The Asus Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE:
As we said in the introduction, this Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE motherboard carries the reference SE for “Special Edition”. Asus also has a second motherboard in its range, the Pro WS W790-ACE model, which is aimed more at Xeon processors in the W-2400 series. We therefore have in our hands the highest-end version.
The bundle:
A quick look at the bundle of this Asus Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE to see if it benefits from “special accessories”. As this is a motherboard intended for professional use, the bundle should be small and different from what we’re used to finding on consumer boards.
Finally, we find a fairly classic bundle with SATA cables, Q-connector, quick installation guide, manual, … and a special tool, the “VRM Fan holder” which attaches to the radiator covering the VRMs and allows three 40 mm fans to be attached.
W790 architecture and chipset:
The Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE is built around Intel’s W790 chipset, and features a new socket, LGA-4677. As you’ll see, the socket is larger than what we’re used to seeing with the LGA-1700.
The part that covers the external connectors is covered by a transparent, smoky-grey cover that lets you see what’s hidden underneath. At the rear of the motherboard is a protective aluminum cover that covers almost the entire surface of the board and protects the rear of the socket.
The W790 chipset naturally supports PCIe 5.0, offering higher storage performance than the previous generation, as well as DDR5 support.
The various heat sinks :
The board’s dimensions are 305 mm x 330 mm, corresponding to the SSI-EEB format. If you’re buying this motherboard, don’t forget to check that your case is compatible with this format.
The dominant color on the PCB is black. Asus has chosen this color in order to keep it neutral. The design is rather unusual in that the memory slots are above and below the socket, whereas if you remember the X299 chipset, the memory slots were on the left and right of the processor.
Let’s start with the radiators, of which there are two!
The first is the imposing radiator on the right-hand side of the socket, covering the power supply stage. The second covers the chipset. The height is low, so that graphics cards can be easily inserted.
The socket and PCIe :
The space around the socket is quite limited, which is quite logical given the size of this LGA-4677 socket and the presence of four memory slots on either side. This Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE can accommodate a maximum of eight DDR5 memory modules. It supports quad-channel memory kits up to 6800 (OC) and a maximum capacity of 2TB.
There are no less than seven PCIe 5.0 16x ports. To power all this, the board has two 24-pin connectors and four 8-pin connectors next to the power supply stages. You can see how to power this card on the stickers below.
Three M.2 SSD slots:
A long black aluminum plate covers two M.2 SSD slots on the PCB. These two slots are in 22110 format and compatible with the PCIe 5.0 standard.
A third slot, again 22110 but PCIe 4.0, is also located under an aluminum cover, beneath the chipset. As you can see, they all feature the quick-clamping system already present on much of the mainstream motherboard range.
Clocker tools :
Let’s start with the elements inserted on the PCB, which can prove to be interesting tools for overclockers. There are quite a few on this model, which is perhaps surprising on this type of motherboard. This confirms Asus’ desire to offer a professional board with overclocking tools.
- The power button: powers up the motherboard.
- FlexKEY (reset): restarts the motherboard in the event of failure. The button can now be assigned to another task, such asSafe Boot or disabling the backlight.
- Safe Boot: allows the board to be rebooted even if the parameters selected in the bios do not allow boot. This avoids having to perform a CMOS Clear to reboot and thus lose your encoded settings.
- ReTry Button: during cold tests, sometimes the OS freezes and a reset doesn’t restart the motherboard: the only solution is to hold down the START button for 6 or 7 seconds. The ReTry button restarts immediately.
- LN2 jumper: enables LN2 profiles to be activated in the bios.
- Q-LED: 4 LEDs (CPU – DRAM – VGA – BOOT) to diagnose errors during board boot . The one that stays lit corresponds to the problem.
- Q-Code: displays a code corresponding to the component responsible for the boot error. This is now displayed on the OLED screen, and the list of codes can be found in the manual.
- CMOS CLR: clears BIOS settings to return to default.
The PCB:
Our Asus Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE is based on a 14 1 1 phase power supply. The part in charge of the CPU consists of 12 phases. We await further information on the management of this power supply stage.
The mosfets in the power stages generate the most heat, as they are responsible for voltage conversion and delivery to the CPU from the 12-volt EPS connector. It will therefore be necessary to keep them cool via the imposing heatsink placed on them.
Connectors:
The rear panel features the following elements. First of all, the Clear CMOS and the button for flashing the BIOS from a USB key.
In terms of USB ports, this Pro WS W790E-SAGE SE features two USB 2.0, four USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C and one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type C. There are also two Intel 10Gb Ethernet ports and a Realtek 1FB. Finally, there’s a VGA port, audio outputs and an optical output.
