

There is no doubt that computer hardware manufacturers have stepped up their game to provide robust systems and hardware for the gaming community. The ASUS line of the motherboard is among the top-rated motherboards currently, because of their compatibility with the latest Intel processors. This gives them a lightning speed and a superior performance over so many other options in the market. The ASUS Prime Z390 is no exception.

Although it may not look as complete as some other premium motherboards, there are enough features to give gamers and other users precisely what they are looking for. Most importantly, overclocking capabilities surpass all other features. Interestingly, it’s still affordable.

If you are looking for an affordable motherboard that offers good speed and several connecting features, the ASUS Prime Z390 motherboard would be a great choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are answers to the most common questions about the ASUS Prime Z390 motherboard.

What is the ASUS Prime motherboard?

ASUS Prime is the latest edition of the ASUS line of motherboards. It’s a 4-way optimization motherboard that is compatible with the 9th generation Intel processor. It is ideal for different types of activities, including picture editing, graphics design, video streaming, as well as for gaming.

Which Z390 motherboard is the best?

It will most definitely depend on compatibility and the type of processor you are using. But if you are looking for the best affordable Z390 motherboards, the ASUS Prime Z390 stands out, among others.

Are ASUS z390 motherboards backward compatible?

Yes, they are backward compatible when using with the 8th generation Intel processors. But the Z390 is forwards compatible when used with Intel’s’ 8th generation processor.

Which ASUS motherboard is the best?

ASUS Prime Z270, ASUS prime Z390, and ASUS ROG Maximus XI are the stand out motherboards from the ASUS brand.

Is ASUS Prime 390 good for gaming?

Yes, since it’s compatible with the latest installment of the Intel gen chips, it will be fast and responsive to all types of games.