Is the ASUS Z790-P still functional?
Is the ASUS Z790-P still functional?
Hello everyone
I recently acquired an ASUS Prime Z790-P with Wi-Fi CSM support. I believe it’s no longer functional. Thank you for your advice and suggestions on alternatives.
My power supply has a 24-pin connector and an 8-pin, but not a 4-pin. Based on the information I found:
No Post System won’t boot,
I now have a new 4-pin along with the existing ones. It seems the 4-pin might not be essential – I’ve already mentioned this to Asus online support, who confirmed it’s not required.
My reasoning about the board being dead comes from testing: after connecting a few components and then turning it on, nothing happened. There was no sound, no video output, and it remained off for at least a minute.
I tried a few steps before using the 4-pin power:
1) Only motherboard connected, no other components, power LED active – motherboard stayed dark, case light lit steadily without flashing.
2) Added 8-pin power – motherboard still dark, case light flashed rapidly for over 30 seconds before turning off.
3) Added CPU – motherboard remained dark, case light blinked briefly before flashing again.
4) Added RAM Kingston Fury 8GB x2 – motherboard stayed dark, case light briefly lit up, then flashed and turned off.
5) All components (CPU, CPU fan, GPU, M.2 card, system LED, case fans) left on – motherboard stayed illuminated for at least a minute before power was cut.
From these observations, I suspect the issue lies with the PSU. I first connected a few parts and then powered it up. The components started working only after adding the 4-pin connector.
I also checked if the board could boot with just the 24-pin and 8-pin power, but nothing changed.
Regarding the 4-pin power: I have a spare PC from the same shop, which worked fine. The Corsair RM850X PSU was able to boot into BIOS and recognize the M.2 slot.
An important note: I purchased this board at a UK store with a receipt. The UK warranty won’t cover this situation. If I need repair or return, I’ll have to travel back to that country. I bought it in July of this year, so next time I visit early next year should be fine. The warranty is valid for three years.
I’m wondering if soaking the board in 99% rubbing alcohol would help bring it back to life. However, doing so might void the warranty.
Additionally, I can’t test the CPU right now – it was bought from the same shop.
Welcome to the forums, newcomer!
When posting a thread of troubleshooting nature, it's customary to include your full system's specs. Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
Did you breadboard the system outside of the case to see if it works? Perhaps you're having a grounding issue? Inspect CPU's socket for any bent or broken pins. Loosen the CPU cooler mount until it's merely resting on the CPU's IHS.
ASUS Prime Z790-P WIFI CSM is equipped with a CPU i7-14700k, a CPU cooler from Noctua NH-D9L, RAM Kingston FURY Beast Black RGB XMP 8GB DDR5 CL30 DIMM x2, an M.2 SSD Ediloca EN206 512GB 3D NAND, ASUS ProArt 4070TI OC 16GB, Corsair RM805X, and Fractal Design Define 7. The case has standoffs, but I connected the PSU outside the case without noticing any difference inside or outside. I also checked if shorting the MB caused issues.
I received a fresh motherboard. For reference, my previous one was PC-PRIME, and this is PC-H.
PC-Prime
Asus PRIME Z790-P
Motherboard Asus Prime Z790-P WIFI CSM
PC-H
Asus Rog Strix Z790-H
Motherboard Asus Rog Strix Z790-H Gaming WIFI
CPU i7-14700k
CPU Cooler Noctua NH-D9L
RAM Kingston FURY Beast Black RGB XMP 8GB 6000MT/s DDR5 CL30 DIMM x2
M.2 SSD Fikwot FN501 Pro Gen3x4 2TB
ASUS ProArt
4060TI
OC 16GB
(previous version above 4070)
Corsair RM805X
Fractal Design Define 7
PC-H
matches most of the components I attempted with PC-Prime, except for (a) a different motherboard and (b) an M.2 SSD.
I also learned something about the boot process and disk setup. After assembling everything, I realized why the BIOS didn’t recognize the SSD as a bootable device. My initial error was assuming Ediloca EN206 supports SSDs—something I discovered when it also failed for Raspberry PI 5, but that’s another matter. My second mistake was believing the BIOS would list available devices for booting. This is my first experience with a GPU that demands such careful configuration.
I decided to try installing Windows updates via USB and booted from there. It worked, and I entered the installation process successfully. The operating system is now running on the Fikwot FN501.
The next challenge was the 4060TI. I experimented with BIOS settings, PCIe Gen, and multiple monitors, but nothing helped. Whenever the card connected to the PSU, the board wouldn’t boot—even reaching the CPU check stage. The solution came when using a PCIe cable labeled for power (6-pin on one end). That model from RM850x worked.
When Windows 11 was installed, I immediately downloaded and installed all available ASUS drivers. Before that, I wasn’t sure what would fail or underperform. One tool flagged GPU Tweak III due to a missing VGA driver—after reinstalling the ASUS VGA Driver and performing a clean install, it resolved the issue.
In Task Manager, CPUID ROG shows the 4060TI listed. GeForce Experience installed after detecting it.
It seems PC-Prime might follow a similar boot sequence to PC-H, but I didn’t manage to power it up with the provided cable. PC-Prime lacks Q-LED indicators, which would have been helpful.
I need a break from this intense work. The next step will involve adding more SSDs and HDDs to PC-H, or repositioning the components back to PC-Prime. My plan is to upgrade PC-H into a workstation for editing and processing tasks, while my current stable PC (PC3) remains for office work. Eventually, I’ll upgrade PC3 to something better and use the PRIME motherboard. This will take a few months.
Thanks for reading.
I received both disappointing and positive updates. Both Asus motherboards failed, but I managed to acquire a third one – the MSI MSI PRO Z790-A MAX Wifi – which is functioning properly. It seems my setup with MSI didn’t differ much from the previous one; the main difference was that each time I added a component or made adjustments, I had to restart the board. Still, I’m confident the MSI will operate correctly.
The hardware remains unchanged:
- CPU i7-14700k
- CPU cooler Noctua NH-D9L
- RAM Kingston FURY Beast Black RGB XMP 8GB 6000MT/s DDR5 CL30 DIMM x2
- M.2 SSD Fikwot FN501 Pro Gen3x4 2TB
- ASUS ProArt 4060TI OC 16GB
- Corsair RM805X
- Fractal Design Define 7
My second board, the Asus Rog Strix Z790-H, managed to boot a few times and even allowed me to run Resolve Davinci for performance testing. After changing components afterward, it would no longer start – the RAM indicator lit an amber light. I considered CPU issues but cleaned, repositioned, and still faced the same problem with supported RAM. The board’s CMOS also prevented it from progressing beyond the amber light. This suggests it needs replacement.
What I learned? It might be worth questioning Asus’ approach to their motherboards, as they seem to cover a wide range of scenarios. My first board was purchased abroad, while the second came from Amazon. Was it due to manufacturing or design flaws? Or did it pass quality checks? I’m wondering if there’s a chance they’re testing too many possibilities before shipping.