The MSI PRO Z790-A MAX WIFI is a feature-rich motherboard designed to support Intel® Core™ Next-gen, 14th, 13th & 12th Gen processors. It’s a high-performance motherboard designed for business and professional use.
Features
Pro Z790-A Max WiFi
Business Elegance
The PRO Series is tailored to professionals from all walks of life. The lineup features impressive performance and high quality, while aiming to provide users incredible experience. Users who care about productivity and efficiency can definitely count on the MSI PRO Series to assist you with multitasking and increasing efficiency.
PRO Z790-A MAX WIFI offers a simple design with a harmonious silver colour scheme that perfectly matches white and black PC builds. It is engineered with many exclusive features of MSI, a convenient Wi-Fi 7 solution, and DDR5 optimization for Intel® next Gen and 13th Gen Core processors.
Supports Intel® Core™ Next-gen / 13th Gen / 12th Gen, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® processors for LGA 1700 socket
Enhanced Power Design: 16+1+1 DRPS with 80A SPS, dual 8-pin CPU power connectors, Core Boost, Memory Boost
Premium Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink, MOSFET thermal pads rated for 7W/mK, additional choke thermal pads and M.2 Shield Frozr are built for high performance system and non-stop gaming experience
High Quality PCB: 6-layer PCB made by 2oz thickened copper and server grade level material
Lightning Fast Game experience: PCIe 5.0 slot, Lightning Gen 4 x4 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
Intel Turbo USB 3.2 Gen 2: Powered by Intel USB 3.2 Gen2 controller, Turbo USB ensures an uninterrupted connection with more stability and fastest USB speeds
2.5G LAN with Wi-Fi 7 Solution: Upgraded network solution for professional and multimedia use. Delivers a secure, stable and fast network connection
AUDIO BOOST 5: Reward your ears with studio grade sound quality for the most immersive gaming experience
Exclusive Features
2x 8 Pin Power Connectors
Pre-installed IO Shield
6-layer PCB with 2oz Thickened
Digital PWM
PCIe Steel Armour
Connectivity – High-Speed Transmission
2.5G Network Solution
Lighting USB 20G
Latest Wi-Fi 7
DDR5 Support
Lightning Gen 5
Thermal Solution
Extended Heatsink
M.2 Shield Frozr
Pump Fan Support
Hardware
Cooling
Cooling Overview
Extended Heatsink
Extended Heatsink enlarges the surface of heat dissipation and maintain the performance at heavy loads.
The VRM heatsink covers the upper MOS and helps dissipate the heat.
7W/mK Thermal Pad & Additional Choke Pad
High-quality 7W/mK MOSFET thermal pads and additional choke thermal pads ensure stable performance when all cores are running at high speed.
Enlarged Chipset Heatsink
The enlarged heatsink is designed to reduce dust and noise and capable of maintaining high efficiency of heat dissipation.
Fully Fan Control
Control in One Click
MSI motherboards let you manage speeds and temperatures for all your system and CPU fans in BIOS and software with a simplified graphical interface. You can also set up to 4 temperature targets, which will adjust the fan speeds automatically.
Frozr AI Cooling
Detecting CPU & GPU temperatures and automatically adjusting fan duty of system fans to a proper value by adopting MSI AI ENGINE.
Water Cooling
Optimized for Water Cooling
Designed to support the most popular All-In-One & customized water cooling solutions on the market. A dedicated water pump PIN header supports up to 3 amp, giving you full control of the water pump speed. A clearly marked ‘keep-out-zone’ allows for easy and safe installation and a perfect fit.
Power Solution
Structure
16+1+1 Power Design
Unleash and sustain the maximum performance with a VRM design built with a total of 16+1+1 power design. Combining dual power connectors and exclusive Core Boost technology, MSI PRO Series motherboards are ready to sustain heavy daily work.
16 Phase Core SPS – Power 80A
1 Phase AUX Power
1 Phase GT Power
Double Power Connectors
Two 8-pin connectors deliver adequate power even for an overclocked multi-core CPU.
Digital Power Design
A fully digital power design allows for faster and undistorted current delivery to the CPU at pin-point precision.
Core Boost
Premium layout not only support the multi-core CPU, also create the perfect conditions for your CPU overclocking.
PCB Design
Optimized PCB Solution
The PCB design has been optimized for higher bandwidth and faster transfer speeds, which is also beneficial for reliable circuit transmission.
6 PCB layers
2oz Thickened Copper
DIY Friendly
EZ M.2 Clip
Have trouble turning screws? MSI innovative EZ M.2 clip assist you install an M.2 SSD quickly and effortlessly.
Driver Utility Installer
Once connected to the internet, MSI Driver Utility Installer will detect and present suitable drivers and utilities automatically, you can download and install with just a few clicks.
*Please ensure to connect the internet, or the Driver Utility Installer won’t launch automatically.
*MSI Driver Utility Installer will be ready in Windows 11 build 22H2.
System Saver
Run into trouble when updating your BIOS or somehow corrupted it? Don’t worry, MSI motherboards offer multiple options to successfully boot your system again.
Flash the BIOS with only a connected power supply by following a few steps. CPU and memory not required.
More for DIY Friendly
Windows 11 Certified
With MSI you benefit from great compatibility and a worry-free user experience when using Microsoft Windows 11. With a true dedication to performance, the MSI R&D team has made sure everything works as intended when using the latest version of Microsoft Windows on any MSI product.
Windows 11 Compatible
TPM 2.0
XL Clip
The enlarged PCI-E clip helps you swap or remove your devices easier. Keep the PI-E slot stronger and safer.
EZ Debug LED
Onboard LEDs will indicate the source of the problem so you know exactly where to look to get up and running again.
Keep Out Zone
MSI motherboards circuitry ensure the case standoff keep out zones are pure and clean. Moreover, the protective paint is printed around each screw hole to prevent parts from being scratched or damaged to the motherboard.
* Please ensure to remove the unnecessary mounting stand-off when installing the motherboard into the case.
Double ESD Protection
Double ESD protection doubles up the grounding layer around the mounting holes, preventing static discharge surges from damaging the motherboard.
MSI -Best
Brand A – Average
Brand B – Poor
Atypical PCB
Not clever at cable arrangement? MSI Atypical PC design not only the identity of stylish but also makes SATA and USB cable routing easier. Arranges cable neatly even you are not familiar with system build.
Protection
Solid Pin Design
The 4-pin, 8-pin, and 24-pin power connectors of MSI motherboards are all designed with solid pins. The solid pin design allows for a more stable transmission of 12V power to the CPU, even when handling high current loads.
Advantages of Solid Pin Power Connector
Improved stability : Larger contact area enhances stability during power delivery.
Strong durability : The solid pin design ensures strong durability, capable of withstanding demanding conditions.
Suitable for high-current applications.
Anti-Corrosive Stainless Steel IO Shield
Corrosive resistance IO Shield to help improve static electricity and reduce electromagnetic radiation noise from the system as well as more durable compare to traditional IO Shields.
The Grounding Structure of Power Phases
The grounding structure of power phases is the MSI’s exclusive design. This patented design enables to suppress the electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by the power phases and helps to efficiently conduct heat to the copper plane with grounding properties.
Over Current Protection
MSI motherboards prioritize safety with the embedded Overcurrent Protection (OCP), ensuring crucial components such as the USB ports, DDR memory, PWM IC, and CPU are shielded from excessive current. This proactive defence mechanism curtails the risk of damage or malfunction due to power surges, promoting long-term system stability. This commitment to safeguarding your hardware underscores MSI’s dedication to producing motherboards that prioritize durability and stability.
CPU / PWM IC
DDR memory Slots
Rear & Front USB ports
Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS)
Transient Voltage Suppressors (TVS) are safety devices used to protect against excessive voltage. All motherboard models of MSI are equipped with TVS. When the voltage abnormally rises, the TVS switches from a high-resistance state to a low-resistance state, diverting the excessive voltage to ground. This helps prevent circuit damage caused by high voltage.
Performance
Expansion
Lightning Gen 5 PCI-E with Steel Armour
Doubling over the previous generation, the bandwidth of a x16 interface can reach 128GB/s.
SMT PCIE 5.0 Slot
The advanced SMT(Surface Mount Technology) PCIE slot diminish interference and electrical noise, fully support the PCI-E 5.0 signal.
Reinforced, Heavy Soldered Connections
Secure to the motherboard with extra solder points and support the weight of heavy graphics cards.
Storage
Fast and Future-Ready Storage
MSI PRO series motherboards support all the latest storage standards, which allows users to connect any ultra-fast storage device. Start games faster, load levels faster and have a real advantage over your enemies.
4x Lightning Gen 4 M.2 – 64 Gbps
6x – 6 Gbps
USB
Lightning USB 20G
Double Bandwidth with Lightning USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 20G
Using USB 3.2 devices has never been faster! MSI PRO series motherboards offer a wide variety of options to connect and boost your USB devices, offering never before seen USB speeds up to 20Gb/s when connecting the Rear USB Type-C.
USB Front Type-C
MSI PRO motherboards support USB Front Type- that allows gamers to connect with the latest USB devices. Built up a system with MSI PC case to have the most convenient experience.
Memory
DDR5
Latest DDR5 Memory with SMT Slot
A huge step of DDR performance enhancement with the latest DDR5 memory. Combines with dedicated SMT welding process and MSI Memory Boost technology, MSI PRO Series motherboards are ready to deliver the world class memory performance.
The advanced SMT(Surface Mount Technology) welding process reduces the defect rate of slot solder joints, electromagnetism, and interference. Combining with exclusive Memory Boost technology allows MSI motherboards to deliver the clean and pure high-frequency DDR5 signal.
XMP
Easy Overclocking with XMP Profile
The XMP (Extreme Memory Profiles) in MSI BIOS is tested and certified by MSI OC LAB, and it is easy for users to get the higher memory performance and great stability.
BIOS & Software
MSI Center
MSI brand new MSI Center unifies a suite of MSI software utilities into a single centralized application. Take control of advanced motherboards features and unleash endless possibilities.
Mystic Light
Create your own colourful masterpiece with ease. Splash any colour you want with just a few clicks!
True Colour
Optimized monitor’s brightness and colour in several modes for different situation, you can also customize by yourself.
User Scenario
One click for setting your computer, even customize own profile as your preference.
Hardware Monitoring
Get immediate access to your critical hardware information in real-time.
Profile Setting
Tune select motherboard settings in the OC Setting menu, where options to boost core performance and optimize system cooling are presented in an intuitive interface.
Fan Center
Assume complete control of your fans with Fan Center. Set up to four CPU temperature targets and the motherboard will adjust fan speeds automatically.
System Diagnosis
Restore and backup your MSI storage devices in one click to provide stable system usage, you can even monitor the storage status to prevent system crash or data missing.
Exclusive UI of AIDA64 Extreme
MSI motherboards provide 60 days free trial of AIDA64 Extreme – MSI edition. AIDA64 Extreme is an almighty application for system information, diagnostics and benchmarks. With the application, you can monitor the detailed hardware and software information on PC and save it to file in multiple formats such as CSV and HTML.
Click BIOS 5
Get more from a loaded BIOS designed for ease of use. Fine-tune the motherboard for gaming performance, efficiency, or overclocking world records!
EZ-Mode
Advanced Mode
XMP
Choose from a preset XMP profile and automatically overclock compatible DDR memory.
VMD (Volume Management Device)
Enable direct control and management of NVMe SSDs from the PCIe bus without additional hardware adaptors.
M-Flash
Conveniently flash or upgrade the BIOS in a few minutes from the CMOS Setup Utility.
Hardware Monitor
Get immediate access to your critical hardware information in real-time including temperature, memory capacity, clock speed, and voltage.
Memory Try It
Get extreme speed out of your system memory and get more performance.
Search & Favourites
A permanent search & favourite option in the top right corner moves you through the BIOS menus quickly.
System Safety
All MSI PRO series motherboards have SECURITY function in BIOS to protect every private files for no matter business or daily use.
Secure Boot
Secure boot is a security standard to make sure that a device boots using only software that is trusted. When the PC starts, the firmware checks the signature of each piece of boot software, including UEFI firmware drivers, EFI applications, and the operating system. The PC boots while the signatures are valid.
Resizable Bar
Resizable BAR (Re-Size BAR) is an advanced PCI Express feature that enables the CPU to access the entire GPU frame buffer at once and improve performance.
Connectivity
Audio
Audio Boost 5
High Definition ALC4080 Audio Processor
High Quality Audio Capacitors
High Quality Audio Jacks with S/PDIF
Dedicated Headphone Amplifier
Isolated Audio Signal
De-Pop Protection
The Isolated Analogy Structure for Audio Connectors
To provide clear voice, MSI develops a unique structure – Isolated Analogy Structure. The external metal framework of the audio connectors is separated from the internal layout, which ensures the sound quality crisp.
Mystic Light
Synchronize
Extend Your RGB Experience with Ease
Add more colour if you want! Mystic Light Extension pin header provides an intuitive way to control additional RGB strips and other RGB peripherals added to a system, without needing a separate RGB controller.
Synchronize lighting theme with compatible lighting devices.
Networking
2.5G LAN & WiFi 7
High-Bandwidth and Low-Latency Network
MSI’s premium network solution provides incredible data transfer speed for demanding users.
Wi-Fi 7
Bluetooth 5.4
2.5G LAN
Dual Band Antenna with Stand
The Next Gen Wi-Fi Solution – Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7 is the latest wireless solution that takes a huge leap forward with multiple improvements to meet the traffic demand brought and the growing number of wireless devices.
*Windows 11 compatibility only
Upgrade to Wi-Fi 7
Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) introduced higher speeds, wider channels, improved efficiency, and reduced latency over Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax). It also improved battery life and provided better performance in crowded environments.
Data Transfer Rate
The Wi-Fi 7 provides maximum speeds to a whopping 5.8 Gbps! 2.4 times faster than previous Wi-Fi 6/6E standards, Wi-Fi 7 is set to be the wireless standard of the future.
Channel Size
Previous Wi-Fi generations have had to make do with 160MHz channel widths. Wi-Fi 7 brings this width up to 320MHz (on 6GHz) – ensuring better reliability during simultaneous transmissions at max speeds.
Higher Order Modulation
The higher QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) value, the more data each packet can carry. Wi-Fi 7 improves the modulation scheme from 1024-QAM to 4096-QAM – boosting peak transmission rates and network capacity.
Multi-Link Operation
Wi-Fi 7 enables devices to simultaneously send and receive data across several frequency bands and channels to meet the traffic demand brought and the growing number of wireless devices.
Specifications
Model Number
PRO-Z790-A-MAX-WIFI
Chipset
Intel Z790
CPU Support
Supports 12th / 13th Gen Intel® Core™ Processors, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® Processors
LGA 1700
Memory
4 x DDR5 UDIMM, Maximum Memory Capacity 192 GB
Memory Support 7800+(OC) / 7600(OC) / 7400(OC) / 7200(OC) / 7000(OC) / 6800(OC) / 6600(OC) / 6400(OC) / 6200(OC) / 6000(OC) / 5800(OC) / 5600(JEDEC) / 5400(JEDEC) / 5200(JEDEC) / 5000(JEDEC) / 4800(JEDEC) MHz
Max. overclocking frequency:
1DPC 1R Max speed up to 7800+ MHz
1DPC 2R Max speed up to 6600+ MHz
2DPC 1R Max speed up to 6400+ MHz
2DPC 2R Max speed up to 5600+ MHz
Supports Intel® XMP 3.0 OC
Supports Dual-Controller Dual-Channel mode
Supports non-ECC, un-buffered memory
Onboard Graphics
1 x HDMI™
Support HDMI™ 2.1 with HDR, maximum resolution of 4K 60 Hz*
1 x DisplayPort
Support DP 1.4, maximum resolution of 8K 60 Hz*
*Available only on processors featuring integrated graphics. Graphics specifications may vary depending on the CPU installed.
Expansion Slot
3 x PCI-E x 16 slot
1 x PCI-E x 1 slot
PCI_E1 Gen PCIe 5.0 supports up to x 16 (From CPU)
PCI_E2 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x 1 (From Chipset)
PCI_E3 Gen PCIe 4.0 supports up to x 4 (From Chipset)
PCI_E4 Gen PCIe 3.0 supports up to x 1 (From Chipset)
Storage
4 x M.2
M.2_1 Source (From CPU) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x 4 , supports 22110 / 2280 / 2260 / 2242 devices
M.2_2 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x 4 , supports 2280 / 2260 / 2242 devices
M.2_3 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x 4 / SATA mode, supports 2280 / 2260 / 2242 devices
M.2_4 Source (From Chipset) supports up to PCIe 4.0 x 4 / SATA mode, supports 2280 / 2260 / 2242 devices
6 x SATA 6G
RAID
Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for SATA storage devices
Supports RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10 for M.2 NVMe storage devices
USB
2 x USB 2.0 (Rear)
4 x USB 2.0 (Front)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A (Rear)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A (Front)
3 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type A (Rear)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C (Front)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2x2 Type C (Rear)
LAN
Intel® 2.5 Gbps LAN
Wireless / Bluetooth
Wi-Fi 7
The Wireless module is pre-installed in the M.2 (Key-E) slot
Supports MU-MIMO TX/RX, 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / 6 GHz* (320 MHz) up to 5.8 Gbps
Supports 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax / be
Supports Bluetooth® 5.4**, MLO, 4KQAM
* 6 GHz band support may depend on every country’s regulations and Wi-Fi 7 will be ready in Windows 11 SV3.
** The Bluetooth version may be updated, please refer to the Wi-Fi chipset vendor’s website for details. Bluetooth 5.4 support schedule depends on MSFT Windows 11 plan.
Audio
Realtek® ALC4080 Codec
7.1-Channel USB High Performance Audio
Supports S/PDIF output
Internal I/O
1 x Power Connector(ATX_PWR)
2 x Power Connector(CPU_PWR)
1 x CPU Fan
1 x Pump Fan
6 x System Fan
2 x Front Panel (JFP)
1 x Chassis Intrusion (JCI)
1 x Front Audio (JAUD)
1 x TBT connector (JTBT, supports RTD3)
1 x Tuning Controller connector(JDASH)
3 x Addressable V2 RGB LED connector (JARGB_V2)
1 x RGB LED connector(JRGB)
1 x TPM pin header(Support TPM 2.0)
4 x USB 2.0 ports
2 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C ports
1 x USB4 card connector (JTBT_U4_1, supports RTD3)
LED Feature
4 x EZ Debug LED
Back Panel Ports
DisplayPort
USB 2.0
2.5G LAN
Wi-Fi / Bluetooth
Audio Connectors
HDMI™
Flash BIOS Button
USB 3.2 Gen 1 5 Gbps (Type-A)
USB 3.2 Gen 2 10 Gbps (Type-A)
USB 3.2 Gen 2 x 2 20 Gbps (Type-C)
S/PDIF-OUT
Operating System
Support for Windows® 11 64-bit
PCB Dimension (W x L)
ATX
243.84 mm x 304.8 mm
Box Content
European Union Regulatory Notice
Quick Installation Guide
M.2 Screw / Standoff Set
2 x M.2 Clips
Wi-Fi Antenna
2 x SATA Cables
Driver DVD
