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ASRock X570 Steel Legend vs ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero: Comparison
What is the difference between ASRock X570 Steel Legend and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero?
Start with m.2 slots, because it is the widest measured gap between them: ASRock X570 Steel Legend 2 against ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero 5, 60% in favour of ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. They differ on newest cpu family supported too, Ryzen 5000 on the ASRock X570 Steel Legend versus Core 14th Gen on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. Memory type is not the same on both, 4x DDR4 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 128GB, up to... on the ASRock X570 Steel Legend versus 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 192GB, up to 7800+... on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. There is a split on board width as well, 244 mm on the ASRock X570 Steel Legend versus 243.84 mm on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero. There is a split on pcie 5.0 support as well, No on the ASRock X570 Steel Legend versus Yes on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero.
Who each one is for
Buy the ASRock X570 Steel Legend for AM4 builders who want distinctive Steel Legend styling and builds that don't need built-in WiFi, though it is not built for anyone who wants WiFi included in the base model and new builds better served by AM5. The ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero suits builders who want a high-end LGA1700 board with Thunderbolt 4 and enthusiasts completing a 13th/14th Gen Intel system, though it is the wrong buy for budget-first LGA1700 builds. Avoid it for new builds better served by the newer Core Ultra Series 2 (LGA1851) platform.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ASRock X570 Steel Legend and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero differ on chipset?
Yes. Chipset reads X570 on the ASRock X570 Steel Legend versus Z790 on the ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero.
Is the Memory Slots the same on the ASRock X570 Steel Legend and ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero?
It is. Both are listed at 4, so it is not a reason to pick one over the other.
Specs and benchmarks
Platform
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- AMD
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel
Model Number
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- X570 Steel Legend
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
Socket
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- AMD Ryzen 2000, 3000, 4000 G-Series, 5000 and 5000 G-Series Desktop Processors
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel Core 14th / 13th / 12th Gen, Pentium Gold, Celeron
Form Factor
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- ATX
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ATX
Chipset
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- X570
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Z790
Newest CPU Family Supported
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- Ryzen 5000
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Core 14th Gen
Memory Type
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 4x DDR4 DIMM, dual-channel, up to 128GB, up to 4666+ MT/s (OC)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4x DDR5 DIMM, up to 192GB, up to 7800+ MT/s (OC)
Memory Slots
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4
Board Width
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 244 mm
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 243.84 mm
M.2 Slots
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 2-60%
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5Best
PCIe 5.0 Support
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- No
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Wi-Fi Onboard
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- No
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Yes
Max Rated Memory Speed
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 4666 MT/s
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 7800 MT/sBest
ECC Memory Support
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- Unbuffered ECC
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- None
M.2 PCIe 4.0 Slots
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
SATA Ports
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 8
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 6
PCIe x16 Slots
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
Primary Graphics Slot Gen
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- PCIe 4.0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- PCIe 5.0
Rear USB4 or TB Ports
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 0
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2
Rear USB 10Gbps Ports
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 2
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 6
Rear USB 5Gbps Ports
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 6
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 4
Fan and Pump Headers
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 6
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 7
ARGB Headers
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 3
Vcore Power Stages
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 10
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 20
EPS 12V Configuration
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 8-pin plus 4-pin
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Two 8-pin
Max Ethernet Speed
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 1 Gbps
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2.5 GbpsBest
Ethernet Port Count
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 1
Wi-Fi Standard
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- None
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Wi-Fi 6E
Audio Codec
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- Realtek ALC1220, 7.1-channel, Purity Sound 4
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- ROG SupremeFX 7.1 Surround Sound HD Audio CODEC ALC4082
Expansion
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 2x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x16 single / x16+x4 dual), 3x PCIe 4.0 x1
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 2x PCIe 5.0 x16 (x16 or x8/x8) + 1x PCIe 4.0 x16 (x4)
Connectivity
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- Steel Legend styling
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Thunderbolt 4 onboard
Networking
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- Gigabit LAN (Intel I211AT), WiFi variants sold separately
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- Intel 2.5Gb LAN, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
Special Features
- ASRock X570 Steel Legend
- 2x M.2 (PCIe NVMe)
- ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero
- 5x M.2 slots, Hyper M.2 card support
Which one should you pick?
Choose ASRock X570 Steel Legend if you want the higher memory slots (4 vs 4).
Choose ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero if you want the higher M.2 slots (5 vs 2).
Price comparison
| Retailer | ASRock X570 Steel Legend | ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Newegg | View on Newegg | View on Newegg |
| Amazon | View on Amazon |
Disclaimer: The price and specification of the given product may differ from the actual product. Please confirm on the retailer's website before buying.