Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi

Name: Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi
Brand: Asus
SKU: 7981

Manufacturer: Asus

The Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi is a Micro-ATX motherboard designed around Intel's LGA 1851 platform and Z890 chipset, offering a compact footprint of 244 mm × 244 mm without sacrificing connectivity or expansion options. It includes Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) alongside Bluetooth 5.4, making it a solid choice for builds where wireless capability is a priority. RGB lighting and dual BIOS support are also part of the package, and the board is noted as easy to overclock, backed by a three-year warranty.

On the memory side, the board accommodates up to 256GB of DDR5 RAM across four slots in a dual-channel configuration, with overclocked speeds reaching up to 8666 MHz. Storage is handled through three M.2 sockets and six SATA 3 connectors, with support for RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10. Expansion-wise, there is one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots. The rear I/O includes one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port, two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI 2.1, one DisplayPort output, and a single RJ45 Ethernet jack. Audio output runs at 7.1 channels with three audio connectors on the back panel.

Pros

Supports Wi-Fi 7 alongside all previous Wi-Fi generations down to Wi-Fi 4, offering broad wireless compatibility
Dual BIOS provides a fallback in case of a failed update or corrupted firmware
Four DDR5 memory slots with support for up to 256GB and overclocked speeds reaching 8666 MHz gives substantial headroom for memory-intensive workloads
Three M.2 sockets combined with six SATA 3 connectors allow for flexible and expansive storage configurations
RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 support enables a range of storage redundancy and performance setups
One PCIe 5.0 x16 slot alongside three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots provides solid expansion capacity for a Micro-ATX board

Cons

No clear CMOS button means resetting the BIOS requires a less straightforward process
ECC memory is not supported, limiting suitability for workloads that require error-correcting RAM
No USB 4 or Thunderbolt ports of any kind, which restricts high-bandwidth peripheral connectivity
No S/PDIF digital audio output, reducing options for connecting to external digital audio equipment
The Micro-ATX form factor limits the total number of expansion slots compared to full ATX boards

Who is this for?

This board is a good fit for users building a capable Intel LGA 1851 desktop system in a smaller chassis without sacrificing connectivity. The combination of Wi-Fi 7 support and Bluetooth 5.4 makes it well suited to setups where wireless is preferred over a wired network. Builders who need flexible storage options will appreciate the three M.2 sockets, six SATA 3 connectors, and multi-mode RAID support, making it practical for home workstations or content creation rigs that handle large volumes of data. The dual BIOS and overclocking support also appeal to enthusiasts who want some resilience and tuning headroom within a Micro-ATX footprint.

Who is this NOT for?

Users who rely on high-bandwidth peripheral connectivity such as Thunderbolt 4 or USB 4 will find this board lacking, as neither standard is present. It is also not well suited to professional or scientific workloads that depend on ECC memory for data integrity, since that capability is absent. Additionally, those needing digital audio output via S/PDIF, or legacy connectivity such as PS/2 or VGA, will need to look elsewhere, as none of those ports are included.

General info:

CPU socket	LGA 1851
chipset	Z890
form factor	Micro-ATX
supports Wi-Fi	✓
Wi-Fi version	Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax), Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be)
Has Bluetooth	✓
Bluetooth version	5.4
HDMI version	HDMI 2.1
Easy to overclock	✓
has RGB lighting	✓
Easy to reset BIOS	✕
Has dual BIOS	✓
has aptX	✕
CPU sockets	1
Has integrated graphics	✕
warranty period	3 years
height	244 mm
width	244 mm
Has integrated CPU	✕

The Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi is built around the LGA 1851 socket and Z890 chipset, housed in a Micro-ATX form factor measuring 244 mm × 244 mm. It supports a single CPU and does not include an integrated processor or integrated graphics. Wireless connectivity covers a wide range of standards, from Wi-Fi 4 through to Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be), and Bluetooth 5.4 is also built in, though aptX is not supported. Video output is available via HDMI 2.1, and the board features RGB lighting and dual BIOS for added resilience. Overclocking is flagged as straightforward, while BIOS reset via a dedicated clear CMOS mechanism is not available. The board does not support integrated graphics and carries a three-year warranty.

Memory:

maximum memory amount	256GB
overclocked RAM speed	8666 MHz
memory slots	4
DDR memory version	5
memory channels	2
Supports ECC memory	✕

This board supports DDR5 memory across four slots in a dual-channel configuration, with a maximum capacity of 256GB. Overclocked RAM speeds can reach up to 8666 MHz, offering headroom for performance-oriented memory kits. ECC memory is not supported.

Ports:

USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-A)	1
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-A)	4
USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports (USB-C)	0
USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (USB-C)	0
USB 2.0 ports	2
USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 ports	1
USB 4 40Gbps ports	0
USB 4 20Gbps ports	0
Thunderbolt 4 ports	0
Thunderbolt 3 ports	0
has an HDMI output	✓
DisplayPort outputs	1
RJ45 ports	1
Has USB Type-C	✓
eSATA ports	0
DVI outputs	0
has a VGA connector	✕
PS/2 ports	0

The rear I/O panel provides a reasonable spread of USB connectivity, including one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 ports, and one USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port — the latter delivering speeds up to 20Gbps via USB-C. There are no USB 4, Thunderbolt 3, or Thunderbolt 4 ports, and no USB 3.2 Gen 1 or Gen 2 Type-C ports beyond the Gen 2x2 connection. Display output is handled through one HDMI port and one DisplayPort output, with no DVI or VGA connectors present. Networking is covered by a single RJ45 port, and there are no eSATA or PS/2 ports included.

Connectors:

USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (through expansion)	2
USB 2.0 ports (through expansion)	4
SATA 3 connectors	6
fan headers	6
USB 3.0 ports (through expansion)	2
M.2 sockets	3
Has TPM connector	✓
U.2 sockets	0
Has mSATA connector	✕
SATA 2 connectors	0

Internal storage connectivity is well covered, with three M.2 sockets and six SATA 3 connectors available for drives, while SATA 2 and U.2 sockets are absent, and there is no mSATA connector. For USB expansion headers, the board offers two USB 3.2 Gen 1 connectors, two USB 3.0 connectors, and four USB 2.0 connectors, allowing a good range of front-panel and add-in port configurations. Cooling is supported through six fan headers, and a TPM connector is present for security module support.

Expansion slots:

PCIe 4.0 x16 slots	3
PCIe 5.0 x16 slots	1
PCIe 3.0 x16 slots	0
PCIe x1 slots	0
PCI slots	0
PCIe 2.0 x16 slots	0
PCIe x4 slots	0
PCIe x8 slots	0

The board offers one PCIe 5.0 x16 slot and three PCIe 4.0 x16 slots for expansion cards, covering the most current interface generations. There are no PCIe 3.0, PCIe 2.0, PCIe x8, PCIe x4, or PCIe x1 slots, and no legacy PCI slots are present.

Audio:

audio channels	7.1
Has S/PDIF Out port	✕
audio connectors	3

The board provides 7.1-channel audio output through three analog audio connectors on the rear panel. There is no S/PDIF digital output port included.

Storage:

Supports RAID 1	✓
Supports RAID 10 (1+0)	✓
Supports RAID 5	✓
Supports RAID 0	✓
Supports RAID 0+1	✕

The board supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations, providing flexibility for both performance-oriented and redundancy-focused storage setups. RAID 0+1 is not supported.

Final Verdict

The Asus Prime Z890M-Plus WiFi delivers a well-rounded feature set within the constraints of its Micro-ATX form factor, making it a practical choice for Intel LGA 1851 builds where space efficiency matters. Its Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, generous DDR5 memory support, and versatile storage configuration stand out as genuine strengths, while the absence of Thunderbolt, USB 4, and ECC memory support does narrow its appeal for more specialized use cases. For mainstream desktop builds and enthusiast workstations that benefit from wireless flexibility and solid expansion options, it holds up well as a compact platform worth considering.