ASUS Launches Intel Z390 Series Motherboards
Singapore, 9th October 2018 - Almost exactly one year after introducing six-core Coffee Lake processors alongside Z370 motherboards, Intel® is back with more cores, higher clocks and the new Z390 chipset. The new 9th Generation Intel Core™ processor family offers up to eight cores and 16 threads of parallel processing horsepower that's perfect for content creation, heavy multitasking, and other demanding workloads. With clock speeds as high as 5GHz on the flagship Core i9-9900K, these new processors also raise the bar for gaming performance, especially if you're streaming, recording, and chatting simultaneously.
ASUS is excited to support this new generation of Intel processors with a wide variety of new motherboards based on the Intel Z390 chipset. The collection is led by a diverse cast from the Republic of Gamers that elevates gaming and overclocking to new heights. ROG Strix offers more streamlined alternatives that include a mighty Mini-ITX model, while TUF Gaming focuses on the essentials to hit more affordable price points. Outside the gaming sphere, the Prime family serves up signature ASUS features in a professional package, and the WS sets the stage for serious workstations and prosumer builds.
There's an ROG or ASUS Z390 motherboard for everyone, whether you're a seasoned veteran who tunes to perfection, a hardcore gamer obsessed with performance, or a first-time builder seeking a seamless PC experience. For further details about our ROG lineup please visit ASUS ROG. Our buying guide with complete specifications and images for the entire lineup of Z390 motherboards is located at Edge Up ASUS.
Automated intelligence optimizes performance
The latest 9th Generation Intel Core processor family arrives with a trio of unlocked processors ripe for overclocking, and our motherboards have learned new tricks for tapping into their potential. ASUS AI Overclocking makes automatic tuning faster and smarter than ever before. Available in Windows or directly through the UEFI, it profiles the CPU and cooling to predict the optimal configuration for each individual system. We created a proprietary algorithm that rates the quality of the silicon to see where your chip lands on the spectrum. The onboard intelligence also watches system vitals like temperatures, fan speeds, and power draw to evaluate cooling performance. Dedicated hardware makes the monitoring seamless, and you can allow continuous training that adapts to upgrades, seasonal ambient temperature changes, and dust buildup over time.
AI Overclocking is available on the Prime Z390-A, WS Z390-PRO, and all ROG models except for the Strix Z390-H Gaming. It's not the only automated solution, either. Our newest 5-Way Optimization software offers an alternate approach to one-click tuning that simulates a human overclocker by increasing clock speeds, tweaking voltages, and testing stability before pursuing higher frequencies. This technique gets the CPU extremely close to the maximum speed that can be attained with manual tuning, and connected fans can also be calibrated as part of the process. TUF Gaming and lower-end ROG Strix and Prime models that lack 5-Way still have OC Tuner, which uses predefined profiles to hit higher speeds at the touch of a button. Auto-tuners are perfect for fresh recruits who are new to overclocking, and they provide experts an easy way to quickly assess a system before proceeding with manual tuning.
Memory tweaks increase speed and improve stability
Memory frequencies continue to climb, and our Z390 motherboards have evolved to keep pace. They feature OptiMem II, which reimagines memory traces from the ground up—literally. OptiMem II adds a dedicat