The Biostar Z790 Valkyrie
The Biostar Z790 Valkyrie is a flagship motherboard that offers an extensive range of features from the Z790 platform. Priced at $637.50 / £648.99, it comes with PCIe 5.0 slots, M.2 sockets, and support for Intel’s 12th and 13th Gen processors. In addition to these features, it includes last-gen flagship-class audio, ample storage options, USB ports, and robust power delivery to accommodate high-end chips.
However, some may question the rationale behind investing in a Z790 motherboard given the impending release of the 9000 Series. The Biostar Z790 Valkyrie lacks integrated Wi-Fi and its design may appear somewhat basic compared to similarly priced competitors with comparable features. Furthermore, it falls short in terms of speed.
When it comes to performance, the Biostar Z790 Valkyrie is unfortunately underwhelming. Despite pairing it with the Intel i9-13900K to take advantage of its PCIe 5.0 support, the motherboard struggles to handle the processor. Biostar recommends using the Hades 360 Aquila heatsink, which does improve performance while maintaining safe operating temperatures. However, even with the best heatsink, the Z790 Valkyrie fails to keep up.
In Handbrake, it performed above average, but it delivered below average results in the Procyon Office tests and exhibited average gaming performance. While it provides an alternative in the competitive Z790 market, it does not make it onto our list of the best motherboards.
Biostar Z790 Valkyrie Features
Biostar takes pride in the Z790 Valkyrie's black 8-layer PCB with black heatsinks and shrouds adorned with gold accents. The rear IO cover features a brushed aluminum finish. The VRM heatsinks are designed with wide-mitered cutouts to enhance surface area and performance, giving them a sleek appearance and impressive capability.
The motherboard boasts a total of 20 phases, distributed as follows: one phase dedicated to M.2 2nd Gen SSDs, another to M.2 1st Gen SSDs, and 14 dedicated to the CPU Vcore. Additionally, it offers 2,100A of current across three reinforced full-length PCIe slots and five M.2 sockets, some of which share lanes. This means you can run two full-length cards and utilize multiple M.2 drives simultaneously (with one over 30mm and two over 16mm, sacrificing an extra optical drive).
The rear IO features eight full USB ports, Wi-Fi antenna connections (Wi-Fi not included), and video outputs. With an audio stack and a 2.5 GbE port, the Biostar Z790 Valkyrie provides everything you need for your computer case. However, the positioning of some of these ports may be obstructed by closed-side-panel cases.
Biostar Z790 Valkyrie Specs
Here are the specifications of the Biostar Z790 Valkyrie, sourced from the manufacturer's page:
- Plenty of M.2 sockets with lane sharing capability, ideal for PCIe 5 M.2 SSDs. However, the availability of these SSDs on the market is yet to be seen.
