With the launch of Raptor Lake Refresh, motherboard manufacturers are planning to launch new models. Asus will be present, and should offer a Maximus Z790 Apex Encore. Norwegian store Proshop is the first to mention the card on its site.
Asus Maximus Z790 Apex Encore, future queen of overclocking?
At Asus, motherboards specializing in overclocking are called Apex, and this Encore model refers to a refresh board for 14th-generation Intel processors. Unfortunately, the store doesn’t show any photos, but vaguely presents its characteristics.
We learn that this model will be in ATX format, with a LGA-1700 socket. The chosen chipset will be the Z790, which is pretty obvious. Connectivity features two PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for graphics cards. For RAM, there are two DDR5 memory connectors. The maximum speed doesn’t seem to be supported, however, as it’s labelled “DDR5-5600”. Finally, for storage, there are four SATA III and five M.2 connectors, one of which is PCIe 5.0 x4.
Rear connectivity has also been updated, as has networking. The latter hinges on Wi-Fi 7, while the Intel i225V 2.5 GbE chip is a classic. Last but not least, audio is provided by the Realtek ALC4080. Of course, if such a model exists and it’s not a pipe dream, we’re expecting a card packed with overclocking features.
At present, the Proshop page is online, and we can admire a selling price of 9,789 Norwegian kroner with 25% VAT. After conversion, this gives us a bill of €861. To be continued, this is obviously the first time the card has appeared on the web.
