ASUS TUF Z390-Pro Gaming

[Black Haru]

A focused, no nonsense addition to the Z390 roster, the ASUS TUF Z390-Pro Gaming promises performance, stability, and a classic TUF Gaming Alliance aesthetic. What does this motherboard have to offer beyond the ASUS and TUF branding?

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[FreedomEclipse]

Aesthetically it reminds me of the cheaper Gigabyte HD style motherboards

 

[Chrispy_]

I would classify Aura Sync, RGBLED light shows, digital camouflage artwork, bolt on plastic decorations, three gamer logos, and the spelling of "TUF" as nonsense, on this 'no-nonsense' board.

In saying that, it does look like a half-decent board that would work just fine in a no-nonsense, windowless PC.

 

[Space Lynx]

I would classify Aura Sync, RGBLED light shows, digital camouflage artwork, bolt on plastic decorations, three gamer logos, and the spelling of "TUF" as nonsense, on this 'no-nonsense' board.

In saying that, it does look like a half-decent board that would work just fine in a no-nonsense, windowless PC.

no type C and we are 7 months away from 2020? nah bruh.

 

[Axaion]

Aw, no DPC tests

 

[diatribe]

no type C and we are 7 months away from 2020? nah bruh.

It's designed to be a discount "gamer" board, so they had to cut some features out.

 

[Space Lynx]

It's designed to be a discount "gamer" board, so they had to cut some features out.

it costs $170... that isn't discount, that is mid range for mobo's... discount is the $109-$145 range. plenty of other boards have type-C in TUF's price range. :/

 

[Mescalamba]

If its really 8+1 VRM, then its definitely improvement, cause previous versions were really meh in this. Tho memory ranks seem to be T-type connection? Not best for memory OC. Still, probably rather good mobo.

As for missing wi-fi. Integrated wi-fi is same meh as sound. If you want to have proper wi-fi, then invest a bit in it. I have home network built on ASUS router/modem and his wi-fi card and its really good (and probably can fry chicken if it would stand too close). It gets full signal thru two thick concrete walls reinforced with metal without losing a bit. Anything integrated I saw in same place was desperately trying to get at least 50% of signal strength..

USB-C? Can live without it. Rather take that VRM over any extra stuff.

 

[Chrispy_]

no type C and we are 7 months away from 2020? nah bruh.

I said half-decent. As in, 50% of the way there.

At the price Asus are asking, I'd want not just type-C, but thunderbolt over type-C at that.

 

[silentbogo]

If its really 8+1 VRM, then its definitely improvement, cause previous versions were really meh in this.

I assume PCB and VRM analysis was omitted unintentionally in this review, cause otherwise it would've been a bit suspicious.
From what limited info there is on the net, and what I can see through all of that confusing silkscreen, it's still the same-old 4+1... but who'd expect better on a $170 board from ASUS.

 

[ShurikN]

It's Asus mid/entry level, therefore it's most likely not 8+1.

Asus products are like Samsung phones, unless you are buying top tier, don't bother, you're wasting money.

 

[jabbadap]

It's Asus mid/entry level, therefore it's most likely not 8+1.

Asus products are like Samsung phones, unless you are buying top tier, don't bother, you're wasting money.

Well if I read list from hardwareluxx.de right, it should be four phase mobo with 8 VRMs without doublers.

Edit: well there's a bit better list maintained here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...EqiK1xykSiTDF2Lt1FO8cNhI6I/edit#gid=585498417

 

[kapone32]

I remember when the TUF line of Asus was their best for the money you could buy. Here is looking wistfully at my 990FX Sabretooth. The best AM3+ board by some measure. Now TUF seems like cheap.

 

[EarthDog]

TUF isn't what it used to be...

Aw, no DPC tests

What do those tell you?

 

[vega22]

Seems like a step down from my z170 sabertooth tuf in all things bar the audio and CPU support.....

Well unless you like RGB unicorn farts xD

 

[shoman24v]

I'm about to refresh my PC with the TUF Z390 Gaming Plus WiFi version of this board, a i7 9700k and 16gb of ram. Price range is about the same, $169. I know not the best time to upgrade with 10th gen around the corner, but for about $700, my PC I built from 2013 is finally going to be more relevant.

 

[Space Lynx]

I'm about to refresh my PC with the TUF Z390 Gaming Plus WiFi version of this board, a i7 9700k and 16gb of ram. Price range is about the same, $169. I know not the best time to upgrade with 10th gen around the corner, but for about $700, my PC I built from 2013 is finally going to be more relevant.

You really should just be patient a little while longer. A 4770k is still a decent chip.

 

[shoman24v]

You really should just be patient a little while longer. A 4770k is still a decent chip.

For general computing it's really fast, but I find it struggles in games. There's never really a good time to buy hardware...

 

[Space Lynx]

For general computing it's really fast, but I find it struggles in games. There's never really a good time to buy hardware...

there is. just play some of your older backlog for now. well for me anyway a CPU purchase is a 7+ year purchase, so eh. if it were me I'd just wait 3-6 more months, cause the next upgrade is a big one.

 

[EarthDog]

cause the next upgrade is a big one.

It is? What is so big about the CPUs coming out in the next 3-6 months? It isn't Zen3, nor much worthwhile from Intel.

There's never really a good time to buy hardware...

The best time to buy hardware, for the most part, is when you are ready. At this specific time, I don't see anything on the CPU/mobo front coming in the next few months that will be a game changer. If you are ready now, there are great parts that will last "7 years". Waiting a few more months won't be a big difference.

 

[shoman24v]

there is. just play some of your older backlog for now. well for me anyway a CPU purchase is a 7+ year purchase, so eh. if it were me I'd just wait 3-6 more months, cause the next upgrade is a big one.

I already ordered everything about a week ago. Just got the CPU yesterday. The way I see it, even when the new stuff comes out, it will probably be very hard to get everything I need at once. Meaning it could take more than 3-6 months before I can start getting what I need. Like when I was trying to buy my 1070Ti. When it first came out, I ordered it, but I waited and waited for well over a month, I think even two months. Ended up just cancelling my order. Only to buy it several months later after it was actually in stock.

It is? What is so big about the CPUs coming out in the next 3-6 months? It isn't Zen3, nor much worthwhile from Intel.


The best time to buy hardware, for the most part, is when you are ready. At this specific time, I don't see anything on the CPU/mobo front coming in the next few months that will be a game changer. If you are ready now, there are great parts that will last "7 years". Waiting a few more months won't be a big difference.

I'm ready and I didn't have to rebuild my entire PC, just a few components. I could always just sit and play the waiting game, but who knows how long I'll be waiting for newer stuff. There will always be something better right around the corner. If I get another 7 years, I'll be happy!

 

[NoFanMan]

Hi y'all, new kid in town here. By "kid" I mean that I'm 56 but I swear I was once a kid! I've been building computers since the 80's and never got bored with the hobby, I must have built at least 50 computers ranging from basic Chaintech mini-ATX utilitarian machines to TOTL no-compromise flagships. Not all for me evidently (who goes through 50 computers in less than 40 years?) but mostly for family, friends and acquaintances. I don't game much anymore, I use my computer as part of an audiophile desktop setup that comprises a desktop computer (duh!), an external DAC, a headphone amplifier and a vintage receiver that can really swing the volts for energetic rock and fusion at high volume , something the headphone amp doesn't always handle properly. In case some of you don't know, it requires a seriously beefy desktop to get reference-level sound quality: powerful PSU, lots of RAM and ultra-fast PCIe SSD's

Regarding the topic at hand, the TUF Z90 PRO may appear to belong at the lower end of mid-range boards but it's not the board itself that caught my attention, it's its potential to transform into something that's seriously powerful and speedy. Fit it with a i9 9900K cpu, 64Gb of fast RAM, one 240Mb M.2 for the OS, another 1Tb M.2 to store high-res. music files (complimented with external NAS storage) and a 1200w PSU. Mid-range not anymore. You may have a $600 board but unless you equip it with high-end components you'll still get bottlenecked. So when I shop for a board for my own machine I ask myself not what this and that mobo can do for me but rather what can I do to it to make it rock, literally. I didn't want on-board WiFi or, God forbid, on-board Bluetooth. For 30 bucks I got a very decent PCIe WiFi adapter that I can remove whenever I want isolation to troubleshoot network-related issues (I mostly use LAN anyway), the main purpose of the WiFi adapter is to monitor network activity and flush freeloading bandwidth leeches that cause degradation in the audio signal quality from Roon or whatever streaming source .

 

[Caring1]

I'm ready and I didn't have to rebuild my entire PC, just a few components.

Don't assemble your system on the anti-static bag, the outside is conductive.

 

[EarthDog]

Don't assemble your system on the anti-static bag, the outside is conductive.

That advice was needed 5 months ago when he posted it!

Regarding the topic at hand, the TUF Z90 PRO may appear to belong at the lower end of mid-range boards but it's not the board itself that caught my attention, it's its potential to transform into something that's seriously powerful and speedy. Fit it with a i9 9900K cpu, 64Gb of fast RAM, one 240Mb M.2 for the OS, another 1Tb M.2 to store high-res. music files (complimented with external NAS storage) and a 1200w PSU. Mid-range not anymore.

You seem to be mixing up a class of board by price and features versus support. So long as the vrm support the flafship gpu, anything can go in it. A 1.2KW PSU is just ridiculous these days when half is plenty for 95% of PCs.

didn't want on-board WiFi or, God forbid, on-board Bluetooth. For 30 bucks I got a very decent PCIe WiFi adapter that I can remove whenever I want isolation to troubleshoot network-related issues (I mostly use LAN anyway),

For less, you likely could have bought a board with integrated wifi. You want to to troubleshoot w/o it, disable the device in the bios.

Sure beats having to buy one, than to physically remove it.

 

[kapone32]

I didn't want on-board WiFi or, God forbid, on-board Bluetooth. For 30 bucks I got a very decent PCIe WiFi adapter that I can remove whenever I want isolation to troubleshoot network-related issues (I mostly use LAN anyway), the main purpose of the WiFi adapter is to monitor network activity and flush freeloading bandwidth leeches that cause degradation in the audio signal quality from Roon or whatever streaming source .


WIFI 6 adapters are $45 Canadian the difference between WIFI equipped boards and their non WIFI is about $10 and it's usually in the rear I/O saving a slot. In some cases the size of modern GPUs makes it impossible to put an add in card.