ASUS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
AM5 · X870E · PCIe 5.0 · 5 Gb LAN
93
/ 100
From $699
VS
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero wins by 3
ASUS
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
LGA1700 · Z790
90
/ 100
From $629
Specdex verdict
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero takes it — here’s why.
In our weighted Specdex score, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero lands at 93 and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero at 90. That puts ROG Crosshair X870E Hero ahead by 3 points — a narrow margin driven mostly by its strengths in the categories below.
Pick ROG Crosshair X870E Hero if…
- ✓Full PCIe 5.0 loadout
- ✓Excellent VRM
- ✓5G + 10G networking options
Pick ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero if…
- ✓PCIe 5.0 support
- ✓Current-gen networking
- ✓Modern I/O
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero 93
vs 90 ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Score breakdown
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero
93 vrm 96
features 96
bios 92
value 80
ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
90 vrm 90
features 88
bios 86
value 84
Specs side-by-side
| Spec | ROG Crosshair X870E Hero | ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Socket | AM5 | LGA1700 |
| Chipset | X870E | Z790 |
| VRM phases | 20+2 | — |
| RAM slots | 4× DDR5-8000+ | — |
| PCIe | 2× PCIe 5.0 x16 | — |
| Networking | 5 GbE + Wi-Fi 7 | — |
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
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
FAQ: ROG Crosshair X870E Hero vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Which is better, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero? +
ROG Crosshair X870E Hero scores 93 on our weighted rubric — ahead by 3. Your best pick depends on the sub-scores above.
Is ROG Crosshair X870E Hero worth the price? +
At $699, ROG Crosshair X870E Hero delivers a Specdex score of 93 — strongest in vrm.
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.
Does ROG Crosshair X870E Hero or ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 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.