Biostar Unveils the Z890AX-E PRO Mid-to-Low-End ATX Motherboard

Following the launch of its mid-to-high-end Z890 VALKYRIE and Z890A-SILVER motherboards at COMPUTEX 2024, Biostar has introduced a new addition to its Z890 series lineup. The Z890AX-E PRO, now listed on Biostar‘s official website, is positioned as a mid-to-low-end ATX motherboard with a range of essential features, catering to users seeking performance and versatility without the high-end price tag.

Though Biostar has yet to release detailed specifications regarding the motherboard’s power delivery system, several key design choices indicate its target audience. The VRM heat sink does not extend to the top of the board, the rear I/O panel is not integrated, and support for USB speeds beyond 20Gbps is absent. These characteristics suggest that the Z890AX-E PRO is aimed at the mid-tier market, offering solid features but not competing with premium models.

The motherboard features a dual-channel DDR5 memory design, supporting two DIMMs per channel (2DPC), with overclocking capabilities reaching speeds of 8000+ MT/s. This allows for ample memory performance in gaming and multitasking scenarios.

In terms of expansion, the Z890AX-E PRO comes equipped with three PCIe slots. The primary slot is a CPU-direct PCIe 5.0×16 slot, ensuring high-speed connections for modern GPUs. Additionally, the board includes a chipset-provided PCIe 4.0×4 slot with a full-length physical design and a PCIe 3.0×1 slot for more peripheral options.

Storage options are robust, with a total of four M.2 2280 slots and four SATA III interfaces. Among the M.2 slots, one supports PCIe 5.0×4 from the CPU, another supports PCIe 4.0×4 from the CPU, and the remaining two are chipset-driven PCIe 4.0×4 slots. This configuration offers a balance of fast NVMe storage and traditional SATA drives for users needing ample storage solutions.

The motherboard’s rear I/O panel offers a range of connectivity options, including one HDMI 2.1 port, one HDMI 1.4b port, one DP 1.2 port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C port, and seven USB Type-A 10Gbps ports. This selection ensures support for a wide variety of peripherals and displays.

On the front I/O side, the board includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2 10Gbps Type-C header, a 1-to-2 USB Type-A 10Gbps header, and two USB 2.0 headers, providing additional connectivity for cases and front-panel ports.

Other key features of the Biostar Z890AX-E PRO include a Realtek ALC1220 audio codec for high-quality sound, an RTL8125D 2.5GbE Ethernet controller for fast wired networking, a SMART BIOS USB interface for easy updates, four 5V RGB headers, a single 12V RGB header, and a reserved M.2 slot for wireless module installation.

This latest motherboard from Biostar offers a well-rounded feature set that caters to users looking for solid performance, good connectivity, and expandable storage options, making it a strong contender in the mid-tier market.

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