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ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero — LGA1700 · Z790
ASUS

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

LGA1700 · Z790

90
/ 100
From $629
VS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero wins by 3
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN
ASUS

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN

93
/ 100
From $699
Specdex verdict

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero takes it — here’s why.

In our weighted Specdex score, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero lands at 90 and ROG Crosshair X870E Hero at 93. That puts ROG Crosshair X870E Hero ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.

Pick ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero if…

  • ✓PCIe 5.0 support
  • ✓Current-gen networking
  • ✓Modern I/O

Pick ROG Crosshair X870E Hero if…

  • ✓Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
  • ✓Excellent VRM
  • ✓5G + 10G networking options
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Winner by scenario

Derived from the sub-score breakdown · not a separate test

VRM quality

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Compared on the VRM quality sub-score

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero leads on vrm (96 vs 90).

Features

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Compared on the features sub-score

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero leads on features (96 vs 88).

BIOS

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Compared on the BIOS quality sub-score

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero leads on bios (92 vs 86).

Value for money

Tie

Specdex score per dollar at MSRP

Effectively tied — similar score-per-dollar at MSRP.

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero 90
vs
93 ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Score breakdown

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
90
vrm 90
features 88
bios 86
value 84
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
93
vrm 96
features 96
bios 92
value 80

Specs side-by-side

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero versus ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — full spec comparison
Spec ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
Socket
LGA1700
AM5
Chipset
Z790
X870E
VRM phases
—
20+2
RAM slots
—
4× DDR5-8000+
PCIe
—
2× PCIe 5.0 x16
Networking
—
5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7

ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero

Pros
  • +PCIe 5.0 support
  • +Current-gen networking
  • +Modern I/O
Cons
  • −Firmware updates on launch
  • −DDR5 required
  • −Pricing varies week to week

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Pros
  • +Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
  • +Excellent VRM
  • +5G + 10G networking options
Cons
  • −Expensive
  • −Only 2 DIMMs for memory overclocking headroom
  • −Fan control UX

FAQ: ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero vs ROG Crosshair X870E Hero

Which is better, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.

Is ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero worth the price? +

At $629, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero delivers a Specdex score of 90 — strongest in vrm.

Is ROG Crosshair X870E Hero worth the price? +

At $699, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in vrm.

Does ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero last longer? +

Based on our long-term update and support ratings, both ship with multi-year support. Battery and reliability scores are visible in the breakdown above.

Which is better for VRM quality, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — leads on vrm (96 vs 90). Compared on the VRM quality sub-score.

Which is better for features, ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero or ROG Crosshair X870E Hero? +

ROG Crosshair X870E Hero — leads on features (96 vs 88). Compared on the features sub-score.